When Jackey Kankeshwar was a commerce undergrad, he worked a part-time job most of his peers would have shunned: going door to door to enrol people in vaccination camps. “It made me realise I liked talking to people, explaining complex ideas in simple terms, and persuading them,” he recalls. It wasn’t glamorous, but it was a start. And it set him on a path through sales, publishing, side hustles, and eventually into building something the Indian pharma industry didn’t know it needed: PharmaClick, a mobile-first platform designed to consolidate fragmented information pathways and B2B services for pharma professionals.
from classifieds to consolidation
Jackey’s first corporate role was with a B2B media house. His initiation into the world of work was launching a classifieds page for pharmaceutical chemicals in a weekly trade publication.
Eighteen months later, he was asked to launch an entirely new monthly magazine covering pharmaceuticals, food ingredients, nutraceuticals, and personal care. At just 22, he was running a media product. By the time he left, he was Product Head overseeing multiple titles.
That trajectory might have been enough for most. For Jackey, it was just training. On the side, he tried everything from canteens to trading to a community kitchen for doctors during the lockdown.
the MVP mindset
The idea for PharmaClick came from living with the daily frustrations of an industry that is both enormous and scattered. “Life Sciences is so vast and constantly evolving that it’s hard to see where it begins or ends,” he explains. “Yet the platforms serving it felt generic, outdated, and not built for how people actually work.”
Instead of waiting for a perfect solution, he built a minimal version of what he thought might work: a single app that combined sourcing, services, and updates for pharma professionals. “Sometimes you can’t wait until everything is ready,” he says. “The market itself shapes the product.”
That philosophy meant shipping early and letting the market shape what came next. He even tested credibility by producing the daily news soon after launch, a risky move that gave the app visibility and downloads. With this came industry trust.
building in public
Jackey’s approach reflects a belief in building in public. Every risk is a test, and the data it produces shapes the next decision. “When we decided to exhibit at a pharma expo in Goa, the app wasn’t even fully developed,” he says. “Some of my colleagues thought it was premature. But we came back with users, suppliers, and most importantly, feedback.”
That willingness to show the unfinished is rare in industries that prize polish and hierarchy. But for Jackey, it is essential. “Perfection can be the enemy of progress,” he says. “If we wait for the flawless version, we may never launch.”
leadership without theatrics
Within his team, Jackey prefers a flat structure. “Agree to disagree is part of how we work,” he says. For him, the job of leadership is enabling clarity. “Problems look different once you break them into steps,” he notes.
His colleagues would likely describe him as approachable and persistent. “I try to bring optimism, but also honesty,” he says. “In our industry, trust is paramount. We want our culture to reflect the same values.”
lessons carried forward
Jackey admits he once believed enthusiasm alone was enough. “Energy and positivity are important,” he says. “But over time, I learned that process, patience, and knowledge matter just as much.” Transparency became another anchor. “Everything looks easy until you start doing it. Execution is where the real learning happens.”
Those lessons have shaped both the product and the person. “Every experiment, whether a side hustle or a product launch, has made me a little more resilient, a little more curious, and a little more willing to try again.”
progress as habit
For Jackey, progress is measured in small increments. “It’s when users come back regularly because they found value,” he says. Partnerships and collaborations are another measure: proof that the platform is becoming useful, not just visible.
Looking ahead, he is curious about AI, not as a buzzword but as a way to personalise services and make features smarter. “The industry keeps moving, and so must we,” he says.
closing the gap
PharmaClick may evolve and morph in ways he cannot yet predict. What matters is the instinct behind it. Pull things together. Make them usable. He ships before others have finished deliberating.
That restless, experimental mindset is suited to an industry so vast and disparate it can’t fathom its own contours.
“PharmaClick isn’t the end of the road,” he says. “It’s just the next step. The industry needed a space like this; we’ve built one, and now our job is to keep improving it.”
