Khursokhan's decision comes at a time when Glaxo Wellcome is in the midst of a global merger with SmithKline Beecham. Khusrokhan had taken charge as Glaxo India managing director on May 1, 1996, though he had been appointed joint managing director (alongwith V Thyagarajan) of the company upto August 9, 1995.

It is still unclear whether Khusrokhan will pursue other opportunities, even as speculation is rife on this front given that he was recently appointed as director on the board of fast-moving consumer goods giant Hindustan Lever.

Industry sources say that former Glaxo India managing director and current Glaxo Wellcome South Asia head, V Thyagarajan, is tipped to take over as head of the Glaxo SmithKline combine in India. There is, however, no official confirmation on this.

Glaxo and SmithKline Beecham are in the midst of global merger and sources say that more action is expected at the top management level as the two companies move towards integrating their Indian operations.

Significantly, analysts say that the next global merger set to spur top level changes is the proposed union of Pfizer and Parke-Davis India (an affiliate of Warner Lambert). Parke- Davis (India) chairman and managing director Pramod H Lele has already been nominated as chief of Warner Lambert's Indian operations.

Sources maintain that Lele is already in the reckoning for the top position at Pfizer-Warner Lambert's Indian operations while Pfizer's Indian operations are currently headed by Ian Young.

International media reports, however, say that "Pfizer has vitually cleared out several layers of Warner Lambert management, leaving hardly any senior positions as it consolidates its acquisition". The Pfizer-Warner Lambert deal has spawned the world's largest pharma company by market capitalisation.

"Of the 15 global area managers above the country management level, just two come from Warner. Mr Henry McKinnell, Pfizer president and chief operating officer, said an executive vice president in Asia and the new president of Latin America were the only former Warner managers at regional level," the report added.