The move, according to Interlink managing director RB Smarta, will boost the Indian firm's efforts to provide in-depth and qualitative consultancy services in the country. "Interlink believes that all strategic advice/consultancy should be backed by high-quality research. These alliances will help us access better marketing intelligence and hence offer even better consultancy services," he said. Interlink has sewn up co-operation links with Taylor Nelson which is the fourth largest marketing information company globally, pound sterling 11.6 million Martin Hamblin, syndicated research specialist NOP, Insight, and ISIS.

All five British firms are characterised by unique strengths in the field of healthcare research.

Taylor Nelson, which recently acquired French firmSofres, boasts of the world's largest cardiovascular database. The firm has an international network of over 4,000 personnel spanning 28 countries across Europe, North America, Asia and Australia.

Martin Hamblin, on the other hand, is well-known for its sensory research efforts targeting the non-therapeutic aspects of a product. The key strengths of NOP and Insight are a high degree of syndicated and ad-hoc research and a high degree of focus on emerging market issues respectively. The fifth British firm, ISIS, is known for its strengths in pharmaceutical ethical advertising, a trend which has yet to catch up in India. ISIS also holds the key to a unique "on-line" physician's research and group discussions led by expert moderators.

The Mumbai-based Interlink is a one-stop healthcare consultancy, offering specialised services in the area of pharmaceuticals.The firm, which has an impressive client profile including Glaxo, Hoechst and Kopran among others, has chalked out strategies to put a host of Indianand international drug firms/brands back on the high growth track.

The fast growing $2.5-billion global healthcare management consulting market is currently characterised by supply polarisation between the smallest and the largest firms, with only those with a strong specialty flourishing.