Thermo Fisher Invests ₹160 Cr to Boost Antibody Research

Thermo​‍​‌‍​‍‌​‍​‌‍​‍‌ Fisher Scientific marked a significant milestone with the inauguration of its enhanced Research and Development (R&D) Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru. India is set to lead antibody design, development, and manufacturing in the global market, with the facility expansion as the key driver.

Digital Economy Mission (KDEM) CEO Sanjeev Kumar Gupta inaugurated the new centre in the presence of senior executives from KDEM, KEONICS, and the Karnataka Innovation & Technology Society (KITS).

The refurbishing, which constitutes a cumulative local investment of more than Rs 160 crore, is a testament to the life sciences company’s optimism about and commitment to the sector in India. The 37,000-sq-ft space is a high-tech laboratory that incorporates cutting-edge automation and analytical platforms to perform immunoassays, protein analysis, and cell-based studies. Besides, more than 100 new jobs have been created to develop local talent in the area.

Priyank Kharge, the Minister for Electronics, IT & Bt, and Rural Development & Panchayat Raj, Government of Karnataka, while addressing the gathering, said that the expansion is a clear indication of the state's ambition to establish Karnataka as a biotechnology hub on the global stage.

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Gianluca Pettiti, Executive Vice President, Life Sciences, Diagnostics and Applied Sector, Thermo Fisher Scientific, said that, as a result, Bengaluru continues to be the company’s innovation ecosystem’s strategic hub.

Thermo Fisher's Bengaluru facility has been instrumental in global infectious disease research, antiviral studies, and cancer biology for 18 years. The company has developed more than 2,000 recombinant antibodies and validated over 25,000 antibodies.

With the expansion, the company is going to be even more influential in the Indian biotechnology sector that is rapidly ‍​‌‍​‍‌​‍​‌‍​‍‌growing.