Rank 8

Diversifying services

Started as a blood products company, Bharat Serums and Vaccines now has operations in everything ranging from biosimilars and stem cells to diagnostics.
Bharat Serums and Vaccines (BSV) with revenues touching `389 crore in FY2012-13 recorded 30 percent growth over the previous fiscal. BSV today has 2,500 people spread across various divisions both in India and abroad. BSV Biosciences in USA focuses on biotechnological research, while another research unit in Germany specifically researches natural products for their platforms in biotech, biologicals and new drug delivery along with animal health.
Dr Gautam Daftary, vice chairman and managing director, Bharat Serums and Vaccines says, "In 2013-14 period, our main goal is to finish the regulatory filings for the products I have mentioned earlier. Hopefully, we will see our products commercialize. We have to maintain a balance with the R&D so that we reap dividends as well."
A few months ago, BSV announced its plans to enter into the area of rapid diagnostic tests-for malaria and later HIV. A separate venture for molecular biology based diagnostics for detecting inborn errors of metabolism in newborns is also in the works. These would be its entry products into the diagnostic range. Additionally, it also set up a joint venture with Morpheus, a German company under which BSV set up around 30 IVF clinics in India with plans of further expansion.
An important product from India's point of view to come out of BSV's stables is for the treatment of kala azar. BSV has a global patent for Amphotericin emulsion(Ambisome).
BSV recently launched in India Ulinastatin, a biosimilar for the treatment of sepsis. Sepsis today, is the leading cause of fatalities, with more 65% mortality associated with it. Lack of treatment options prompted BSV to carry out research in natural products at the Dusseldorf to develop the product isolated from urine, a serine protease that suppresses polymorphonulear elastase (PMNE). There is only one product like this which has a market size of $250 million. BSV hopes to utilize UK as an entry point for Europe by
2013-2014.

Company: Bharat Serums and Vaccines
Business: R&D, manufacturing and marketing of biopharmaceuticals
Revenue: 2013 `389 crore