Precision Mechanist
India's growing economy and precise R&D activities will help Shimadzu Analytical (India) increase its growth rate.

Shimadzu Analytical (India) Pvt Ltd, a wholly owned subsidiary of Shimadzu Corporation, Japan has been offering technologies in the field of analytical and scientific instrumentation, diagnostic medical imaging, and process control instrumentation, environmental monitoring to different industries including life sciences and biotechnology. It boasts of well-developed R&D in the areas of its specialization. Shimadzu has established its name in the R&D and QA labs in the country. In April 2006 it has opened its customer support center equipped with the state-of-the-art instruments in Mumbai. The center will focus on customer training and aid in analytical method development for its customers.

Shimadzu Analytical (India) is investing about Rs 4 crore (100 million Yen) in India. With an initial staff strength of 20 personnel, it plans to increase it to 40 within a year. In addition to overseeing the activities of the customer support center, it will also provide marketing support to its distributors.

With an annual turnover of Rs 150 crore, Shimadzu has been marketing its products through distributors namely Toshvin Analytical, Amkette Analytics, Swan Environmental, and Spinco Biotech for more than 35 years (since 1970). About 60 percent of its total sales (i.e. Rs 90 crore) were from the life sciences industry. Shimadzu has 30 percent market share in the analytical and scientific instrumentation market in India that is estimated to be about Rs 500 crore.

Shimadzu is setting up a software development center to meet the Corporation's software needs. The center will also act as a support hub to the South Asia region. Shimadzu is looking at achieving a target of Rs 300-400 crore in the next five years.

Shimadzu's Biotech division is focused on providing integrated solutions for life science and drug development to accelerate the progress of biotechnology in research and development. Shimadzu Biotech represents a new way of thinking in the health and life science sectors by combining a core competence in instrument design and manufacture together with strategic partnerships to advance the development of knowledge in biotechnology. Product offerings include mass spectrometry integrated with enabling technology for high throughput analysis (MALDI, LC/MS, automated systems for analyzing gels with mass spectrometry) and specific solutions for DNA analysis (ranging from UV spectroscopy to chip-based electrophoresis) among a range of other offerings. One of its researchers, Dr Koichi Tanaka, shared 2002 Nobel Prize for chemistry for the development of Matrix Assisted Laser De sorption Ionization, a popular technique to ionize proteins, a useful tool in biotechnology research.