CEO: Dr Krishna Ella

On Growth Path

Bharat Biotech has recorded strong growth of nearly 20 percent in 2004-05

A nother biotech industry bell weather, Hyderabad-based Bharat Biotech International Ltd ( BBIL) has recorded strong growth of nearly 20 percent in 2004-05. It has posted sales of Rs 41 crore in 2004-05 with a growth rate of 19.4 percent against last year's sale of Rs 36 crore.

Bharat Biotech has notched up some other successes too in the past year. This multi-dimensional biotechnology company specialized in product-oriented research and development and manufacturing of vaccines and bio-therapeutics and has got the approvals in January 2005 from the Korean Food & Drugs Administration for its human vaccines manufacturing facility located at Genome Valley in Hyderabad. This enables BBIL to attain a level playing field and help reposition its entry into the global markets in the sphere of injectibles.

BBIL is mainly involved in three activities such as the development and production of vaccines, contract development and manufacturing for western-based pharma/biotech companies, and the development of its own line of molecules. Bharat Biotech has entered into a contract-manufacturing tie-up with multinational Wyeth Lederle for pneumonia vaccine.

Bharat Biotech has signed a joint venture agreement with South Africa's gold and diamond company Mvelaphanda Holdings in 2004, set up a manufacturing plant for vaccines and generic drugs near Johannesburg. Under the agreement both Bharat Biotech and Mvelaphanda would have equal stake. South African plant would be set up at an investment of Rs 125-150 crore.

Bharat Biotech has a state-of-the-art manufacturing plant spread over 22 acres campus at Genome Valley, Hyderabad. It was established with an investment of over Rs 100 crore. The equipment, the procedures and the practices, meet the stringent quality standards laid down by world renowned quality monitoring institutions including USFDA, UKMCA and WHO norms. BBIL is the first of its kind biotech company in the country to have received grants from Children's Vaccine Program (CVP) through Program for Appropriate Technologies for Health (PATH) (Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation) for developmental work on Rota vaccine and malaria vaccine. Besides it has notched up several firsts to its credit.

In recognition of its efforts, BBIL has been the first to receive three collaborative research grants from the Department of Science and Technology, Government of India and has received a number of awards including the National Award for 'Best Biotechnology Company' by the All India Biotech Association, the National Award for 'Best R&D Efforts in Industry' by the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research (DSIR), Government of India, the Award for 'Best Technological Development in R&D by an Industrial Scientific Organization' from FAPCCI. BBIL Chairman Dr Krishna Ella was the first BioSpectrum Entrepreneur of the Year in 2003.

Bharat Biotech has also been awarded Sir M Visvesvaraya Industrial Award for Best Technology Effort (Biotechnology) for HIMAX Technology by All India Manufacturers Organisation, Andhra Pradesh State Board for the year 2004. The HIMAX Technology has played a vital role in bringing down the cost of the production of Hepatitis-B vaccine making it affordable for millions across the country and for other developing countries. More than 40 million doses of Revac-B, Hepatitis B vaccine have been dispensed in India, Latin America and in Africa.

BBIL has set up a foundation called Bharat Biotech Foundation, which has been recognized by the Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University (JNTU), Hyderabad to execute academic research and promote scholastic excellence through a doctoral program in biotechnology.