Thermo Fisher Scientific has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Government of Telangana to establish a Bioprocess Design Centre (BDC) in Genome Valley, Hyderabad. The agreement was formalized in the presence of Telangana government officials, including Duddilla Sridhar Babu, Minister for Information Technology and Industry, Shri Jayesh Ranjan, Special Chief Secretary, and Shakthi Nagappan, CEO of Telangana Lifesciences. Senior leaders from Thermo Fisher, such as Fred Lowery, Daniella Cramp, Tony Acciarito, Srinath Venkatesh, and Sarita Rawat, also attended the event.
The Bioprocess Design Centre, spanning 10,000 square feet, is slated to become operational by early 2025. This facility will enhance the development and production of biotherapeutics for India and the Asia-Pacific region, offering laboratories and training hubs to drive scientific research and innovation.
Duddilla Sridhar Babu remarked, “Telangana continues to demonstrate its commitment to innovation by fostering a world-class biotech and life sciences ecosystem. The establishment of this Bioprocess Design Centre showcases the state’s progressive policies and collaborative efforts in building a strong biopharma infrastructure. With over 1,800 companies, Telangana is positioning India as a global hub for biopharma innovation. We are excited to partner with Thermo Fisher, a global leader in serving science, on this transformative project that will shape the future of healthcare.”
Shakthi Nagappan, Director of Lifesciences and Pharma for the Government of Telangana, highlighted the importance of the partnership, saying, “This collaboration with Thermo Fisher is a significant step in creating India’s first bioprocessing facility for biologics manufacturing. Featuring single-use bioreactors, the centre will provide pay-per-use infrastructure, expert technical support, and cutting-edge research solutions. This initiative will strengthen biopharma manufacturing in Telangana and enhance India’s global standing in the sector.”
Thermo Fisher will equip the centre with state-of-the-art resources for upstream and downstream research, cell culture media development, single-use manufacturing, and product validation. Daniella Cramp, Senior Vice President and President of BioProduction at Thermo Fisher, expressed her gratitude, stating, “We deeply appreciate the Government of Telangana’s support in establishing this cutting-edge facility. It will enable academic researchers, biopharma start-ups, and companies to accelerate their innovations, meeting both research and manufacturing needs.”
Tony Acciarito, President of Thermo Fisher’s Asia-Pacific and Japan region, described the MoU as a significant milestone, reinforcing Thermo Fisher’s commitment to fostering scientific innovation in India. He emphasized that this partnership will boost India’s biopharma manufacturing capabilities and accelerate the development of new therapeutics for global healthcare.
Srinath Venkatesh, Managing Director for India and South Asia at Thermo Fisher, stressed India’s growing role in the global biopharma industry. He said, “India is rapidly becoming a global biopharma hub, with leading pharmaceutical and biotech companies driving research and development. The Bioprocess Design Centre reflects our commitment to empowering customers through technological advancements, with a focus on areas like oncology, cell and gene therapies, and biotherapeutics, helping bring breakthroughs for a healthier world.”
As reported by expresshealthcare, Hyderabad is increasingly attracting major biotech and life sciences companies due to its supportive government policies, industrial practices, robust infrastructure, and skilled talent pool in fields like chemistry, biology, genetics, and technology. Thermo Fisher has already set up a research and development centre in Hyderabad for product design, development, testing, and validation.
Additionally, Thermo Fisher has partnered with leading bio-incubators to establish five Centres for Innovation across India, providing start-ups with access to cutting-edge technologies and expertise to speed up biopharma product development. These centres are located at C-CAMP in Bengaluru, AIC-CMB and Aspire Bionest in Hyderabad, IIT Bionest in Guwahati, and KIIT-TBI in Bhubaneshwar.
The Government of India has introduced several initiatives to support biopharma research and development, including the BioE3 and Bio-RIDE schemes. Telangana is actively backing such efforts, and the Bioprocess Design Centre is expected to further strengthen India’s biopharma ecosystem. Thermo Fisher and the Telangana Government are optimistic that these collaborative initiatives will elevate India’s position in the global biopharma landscape.