Vice President Dhankhar visits Bharat Biotech’s facilities, urges greater industry-academia collaboration in research

Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar on Friday visited Bharat Biotech’s facilities at Genome Valley, Hyderabad, which focused on innovation, research and development, and large-scale manufacturing facilities for vaccines.
Admiring the biotech company’s “dedication and resilience” during challenges Dhankhar urged greater collaboration between industry, and academia in research.
“I am at a place where people are driven with a passion for research, development and concern for society, Bharat Biotech has not only helped the nation fight the pandemic by developing indigenous vaccines but also contributed immensely to digital penetration,” he said. The vice president also urged greater collaboration between industry, academia and support to back more research in all sectors,” he said.
The Vice-President’s visit reaffirmed the vital contribution and role of Bharat Biotech in the nation’s ongoing immunisation programs and it is ready to combat the pandemic, said the company in a press release.
The Vice President was accompanied by Telangana Governor CP Radhakrishnan.
The visit commenced with a welcome from Krishna Ella, Executive Chairman of Bharat Biotech and Suchitra Ella, Co-Founder and Managing Director of Bharat Biotech, who expressed gratitude for the Vice-President’s interest in the company’s mission.
Soon after reaching the facility, Dhankar was briefed in detail about the manufacturing facility, the intricate processes involved in vaccine production, and the company’s initiatives to develop new molecules and vaccine candidates to fight neglected diseases that affect the developing world, specifically focused on malaria, cholera, tuberculosis, and chikungunya.
In his address, Krishna M Ella, Executive Chairman of Bharat Biotech, thanked the Vice- President for recognising Bharat Biotech’s dedication and reaffirmed the company’s continued commitment to developing novel vaccines, contributing to national self-reliance goals, and shaping a healthier future.
He said that it was a momentous occasion for the company to have the Vice President visit and grace them on World Intellectual Property Day. He highlighted Bharat Biotech’s continued focus on IPs which resulted in 400 patents”.
Suchitra Ella, MD of Bharat Biotech, highlighted the company’s commitment to public health and its over 25-year journey, as well as the efforts of its workforce. “At Bharat Biotech, we believe that every vaccine produced brings us one step closer to overcoming infectious diseases that affect public health and prevent crises,” she said.
Ella updated about the progress of the vaccines in the pipeline and discussed Bharat Biotech’s efforts to achieve self-reliance in vaccine discovery.
The vice president interacted with the scientists and team leaders and applauded the collective determination to develop novel vaccines and make India self-reliant.
The vice president was taken on a virtual tour, offering a glimpse into the inner workings of the production facility.
From the state-of-the-art equipment to precise quality control measures, the virtual tour provided a fascinating insight into the meticulous process involved in researching and developing each vaccine dose rolled out from the facility, such as the Rotavirus Vaccine, Typhoid Conjugate Vaccine and Hepatitis Vaccine