AstraZeneca, the global biopharmaceutical company has strengthened its presence in India with the expansion of its global hub in Bangalore. The new facility will create 400 new jobs and can accommodate almost 1,300 employees.
The expansion, which comes at a cost of Rs 166 crore, will support the company’s AI-powered innovation across research and development (R&D), global business services, information technology (IT) and digital-health operations.
Hardly about a year ago, the company had invested heavily to expand its Global Innovation and Technology Centre (GITC) in Chennai. These two southern centres will together employ about 4,000 employees who will contribute to delivering life-changing medicines to patients, globally.
The Bangalore hub “will play a vital role in advancing AstraZeneca’s bold ambition to deliver 20 new medicines by 2030 — by strengthening automated, scalable, data-driven, and patient-centric solutions,” said Jackie Crockford, vice president, global business services, AstraZeneca.
The company is committed to “tapping into the world-class talent and ecosystem available in Karnataka to power the next generation of scientific innovation. We are equally committed to decarbonize our operations and value chain, and the hub supports our net zero ambition,” shared Crockford.
According to Magnus Nord, vice president, global patient safety biopharma, AstraZeneca, “This hub enhances our R&D capabilities by connecting us with India’s exceptional scientific and technological expertise. The expansion will accelerate the development of innovative medicines and help us deliver across R&D, ultimately benefitting patients around the world”.
The new facility will be dedicated to advancing AstraZeneca’s critical priorities, including advanced clinical research supporting AstraZeneca’s global therapeutic areas; development of AI-powered healthcare solutions and digital health technologies; centralised data analytics to enhance clinical trial efficiency and patient outcomes; and specialised support for global regulatory compliance and pharmacovigilance.
In the words of Dinesh Gundu Rao of the Minister of Health & Family Welfare, Government of Karnataka, “AstraZeneca’s investment reaffirms India’s leadership in science, technology, and healthcare, and is a testament to Karnataka’s robust life sciences ecosystem. This expansion aligns perfectly with our vision to create high-value employment opportunities while fostering innovation in critical sectors, making Bangalore a global hub for biotechnology and R&D”.
The Bangalore hub is designed to achieve LEED Platinum certification and is powered by 75 per cent green energy. It implements full waste-water recycling, IoT-enabled systems for optimised energy management and much more.
