Syngene expands life sciences research in Genome Valley; plans 1,000 jobs in 5 years

Hyderabad: Syngene International Limited has announced an investment of Rs 788 crores to develop its campus in Genome Valley in Hyderabad to its full potential, which includes the creation of up to 1,000 jobs in science within five years.

As per its expansion plans, Syngene — a leading global contract research, development, and manufacturing services organisation — will build state-of-the-art research laboratories in its existing research campus in the cluster.

KT Rama Rao, minister for Municipal Administration and Urban Development, among other dignitaries, was present at the ground-breaking ceremony. He inaugurated the state-of-the-art PROTAC laboratory that conducts leading-edge research into disease-causing proteins, which lie at the heart of diseases such as cancer and also, a Central Compound Management facility which serves as a central storage facility for all compounds synthesised by Syngene scientists.

Global hub for advanced research in Hyderabad

Created the year 1999, Genome Valley in Shameerpet boasts the largest concentration of multi-tenanted lab space infrastructure in an organised cluster. It has emerged as a global hub for life sciences and biotechnology, bringing together leading research institutions, biotech companies and talented professionals.

It is home to more than 200 companies with a scientific workforce of about 25,000 professionals including presence of the marquee global names like Novartis, Ferring Pharma, Chemo, DuPont, Ashland, United States Pharmacopeia, and Lonza amongst many others.

Syngene’s existing research facility in Genome Valley was inaugurated in 2020 with a 52,000 sq ft facility and has now grown four times to an impressive 2,00,000 sq ft housing more than 900 scientists. The research carried out on the site focuses on the discovery chemistry and biology, primarily for the global pharmaceutical industry.

“I’m proud of the legacy that we have established in the life sciences sector in the state. Syngene’s expansion is a testament to the tremendous opportunities and support that our state provides. At the Genome Valley, we aim to facilitate the necessary infrastructure and support systems to enable pioneering life science R&D activities. This expansion aligns with our vision to attract and nurture top talent, drive innovation and foster economic development,” said KTR.

Kiran Mazumdar Shaw, chairperson of Syngene, who was also present at the event, said, “We are delighted to expand Syngene’s operations in the Genome Valley with the addition of a large new research and development facility which will create additional jobs and contribute to the growth of the biotech industry. As a part of our commitment to drive innovation and strengthen the biotech ecosystem of the country, we will be investing up to Rs 788 crores over the next few years, in Genome Valley in Hyderabad. I extend my congratulations to the Government of Telangana for their visionary efforts towards setting up a world-class biotech hub in Hyderabad.”

Jonathan Hunt, MD and CEO of Syngene International said, “Scientific innovation does not happen in isolation: it is a multi-dimensional process and we have been able to make all the connections that we need at Genome Valley. Syngene started operations here in 2020 with the inauguration of our first research laboratory. Since then, we have gradually increased our presence encouraged by the good infrastructure and availability of scientific talent, which is ideal for fast-growing organisations like Syngene. In the last three years, our employee base has grown to over 900 scientists. In the next expansion phase, we plan to build world-class research laboratories primarily focusing on drug discovery that will create up to another 1,000 jobs.”

The event was also attended by Jayesh Ranjan, IAS, principal secretary, Industries and Commerce and IT, Government of Telangana; Venkata Narsimha Reddy, IAS, vice chairman and MD - Telangana State Industrial Infrastructure Corporation (TSIIC); Shakthi Nagappan, CEO, Telangana Life Sciences; and senior leaders from Syngene, Mahesh Bhalgat, CEO and Kenneth Barr, senior vice president, Discovery Services.