AstraZeneca pumps in Rs 166 crore into Global Hub in Bengaluru, will add 400 new jobs

AstraZeneca

British-Swedish drugmaker AstraZeneca said on June 26 it is doubling down on India’s innovation potential with a Rs 166 crore investment to expand its Global Hub in Bengaluru.

The new facility will house nearly 1300 employees, including 400 new jobs, supporting the company's capabilities in AI-powered innovation across Research and Development, Global Business Services, IT, and Digital Health operations.

AstraZeneca India Pvt Ltd (AZIPL) across in Global Hub in Bengaluru and Global Innovation and Technology Centre (GITC) in Chennai, will employ close to 4,000 people, reinforcing India’s role in the company’s global operations.

“Our Global Hub in Bangalore is a strategic investment that will play a vital role in advancing AstraZeneca’s bold ambition to deliver 20 new medicines by 2030,” said Jackie Crockford, Vice President , Global Business Services. “We’re tapping into Karnataka’s world-class talent to power the next generation of scientific innovation.”

The Bengaluru hub will serve as a "nerve centre" for advanced clinical research across AstraZeneca’s global therapeutic areas, AI-powered healthcare solutions and digital health technologies, centralised data analytics to improve clinical trial efficiency and patient outcomes, the company, which partnered Serum Institute of India (SII) to make the covishield vaccine, said. It will also support global regulatory compliance and pharmacovigilance.

“This expansion will accelerate the development of innovative medicines and help us deliver across R&D, ultimately benefitting patients around the world,” said Magnus Nord, VP, Global Patient Safety BioPharma.

AstraZeneca’s investment reaffirms India’s leadership in science, technology, and healthcare, said Karnataka health minister Dinesh Gundu Rao.

The facility also reflects AstraZeneca’s sustainability goals, designed to achieve LEED Platinum certification, powered by 75 percent green energy, and equipped with IoT-enabled energy management and full wastewater recycling, the pharma major said.