AstraZeneca India Private Limited (AZIPL), the Global Capability Centre (GCC) of the company, is all set to play a major role in the global roadmap of the British drug major to reach $80 billion in revenue by 2030. This will be achieved by adopting more advanced artificial intelligence, machine learning, generative AI, immersive experiences, digital twins, and quantum computing at its Chennai and Bengaluru centres, a senior company executive has said.
Through the adoption of these technologies, the centres will help accelerate the introduction of innovative products in India and globally. AZIPL is planning to hire around 2,200 people across its Chennai and Bengaluru centres in the near future to advance its global tech drive, said Siva Padmanabhan, managing director, AstraZeneca India. Of these, the Global Innovation and Technology Centre (GITC) in Chennai will be hiring around 1,300 people in the next 18 months, while another 900 will be hired in Bengaluru.
“As we look towards 2030, we see the centres in India playing a crucial role in the $80 billion revenue roadmap globally, as well as in the introduction of new medicines in India,” he said. The company has identified several key technologies crucial to AstraZeneca’s goals for 2030.
“Some of them are artificial intelligence and machine learning, including generative AI, immersive experiences, digital twins, and quantum computing. Each of these technologies has a key role in bringing medicines to market faster,” Padmanabhan said. The company recently announced an investment of Rs 250 crore to expand its Chennai centre, aiming to drive innovation, enhance efficiency, and streamline operations globally.
“Initially, we were a technology-based centre but have now added other capabilities, such as supporting global commercial operations in sales, marketing, and market analytics. Then we added research and development services, which include support for clinical trials, data analysis, pharmacovigilance, data insights, and even research filing,” he said. The latest addition to its expertise is the global supply chain, including external supply management.
“We expect the growth journey to continue in terms of the value we provide from the centres in India. We are aiming for faster outcomes regarding the speed of introducing innovative products in India,” Padmanabhan added.
The India centres are now providing services to more than 100 countries. “Both Tamil Nadu and Karnataka are very favourable towards such centres and have GCC policies in place. Our strategy is to accelerate business outcomes for AstraZeneca globally from here,” he added.
“We are leading in terms of generative AI, and many of these technologies are being developed at this centre for the whole world. We see applications across every aspect of medicine discovery,” he said.
First Published: Oct 07 2024 | 5:59 PM IST
