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Bharat Biotech

Bharat Biotech International Limited is an Indian biotechnology company headquartered in Hyderabad, Telangana. The firm is engaged in the research, development and manufacture of vaccines and bio-therapeutics, and is among the larger vaccine producers in India by product portfolio.

Field Details
Type Private limited company
Industry Biotechnology, pharmaceuticals (vaccines)
Headquarters Hyderabad, Telangana, India
Founder Krishna Ella
Country of origin India

Overview

Bharat Biotech operates from a campus in Genome Valley, a biotechnology cluster on the outskirts of Hyderabad. The company develops vaccines for both the domestic Indian immunisation programme and for international markets, and has supplied products to public-sector procurement programmes including those associated with United Nations agencies.

Background

The company was founded by Krishna Ella, an Indian scientist and entrepreneur, along with Suchitra Ella. It was set up with a focus on indigenous vaccine research, an area in which India had historically depended in part on imports and on public-sector institutions.

Over time, Bharat Biotech expanded into vaccines targeting infectious diseases of public-health significance in low- and middle-income countries, including hepatitis B, rotavirus, typhoid, Japanese encephalitis, rabies and influenza.

Notable products

  • Revac-B — a recombinant hepatitis B vaccine, among the early indigenous Indian vaccines of its kind.
  • Rotavac — an oral rotavirus vaccine developed in collaboration with Indian and international partners; it was introduced into India's Universal Immunization Programme.
  • Typbar TCV — a typhoid conjugate vaccine that received WHO prequalification, enabling supply through global procurement channels.
  • JENVAC — a Japanese encephalitis vaccine.
  • Covaxin (BBV152) — an inactivated whole-virion COVID-19 vaccine developed in collaboration with the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and the National Institute of Virology (NIV), Pune. It was authorised for use in India during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Covaxin and the COVID-19 pandemic

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Bharat Biotech became internationally prominent for Covaxin, an inactivated SARS-CoV-2 vaccine developed in partnership with ICMR–NIV. Covaxin received emergency use authorisation from the Drugs Controller General of India and was subsequently listed by the World Health Organization for emergency use, allowing it to be distributed through international mechanisms. The vaccine was used extensively in India's national COVID-19 vaccination drive alongside other authorised vaccines.

Research collaborations

Bharat Biotech has worked with Indian public research institutions, including the Indian Council of Medical Research and the National Institute of Virology, as well as with international partners and global health agencies, on vaccine development and clinical trials.

Significance

The company is often cited as an example of Indian capability in indigenous vaccine development and large-scale biopharmaceutical manufacturing. Its products, particularly Typbar TCV and Rotavac, have featured in discussions of affordable vaccines for use in developing countries, while Covaxin contributed to India's domestic vaccine supply during the COVID-19 pandemic.

References