Bharat Bio plans to invest ₹3-4K crore in post-Covid shift

Not thinking about an IPO as of now, says chairman

- SOHINI DAS

Bharat Biotech is charting out its next leg of growth, for which it is investing ₹3,000-4,000 crore in building vaccines, doing clinical trials, and having a manufacturing facility and partnerships.

At the same time, Krishna Ella-promoted Biovet is eyeing pole position as a veterinary vaccine player globally. Besides this, Anamay Biotech, led by Krishna Ella's daughter Jalachari Ella, is focusing on the therapeutics segment, especially wound-care therapies.

"We invested ₹600-700 crore during the pandemic for the development of Covaxin and other vaccines, and we have recovered more than that," said Krishna Ella, executive chairman of Bharat Biotech. Business Standard met Ella at Bharat Biotech's headquarters in Hyderabad.

"Our income increased, but we have not taken profits or dividends from the company. I am putting all that money into research and development (R&D), how to develop future vaccines like TB, etc, into manufacturing capabilities in eastern India," he added.

Ella said ₹3,000-4,000 crore would be required for funding projects, and the bulk of that would be for clinical trials.