HYDERABAD: Indian Immunologicals Limited (IIL) will set up a new animal vaccine manufacturing facility in Genome Valley, Hyderabad, to meet the growing need for vaccine security against various emerging diseases such as Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD). The facility will cost an estimated Rs 700 crore and will create employment for nearly 750 people, officials announced on Monday.
The IIL, a subsidiary of the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB), is already one of the world’s largest FMD vaccine manufacturers. It is also the leading vaccine supplier to the Government of India’s National Animal Disease Control Programme (NADCP). Now, IIL is investing in a new greenfield project to establish a veterinary vaccine facility. It will be a state-of-the-art, fully integrated biosafety level-3 (BSL-3) facility.
The IIL’s new facility will add another 300 million FMD vaccine doses annually to its capacity. The existing facility in Gachibowli already can produce 300 million doses. Meanwhile, IT & Industries Minister KT Rama Rao, who was present at the event, said, “I’m delighted that IIL will be setting up another greenfield facility in Genome Valley. Hyderabad is already regarded the ‘vaccine capital of the world’, and this further expansion advances our contribution in terms of global health, not just for humans but also for animals.”
K Anand Kumar, IIL Managing Director, said, “The company is on an aggressive growth path, and this third vaccine facility in Hyderabad will ensure self-sufficiency for our nation in the field of vaccines, thereby saving the exchequer and farmers several thousands of crores of rupees.”