Merck expands Jigani facility to boost life science manufacturing in India

Merck has expanded its manufacturing facility in Jigani, Bengaluru, strengthening local production of chemistry and biology materials for India’s life science sector and customers across the Asia-Pacific region. “India is emerging as an increasingly important hub for life science innovation and manufacturing,” said Dhananjay Singh, Managing Director, Life Science business of Merck, India. “Merck is investing about €13 million in its Jigani site to strengthen regional manufacturing and expand biology and chemistry capabilities across India and the Asia-Pacific region. This investment will reinforce our global supply chain and support the ‘Make in India’ initiative. We appreciate the continued collaboration from DPIIT, the Heavy Water Board, the Government of Karnataka, and Invest India as Merck expands Jigani.” The expansion will add biological buffer manufacturing to the site’s established chemistry capabilities, providing customers in research, diagnostics, biotechnology and biopharmaceutical manufacturing with an integrated offering. By supporting customers from research and development through scale-up and commercial production, the expanded facility will support India’s role in global life science innovation. The facility reserves 34 per cent of its site area for greenbelt, including trees and vegetation that support environmental protection and sustainable operations. The Jigani site will manufacture biological buffers and raw materials for diagnostic applications used in DNA research, cell culture, diagnostics and drug manufacturing. These materials will be produced locally under temperature-controlled conditions. According to Merck, this will help improve supply reliability, reduce import dependence and enable faster responses to customers’ scientific and manufacturing needs. It will also support Merck’s in-region, for-region approach to strengthening supply and access across key markets. “Merck’s Bengaluru manufacturing Hub shows what the India–Germany partnership can achieve when world-class German enterprise meets India’s manufacturing ambition. In the year we celebrate 75 years of diplomatic relations, Merck will make advanced materials in Bengaluru for pharmaceutical research and semiconductor manufacturing, for India and for the world, in the true spirit of Make in India,” said Shri Amardeep Singh Bhatia, IAS, Secretary to the Government of India, Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), Ministry of Commerce and Industry. “With its expansion plans of Jigani Bangalore site, Merck is taking its Life Science presence in India by scaling up its advanced materials production capabilities to enable and amplify pharmaceutical research and semiconductor manufacturing ecosystems. The initiative supports bilateral research and economic prosperity in pharma, biotech and advanced manufacturing, an exemplary development with regard to Indo German high-tech cooperation in a strategic sector,” said Alexandre Callegaro, Minister Counsellor, Head of the Department for Economic and Global Affairs, German Embassy, New Delhi. Operational since 2003, the 10-acre Jigani site has capabilities in specialty and fine chemicals, custom synthesis and catalog product manufacturing. The site also includes a Microbiology Application and Training Lab, a Stable Isotopes Manufacturing Plant established through collaboration with the Heavy Water Board under the Department of Atomic Energy, Government of India, and a 7,200 square metre distribution centre with temperature-controlled infrastructure.   The post Merck expands Jigani facility to boost life science manufacturing in India appeared first on Express Pharma.