Bharat Biotech: A journey of 2 suitcases and 40 feet container

Hyderabad: Padma Bhushan awardees Dr Krishna Ella and Suchitra Ella had moved to the US in late 1980s with just two suitcases and 14 years later when they decided to return to India, they had come back with a 40 feet container. “This container did not have our personal belongings but 70 per cent of […]

Hyderabad: Padma Bhushan awardees Dr Krishna Ella and Suchitra Ella had moved to the US in late 1980s with just two suitcases and 14 years later when they decided to return to India, they had come back with a 40 feet container.

“This container did not have our personal belongings but 70 per cent of it was filled with lab equipments and material related to the pharma unit that we were planning to set up in India,” says Suchitra Ella, Joint MD of Bharat Biotech.

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The duo are credited with making an indigenous vaccine to combat the Coronavirus pandemic and have competed with global companies through their manufacturing unit in Hyderabad. Speaking at FLO event ‘Braving the Odds’, the vaccine couple spoke about their entrepreneurial journey and how they were able to develop some major vaccines at affordable prices.

They mentioned the Bharat Biotech is mainly driven by science and technology and the balance sheet was never their priority. Dr Ella also said that although he is an entrepreneur but being a scientist will remain his first priority and that is the most challenging part for him to play.

When asked about the Covaxin, he said, “We already had experience in making children’s vaccine, which I think was the easiest. However, making a vaccine for the adult population is the worst as they have trust issues. So, for us safety was of high priority while making this vaccine and the whole ecosystem contributed to this development.”

Suchitra Ella also mentioned that it is important to have more women in science and technology and this is missing right now in the ecosystem.

‘Could avert the severity of 3rd wave due to vaccination’

The 180 crore doses of vaccination in India was the reason why the severity of third wave was less when compared with the second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic, said Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan at the FLO event here on Tuesday.

She lauded the efforts of Bharat Biotech in making an indigenous vaccine and added, ‘the world never believed that India could make a vaccine, but we proved them wrong.’

“We are safe because of the vaccine and Dr Krishna Ella and Suchitra Ella deserve all the praise for this. I was feeling very sad when I heard that people are hesitant to take the vaccine and now the country has achieved 180 crore doses of vaccine and we have exported to about 150 countries,” she said.

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