G. Viswanathan, Founder and Chancellor, Vellore Institute of Technology honouring Suchitra Ella, Co-Founder & Managing Director, Bharat Biotech in the presence of ( from left ) Suresh Nambath, Editor, The Hindu; N. Ram, Director, The Hindu Group; G.V. Selvam, Vice-President, VIT and LV Navaneeth, CEO, The Hindu Group, at BIOTECH CONCLAVE 2026, presented by VIT Chennai in association with The Hindu, in Chennai.
| Photo Credit:
Bijoy Ghosh
The field of biotechnology is a marathon, and cannot be approached as a short-term project, Suchitra Ella, co-founder and managing director, Bharat Biotech, and CII President-Designate, said here on Friday.Ella cautioned students against viewing education as a four-year programme followed immediately by a job. “Biotechnology is not a five-year plan, it’s probably a 50-year plan,” she said, pointing to Bharat Biotech’s own 30-year journey.She was speaking at the Biotech Conclave 2026, organised by VIT Chennai in association with The Hindu, held in Chennai. Themed ‘Exploring New Frontiers in Science’, the conclave focuses on biomedical research, drug discovery, healthcare technologies, biotechnology innovation, and translating scientific research into applications.She cited the example of Bharat Biotech’s rotavirus vaccine, that demonstrated the values of playing the long game. It took about 15 years to develop and involved collaboration with institutions in India and the US, she said. Clinical trials involved around 8,000 babies, she added.
