Redefining Success
She started Bharat Biotech with her husband in 1996. Today, 20 years later, her company holds a portfolio of 50 patents and has delivered over 3 billion doses of vaccines to 65 countries across the globe.
Jasleen Kaur | March 2016 Issue | The Dollar Business
Suchitra K. Ella, Co-Founder & JMD, Bharat Biotech Intl. Ltd.When she decided to take the entrepreneurial plunge she was equipped with all the right tools – enthusiasm, self-confidence, training, and most importantly, her husband’s passion for developing new IPRs (intellectual property) and technology platforms in vaccine development. She was determined to build a socially-inclined enterprise and Bharat Biotech, India’s well-known multi-dimensional biotechnology company is doing precisely that.
For her, it was a path quite different from her original academic training, but her vision was to produce affordable vaccines that could combat neglected and infectious disease that affect a majority of the world population. She says her mission is to produce vaccines with international quality standards but at affordable prices. She feels she drew inspiration from her parents. Little things, such as abandoning her comforts back home, have taught her how to be self-reliant in life. She believes in hard work, passion, and her mantra is to “not be afraid of failure”. And, with Bharat Biotech, her hard work seems to be paying dividends.
TDB: How has been your experience with Bharat Biotech International Limited?
Suchitra K. Ella (SKE): Bharat Biotech was co-founded by me and my husband Dr. Krishna Ella in 1996, with a vision to innovate, research, develop, produce and market affordable vaccines to combat neglected and infectious disease that affect a majority of population of the emerging markets. Our mission was to produce international quality vaccines for the country, but not at international prices. While raising finance for our project was a daunting issue, one of the biggest challenges was changing the mindset of investors (venture capital and debt capital), as well as that of scientific policy makers, government agencies and the regulators.
TDB: How do you view competition in the domestic market? What makes you stand out in the crowded market?
SKE: We have the unique distinction of launching the Hepatitis vaccine and Rotavac vaccine at prices that were not imaginable by any standards. We have also developed unique manufacturing practices, with in-house technology, to produce vaccines that are not only affordable, but also world class.
TDB: How supportive have government policies been? 
SKE: We believe the new initiatives by the Government of India and the Department of Biotechnology alongside the ‘Standup India’ programme will pave way for more innovation in the country that can match MNCs in every aspect. Policymakers now have a better understanding of the biotech industry and its cycle, as the industry is maturing fast. We hope the continuing dialogue with government, policymakers and other organisations from around the world will bring far-reaching results. We will continue to focus on emerging markets where diseases not only affect people but also the economy.
to success.