With over 25 years in the analytical industry, Nandakumar Kalathil brings extensive expertise in strategy, business development, and customer relations. Nanda’s journey at Agilent spans more than 18 years, during which he has held pivotal roles across sales, strategy, and enterprise business.
In an exclusive interview with Rahul Koul, Chief Editor, BioVoice News, Nandakumar Kalathil, Country General Manager, Agilent Technologies India shares insights on the company’s latest integrated solutions, business and revenue performance, and next phase of growth.
Agilent is known for its strength in analytical instrumentation. What recent innovations are driving the most customer interest in India? How is the company incorporating digital tech into its product offerings?
Agilent’s recent innovations, such as the 7010D Triple Quadrupole GC/MS System and the InfinityLab LC Series, are generating strong interest in India due to their enhanced sensitivity, intelligent automation, and energy-efficient design—key features for high-throughput labs in pharmaceuticals, food safety, and environmental testing.
On the digital front, Agilent is accelerating lab transformation in India through platforms like CrossLab Connect, which enables cloud-based lab operations, and OpenLab software, which ensures data integrity and regulatory compliance.
A major leap in digital innovation is Agilent SLIMS—a unified platform that combines LIMS (Laboratory Information Management System) and ELN (Electronic Lab Notebook) capabilities. SLIMS streamlines sample tracking, automates workflows, and integrates seamlessly with instruments and software, including chromatography and mass spectrometry systems. It’s particularly impactful for Indian labs managing complex analytical workflows, helping reduce manual errors, improve traceability, and simplify audits.
This digital-first approach is helping Indian labs maximize uptime and operational efficiency while aligning with global best practices.
How has Agilent’s business in India evolved over the past few years, and what are the key drivers of this growth? What proportion of Agilent’s global revenues does India currently contribute, and how do you see this evolving?
India has emerged as a strategic growth market for Agilent, driven by rising investments in pharmaceuticals, diagnostics, and environmental monitoring. The inauguration of the India Solution Center in Manesar underscores Agilent’s commitment to local innovation and customer-centric solutions. While Agilent does not publicly disclose country-specific revenue contributions, the company reported $6.51 billion in global revenue for FY2024. With India’s expanding life sciences and healthcare sectors, Agilent anticipates continued double-digit growth in the region.
“Agilent is accelerating lab transformation in India through platforms like CrossLab Connect, which enables cloud-based lab operations, and OpenLab software, which ensures data integrity and regulatory compliance.”
How is Agilent helping confirm the identity of GLP-1 drugs quickly to accelerate batch approvals?
Agilent supports the rapid and reliable characterisation of GLP-1 analogs through comprehensive, end-to-end workflow solutions that span from sample preparation to final data reporting. These workflows are designed to meet global regulatory expectations while improving speed, consistency, and data integrity.
A key strength lies in Agilent’s ability to integrate automated sample preparation, advanced analytical technologies, and intelligent software platforms. This includes solutions for automated peptide sample prep, which enhances reproducibility and reduces manual errors; high-resolution analysis for confirming molecular identity and detecting impurities; flexible chromatographic methods tailored for complex peptide formulations; and structural confirmation tools for identifying sequence variants and modifications.
A key differentiator is Agilent’s automated sample preparation capability which can streamline protein and peptide sample prep with high precision and reproducibility, significantly reducing manual variability and improving throughput—critical for high-volume QC labs.
Agilent also integrates electron-based fragmentation tools for detailed structural confirmation, including post-translational modifications and sequence variants.
These workflows are supported by localized application expertise and training in India, helping pharmaceutical manufacturers accelerate batch release timelines while maintaining compliance with international standards.
How does the company enable Indian pharma companies to meet international biosimilarity and regulatory standards?
Agilent is actively supporting Indian pharmaceutical companies through a combination of advanced technology, specialized training, and strategic partnerships to help them meet global biosimilarity and regulatory standards.
It offers a comprehensive suite of compliance support services, including Instrument qualification (IQ/OQ/PQ), Computer system validation (CSV), and OpenLab CDS software with built-in data integrity and audit trail features. These tools are aligned with international regulatory frameworks, ensuring that Indian labs can maintain data integrity, traceability, and audit readiness.
Beyond technology, Agilent invests in capacity building through its India Solution Center, offering hands-on training, regulatory workshops, and method development support tailored to the needs of Indian pharma. These programs are designed to upskill local scientists and quality teams in areas like analytical method validation, biosimilarity characterization, and compliance documentation.
Agilent also collaborates with industry stakeholders to co-develop customized workflows for biosimilar development, helping Indian manufacturers accelerate time-to-market while maintaining global quality benchmarks.
“Agilent supports the rapid and reliable characterization of GLP-1 analogs through comprehensive, end-to-end workflow solutions that span from sample preparation to final data reporting.”
