AstraZeneca Chennai centre repositioned as Global Innovation & Technology Centre

New Delhi: The Global Capability Centre (GCC) of AstraZeneca has repositioned its Global Technology Centre (GTC) in Chennai to focus on driving increased innovation, resulting in a rebrand of the centre to Global Innovation and Technology Centre (GITC).

Over the last eight years, the GTC in Chennai has consistently delivered market-leading IT services and capabilities for AstraZeneca’s global business.  Since its inception, the centre has evolved its offering from that of traditional IT services, into a critical engine for AstraZeneca’s digital journey and ongoing source of technology innovation, the company said in a statement.

Cindy Hoots, Chief Digital Officer and CIO, AstraZeneca, said, “We live in an era where the possibilities of digital and technology to transform the lives of patients and the healthcare sector, are limitless. Our centre in Chennai continues to play a strategic role in our digital transformation, working on Visualisation, Data & Analytics, Hyperautomation, XR/VR Capabilities, among other areas. These technologies and innovations play a key role in helping us to advance our science, anticipate patient needs, and work seamlessly across our organization. I am thrilled to see that the work delivered by the team in Chennai is being reflected in our transition from GTC to GITC.”

Siva Padmanabhan, Managing Director, AstraZeneca India, said: “The healthcare and life sciences industry is facing unprecedented challenges and opportunities. Over the last few years, we have successfully expanded our skill set and expertise from providing IT services, to becoming a pivotal global centre driving innovation and transformation.  With close to 2,800 highly skilled employees, GITC is now one of the largest technology centres across the Life Sciences industry in the country. The strong collaboration we have been able to build between industry, academia and the government has helped us in our pursuit of enabling smart capabilities at scale across the company’s value chain. Our GITC aims to bring the best of technology, innovation and people to the forefront, to address the ever-evolving healthcare and technology landscape.  The rebranding is a powerful acknowledgement of the strategic importance our Chennai centre plays in our global operations.”

The Chennai centre has played a key role in driving productivity, simplification, technology delivery and innovation across AstraZeneca’s business and in support of life-changing medicines delivered to patients worldwide. The rebranding marks the centre’s evolution of capabilities, commitment to driving innovation and moving the company towards a digitally-enabled future.