G S Krishnan re-elected ABLE President for 2024 -2026

New Delhi: G S Krishnan, President of ABLE (Association of Biotechnology Led Enterprises) has been re-elected for another two-year term from April 2024 – 2026, as the head of India’s leading biotech industry organization.

G S Krishnan, with three decades of experience in the Bio Industrial sector, currently – Director, external stakeholder relations at Danish biotech company, Novonesis and Independent Consultant/Advisor to various Biotech companies, assumed ABLE president’s role in April 2021.

Dr Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw will continue as the association’s honorary non-executive chairperson.

Krishnan, will head a 14-member governing body that was elected for a two -year term, during the recently held elections. The other office bearers will be Vice President:  Dr Deepanwita Chattopadhyay, Chairperson of IKP, Hyderabad; General Secretary: Dr Ezhil Subbian, co-founder and CEO, String Bio, Bangalore and Treasurer: Ravi Bhola, senior Partner, K&S Partners, Bangalore.

“India’s BioEconomy is growing leaps and bounds, viz. a steady growth of ‘Bio Pharma’ – fermentation-based products and diagnostics, strong performance of the ‘Bio Industrial’ with Bio solutions using Enzymes and Microbes and ‘Bio Agriculture’ adopting to sustainable solutions, it is poised to cross the $150 billion mark shortly,” said G S Krishnan. “The government’s soon to be launched National Biomanufacturing Initiative fill further boost the national BioEconomy.”

Krishnan added that the opportunities are big and with a conducive regulatory framework and incentives for Innovation, India can lead the world, in the Biotech segment. Biotech startups are on the increase and young entrepreneurs are emerging, which will further contribute significantly for the growth of the biotech industry and grab the near to market opportunities.

“It will be my endeavor to focus on these opportunities working together with the ABLE team, all the relevant stakeholders and decision makers in making India a $300 billion Bio-based Economy by the year 2030,” the ABLE President said.

The other elected members of the ABLE Governing Body for 2024-26 are:

1. Ashvini Shete, Strategy & Technology Lead – Renewable Chemicals & Materials, Praj Industries Ltd.

2. B N Manohar, MD & CEO, Stempeutics Research Pvt. Ltd.

3. Jayashree Aiyar, VP and Head Discovery Biology, Syngene International Ltd.

4. Krishna Kalyan T. D., Executive Director & COO, Laurus Bio Pvt. Ltd.

5. Sandeep Nilkanth Athalye, Chief Development Officer, Biocon Biologics

6. Sanjeev Balahall Neelappa, Managing Director, Yokogawa Technology Solutions India Pvt. Ltd.

7. S. Shriram, Senior Vice President, Jananom Pvt. Ltd.

8. Sowmya Lakshmi Balendiran, Co-Founder & Chief Business Officer, Sea6 Energy

9. Vasan Sambandamurthy, Senior Vice President – Global Strategy, Bugworks Research Inc.

10. Venkat Kamalakar Bundla, Managing Director, Garphi Biosciences Pvt. Ltd.

Aiming to further catalyze the growth of India’s $150 billion BioEconomy, the Association is assisted by the ABLE Council of Presidents comprising all the past presidents of the Association that was founded in 2003.

The Council is currently chaired by Dr P M Murali, Founder of Jananom. The other members are Dr Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, Executive Chairperson and Founder of Biocon Limited and Biocon Biologics Limited; Dr K K Narayanan, Founder & Director, Sthayika Seeds; Dr Vijay Chandru, Co-founder & Director – Strand Life Sciences and Mr Shrikumar Suryanarayan, CMD, Sea6 Energy Pvt Ltd.

Founded in 2003, ABLE represents more than 400 companies in the country’s biotech ecosystem.