Minister Sridhar Babu inaugurates India’s first logical single-use scale-up facility – 1 Bio at Genome Valley

New Delhi: The Government of Telangana has unveiled a major expansion of Genome Valley’s innovation ecosystem with the inauguration of the Telangana 1 Bio, India’s first single-use bioprocess design and scale-up facility, marking a transformative step in advancing the country’s biologics and next-generation therapeutics capabilities.

While Telangana has a deep scientific talent pool and a strong track record in vaccines and biosimilars, access to affordable and predictable scale-up infrastructure has been a long-standing bottleneck. The 1 Bio addresses this need by providing end-to-end process development and pilot-scale validation, enabling both start-ups and established companies to reduce capital investment and accelerate development timelines. For the State, it reinforces the long-term vision of positioning Genome Valley as a world-class centre for R&D-led biotech innovation and advancing India’s biologics and next-generation therapeutics capabilities.

1 Bio, conceptualised by the Government of Telangana through Telangana Lifesciences in collaboration with the Department of Biotechnology (DBT), Government of India, and the Telangana Industrial Infrastructure Corporation (TGIIC), is being built on a 2-acre campus at Genome Valley. At its core, the hub features a state-of-the-art single-use bioprocess development and scale-up facility, with bioreactors up to 500 L, advanced upstream and downstream systems, and a dedicated analytical suite. Developed in partnership with Thermo Fisher Scientific, a Fortune 500 global leader, this Bioprocess Design Centre positions Telangana at the forefront of GLP- and GMP-grade biomolecule development for India and the world in advancing next-generation capabilities essential for India’s growing biologics pipeline. Supporting this infrastructure, 1 Bio  houses 150,000 sq. ft. of plug-and-play R&D labs, configurable innovation suites, shared analytical spaces equipped with advanced analytical systems, and dedicated bioprocess training labs, offering a fully integrated ecosystem for end-to-end biopharma development.

The occasion also commemorated 25 years of Genome Valley, with Hon’ble Minister Shri D. Sridhar Babu unveiling a new Genome Valley logo that signifies the cluster’s transformation into a leading global centre for research-driven biotech innovation. The Minister further revealed the design for a landmark gateway structure to be built at the entry of Genome Valley along the State Highway, reinforcing the cluster’s identity and global positioning.

To support the cluster’s next phase of expansion, the Minister announced more than Rs. 200 crore worth of infrastructure upgrades to be undertaken by the Telangana Industrial Infrastructure and Investment Corporation (TGIIC). These include road widening, new greenfield roads, power augmentation, landscaping and streetscaping improvements, and other critical upgrades that enhance connectivity, utility reliability, and overall quality of life within the cluster.

The State, through an innovative PPP model, has enabled investment of Rs. 150 crores in core infrastructure, while Thermo Fisher has contributed Rs. 90 crorestowards the Bioprocess Design Centre and its co-located Customer Experience Centre within Genome Valley. 1 Bio is expected to attract an additional Rs. 500 crores in private investment from tenant companies and create over 500 high-quality jobs.

1 Bio was officially inaugurated by Hon’ble Minister Shri D. Sridhar Babu, in the presence of senior leaders from the Indian and Telangana life sciences industry, as well as senior officials from the Government of Telangana. Mr Fred Lowery, Executive Vice President of Thermo Fisher Scientific, along with the company’s global leadership team, joined the Minister to inaugurate both the Bioprocess Design Centre at 1 Bio and Thermo Fisher’s Customer Experience Centre.

Speaking on the occasion, Hon’ble Minister for IT, Electronics & Communications, and Industries & Commerce, Government of Telangana, Shri D. Sridhar Babu, said, “As Genome Valley marks 25 years, we are setting the course for its next 25. 1 Bio is one of India’s most important steps toward democratizing access to biologics scale-up and accelerating the journey from discovery to clinical readiness. With this facility, innovations developed in India or anywhere in the world can now progress to pilot and clinical stages in Hyderabad faster, more predictably, and at lower cost. Alongside the new identity for Genome Valley, the gateway structure, and over Rs. 200 crores in planned infrastructure upgrades, we are preparing this cluster for its next wave of global leadership in the life sciences”.

Mr. Sanjay Kumar, IAS, Special Chief Secretary, Industries & Commerce and ITE&C Departments, Government of Telangana, said, “Telangana continues to lead the country’s life sciences growth story, accounting for 40% of its pharma production and a third of global vaccine production. 1 Bio adds an important dimension by giving innovators access to world-class bioprocess development and scale-up capacity within the State.”

Mr Shakthi M. Nagappan, CEO, Telangana Life Sciences Foundation, added, “1 Bio  fills one of the most critical missing links in India’s biologics ecosystem. Start-ups and established companies can now use this shared facility to validate processes, generate pilot data, and build confidence in manufacturability without heavy upfront investments. By providing world-class bioprocess development capability inside Genome Valley in partnership with Thermofisher, we are strengthening the pathway from research to real-world products.”

Tony Acciarito, President, Asia Pacific and Middle East, Africa Thermo Fisher Scientific, said, “India’s life sciences sector is at an inflection point. These new centres reinforce our commitment to supporting the region’s growth through meaningful collaborations that help researchers and industry partners move from ideas to impact faster.”

Srinath Venkatesh, Managing Director, India and South Asia, Thermo Fisher Scientific, added, “We are committed to enabling a sustainable ecosystem that integrates talent, infrastructure, and cutting-edge technology, strengthening India’s position on the global biopharma and life sciences stage. Expanding our capability footprint through these centres demonstrates our vision to be the preferred partner for innovation, development, and manufacturing within the country.”