PerkinElmer to expand investment portfolio in India

New Delhi: PerkinElmer, Inc., a US-based Global leader committed to innovating for a healthier world, is exploring opportunities to invest in India in the next three to five years.

PerkinElmer has already invested over USD 100 million in last few years and is mulling to invest the same amount in future. They will continue to invest in India in the coming years by lending support to government initiatives such as Skill India Mission and Make in India, in addition to technology innovations in the health (including science and technology), environmental screening (air, water, soil) and food quality sectors.

Dr. Prahlad Singh, Senior Vice President and President, who was recently in India shared company's potential investment plans in India.

"India is one of the top geographic areas of focus for PerkinElmer's strategic investments. In the last few years, we have invested over USD 100 million to build our local manufacturing in India under the Make in India initiative. We now have three manufacturing sites in India: two in Goa and one in Uttarakhand. With the right opportunity being available, we foresee a similar level of investment being made in the country in the coming years. Our objective will be to build capacity of local manufacturing, R&D capabilities in diagnostic and environmental screening, and skill development of young healthcare professionals in biotechnology, pharma and life sciences, which will support employing several hundred people. Moreover, I am confident that the India team under the leadership of Jayashree Thacker, President, PerkinElmer India, will elevate these plans to the next level" said Dr. Prahlad Singh, Senior Vice President, and President, Diagnostics, PerkinElmer.

PerkinElmer has also established a service lab in Chennai that offers early biochemistry screening, cytogenetics testing, and molecular diagnostics testing.

According to Ruchi Sogarwal, Deputy General Manager-South Asia, PerkinElmer India further added, "Guided by the seven industry partnership models of the National Skill Development Corporation, Government of India, PerkinElmer has plans to set up Centres of Excellence focused on science and innovation in the health sector that is of strategic importance to the National Skill Mission. For instance, we have recently opened a Centre of Excellence at the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER), Pune to educate and train current and future scientists on high-throughput analyses in life sciences."

Speaking on the healthcare challenges in India, Dr. Singh said, "There are three main healthcare delivery challenges in India: the availability of the doctor/specialist; the referral and follow-up system for diagnostics and long-term management of disease/disorders; and the limited use of technology.

PerkinElmer is committed to developing innovative technologies to address the challenges of healthcare delivery in India. At the same time, our focus is to bring advanced molecular and genetic testing to India so as to complete the ecosystem, from preventive to advanced healthcare.

Recently, we introduced an affordable gene panel, whole exome and genome sequencing services using the latest next-generation sequencing technology and other complementary assays to address the broad range of genetic disorders in India."

Dr. Singh further added, "We are committed to contributing to national health policies in India and state government initiatives, bringing technology advancement, innovation, and quality in healthcare service delivery. We continue to collaborate and welcome partnerships with various government agencies, such as the Indian Council of Medical Research, Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council, Indian Institute for Technology and professional associations, namely Indian Academy of Paediatrics, FOGSI, National Neonatology Forum, Indian Medical Association, Indian Association for Medical Genetics to help meet young entrepreneurial researchers' needs as they work toward advancing their science and developing transformational solutions."

PerkinElmer is also actively involved in corporate social responsibility activities globally. "Sustainability is one of the cornerstones of our mission of innovating for a healthier world, and we continue to look for creative ways to increase our sustainable impact, while also enhancing our volunteerism," said Singh.

"As active corporate citizens, our colleagues around the globe hold a steadfast commitment to improving outcomes in our communities together. Our approach to corporate social responsibility is driven by three pillars, community impact, eco-innovative products, and sustainable and ethical business practice."

PerkinElmer has conducted a series of seminars for neurologists, pediatricians and gynecologists in various parts of the country, including Delhi, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Telangana, and Uttarakhand etc. These seminars, which range in the areas of maternal, fetal and newborn health, serve primarily to update specialists in advanced technologies, quality processes and reporting.

"In India, we are looking to support both the national and state governments' efforts to achieve various targets to achieve sustainable development goals, such as to end preventable newborn deaths to achieve a single digit neonatal mortality rate by 2030; and to achieve universal and equitable access to safe and affordable drinking water for all by 2030,"added Ruchi Sogarwal.

This year, PerkinElmer India was honored with the Leadership Award for contribution in Healthcare at the Elets Healthcare Summit, Karnataka, in April in Bangalore. This award was presented to Jayashree Thacker by K. R. Ramesh Kumar, Minister of Health and Family Welfare, Government of Karnataka and K. K. Shylaja, Teacher, Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Government of Kerala.

PerkinElmer, Inc. is a global leader committed to innovating for a healthier world. Since 1981, PerkinElmer has offered instruments and services to customers in India, spanning a wide range of markets, including diagnostics, pharmaceutical, food safety, agriculture, chemical, plastics and automotive.

The Company established direct operations in India in 2004 and currently has more than 6,000 customers and 1,700 employees in India. The Company reported revenue of approximately USD 2.1 billion in 2016, serves customers in more than 150 countries and is a component of the S&P 500 Index.