India, July 4, 2024: AstraZeneca India Private Limited (AZIPL), the Global Capability Centre (GCC) of AstraZeneca, announced an investment of 250 crore rupees ($30 million) to expand its Global Innovation and Technology Centre (GITC) in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, which includes close to 1,300 roles focused on driving innovation, enhancing efficiency, and streamlining operations across the company globally.
The expanded facility was inaugurated today in a ceremony officiated by the Honourable Minister of Industries Tamil Nadu, Dr. T.R.B. Rajaa, British Deputy High Commissioner to India, Ms. Christina Scott CMG, AstraZeneca Vice President for Asia Area Ms Sylvia Varela, as well as AstraZeneca’s leadership team in the country.
The investment marks a significant milestone in AstraZeneca’s growth story in India as it celebrates its 45th year in the country this month. With the highly skilled roles to be brought in by 2025, the expanded GITC will propel company’s vision to leverage technologies such as enterprise platforms, artificial intelligence, machine learning, data science, and supply chain analytics to shape healthcare outcomes.
Mr. Siva Padmanabhan, Managing Director, AstraZeneca India Private Limited (AZIPL) said: “At AstraZeneca, we are evolving our technologies constantly so that we can stay ahead of the curve in healthcare and pharmaceutical industries to better serve our patients in countries where we operate. We are deeply invested in infusing the best of technology and innovation practices into the healthcare ecosystem.”
Dr. Sanjeev Panchal, Managing Director & Country President AstraZeneca Pharma India Limited (AZPIL), said, "Our expansion in Chennai signifies AstraZeneca’s unwavering commitment to pioneering science and innovation. India’s rich talent pool and dynamic ecosystem for digital advancements make it a pivotal hub for our global operations. This strategic investment underscores our dedication to improving patient outcomes through cutting-edge technology and reinforces our aspiration to transform the future of the healthcare industry. I am immensely proud of our team’s achievements and excited for the future as we continue to harness science to bring life-changing medicines to patients worldwide.”
Since its inception, the GITC in Chennai has evolved from providing traditional IT services to becoming an engine of AstraZeneca’s digital journey, driving productivity, simplification, technology delivery, and innovation across the company’s global operations, supporting the delivery of life-changing medicines to patients worldwide. The facility currently occupies 334,000 square feet of office space at Ramanujan IT City, with plans to add approximately 180,000 square feet over the next six months to accommodate this expansion, creating AstraZeneca’s biggest global capability centre.
AstraZeneca is focused on transforming healthcare for millions of people in India. In addition to its innovative portfolio in specialist disease areas including oncology, cardio-vascular, respiratory and rare disease, the company has a strong hub for technology as well as research and development in India. Including the GITC, it employs more than 4000 in the country and is continuously shaping talent that is skilled, diverse and future ready.