Biocon to double headcount

Biotech company Biocon Ltd will double its current headcount in the next two years to keep pace with the growth in the sector.

"We are planning to double the manpower to 4,000 from 2,000 at present. Within a very short period we increased the number of employees by 500 to reach 2000," said Kiran Mazumdar Shaw, chairman and managing director of Biocon.

"Our workforce is well balanced. scientists comprise of 6 per cent of the total manpower. Thirty per cent are woman," Shaw said.

Besides, the company is witnessing a healthy growth in the contract research business, managed through its subsidiary Syngene International. The contract research business will grow as India gets more research outsourcing contracts due to cost factors, she said.

"Currently, the revenue from this segment is 5 per cent but we hope it will grow to 15 per cent of the total Biocon group revenue," Shaw added. For 2004-05, Syngene registered 72 per cent in revenues from Rs 38.5 crore to Rs 66.10 crore.

Clinigene International has also tied up with a US based company, Scirex. The tie-up will facilitate Biocon's subsidiary to boost the global clinical trial outsourcing business.

Meanwhile, the company hopes to market a cancer drug, 'biomab' (antibody treatment), in the domestic market by the next first quarter of the next fiscal.

Human clinical trials were being carried out in multiple clinics in the country. Biocon is currently focusing on head and neck cancer.

The company claimed it was moving ahead satisfactorily in oral insulin research. If the roadmap prepared for the launch moves at the desired pace, it would be able to offer it by 2008.

Biocon said it expected to complete the mega Rs 750 crore international standard Biotech Park project at Bangalore in the next four to five months. "We hope that the Biotech Park project will be complete by December or January," Shaw said.

Speaking on the proposed future capital investment of the company she said, "as we have made a major investment this year, that for the next two to three years will not be much. The investment could be around Rs 100 crore a year."

Asked about acquisitions plans, Shaw said "We are open to it if we can get some synergy from buyouts at the right price. However, there are no companies on our radar currently,though we have investments in two us companies," she added.