IIT Madras, Herbalife Launch India’s First CoE for Plant Cell Fermentation Technology
Chennai, June 25 (TNT): The Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT Madras), in collaboration with Herbalife International India Pvt. Ltd., has inaugurated the Herbalife-IIT Madras Centre of Excellence (CoE) on Plant Cell Fermentation Technology, the first dedicated facility in India focused on translational research and innovation in plant cell fermentation.
Launched on June 22, the Centre aims to strengthen India’s capabilities in sustainable biomanufacturing and support the development of next-generation plant-derived health and wellness products, the Institute said in a release here on Thursday.
Envisioned as a national hub for research, innovation and technology translation, the Centre will focus on sustainable and scalable production of herbal biomass, development of enriched herbal extracts and high-value phytochemicals, and bridging the gap between laboratory research and industrial applications.
The facility integrates advanced upstream cultivation systems, downstream processing infrastructure and metabolomics platforms to promote technology transfer, innovation, entrepreneurship and skill development in the emerging field of plant cell fermentation.
The inauguration ceremony was attended by Director General of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) and Secretary, Department of Scientific and Industrial Research (DSIR), Dr. N. Kalaiselvi, IIT Madras Director Prof. V. Kamakoti, National Biodiversity Authority Chairman Virendra R. Tiwari, Herbalife India Managing Director Ajay Khanna, IIT Madras Dean (Alumni and Corporate Relations) Prof. Ashwin Mahalingam and other stakeholders.
Speaking on the occasion, Prof. Ashwin Mahalingam said the partnership exemplifies how industry and academia can collaborate to create long-term national assets and advance plant cell bioprocessing research with societal impact.
He said the Centre would strengthen India’s self-reliance in sustainable biomanufacturing while creating opportunities for innovation, entrepreneurship and global leadership in plant-derived products.
Prof. Smita Srivastava, Head of the Centre of Excellence, said the initiative would help position India as a global hub for commercial plant cell fermentation by combining cutting-edge science, translational research and industry partnerships.
She said the Centre would focus on taking research from laboratory-scale innovation to pilot-scale development and industrial application, while supporting the national BioE3 and Atmanirbhar Bharat missions.
The state-of-the-art facility, located at IIT Madras Research Park, is equipped with customised plant cell bioreactors, advanced analytical platforms and pilot-scale processing infrastructure. It is expected to support researchers, students, entrepreneurs and industry professionals working on plant-derived ingredients and wellness products.
Herbalife India Managing Director Ajay Khanna said the initiative represents a significant investment in future scientific capabilities and will help foster research-driven innovation, talent development and industry-academia collaboration in nutrition science and plant-based technologies.
The inaugural programme also featured two panel discussions on the future of commercial plant cell fermentation and the regulatory framework governing fermentation-derived herbal products.
Experts from India and abroad discussed emerging global opportunities, technological advancements, regulatory issues and pathways for commercialising sustainable plant cell fermentation-based products.
The Centre is expected to facilitate national and international collaborations, intellectual property generation, technology transfer and start-up incubation, while reducing import dependence through environmentally sustainable production systems.
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