‘We are doing deep science research and innovation for societal impact’ Premium

We have now been working with different kinds of early-stage scientific ideas in healthcare, agriculture and the environment, and how they can be taken forward. So, in terms of sectors, these three have become our impact sectors. Interestingly enough, these are the three most important sectors for human beings. So, I think it is an interesting position that C-CAMP is in, where it has an opportunity to enable and foster solutions in these sectors with the local and contextual understanding that it has gained in the last 15 years. 

It has been around 15 years since the Centre for Cellular And Molecular Platforms or C-CAMP was set up in Bengaluru as an initiative of the Department of Biotechnology, Government of India, to empower research and innovation in life sciences and to enable the deployment of more life sciences products in the market. The centre came into being at a time when investor interest in the sector was close to nil and market entry barriers quite high.

“Today, we have around 100 products in the market,” says Taslimarif Saiyed, CEO and Director of C-CAMP. And 400 more are in the pipeline, he adds. In the 15 years of its existence, the centre, which sees itself as a biotech innovation enabler, has played a major role in shaping the way the sector is viewed.

Dr. Saiyed talks to The Hindu about the evolution of the centre as well as the sector over the years, the need for more innovation centres and the challenges that still persist.