Mumbai-based HiMedia Labs is one of the few companies in India which focuses on microbiological culture media. Today, the company has over 5,000 products in microbiology. On the whole, the company caters both to the private and public sector.
It has over 2,000 distributors in India with a strong sales and marketing network of 150 employees. HiMedia exports its products to 136 countries.
During the fiscal 2011-12, HiMedia announced several significant initiatives for strengthening its business. A major initiative has been in the area of stem cell and primary cell products. Last year, the company set up an ethics committee, which constitutes independent stakeholders representing different segments of the stem cell community.
The company is now looking at providing stem cell and primary cell lines at affordable costs to the scientific community. “At present, these lines are imported from the US and EU and we sell it at a cost of
21,000 per vial of half million cells. In the US and EU, the cost is around
80,000,� says Dr Vishal Warke, director, R&D, HiMedia Laboratories.
Top customers for the company are from the food, pharma, hospitals and clinical segments. It is very bullish about the food and pharma segments.
HiMedia Labs has started manufacturing media (MEM Eagle) for vaccine products. This media is exported to vaccine companies in SE Asia, East Europe and Latin America. Last year, the company launched a slew of products. It has also applied for patent for one of its products in India.
HiMedia also produces HiVeg Peptones (hydrolysates prepared from non-animal sources, such as wheat, corn and soy) that are manufactured by its independent sister-concern company, Warkem Biotech.
Led by a top management, in which five members are qualified doctors, the company has been investing significantly on building the technical expertise of its employees. It has invested around
50 crore for its expansion plans.
HiMedia company today has five manufacturing facilities. It is currently in the process of upgrading its manufacturing facility in Mumbai. The present capacity of this facility is to the tune of 15,000 tonnes per year.
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Business: Manufacturer of media products for microbiology, parasitology, immunology, serology, and virology
MD & CEO: GM Warke
Revenue:
286 crore
Start-up year: 1976
Address: A-406, Bhaveshwar Plaza, LBS Marg, Mumbai – 400 086, India
Tel: 91-22-25003747, 91-22-25001607
Website: www.himedialabs.com
