India opens first dedicated facility for translational research and innovation in plant cell fermentation

Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT-M), in collaboration with Herbalife International India, recently inaugurated the Herbalife–IIT Madras Centre of Excellence (CoE) on Plant Cell Fermentation Technology, which is India's first dedicated facility for translational research and innovation in plant cell fermentation.

This landmark initiative marks a significant step towards strengthening India's capabilities in sustainable biomanufacturing and developing next-generation plant-derived health and wellness products.

The Herbalife–IIT Madras CoE is envisioned as a national hub for sustainable innovation, R&D and translational research in plant cell fermentation technology.

The Centre aims to enable sustainable and scalable production of herbal biomass, develop enriched herbal extracts and high-value phytochemicals, and bridge the gap between laboratory discoveries and industrial applications.

By integrating advanced upstream cultivation systems with state-of-the-art downstream processing and metabolomics platforms, the Centre seeks to promote technology transfer, foster innovation and entrepreneurship, and build skilled manpower in this emerging domain.

Through industry partnerships, blue-sky research, training programmes and entrepreneurial spin-offs, the initiative aspires to position India prominently on the global map of commercial plant cell fermentation while contributing to the national visions of BioE3, Atmanirbhar Bharat and environmentally sustainable bio-manufacturing.

The inauguration ceremony was graced by Dr N. Kalaiselvi, Director General, Council of Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR) & Secretary, Department of Scientific and Industrial Research (DSIR), and Prof. V. Kamakoti, Director, IIT Madras, as Chief Guests.