Bharat Bhardwaj, Vice President, Asia Pacific, Agilent Technologies spoke to Viveka Roychowdhury on why Agilent has been increasing investments in India over the last few years, how the Mumbai Experience Center fits into this play, why start ups and growing companies find the refurbishment center especially beneficial and Agilent’s continuing role as a key enabler in building a stronger innovation ecosystem in India by connecting regulators, educators, and industry
What’s affecting all pharma businesses today is the conflict between the US, Israel, and Iran. How are Agilent’s supply chains impacted, and will prices be impacted?
At this moment, we do not see any material impact on our supply chain. We are in a relatively good position due to the diversification of manufacturing that we implemented post-COVID. Over the last couple of years, we have also worked on sourcing and diversifying our suppliers. As of today, we are well positioned to support our customers and deliver as per our commitments. We do not see any immediate action required on those lines.
Why is India emerging as a strategic priority market for Agilent’s global growth, and could you share more about the recently launched Mumbai Experience Center?
India is one of the fastest-growing economies with a rapidly expanding customer base, which is why we have been increasing our investments in the country over the last few years. Our focus is to support and be part of India’s growth journey.
As part of this commitment, we are launching our Mumbai Experience Center, one of our latest investments in the region. We already have established investments in Manesar and Bangalore, and last year we also opened a facility in Hyderabad. Mumbai offers a unique customer mix, with growing demand for access to the latest instruments and technologies, along with the ability to test concepts before making purchase decisions.
The Mumbai Experience Center will enable customers to bring their challenges to the lab, collaborate with our experts, and co-create future-ready solutions. This investment reflects our continued commitment to strengthening customer collaboration and supporting innovation in the Indian market.
Can you give us a sense of the investments Agilent is making in India, including the Mumbai Experience Center and other locations over the next one or two years?
Globally, Agilent invests approximately 7 per cent of its total revenue into R&D, which amounts to around $415 million annually. A proportionate share of this investment is directed toward India. Over the past few years, we have significantly increased our investments in the country, including the biopharma experience center, the Manesar India Solution Center, the recently launched refurbishment center, and now the Mumbai Experience Center. These investments reflect our long-term commitment to the Indian market and our customers.
Could you share more about the refurbishment center and how it supports sustainability and circular economy goals?
Sustainability is a key priority for Agilent globally, and we have established refurbishment centers in multiple regions, including Singapore for Asia, as well as in Germany and the United States.
In India, regulatory restrictions such as anti-e-dumping laws limit the import of older systems, making it important to build a circular economy within the country. To address this, we launched our refurbishment center in India in November last year, and it is currently in the ramp-up phase.
This initiative is particularly beneficial for startups and growing companies that may find it challenging to make large capital investments. Through refurbishment, we ensure instruments meet the same global quality and regulatory standards, enabling customers to access reliable technology while supporting sustainability goals.
In addition, we have introduced Agilent Financial Solutions, which provides flexible acquisition models such as subscription, rental, or leasing options, depending on customer needs and financial positions.
For refurbished equipment, is there some kind of certification provided, especially since many startups may use these instruments for regulatory purposes? Is there a recertification process involved?
Refurbished instruments go through the same Agilent quality standards as brand-new systems. Each instrument undergoes a detailed checklist and testing of key components to ensure performance and reliability. These instruments are backed by the same Agilent warranty, with consistent access to services, spare parts, and consumables. The refurbishment process follows the same level of quality rigor to ensure the output matches that of new instruments, making them suitable for regulatory and operational requirements.
What are the key trends in pharma, biopharma, and nutraceutical testing? Is regulation driving demand for advanced analytical technologies and digital laboratory systems?
The pharma and biopharma industries are significantly influenced by regulatory requirements, which continue to drive demand for advanced analytical technologies and digital laboratory systems. With a strong global presence, Agilent closely tracks evolving regulatory expectations while also understanding local customer challenges in India.
By working closely with regulators and industry stakeholders, we help bridge global requirements with local needs. This growing regulatory focus is increasing demand for advanced technologies, and Agilent continues to provide innovative solutions that support both compliance and operational efficiency across pharma, biopharma, and nutraceutical sectors.
How is Agilent nurturing industry, academic, and government ecosystems to leverage the strengths of each partner?
Agilent takes a holistic approach to nurturing collaboration across industry, academia, and government. We have established partnerships with leading institutions such as Centre for Cellular and Molecular Platforms, Indian Institutes of Technology, and Indian Institute of Science Bangalore, among others. Through these collaborations, we provide early access to advanced technologies and share our expertise to help institutions effectively utilise these instruments.
At the same time, we support talent development through campus hiring initiatives. This enables us to strengthen academic research while also bringing skilled talent into our workforce. Over the past 10–15 years, this model has proven highly successful, with successive batches of campus hires joining Agilent. Bringing fresh minds into the organisation has become a key focus, helping drive innovation and adoption of new technologies. These graduates also contribute to the broader industry by applying techniques and expertise gained during their academic training.
Are you placing your technology in incubators and labs, and how do you plan to expand this program?
Collaboration with academic and research institutions is a core part of Agilent’s strategy, as many future regulations and industry trends originate in academic labs. We place our latest instruments in these environments, provide methods and applications, and share global insights while also understanding local challenges.
Rather than setting specific targets, we focus on strengthening long-term collaborations. This “three-in-the-box” approach—bringing together regulators, educators, and industry—enables Agilent to act as a key enabler in building a stronger innovation ecosystem.
With the loss of patent protection for semaglutide , there seems to be a GLP-1 gold rush. How does Agilent support companies in the GLP-1 space?
The growing demand for GLP-1 therapies, initially developed for diabetes and now widely used for weight management, has created significant opportunities across the industry. With the patent cliff approaching, many Indian generic companies are preparing to tap into this space.
Agilent is well positioned to support this transition, given our work with global innovators and manufacturers. We bring proven technologies and validated methods to Indian companies entering the GLP-1 segment. This is just the beginning, as more large-molecule therapies are expected to go off patent, creating further opportunities. Technologies such as LC/MS, Q-TOF MS, LC, and bio-LCs play a critical role in GLP-1 analysis and development, and we are already seeing strong adoption across the industry.
With generics and biosimilars entering the GLP-1 space, maintaining quality while reducing prices is challenging. Where does Agilent contribute to ensuring quality?
Quality remains the most critical factor, especially in complex biologics such as GLP-1 therapies. Advanced scientific instrumentation plays a key role in ensuring consistency, reliability, and compliance. Agilent’s high-end technologies, including LC/MS and bio-LCs, support companies in maintaining quality standards while scaling production.
In addition, Agilent provides automation and digital laboratory solutions that reduce rework and method re-runs, which are significant contributors to overall costs. By improving efficiency and minimising failures, these capabilities help companies remain price competitive without compromising quality.