The Hyderabad-based Sai Life Sciences, an integrated chemistry service provider across the development cycle with focus on custom synthesis, building blocks / libraries, process development and scale-up, and cGMP manufacturing, today has a strong team of 200 research scientists and is planning to double its headcount in next two years.

Dr K Ranga Raju, managing director and CEO of Sai Life Sciences, said that major investments in the coming years will go into infrastructure and personnel. The company is taking many initiatives including establishment of a technology development centre, which is likely to be operational by 2007.

The company has established two research and development centers in and around Hyderabad focusing on medicinal chemistry and two WHO GMP approved process R & D units in Hyderabad and Bidar for APIs. The company is in the process of expanding its presence by adding new infrastructure facilities in the areas of analytical and R & D laboratories.

The company is also in advanced stages of commissioning an R & D centre at Pune, which is slated for commissioning during April / May 2006. This new facility will house approximately 150 personnel.

With prime interest in contract research, the company is serving top pharmaceutical MNCs and biotechnology companies. It has client base mainly in the US and Europe. Medicinal chemistry will emerge as a major strength of the company in the coming years and will make the company a preferred partner for companies across the world and particularly those in the US and Europe, which are looking to India for outsourcing such services.

The strength of Sai Life Sciences lies in its infrastructure and skilled personnel Strategically located in Hyderabad & Pune, Sai Life Sciences aims to leverage India Advantage with its quality and cost competitive edge to serve the global markets in the areas of drug discovery, new molecules, compounds, new chemical entities.

Responding to what plans the company has overseas, Dr Raju said, we have a presence in the US, which is a marketing setup, and will expand as appropriate in line with the needs of the business.

The global outsourcing market is estimated to be about USD 53 billion. India and individual players will strive to capture their pie of the market, and Sai Life is all set to get its share, he added.