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Herbalife, a premier health and wellness company, community and platform signed an agreement with the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras to establish the Herbalife-IITM Plant Cell Fermentation Technology Lab at the campus under Herbalife’s CSR initiative
The agreement signing ceremony took place at IIT Madras in the presence of Ajay Khanna, managing director, Herbalife India, and Prof. Ashwin Mahalingam, Dean - Alumni & Corporate Relations, IIT Madras and other IITM representing members.
This partnership aligns with the Indian government's Bio-E3 policy, aimed at establishing India as a global hub for bio-manufacturing and advancing Prime Minister’s vision of Atmanirbhar Bharat. The lab will serve as a catalyst for innovation, capacity building, and industry collaboration in the wellness sector while also fostering entrepreneurship.
The Centre of Excellence – Herbalife Plant Cell Fermentation Technology Lab, is focused on pioneering sustainable solutions for high-quality herbal raw materials and phytochemicals. The facility will be a centre to produce sustainable herbal raw materials using plant cell fermentation technology, ensuring high-quality phytochemicals and drive innovation in nutraceuticals, cosmeceuticals, and Ayush formulations, contributing directly to the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDG3 - Good Health & Well-Being).
The collaborative effort will leverage plant cell technology to enable vitro cultivation of medicinal plants under controlled conditions, ensuring year-round availability, purity, and bioactive consistency. In addition to this, advanced bioreactor-based scaling will facilitate large-volume production in minimal space, overcoming land constraints and long harvesting cycles associated with traditional farming and the green extraction technologies will drive sustainability in bioactive compound production.
The Plant Cell Fermentation Technology Lab predominantly has 5 key focus areas, innovative research to handle R&D, translational research, and blue-sky projects; Sustainable biomanufacturing to handle the scalable plant cell fermentation for herbal extracts; Technology-driven solutions in the silico screening for phytochemical discovery and repurposing; Conservation efforts in the production of somatic embryos and plant materials for field cultivation of endangered medicinal species; and ecosystem engagement to support hackathons as well as accelerator programs to drive innovation.
Our partnership with IIT Madras, yet again this year is an effort towards transforming the nutraceutical and wellness sectors. Herbalife Plant Cell Fermentation Technology Lab at IIT Madras will be a catalyst for innovation, capacity building, and enhance industry collaboration in the wellness sector. Aligned with India’s Bio-E3 Policy (2024) and the National Biotechnology Development Strategy (2022-25), this initiative will position India as a leader in biomanufacturing while contributing to the Prime Minister’s vision of Atmanirbhar Bharat.”
Prof. Smitha Srivastava, Department of Biotechnology, Bhupat and Jyoti Mehta School of Biosciences, IIT Madras., said, “The Herbalife-IITM Plant Cell Fermentation Technology Lab represents a significant milestone in sustainable innovation. This state-of-the-art facility will drive pioneering research, foster academic training, and enable impactful technology development for industry applications. Together, we are poised to transform the landscape of plant cell fermentation, creating meaningful outcomes for science, industry, and society.”
Prof Ashwin Mahalingam, Dean - Alumni & Corporate Relations, IIT Madras, said, “Through their support for the establishment of the Plant Cell Fermentation Technology Lab, Herbalife has emerged as a leader in the field of sustainable solutions for high-quality herbal raw materials and phytochemicals. This partnership has indeed come at the right time, not only for IITM and Herbalife but also for our nation’s goals towards a brighter, sustainable future.”
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