Illumina Inc., a leader in DNA sequencing and array-based technologies, has unveiled plans to establish a Global Capability Center in Bengaluru, India. This strategic investment aims to expand the company’s technology workforce to support its growing global customer base.
The announcement was made during the Illumina India Genomics Summit in Bengaluru, Karnataka. As India progresses towards becoming the world’s third-largest economy by 2030, it continues to face significant public health challenges, including tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS, malaria, and other infectious diseases. With an estimated 96 million people in India affected by rare diseases and one in nine likely to develop cancer in their lifetime, expanding access to genomics in the country is crucial for advancing healthcare and addressing the impacts of climate change.
Bengaluru joins Illumina’s network of Global Capability Centers, which includes locations in Singapore, Cambridge (England), Eindhoven (Netherlands), Shanghai, Madison (Wisconsin), Hayward (California), and San Diego. The company plans to hire 100 technology professionals in India in 2024, including software engineers, IT hardware and network engineers, and system analysts, with an additional 200 hires planned by the end of 2025.
This expansion builds on Illumina’s existing presence in India, which includes a state-of-the-art genomics lab and Illumina Solutions Center opened last year in Bengaluru. The facility features advanced next-generation sequencing technologies and provides training and education opportunities.
Illumina has been supporting various initiatives to increase sequencing capabilities in India, including providing technology for the Genome India Project and collaborating with organizations like the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the Rockefeller Foundation to support COVID-19 surveillance.
In December 2023, Illumina launched the Global Health Access Initiative to equip countries with local pathogen sequencing capabilities. This program aims to address international logistics and supply chain challenges, strengthen health systems, and empower countries to manage their priority health threats.
The company’s philanthropic efforts in India have included collaborations with research institutions for COVID-19 surveillance, donations of sequencing capabilities, and the application of whole-genome sequencing to detect drug resistance in tuberculosis.
As Illumina expands its presence in India, it seeks to leverage the country’s talented workforce and drive efficiency and agility in advancing its mission to improve human health through genomics.