Illumina Expands Global Presence with New Capability Center in Bengaluru

Bengaluru joins Singapore, Cambridge, Eindhoven, Shanghai, Madison, Hayward, and San Diego as an Illumina Global Capability Center.

California-based Illumina Inc., a global leader in DNA sequencing and array-based technologies, has planned to establish a Global Capability Center in Bengaluru, India.

This move is part of the company's strategy to expand its technology workforce and support a global customer base.

India is on its way to becoming the world’s third-largest economy by 2030, yet it continues to grapple with significant public health challenges, including tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS, malaria, and other infectious diseases.

Additionally, approximately 96 million people in India are estimated to suffer from rare diseases, and one in nine individuals is likely to develop cancer in their lifetime.

Illumina’s expansion into India aims to enhance access to genomics, offering new opportunities to advance healthcare and combat the effects of climate change.

Expanding Access to Genomics

“Genomics is a critical part of public health, from characterizing new and emerging pathogens to revolutionizing the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of disease,” said Gretchen Weightman, Illumina’s Senior Vice President for the Asia-Pacific, Middle East & Africa region.

Weightman highlighted Illumina’s decade-long support of India through the provision of genomic sequencing technologies, particularly next-generation sequencing.

She emphasized that building a more robust presence and capability in India is essential to accelerating progress in these areas.

Bengaluru joins a list of Illumina’s Global Capability Centers, including locations in Singapore; Cambridge, England; Eindhoven, the Netherlands; Shanghai; Madison, Wisconsin; Hayward, California; and San Diego.

As part of its expansion, Illumina plans to hire 100 technology professionals in India, including software engineers, IT hardware and network engineers, and system analysts in 2024. By the end of 2025, the company aims to recruit an additional 200 professionals.

Last year, Illumina inaugurated a new office and state-of-the-art genomics lab, known as the Illumina Solutions Center, in Bengaluru.

This facility features a fully equipped laboratory with the latest next-generation sequencing technologies and provides training and educational opportunities for professionals in the field.

Strengthening India’s Genomics Industry

“Illumina has had a strong presence in India, working with our trusted channel partner Premas Life Sciences, for the past 17 years, and more recently with the opening of our ISC,” said Weightman.

Over the years, Illumina has witnessed substantial growth in India’s genomics industry. Expanding Illumina’s presence in India offers access to a talented workforce and helps the company leverage efficiencies, enhancing flexibility and agility to further its mission.

The Illumina India Genomics Summit in Bengaluru, where the investment announcement was made, is the company’s flagship event in India.

It brings together genomics experts, clinicians, researchers, and scientists to share their knowledge and experiences, focusing on the latest advancements in genomics, including clinical and translational research.

Philanthropic Initiatives & Global Health Support

In recent years, Illumina has supported several initiatives to increase access to sequencing capabilities in India.

These include contributions to the Genome India Project and partnerships with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the Rockefeller Foundation to support COVID-19 surveillance.

In December 2023, Illumina launched the Global Health Access Initiative, designed to equip countries with the tools needed for local pathogen sequencing.

This program addresses international logistics and supply chain challenges, strengthens health systems, and enables countries to manage their health threats.

Illumina’s philanthropic support in India includes collaborations with the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research’s Institute of Genomics & Integrative Biology in New Delhi and a donation of $1 million in sequencing capabilities to Mumbai’s Kasturba Hospital for COVID-19 surveillance.

The company has also employed whole-genome sequencing to detect drug resistance in tuberculosis at PD Hinduja Hospital.