Vendor Watch

More than just a bio-pharma consultancy

Bioasset Technologies was founded by Manjiri Ashtekar in 2002, to provide services in terms of consultancy, project management and turnkey solutions to the biotech, pharma, nutraceutical and life sciences segments. The Mumbai based promoter couple, Manjiri and Ajay Ashtekar, bring complementary expertise, (of over 15 and 23 years respectively), from previous tenures in reputed biotech and pharma companies, and thus, are able to bridge the gap that often exists between management and the R&D teams in large companies. The company was awarded the "Rashtriya Udyog Ratna Puraskar-2006" by Image Wel-fare Achievers Forum (IWAF), Mumbai and also the "Natio-nal Business Excellence Award-2007, New Delhi from the All India Achiever's Foundation.

Bioasset undertakes projects dealing with technology development and transfer, as well as clean room technology projects, including paneling, HVAC and AHU work for pharma and biotech facilities.

Ashtekar, Managing Director, Bioasset reveals that the company has collaborations with national institutes to develop technologies for both Indian or overseas clients. The main thrust is on classical fermentation based products like antibiotics, anti-tumor, cardiovascular, anti-diabetes etc. and nutritional support products like probiotics, vitamins as well as organic acids, enzymes and other secondary metabolites. Being well versed in rDNA based therapeutics; the company also offers guidance on these technologies.

Bioasset is the exclusive representative for technology transfer from one of the most reputed and authentic sources from China with a very wide range of technologies available for API, classical fermentation based products and rDNA based therapeutics. These technologies are production scale proven technologies with guaranteed yields and purity. The technologies offered are a complete package, including the high producing or recombinant microbial culture, the technology details, quality control steps, training at source and implementation. According to Ashtekar, these technologies offer a head start for any company, where time-to-market is virtually reduced to nil; only the readiness to scale-up and having a proper marketing strategy are the key issues.

As a part of the technical services, Bioasset also undertakes specialised pharma and biotech exercises like non-pharmacopeial molecule evaluation, biological assays and other such non-standard testing.

In addition to the technical services, Bioasset is associated with, and are authorised representatives for some of the top manufacturers of lab and production scale equipments, which are indigenously manufactured. This segment has seen growth within India, as well as exports, primarily because the company offers an appropriate solution and then assists them in arriving at the proper configuration, which is both technically sound and cost effective as well.

Speaking about expansion plans, Ashtekar discloses that the firm is poised to have an overseas branch office and plans are underway to set up a special R&D base for conducting research and development activities in life sciences in the near future.