From Our Correspondent
Visakhapatnam: Pharmaceutical major Laurus Labs is set to establish an advanced manufacturing complex in Visakhapatnam with an investment exceeding ₹5,000 crore, marking one of the company’s largest expansion projects in India.
Laurus Labs founder and CEO Dr. Chava Satyanarayana announced that the Andhra Pradesh government has allotted 532 acres of land for the project. The new facility, he said, will be built to global standards, with investments totaling USD 600 million (approximately ₹5,280 crore) over the next eight years. “We plan to invest around ₹1,000 crore every year to develop the complex,” Dr. Satyanarayana said during an investors’ earnings call, adding that the company is open to further expansion as demand grows.
Fermentation Plant Shifted from Mysuru to Vizag
Laurus Labs will also set up a state-of-the-art fermentation unit, a crucial component in pharmaceutical manufacturing. The company had earlier proposed to locate this unit in Mysuru, Karnataka, but has now decided to shift it to Visakhapatnam, citing better infrastructure, port connectivity, and environmental facilities.
Dr. Satyanarayana explained that waste-treatment systems required for fermentation were still pending approval in Mysuru, whereas Visakhapatnam already offers the necessary industrial ecosystem. “Given the city’s logistics advantages and infrastructure readiness, we decided to consolidate operations here,” he said.
Expanding Footprint
Laurus Labs currently operates manufacturing and research centres in Hyderabad, Visakhapatnam, Bengaluru, Mumbai, and Kanpur, employing over 7,000 people. The new Visakhapatnam complex is expected to significantly boost production capacity and generate additional employment opportunities, strengthening Andhra Pradesh’s position as a pharma and life sciences hub.
The project aligns with the state government’s push to promote high-value manufacturing and attract pharmaceutical investments to north coastal Andhra Pradesh, leveraging Visakhapatnam’s industrial base and port infrastructure.
With this expansion, Laurus Labs joins the list of major life sciences companies deepening their presence in Andhra Pradesh, positioning Visakhapatnam as one of India’s emerging biotech and pharma manufacturing powerhouses.