Ciorise Takeda, the Japanese biopharmaceutical giant, has officially launched its first Asian Innovation Capability Centre (ICC) in Bengaluru, marking a significant expansion of its global innovation efforts. The new center aims to hire 750 employees by the end of the year, focusing on roles such as AI specialists, software engineers, data scientists, and cybersecurity experts. As of the announcement, Takeda had already recruited 275 employees for the center.
Takeda executives revealed during a press conference that Bengaluru was chosen for its robust talent pool, positioning the city as the site for its flagship Innovation Capability Centre. This new center will complement Takeda’s existing facilities in Slovakia and Mexico. Gabriele Ricci, Takeda’s Chief Data and Technology Officer, emphasized the importance of tapping into local talent: “Tapping into local talent is vital in our quest to create better health for people and a brighter future for the communities we serve. Investing in India’s remarkable talent and technological expertise underscores Takeda’s commitment to leveraging local expertise to deliver innovative, data-driven solutions and sustainable growth.” With a 243-year history, Takeda has been in India for 13 years, operating a commercial office in Delhi with a team of 150 to 200 employees.
The Bengaluru ICC will focus on advancing Takeda’s technological capabilities, particularly in areas such as AI, Generative AI for healthcare efficiency, device engineering, and application virtualization for product development. Additionally, the center will leverage data science and visualization to inform data-driven decisions that enhance patient outcomes.
The talent recruited for the Bengaluru center will primarily support Takeda’s digital transformation efforts across its global operations. Sanjay Patel, Global Head of Innovation Capability Solutions & Services at Takeda, explained, “We are focused on building and strengthening our internal data and digital capabilities that support the entire value chain across the business. This center will focus on developing and delivering data and digital solutions that benefit other parts of our business.”
The Bengaluru center is already key in supporting Takeda’s plasma-derived therapy business. The center’s work includes developing and implementing systems for managing donor information and registrations at plasma collection centers in North America and parts of Europe.
Tilak Banerjee, Head of Takeda ICC India, added, “The ICC here will have a significant impact on our operations and how we scale our solutions globally.”
In FY23, Takeda reported revenues of USD 28.2 billion and invested USD 4.8 billion in research and development. The company maintains over 180 R&D partnerships worldwide.
