Dr. Varaprasad Reddy, Managing Director, Shantha Biotechnics.

Dr. Varaprasad Reddy is the harbinger of bio-pharma industry to India who could bring next-generation biotech products within the reach of common man by adhering to "Swadeshi" doctrine.

Born on November 17, 1948, Dr. Varaprasad Reddy started his career as Research Scientist in Defence Labs after graduating in Electronics Engineering from Andhra University and while serving A.P. Industrial Development Corpn., he assisted many entrepreneurs in promoting number of projects. In 1985 he left government service to become an entrepreneur himself. He co-promoted Sabnife Power Systems Ltd., an Indo Swedish joint venture for development and production of High Technology based batteries for Defence applications.

In 1992 he went tangential from his academic training and previous experience to step into biotechnology, a sunrise industry in India. He was fired by the enthusiasm of developing recombinant based therapeutic proteins for human healthcare. He believed that by adopting "Swadeshi" principle, one could produce most efficacious yet cost-effective vaccines and drugs to reach out to common man.

Shantha Biotechnics Ltd., the company he has promoted and heads, could bring out India's first genetically engineered product Shanvac-B, a vaccine against dreaded infection Hepatitis-B that affects nearly 5% Indian population. This "swadeshi" product, developed thru in-house R&D efforts, proved to be highly efficacious, did India proud by reaching market at an affordable price, just a fraction of the imported vaccine price in the 50th of year of independence.

Apart from several National and International awards both Shantha Biotechnics and Dr. Varaprasad Reddy have won, Government of India has conferred the prestigious National Award "PADMA BHUSHAN" to Dr. Varaprasad Reddy by Hon'ble President of India in the year 2005. Ernst & Young bestowed "Best Entrepreneur Award" upon him in the year 2000. He loves music and literature and was felicitated by many local literary, cultural organisations and Non-resident Telugu association abroad.