Suchitra Ella

About

When Suchitra Ella and her husband Krishna Ella returned from the U.S. to co-found Bharat Biotech 30 years ago, not many believed in the business model. The vision was to innovate and manufacture research-driven vaccines from India, a feat Bharat Biotech has achieved time and again, with Covaxin being the most cited example. But their work neither started during the pandemic nor ended with it, Suchitra emphasises. “Our focus on vaccines continues.” The company is gearing up to roll out cholera and malaria vaccines, both “first out of India”, from its Bhubaneswar facility, expected to be operational this year. Under her watch, the group has expanded to five states. Suchitra, who is also the president-designate of CII for 2026-27, is on her way to becoming the president in 2027-28.