Indian Immunologicals Ltd (IIL) said it will invest Rs 75 crore to commission a new viral antigen manufacturing facility in Telangana to increase its capacity for supplying vaccines.

The new facility will be specially designed as a multi-product facility and cater to the need for viral vaccines in the pipeline, including for dengue, zika and varicella, IIL said in a statement.

The company also plans to utilise the facility to manufacture COVID-19 vaccines post completion of its R&D with Griffith University, Australia, it added.

The company also inaugurated a new sterile filling facility that was commissioned last year to increase its capacity to supply lifesaving vaccines such as the Anti-Rabies Vaccine (ARV) — Abhayrab, IIL said.

“We are optimistic about the strategic investment as India is one of the key growth markets. As we mark as one of the major players on the pediatric and rabies vaccine, this expansion of our manufacturing facility is our commitment to securing a healthy and sustainable future,” said Anand Kumar, MD, IIL.

“This facility has been specially designed to cater to the need for various viral vaccines and it will boost our manufacturing capacity by 35 per cent. The new plant is expected to be ready for operation by October 2021,” Prasanna Deshpande, Deputy MD, IIL said.

IIL exports various human and animal vaccines to over 50 countries and currently employs around 1,300 people.