Bharat Biotech founder Krishnamurty Ella gets honorary doctorate

Keladi Shivappa Nayaka University of Agricultural & Horticultural Sciences conferred its first honorary doctorate to Bharat Biotech International Limited Founder Krishnamurty Ella for his service in an affordable-vaccine production sector in India including Covaxin, the vaccine against against Covid-19.

He was conferred at the 6th annual convocation at Navule campus, here on Thursday. Ella's firm is conducting research on two more vaccines against Covid-19.

During an interaction with media persons, he said, one has to look at science as simple thinking which gives best solutions in the world. "I always tell scientists to think in a simple way to get the better results."

He said skills are the key to achieving success in any field in the current society. But one has to teach skills in a simple language so that even a common man will understand and develop them. A hotel management graduate with no skill of idly making will not be useful for it. He also noted that many multinational companies will not transfer skills. So, skills with good knowledge are the key to success, he added.

When asked about the teaching of skills in university campuses, he said, now they are giving importance to teach skills to students. It is good that agriculture universities are bringing farmers to the campus to teach farming skills to students. He also suggested that the universities take students to farm fields and make them till the land, drive the tractor and cut the weeds for six months. This would not only help them to learn skills but also encourages them to develop tools or new agriculture equipment that can be useful for farmers.

On honorary doctorate, he said, many universities had offered to confer honorary doctorate on him. But he refused. But he decided to accept it as this university is the offspring of University of Agricultural Sciences, Bengaluru, where he did his degree. Ella said he is glad that his alma mater has recognised his service which matters a lot.

Ella, an alumnus of the University of Agricultural Sciences, Bengaluru, has served as a research faculty at the Medical University of South Carolina, in America. Later, he established Bharat Biotech in Hyderabad in Telangana in 1996 and has conducted research on Covid-19, Chikungunya, Hepatitis-B virus, Zika virus. A research scientist in Molecular Biology, Ella strongly believes that innovative technology in vaccine development is essential to solve public healthcare problems caused by infectious diseases.

Under Ella's leadership, Bharat Biotech has grown to become a global leader in innovative vaccine. India was able to produce its first Covid-19 vaccine due to the efforts by Bharat Biotech, in collaboration with India’s National Institute of Virology and Indian Council of Medical Research. His firm is known for producing world’s cheapest Hepatitis vaccine and was the first in the world to find a vaccine for the Zika virus.

Check out DH's latest videos: