HiMedia’s 50-year legacy as a leading force in bioscience

Celebrating an incredible milestone, HiMedia, a pioneer in bioscience, has achieved a remarkable 50 years of groundbreaking contribution to the scientific community. This journey underscores HiMedia’s steadfast dedication to advancing bioscience, establishing itself as an industry powerhouse.

In 1974, Hindustan Dehydrated Media, later rebranded as HiMedia, emerged as a kitchen startup challenging Western dominance. This marked the beginning of the Atmanirbhar Bharat journey in microbiology, with the aim of supporting Indian scientists and doctors facing challenges in research and infectious diseases. HiMedia’s vision and determination propelled it to become one of the top three global media suppliers. Today, it stands as India’s premier bioscience company, exporting to 150+ countries and offering over 15,000 products, spanning microbiology, cell biology, and molecular biology.

HiMedia’s success is underscored by its 14 manufacturing locations and three headquarters – in India (Mumbai), Europe (Einhausen, Germany), and the USA (Philadelphia). Serving diverse industries, including research organizations, pharma, biopharma, vaccine, food and beverage, hospitals, diagnostic laboratories, schools, CROs, CMOs, and colleges, HiMedia plays a pivotal role in influencing scientists and professionals in the bioscience field through increased accessibility and affordability.

In the bioscience supplier domain, HiMedia holds a unique position as the only indigenous company in India with an extensive sales-and-service network. Supporting governmental, academic, and private organizations, it spans over 300 Tier-I to Tier-IV cities, towns, and villages nationwide, supplemented by a network of more than 300 channel partners. Embracing cutting-edge technology, HiMedia adopts RFID-enabled smart warehouses, smart laboratories (IOT), and smart invoicing, while continuously innovating through AI and machine learning.

HiMedia’s commitment to growth encompasses both organic and inorganic strategies to serve emerging markets. Recognized among the top three microbiology media manufacturers globally by the American Society of Microbiology, HiMedia has significantly transformed the microbiology business in India over the past 50 years.

At HiGenoMB® the Molecular Biology Division, bringing Innovation in technologies and providing futuristic solutions to problems across a diverse palette of industries ranging from agriculture, academia, forensics, food, clinical, and biopharma has been the mantra. Automation in nucleic acid extraction, PCR, liquid handling systems and genomic sequencing has been our focal point to ensure our instruments and kits are multi-industrial, focusing on sensitive and effective but having a simple and affordable approach for end users in a global paradigm. Presently, HiMedia provides one-stop complete solution for molecular diagnostics, which includes CE, IVD-certified nucleic acid extraction kits, real-time PCR kits, innovative automated instruments like the InstaQ series of real-time PCR machines and InstaNX, which is an automated DNA & RNA extraction system.

In the stream of cell biology, we have developed an exclusive and all-encompassing serum-free media range, designed to foster vaccine development by nurturing cell lines, such as Vero, HEK293, BHK-21, and more. Our support extends to combating both human diseases, including COVID-19, and veterinary ailments, such as foot-and-mouth disease (FMD). Additionally, we supply essential adjuvants and stabilizing chemicals for vaccines.

Bolstered by grants from NBM-BIRAC and DBT-BIRAC, the Cell Biology wing of HiMedia is unwaveringly dedicated to the development of cost-effective biosimilars, thus contributing significantly to India’s self-sufficiency. To achieve this goal, we are significantly increasing the production volume of our media to millions of liters annually, offering cost-effective prices to support the biosimilar production. Our comprehensive setup covers everything from media design and development to process optimization, scaling up through various bioreactors, and advanced analytics like metabolomics, peptidomics, proteomics, and other analytical tools. The cell biology division is further diversified into plant tissue culture and higronics wings, expanding its portfolio into advanced areas, such as vertical farming, cultured animal free meat, 3D bioprinting, etc.

On the microbiology research front, the surge in microbiome research has been notable. HiMedia, aligning with technological advancements, focuses on genomic sequencing, microbial identification, and microbiome research for developing prebiotics, probiotics, and postbiotics. Future endeavors involve medical biotechnology, contributing to personalized medicine through pharmacogenomics and high-throughput nucleic acid sequencing. Stem cells are utilized to create personalized cell organoids, complementing tissue engineering for organ transplantation.

HiMedia proudly holds the distinction of being the first Indian-origin organization to locally produce microbiology media. Renowned for our exceptional contributions, especially in the global market’s broadest range of HiVeg media, ready-prepared media, and hydrocolloids, the company has received accolades for its unwavering commitment to excellence. In 2023, HiMedia clinched the prestigious India’s Top Biosupplier Award for 2021-22 from Biospectrum and the coveted Industry Achievement Award – Pharmaceutical from Hurun India, solidifying its position as a leader in the field.

HiMedia’s global collaborations in cultured meat, recombinant proteins, and clone development highlight its dedication to cutting-edge research and new product development. The molecular biology wing, offering a diverse product palette, is pivotal in areas, such as genomics, proteomics, instrumentation genomic sequencing, and bioinformatics services. The rich legacy of HiMedia and its spirit of innovation continue to thrive, setting the stage for a future marked by groundbreaking contributions to the field of bioscience. HiMedia’s unwavering commitment to excellence and their steadfast support for healthcare mark them as the veritable Pride of India in the bioscience arena.