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P.T. Jyothi Datta

New Delhi , Oct. 1

AGILENT Technologies would be supplying chemical analysis equipment for doping tests to be conducted by authorities for the forthcoming Afro-Asian games later this month.Doping tests apart, the Indian subsidiary of the $6-billion Agilent Technologies Inc smells a growing opportunity in the food and drugs industry, respectively, as they gear up for a quality-stringent and patent-conscious global market.

"In the post-2005 regime, India would recognise product patents as per its WTO commitments. The domestic pharmaceutical industry is gearing up for this period, with more drug companies investing in synthesising new molecules. This would be one of the key drivers of our business, as Agilent has equipment that is used in pharma chemistry from the conceptual research and development stage up to clinical trials," Dr G. Ramakrishnan, Vice-President, Life Sciences and Chemical Analysis with Agilent Technologies India Private Ltd (ATIPL), told Business Line.

Globally, this division clocks revenues of about $1 billion. However, the company was unwilling to share country-specific sales figures.

Meanwhile, with the jury still out on whether soft drinks contain pesticide residue, the food industry too serves up an opportunity for Agilent's chromatography products portfolio. "Our gas chromatographs help analyse the food and flavours segment," he said.

Agilent's expertise is chromatography, a technique to separate components from a mixture, followed by a qualitative and quantitative analysis that compares the results with the quality standards. The expertise finds its application in hydrocarbon processing industries, such as petroleum, besides food & beverage, pharmaceuticals and environment.

Gas chromatographs are priced in the range of Rs 2.5-lakh to Rs 15 lakh. It has recently launched a new product 6820GC. "Manufactured in Shanghai, the product would be imported into India. It has been developed by a team under an Indian R&D manager," points out Mr Ganghui Cheng, Marketing Manager, Agilent Technologies (Shanghai) Co Ltd. "The product targets the mid-segment, which is critical to future growth. In emerging markets like India, China and Mexico, for instance, the price and applications of this product makes it affordable, as they address specific industry requirements."

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