Hyderabad, Jan 31 : Sandoz, a global leader in generics and biosimilars, has announced setting up of their Global Capability Centre in Hyderabad which will provide support for their worldwide knowledge services. The development is expected to further strengthen Hyderabad's leadership position in the pharma and Global Capability (GCC) space. The centre will initially have a workforce of 800 employees, with plans to increase to approximately 1,800 people in the near future. The announcement was made after a Sandoz team, headed by CEO-designate Richard Saynor, met Telangana Industry and Commerce Minister K. T. Rama Rao here on Tuesday. Sandoz has a development centre in Genome Valley engaged in cutting edge R&D facilities. The team also informed the minister that they are adding a state-of-the-art laboratory focused on automation in the GV facility. Rama Rao also presented the Hyderabad Pharma City project and highlighted the value proposition for companies like Sandoz. He invited Sandoz to consider setting up large manufacturing centre in Hyderabad. The Sandoz team also included Chief Scientific Officer Claire D'Abreau-Hayling, Sandoz Development Centre India head Dr. Vandana Singh, and Novartis Corporate Centre head Naveen Gullapalli. The Minister also noted that Hyderabad boasts a top-notch business environment backed by the state, with a strong emphasis on the life sciences industry. "Hyderabad is already home to Novartis and has grown into the second largest location for the company, we are looking forward to a similar patronage and association with Sandoz," he said. Sandoz is a global leader in generic pharmaceuticals and biosimilars. As a division of the Novartis Group, their vision is to discover new ways to improve and extend people's lives. The global portfolio of Sandoz comprises approximately 1,000 molecules, covering all major therapeutic areas, which accounted for 2019 sales of $9.7 billion. Their products reach more than 500 million patients globally. Hyderabad is regarded as the life sciences capital of India and vaccine capital of the world. It also has the unique distinction of being home to the largest development centres outside of their headquarters for all of the most valued technology companies including Amazon, Google, Apple, Microsoft, Facebook (Meta), etc. /IANS