Herbalife India Launches Phyto Innovation Accelerator with IIT Madras to Advance India's Plant Biotechnology Ecosystem

Industry-academia initiative inaugurated by Union Minister Shri Pralhad Joshi to support innovation, entrepreneurship and global research collaboration

CHENNAI, India, Oct. 15, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Herbalife International India Pvt. Ltd. and the Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT Madras) launched the Herbalife–IIT Madras Phyto Innovation Accelerator Programme, an industry-academia initiative to translate plant biotechnology research into scalable solutions for health, wellness and sustainable biomanufacturing. Shri Pralhad Joshi, Union Minister of Education, Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution, and New & Renewable Energy, inaugurated the programme at the IIT Madras Research Park in the presence of Prof. V. Kamakoti, Director, IIT Madras, and Mr. Ajay Khanna, Managing Director, Herbalife India.

Building on the Herbalife–IIT Madras Centre of Excellence on Plant Cell Fermentation Technology (HL-IITM CoE PCFT) established in June 2026, the programme fuses India's traditional botanical wisdom with modern science, deep technology and entrepreneurship. It embodies the national research vision of Jai Anusandhan while advancing sustainable biomanufacturing through the BioE3 policy. Ultimately, it aims to build a nationally recognised innovation ecosystem that transforms plant biotechnology innovations into market-ready technologies while fostering research, innovation and capacity building across health, wellness, nutrition and sustainable biomanufacturing.

The programme will operate through two verticals over a three-year period. Under the Phytothon vertical, innovation challenges and hackathons will be conducted every six months to identify promising innovations in plant biotechnology, nutraceuticals, functional foods, botanical ingredients and sustainable biomanufacturing. Up to three start-ups will be supported annually through access to shared scientific infrastructure and specialised laboratory facilities at the IIT Madras Bioincubator and HL-IITM CoE PCFT, including customized bioreactors for plant cell cultivation, analytical and computational systems, along with technical mentorship, pre-incubation support, and proof-of-concept development.

The second vertical, Global University Innovation Network, will foster international collaborations through student and faculty exchanges, collaborative research, webinars, seminars, workshops, short-term courses, publications and co-organized conferences.

Bringing together researchers, students, faculty, entrepreneurs, industry experts and international academic institutions, this programme will strengthen scientific capabilities in the emerging area of plant cell fermentation technology and allied domains such as plant biotechnology, AI-enabled multi-omics analysis, bioinformatics, and process modelling, while driving innovation, capacity building and ecosystem development through stronger academic-industry collaboration and global knowledge exchange.

"Innovation in health and wellness increasingly depends on strong collaboration between academia and industry. Through the Herbalife–IIT Madras Phyto Innovation Accelerator Programme, we aim to create an environment where promising scientific ideas can access the expertise, infrastructure and industry perspectives needed to progress beyond the laboratory. We hope the programme will help nurture the next generation of innovators while contributing to India's growing leadership in biotechnology, sustainable innovation and health-focused research," said Ajay Khanna, Managing Director, Herbalife International India Pvt. Ltd.

The CoE will also add advanced custom plant cell bioreactors, analytical equipment such as HPTLC, cryogenic storage and a high-performance GPU workstation for bioinformatics and AI-enabled research in this area.

Prof. Smita Srivastava, Faculty Coordinator of the programme and Head, HL-IITM CoE PCFT, added, "At IIT Madras, we believe that translating research into real-world impact requires strong collaboration across academia, industry and entrepreneurial ecosystem. The Phyto Innovation Accelerator Programme represents an important step towards creating a platform that enables scientific discoveries to evolve into real-world applications. By bringing together talent, technology, infrastructure and mentorship, this initiative will help foster innovation and strengthen India's capabilities in plant based biomanufacturing."

About Herbalife International India Private Ltd.

Herbalife (NYSE: HLF) is a premier health and wellness company, community and platform that has been changing people's lives with great nutrition products and a business opportunity for its independent distributors since 1980. The Company offers science-backed food and non-food products to consumers in more than 95 markets through independent entrepreneurial distributors who provide one-on-one coaching and a supportive community that inspires their customers to embrace a healthier, more active lifestyle to live their best life.