ValarieNarvaez8 at 09:51, 25 February 2026

2026-02-25T09:51:35Z

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{{Short description|Indian biotech scientist and entrepreneur}}
{{Infobox person
| honorific_prefix =
| name = Krishna Ella
| image = Krishna_Murthy_Ella.jpg
| image_size = 250px
| alt =
| caption = Ella in 2022
| birth_name = Krishna Murthy Ella
| birth_date = 1969
| birth_place = [[Nemali]], [[Tiruttani]], [[Tamil Nadu]], India
| death_date =
| death_place =
| education = [[Ph.D]] ([[University of Wisconsin–Madison]])<br />[[M.S.]] ([[University of Hawaii at Manoa|University of Hawaii]])<br />[[M.Sc.]] ([[University of Agricultural Sciences, Bangalore]])
| occupation = Scientist, entrepreneur
| known_for = Co-founder of [[Bharat Biotech]]
| notable_works = Development of [[Covaxin]], ROTAVAC, Typbar TCV
| title = Executive Chairman of [[Bharat Biotech]]
| awards = [[Padma Bhushan]] (2022)
| term = 1996–present
| predecessor =
| successor =
| boards =
| spouse = Suchitra Ella
| children =
| father =
| website =
}}
'''Krishna Ella''' is an Indian scientist and [[Entrepreneurship|entrepreneur]]. He is the co-founder and Executive Chairman of [[Bharat Biotech]],<ref name="Moneycontrol2021">{{Cite news |title=Here Are 10 Things To Know About Bharat Biotech, Its Founder Krishna Ella |url=https://www.moneycontrol.com/news/business/companies/here-are-10-things-to-know-about-bharat-biotech-its-founder-krishna-ella-6312361.html |access-date=9 May 2021 |work=Moneycontrol |date=4 January 2021}}</ref><ref name="GHI">{{Cite web |title=Ella, Krishna |url=https://ghi.wisc.edu/staff/ella-krishna/ |website=Global Health Institute |access-date=9 May 2021}}</ref> a biotechnology company known for developing [[Covaxin]], India's first indigenous [[COVID-19 vaccine]], in collaboration with the [[Indian Council of Medical Research]] (ICMR).<ref name="Hindu2024">{{Cite news |last=Perappadan |first=Bindu Shajan |date=2024-08-02 |title=ICMR got ₹172 cr. from Bharat Biotech for Covaxin: Nadda |url=https://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/health/bharat-biotech-credited-icmr-niv-as-co-inventors-of-covaxin-after-initially-omitting-them-centre/article68477180.ece |access-date=2025-03-11 |work=The Hindu |language=en |issn=0971-751X}}</ref> Bharat Biotech was also involved in the development of ROTAVAC, a vaccine against rotavirus, in collaboration with Department of Biotechnology (DBT), Government of India, and international partners, including the Rotavirus Vaccine Development Program (RVDP) of PATH and the National Institutes of Health (NIH), USA; and Typbar TCV, a typhoid conjugate vaccine.<ref name="Forbes2021">{{Cite web |title=Krishna Ella: How A Farmer's Son Gave India Its First Successful Indigenous Covid-19 Vaccine |url=https://www.forbesindia.com/article/take-one-big-story-of-the-day/krishna-ella-how-a-farmers-son-gave-india-its-first-successful-indigenous-covid19-vaccine/66799/1 |access-date=9 May 2021 |work=Forbes India |language=en |date=5 March 2021}}</ref>
Ella worked as a research faculty member at the [[Medical University of South Carolina]] in Charleston after earning his [[Doctor of Philosophy|Ph.D.]] from the [[University of Wisconsin–Madison]].<ref name="BharatBiotech">{{Cite web |title=Founder's Profile - Bharat Biotech - A Leading Biotech Company |url=https://www.bharatbiotech.com/founder_profile.html |access-date=2025-03-26 |website=www.bharatbiotech.com}}</ref> In 2022, Ella and his wife, [[Suchitra Ella]], received the [[Padma Bhushan]], India's third-highest civilian award, for their contributions to trade and industry.<ref name="Newsmeter2022">{{Cite web |last=Network |first=Newsmeter |date=2022-01-25 |title=Vaccine Couple: Bharat Biotech's Krishna and Suchitra Ella conferred Padma Bhushan |url=https://newsmeter.in/top-stories/vaccine-couple-bharat-biotechs-krishna-and-suchitra-ella-conferred-padma-bhushan-690310 |access-date=2022-06-10 |website=newsmeter.in |language=en}}</ref>

== Early life and education ==
Krishna Ella was born in 1969 in [[Nemali]], a village near [[Tiruttani]] in the [[Tiruvallur district]] of [[Tamil Nadu]], [[India]], into a [[Telugu language|Telugu]]-speaking [[Hindu]] family.<ref name="Forbes2021"/> His father was a farmer.<ref name="Forbes2021"/>
Ella completed his [[bachelor's degree]] at [[Maharogi Seva Samiti's Anand Niketan College Of Agriculture Warora]] and earned an [[Master of Science|M.Sc.]] from the [[University of Agricultural Sciences, Bangalore]]. He then pursued an [[Master of Science|M.S.]] at the [[University of Hawaii at Manoa|University of Hawaii]] on a [[Rotary International|Rotary]] fellowship, followed by a [[Doctor of Philosophy|Ph.D.]] in plant pathology from the [[University of Wisconsin–Madison]].<ref name="Forbes2021"/><ref name="Wisc2022">{{Cite web |date=2022-05-11 |title=Bharat Biotech co-founder receives honorary degree |url=https://international.wisc.edu/bharat-biotech-co-founder-receives-honorary-degree/ |access-date=2022-06-10 |website=International Division |language=en-US}}</ref>

== Career ==
After completing his education, Ella briefly worked at the agricultural division of the German company [[Bayer]].<ref name="ISB">{{Cite web |title=Krishna Ella |url=https://www.isb.edu/en/deccan-dialogue/krishna-ella.html |access-date=2025-03-26 |website=www.isb.edu}}</ref> He later returned to India and co-founded [[Bharat Biotech]] in [[Hyderabad]] in 1996 with his wife, Suchitra Ella.<ref name="GHI"/> The company launched its [[Hepatitis B vaccine]] in 1999, supplying millions of doses to over 65 countries.<ref name="Forbes2021"/> Bharat Biotech also developed a vaccine candidate for the [[Zika virus]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Man Behind India's First COVID-19 Vaccine is a Tamil Farmer's Son |url=https://www.thebetterindia.com/231767/tamil-farmers-son-india-first-covid-19-vaccine-bharat-biotech-genome-valley-hyderabad-ser106/ |access-date=2025-03-26 |website=The Better India |date=2 July 2020}}</ref> Ella proposed the establishment of a biotech knowledge park to the then [[Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh]], [[N. Chandrababu Naidu]], which later became [[Genome Valley]].<ref name="ISB"/>
== Awards ==
*[[Padma Bhushan]] from the [[Government of India]] in 2022<ref name="Newsmeter2022"/><ref>{{Cite web |title=Padma Awards 2022 |url=https://www.padmaawards.gov.in/padmaawardees2022.pdf |access-date=2025-03-26 |website=Padma Awards}}</ref>

*[[University of Wisconsin–Madison]] — Distinguished Alumni Award (2011)<ref name="Wisc2022"/>

*[[University of Wisconsin–Madison]] — Honorary [[Doctor of Science]] degree (2022)<ref>{{Cite web |title=Ella, Nosbusch, Grant to receive honorary degrees from University of Wisconsin–Madison |url=https://news.wisc.edu/ella-nosbusch-grant-to-receive-honorary-degrees-from-uw-madison/ |access-date=2022-08-05 |website=news.wisc.edu |language=en-US}}</ref>

*BioAsia - Genome Valley Excellence Award (2021)<ref>{{Cite news |title=Krishna Ella favours WHO's global outreach over 'vaccine nationalism' |url=https://www.newindianexpress.com/cities/hyderabad/2021/feb/23/krishna-ella-favours-whos-globaloutreach-over-vaccine-nationalism-2267526.html |access-date=2025-03-26 |work=The New Indian Express |date=23 February 2021}}</ref>

*JRD Tata Awards — Best Entrepreneur of the Year (2012)<ref>{{Cite news |title=SBI loans for entrepreneurs |url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Vijayawada/sbi-loans-for-entrepreneurs/article3707017.ece |access-date=2025-03-26 |work=The Hindu |date=31 July 2012 |language=en-IN}}</ref>

*Marico Innovation Award<ref name="Newsmeter2022"/>

*[[University of Southern California]] — Asia-Pacific Leadership Award<ref name="Newsmeter2022"/>

*ET Now — Special Recognition for Healthcare Industry Award<ref name="Newsmeter2022"/>

== References ==
{{Reflist}}
{{Padma Bhushan Award Recipients 2020–2029}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ella, Krishna}}
[[Category:1969 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Telugu people]]
[[Category:Indian Hindus]]
[[Category:Indian scientists]]
[[Category:Medical University of South Carolina faculty]]
[[Category:21st-century Indian businesspeople]]
[[Category:University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa alumni]]
[[Category:People from Tiruvallur district]]
[[Category:Indian chief executives]]
[[Category:Indian businesspeople in the pharmaceutical industry]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Padma Bhushan in trade and industry]]
[[Category:University of Wisconsin–Madison alumni]]
[[Category:Scientists from Tamil Nadu]]

Krishna Ella - Revision history

ValarieNarvaez8 at 09:51, 25 February 2026