Villoo Morawala-Patell

Villoo Morawala-Patell is the founder and current Chairman and Managing Director of Indian Biotechnology company Avesthagen.[1][2] Her efforts to create an Indian based intellectual-property driven biotechnology company attracted more than 70 million USD in venture capital before largely collapsing around 2012 with a failed public offering, the exit of senior executives, the shutdown of manufactoring and the cessation of most research activities.[3] Criminal and civil matters relating to Villoo Morawala-Patell and Avesthagen continue to be litigated through the courts.[4]

Villo Morawala-Patell
Born (1955-06-18) 18 June 1955
Navsari, India
EducationOsmania University, Bombay University, University of Strasbourg (University Louis Pasteur, Strasbourg), University of Ghent.
OccupationChairperson of Avesthagen
Notes
Officer of the National Order of Merit

Life and education

Villoo earned a Master of Science degree in Medical Biochemistry from the University of Mumbai, then a PhD from the Institut de Biologie Moleculaire des Plantes (IBMP-CNRS), University of Strasbourg, France. Prior to obtaining her doctorate, Morawala-Patell worked as a Research Associate at ICRISAT (International Crop Research Institute for the Semi Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) for 10 years. After receiving her PhD, she returned to India, becoming a post-doctoral Rockefeller Fellow at the University of Ghent. Morawala-Patell was next a Visiting Scientist and Rockefeller Fellow at NCBS-TIFR, and Professor Emeritus at University of Agricultural Sciences, Bangalore.

Avesthagen

Morawala-Patell founded Avesthagen Limited in 1998. Over the next two decades, the company was the recipient of more than 70 million USD in venture capital and strategic global funding and grew to become one of India's foremost biotechnology companies with more than 650 employees. The company acquired a large portfolio of patents and intellectual property that it was unable to adequately commercialise leading to revenue crisis around 2012.[3] A failed public offering saw a number of exits by senior executives and retrospective salary cuts to existing staff that led to several former staff filing criminal and civil charges against the company for breaching employment contracts and failing to make payments into employee provident funds.[5]

Awards
  • 2005
    • The GR8! Women Award for Science & Technology by the Indian Television Academy[6]
  • 2008
    • Officer of the National Order of Merit by the President of the French Republic[7][8][9]
    • Recognised by the Adolfo Ibanez University for Achievements in Innovation and Creation of Value. Award was conferred upon her at the opening of VentureL@b by President of Chile, Michelle Bachelet[10][11]
  • 2009
    • Karmaveer Puraskar award as a Corporate Citizen for her contribution in the field of agriculture and healthcare in by iCONGO for Citizen Action and Social Justice.[12]
    • Villo Morawala received the prestigious the Businesswoman of the Year Award 2010 for business excellence at Satya Brahma founded Pharmaleaders 3rd Annual Pharmaceutical Leadership Summit 2010 in Mumbai.[13]
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References
  1. "Dr. Villoo Morawala Patell Founder, Chairperson & Managing Director". Retrieved 7 November 2012.
  2. K S Jayaraman (2007). "Profile: Villoo Morawala Patell". Nature Biotechnology. 25 (705): News. doi:10.1038/nbt0707-705. PMID 17621282.
  3. "Avesthagen in a freeze as funds dry up - Times of India". The Times of India. Retrieved 18 September 2018.
  4. Fathima, Nihala (12 January 2020). "No Immunity to Companies from Prosecution merely because of Punishment prescribed is Mandatory Imprisonment: Karnataka HC [Read Judgment]". Tax Scan. Retrieved 27 January 2020.
  5. Badrinath, Raghuvir (8 May 2012). "Avesthagen in a spot as former staff file criminal, civil cases". Business Standard India. Retrieved 18 September 2018.
  6. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 12 February 2013. Retrieved 24 March 2013.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  7. "Villoo Patell Bags Top French Award". 9 June 2008.
  8. "Pharma News - Latest Pharma & Pharmaceutical news & updates".
  9. "France honors Dr. Villoo MORAWALA PATELL with Officer of the National Order of Merit".
  10. "Magnum Semiconductor Agrees to Acquire LSI Consumer Products Business | Businessgyan".
  11. http://www.indiaprwire.com/pressrelease/other/2008120116161.htm
  12. "Avesthagen founder Dr. Villoo Morawala-Patell wins 'Karmaveer Puraskar'". Business Standard India. 30 November 2009.
  13. "Prestigious Pharma Leadership Awards 2010 Announced | Pharmaleaders TV". pharmaleaders.tv. Retrieved 11 September 2016.
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