Chairman, Sraman Life Sciences
Visionary Leader • Translational Scientist • Architect of Impactful Innovation
Professor M. Radhakrishna Pillai is one of India’s most distinguished
biotechnology leaders, an internationally respected scientist whose career
has consistently bridged discovery, innovation, and societal impact. As
Director of the Government of India’s Rajiv Gandhi Centre for
Biotechnology for 15 transformative years, he reshaped the institute into a
world-class engine of translational research. Dr Pillai is a Fellow of the
Royal College of Pathologists (London), National Academy of Medical
Sciences and all three Indian Science Academies. A pioneer in disease
biology and clinical biotechnology, Professor Pillai has authored more than
230 scientific publications with an H index of 50 and mentored 32 PhD
scholars.
His work on HPV vaccines conducted with support from the Gates
Foundation, WHO, and NIH, redefined global cervical cancer prevention by
providing the evidence base for reducing vaccine schedules from three
doses to one. This breakthrough became one of India’s most influential
scientific contributions to public health, improving access and saving
millions of lives. This breakthrough has become one of India’s most
influential scientific contributions to public health, improving access and
saving millions of lives. The NIH also funded him for studies on measles
vaccine failure in young children, looking at the role of maternal antibodies
and Vitamin A. This large multi center study involving Mayo Clinic and
Emory University provided critical data for the future of vaccine strategies
for Indian children.
His scientific leadership extends beyond vaccines. He led India’s first
clinical trial demonstrating curcumin’s efficacy in preventing oral pre-
cancers, and played a pivotal role in advancing a novel small-molecule
drug for liver cancer that has now entered industry development pipelines.
Professor Pillai is equally celebrated for building national scientific
infrastructure. He established the state’s first National Virology Network
laboratory, strengthening the country’s response to outbreaks such as
H1N1 and Dengue. Professor Pillai founded BioNest, a start-up incubator
that has supported more than 30 biotech ventures, and created a cutting-
edge (USD) $14 million Bio-Innovation Center that accelerates advances in
immunology, vaccines, diagnostics, cell-based therapies, and
nanotechnology.
A passionate educator and institution-builder, he led a nationally
recognized PhD program in Translational Medicine and a pioneering
Master’s program in Biotechnology. His commitment to nurturing young
talent includes innovative school outreach initiatives, sparking scientific
curiosity among students across the country.
Today, as Chairman of Sraman Life Sciences, Professor Pillai brings this
rare combination of scientific depth, regulatory insight, and visionary
leadership to help biotech innovators move confidently from concept to
clinic. His philosophy is simple and powerful: science must not stop at
discovery; it’s true purpose is to transform lives.
