Biocon Elevates Dr Mandar Ghatnekar to CTO After Corporate Integration Move

Biocon, after a major restructuring exercise, has appointed Dr. Mandar Ghatnekar as the company’s Chief Technology Officer (CTO). He will lead the technology roadmap for the company’s transition into a “fully integrated, global medicines company,” he said in an interaction with FE FUTECH.

The company, in early December, 2025 announced a strategic corporate action to fully integrate Biocon Biologics Limited (BBL) as a wholly owned subsidiary into Biocon Limited. Dr Ghatnekar served as the Global Head of IT & Digital Transformation at Biocon Biologics.  

In a filing to the exchanges, the company said, “Mr. Mandar Shrikant Ghatnekar, Global Head of IT & Digital Transformation of BBL, who will take the role as the Chief Technology Officer of the Company w.e.f. April 01, 2026, as the Senior Management Personnel of the Company w.e.f. April 01, 2026.”

“This is a newly created, enterprise-wide role that reflects Biocon’s transformation into a fully integrated, global medicines company where technology, digital, data and AI are core enablers of innovation, scale and access across the end-to-end value chain, rather than a standalone IT function,” said Dr. Ghatnekar.  

Dr Mandar Ghatnekar’s Role as CTO at Biocon

He will lead the enterprise technology and digital function at Biocon to drive the integrated business model, “As CTO, my role is to advance Biocon’s enterprise technology, digital, and data platforms to support its integrated business model—driving faster innovation, operational excellence and smarter decision-making across R&D, manufacturing, supply chain and commercial operations globally,” said Dr. Mandar Ghatnekar.

The Artificial Intelligence (AI) roadmap will also be anchored under Dr. Ghatnekar’s leadership. “We are pursuing AI on two complementary fronts. The first is productivity-led AI, where automation and real-time analytics are already improving efficiency and resilience across functions such as regulatory, finance, procurement, supply chain, and manufacturing at scale."

Leading AI in R&D at Biocon

The second is more transformational and focused on R&D, where AI helps connect fragmented data and knowledge, enabling scientists to identify patterns and insights that can accelerate development timelines and improve outcomes. Several of these capabilities are currently being piloted as proofs-of-concept within our R&D programs.

To scale this responsibly across the enterprise, we are establishing Biocon’s Office of AI (Augmented Intelligence), with a focus on right-skilling talent, building secure and scalable platforms, and embedding AI into core business and scientific decision-making.

At Biocon, augmented intelligence is about empowering people with trusted insights to compete and win globally, while ensuring AI is applied responsibly, securely, and effectively across the enterprise.”

Mandar Ghatnekar, as the Chief Technology Officer at Biocon, leads Technology Solutions including Information, Digital and Automation Technology. Mandar has more than two decades of advisory and consulting experience across the life sciences industry. He has led several enterprise transformation programs, driving innovative use of digital and automation technologies in R&D, manufacturing, supply chain, and commercial operations at global biopharma companies, CROs, and regulatory agencies.

Prior to Biocon, Mandar was a Managing Director at Accenture’s Advanced Technology Center in India. He has also worked at Johnson & Johnson, Infosys Technologies, Mascon Global and Biotechnology Resource Centre designing and deploying technology solutions for the Life Sciences industry.

He has more than 20 publications in national and international peer-reviewed journals and he has presented at several international conferences like the Bio-IT World Conference and DIA. 

Mandar holds a Ph.D.(Tech) and Masters degree from the Institute of Chemical Technology, Mumbai (formerly UDCT), and a Bachelors in Pharmaceutical Sciences from the University of Pune.