Hester Biosciences

Corporate brand

Hester Biosciences is an Indian animal-health company producing vaccines, pharmaceuticals, feed supplements, disinfectants, diagnostics, and related livestock and poultry-health services.

Last updated August 31, 2026

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Overview

Hester Biosciences Limited is an Indian animal-health and veterinary-biologicals company headquartered in Ahmedabad, Gujarat. Its principal business is the development and manufacture of vaccines and other health products for poultry and large animals. The company serves animal producers, veterinary channels, farms, and public or institutional animal-health programs, with operations extending beyond India through facilities and subsidiaries in Nepal and Africa. Hester's portfolio includes poultry vaccines, large-animal vaccines, veterinary drugs, feed supplements, disinfectants, and diagnostic products. Its poultry portfolio includes both live and inactivated vaccines, while its large-animal range covers vaccines for livestock diseases. The company also provides technical and monitoring services, including seromonitoring for poultry farms and mastitis-prevention programs for cattle farms. These activities place Hester across several parts of the animal-health value chain rather than limiting it to vaccine manufacturing alone. In India, Hester is described as the country's second-largest poultry-vaccine manufacturer, with an approximately 30 percent share of the domestic poultry-vaccine market according to the cited reference material. The company is also identified as India's first commercial manufacturer of a goat-pox vaccine. Its product-development activities include Peste des petits ruminants vaccines based on Nigerian and Sungri strains, as well as the Live-Uttarkashi strain goat-pox vaccine. Hester maintains a research and development unit at Kadi, Gujarat, supporting the development and commercialization of animal vaccines and other biological products. The company operates manufacturing facilities in Gujarat and Nepal and has been associated with an animal-biologicals facility described in the reference material as Asia's largest single-location facility of its kind. It has also owned or operated subsidiaries including Hester Biosciences Africa and acquired Gujarat Agrofarm in 2007. Its international strategy has emphasized exports, particularly into African markets where poultry production and livestock-health needs create demand for vaccines and veterinary products. Reference material describes plans to expand Africa-related export revenue and notes that an African production unit was under construction during the period discussed. Hester's growth model combines domestic market share, proprietary vaccine development, manufacturing scale, exports, and partnerships. The company partnered with Galvmed on vaccines for Newcastle disease, linking its commercial activities with broader animal-health and disease-control initiatives. It received The New Economy's Best Animal Vaccine Company honor in 2010. Hester's shares are listed on both the National Stock Exchange of India and the Bombay Stock Exchange. The company was founded and led by Rajiv Gandhi, identified in the cited material as its founder and chief executive, while later board changes include the reported resignation of Ravin Gandhi in 2026 for professional and personal reasons.

History

Hester Biosciences developed as an Indian animal-health company focused on vaccines and biological products for poultry and livestock. The business was founded by Rajiv Gandhi, who is identified in the available reference material as the company's chief executive and founder. From its base in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, Hester built manufacturing and research capabilities serving India's poultry and large-animal sectors. A central part of Hester's development was the establishment of a broad animal-health portfolio. Rather than concentrating only on one vaccine category, the company developed poultry vaccines in live and inactivated formats, large-animal vaccines, veterinary drugs, feed supplements, disinfectants, and diagnostics. It also added technical services such as poultry-farm seromonitoring and cattle mastitis-prevention programs. The company maintains an R&D unit at Kadi, Gujarat, where it develops new animal vaccines and related products. Hester has been associated with several notable vaccine achievements in India. It is described as the country's first commercial manufacturer of a goat-pox vaccine and produces Peste des petits ruminants vaccines based on both Nigerian and Sungri strains. Its goat-pox work includes the Live-Uttarkashi strain. These products support disease prevention in livestock and reflect Hester's emphasis on locally relevant animal-health needs. Its poultry business became significant enough for the company to be described as India's second-largest poultry-vaccine manufacturer, with an approximately 30 percent domestic market share in the cited material. Manufacturing expansion became another important stage in the company's history. Hester operates plants in Gujarat and Nepal and is associated with an animal-biologicals facility described as Asia's largest single-location manufacturing site of its kind. In 2007, the company acquired Gujarat Agrofarm. It also established or owned subsidiaries including Hester Biosciences Africa, reinforcing its effort to build an international rather than solely Indian business. The Nepal operation became a notable source of growth, recording strong revenue growth in the first quarter of fiscal 2020 according to the cited reference. Hester also began developing an African unit and identified African markets as a major opportunity for poultry vaccines and broader animal-health products. The company expected Africa's share of export revenues to rise substantially as manufacturing and distribution capabilities expanded. This strategy responded to demand associated with poultry production, livestock disease control, and limited access to veterinary biologicals in several African markets. Partnerships have supported Hester's product and disease-control activities. The company worked with Galvmed on vaccines for Newcastle disease, a major poultry disease. Such collaborations complemented Hester's own research, manufacturing, and commercialization capabilities. In 2010, the company received The New Economy's Best Animal Vaccine Company honor in the United Kingdom. Hester is a publicly traded company whose equity shares are listed on India's National Stock Exchange under HESTERBIO and on the Bombay Stock Exchange under security code 524669. The available reference material reports a market capitalization of Rs. 13.1 billion as of 31 March 2019; this is a historical figure and should not be treated as a current valuation. In later governance developments, Ravin Gandhi reportedly resigned from the board in 2026, citing professional and personal commitments. The available materials do not establish the company's current executive roster, ownership structure, or present financial position beyond these historical references.

2026
Ravin Gandhi leaves the board
[1]Hester Biosciencesen.wikipedia.org
Ravin Gandhi reportedly resigned from the board because professional and personal commitments prevented sufficient attention to company affairs.
2019
Nepal growth and African facility expansion
[1]Hester Biosciencesen.wikipedia.org
The Nepal unit reported strong revenue growth in the first quarter of fiscal 2020, while construction of an African manufacturing unit was reported to be under way.
2010
Best Animal Vaccine Company recognition
[1]Hester Biosciencesen.wikipedia.org
Hester received The New Economy's Best Animal Vaccine Company honor in the United Kingdom.
2007
Acquisition of Gujarat Agrofarm
[1]Hester Biosciencesen.wikipedia.org
Hester Biosciences acquired Gujarat Agrofarm as part of the development of its animal-health business.

Products and positioning

A vertically integrated Indian animal-health company positioned around veterinary vaccines, biological manufacturing, livestock and poultry disease prevention, research and development, and expansion into emerging international markets.

Animal vaccines
Poultry vaccines
Hester's poultry portfolio includes approximately 45 products covering live and inactivated vaccines. These products are intended to help poultry producers prevent and manage economically important infectious diseases across commercial poultry operations.
Animal vaccines
Large-animal vaccines
The company produces live and inactivated vaccines for large animals and livestock. The range supports disease prevention in cattle, goats, and other farm animals and forms part of Hester's broader veterinary-biologicals business.
Livestock vaccine
Goat Pox Vaccine Live-Uttarkashi strain
This goat-pox vaccine is associated with Hester's role as the first commercial manufacturer of a goat-pox vaccine in India. It is based on the Live-Uttarkashi strain and addresses a significant infectious disease affecting small ruminants.
Livestock vaccine
Peste des petits ruminants vaccines
Hester manufactures PPR vaccines using both Nigerian and Sungri strains. These products target a serious disease of sheep and goats and illustrate the company's focus on livestock diseases relevant to markets in India and other developing regions.
Animal healthcare
Veterinary health products
Beyond vaccines, Hester offers veterinary drugs, feed supplements, disinfectants, and diagnostics. Together these products address prevention, treatment, biosecurity, nutrition, and disease monitoring for poultry and livestock customers.
Veterinary services
Farm health-monitoring services
Hester provides seromonitoring for poultry farms and mastitis-prevention programs for cattle farms. These services complement product sales by helping producers assess disease exposure and improve herd or flock health management.

Marketing campaigns

African animal-health expansion
Africa
Hester promoted expansion of exports and production capacity in Africa, targeting demand for poultry vaccines and livestock-health products. The strategy included development of an African facility and increased attention to regional distribution.
Outcome. The cited material reports that an African unit was under construction and that the company expected Africa to become a substantially larger contributor to export revenue.
Source
Newcastle disease vaccine partnership with Galvmed
International
Hester partnered with Galvmed on vaccines for Newcastle disease, supporting poultry-health efforts and extending the company's collaboration-based approach to vaccine development and delivery.
Source

Brand decisions

2019
Increase focus on African exportsStrategy
Background
Hester identified African markets as an important source of future demand for poultry vaccines and animal-health products.
Action taken
The company planned to increase African export activity and developed an African production unit.
Aftermath
The available material describes the expansion plan and facility construction but does not provide a later verified outcome.
Source
2007
Acquisition of Gujarat AgrofarmM&A
Background
Hester sought to build scale and broaden its position in animal health and agricultural biologicals.
Action taken
The company acquired Gujarat Agrofarm.
Source

Recent events

2020.09.22
Reported2020.09.23
Hester signs agreement to receive vaccine technology from ICAR-IVRI[2]Hester签署协议取得ICAR-IVRI疫苗技术business-standard.com
Hester Biosciences signed an agreement to receive ICAR-IVRI-developed technology for developing the Brucella Abortus S19 Delta Per vaccine.
2020.04.29
Reported2020.04.29
IIT Guwahati and Hester Biosciences announce COVID-19 vaccine collaboration[3]印度理工学院古瓦哈提分校与 Hester Biosciences 宣布合作开发新冠疫苗yourstory.com
IIT Guwahati announced a collaboration with Hester Biosciences to develop and manufacture a recombinant vaccine against COVID-19. The vaccine was in the initial stages of development, and the article said it might be ready for animal studies by the end of the year.
2020.03.01
Reported2020.03.04
Hester Biosciences appoints Sahil Shah as CFO[4]Hester Biosciences任命Sahil Shah为首席财务官equitybulls.com
Hester Biosciences appointed Sahil Shah as CFO, effective 1 March 2020.

Sources9 sources

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