Page Loading

Chemveda invests in a Scottish sector with a £25 billion potential

Last updated: June 2026

A major new inward investment in Dundee underlines Scotland’s global strength in life sciences, with India-based Chemveda establishing its European headquarters in the city.

Captivated by Scottish life sciences

Chemveda Life Sciences choosing Dundee for its European headquarters is a strong endorsement of Scotland’s world-class academic excellence, research capability and innovative scale-up environment.

The investment, announced by the India-based firm in March 2026, proves how committed the company is to the nation’s thriving life sector.

Scotland’s life sciences industry is expected to grow to £25 billion turnover by 2035, currently employing 46,0000 people, according to Scottish Government figures. 

  • 46,000 professionals and increasing

    Number of people working in Scotland's life sciences sector (Scottish Government figures).

  • £10.5 billion current turnover

    This figure exceeds Scotland's previous £8 billion target, aiming for £25 billion by 2035.

  • 770 life sciences organisations

    The sector in Scotland is one of Europe’s largest and most diverse life sciences clusters.

Scientific excellence from Scotland 

Located in Hyderabad, Chemveda is an International Contract Research Organisation (CRO) that serves the pharmaceutical, biotechnology and agrochemical sectors. 

It'll establish its new base at the University of Dundee’s Life Sciences Innovation Hub, following the approval of a £270,000 grant from Scottish Enterprise. The organisation already employs around 600 people globally, with existing operations in San Diego and Boston in the United States. 

The investment is expected to create up to 50 high‑value jobs, with scope to scale further as the company expands in size. This expansion marks a significant milestone in Chemveda’s international growth strategy, and underlines Scotland’s attractiveness as a destination for global life sciences investment.

From Dundee, Chemveda will establish an integrated discovery platform that will support pharmaceutical and biotech innovators worldwide. It'll specialise in small molecules, peptides, oligonucleotides, advanced modalities and process research and development (R&D).

The move reflects the company’s focus on scientific excellence, global collaboration and proximity to high‑quality talent and research capability.

Dr Bheema Rao Paraselli, CEO and founder of Chemveda, visited Dundee to sign the agreement to bring his company to the city, touring both the Life Sciences Innovation Hub and the University’s Faculty of Life Sciences. 

A world-class cluster to support inward investment

Dundee has been the UK’s top ranked university for Biological Sciences in the past two Research Excellent Framework exercises. It was also crowned the UK’s Outstanding Entrepreneurial University of the Year (Times Higher Education Awards), and Innovative and Entrepreneurial University of the Year (European Triple E Awards).

Chemveda is the first international company to work with Dundee's Life Sciences Innovation Hub. The hub provides high‑specification laboratory and collaboration space designed to support inward investors and high‑growth companies. It's a partnership between the University of Dundee, Dundee City Council, Scottish Enterprise and its international team. 

The project behind the hub was led by the University of Dundee’s Dr Morag Martin and Sir Mike Ferguson. This was supported by a £20.2 million Scottish Government investment through the Tay Cities Region Deal. Support also came from Scottish Enterprise, the Wolfson Foundation, Garfield Weston Foundation, UK Government (through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund) and the University of Dundee.

Investment powering Scotland’s global ambition

Scottish Enterprise was a key partner in the construction and fit out of the Life Sciences Innovation Hub, investing £8 million in the facility. It continues to work closely with the university and Dundee City Council to support the growth of the commercial life sciences cluster in Dundee. 

Mark Hallan, Director of Global Investment at Scottish Enterprise, says: “Chemveda’s decision to invest in Scotland reflects the country’s growing reputation as a globally competitive location for life sciences innovation. International companies are choosing Scotland for its depth of scientific talent, strong academic–industry collaboration and the ability to scale quickly into European and global markets.”

Looking ahead, Chemveda’s investment positions Scotland for continued growth as a global life sciences leader. It'll build future opportunities across biopharmaceuticals, medical technology and digital health through innovation, collaboration and international ambition.

You might also be interested in

We're here to help

Have a question about how your company can benefit from Scotland's extensive financial and fintech sectors? Our team is here to help you.