Drug firm Abbott opened its first nutrition research and development center at Bangalore in collaboration with Biocon's subsidiary Syngene. Syngene will provide research services and this is an outright contract research partnership.

The R&D center will focus on the developing nutrition products for maternal and child nutrition and diabetes care by using local expertise to focus on product design, development and delivery specifically for the Indian consumers. The research centre will be largely developing over the counter (OTC) products.