How This Kerala Startup Went Global: Zaara Biotech with Najeeb Bin Haneef

About this episode

Najeeb Bin Haneef, founder and CEO of Zaara Biotech, discusses building a biotechnology enterprise starting from his undergraduate college campus in Kerala. He explains how Zaara Biotech originated as student research projects at Sahrdaya College, focusing on microalgae and seaweeds to develop value-added products like spirulina protein cookies and urban carbon-capture systems. Najeeb outlines his journey from early product prototyping in campus facilities to establishing manufacturing units and securing global clients like Allianz in Germany. He highlights the crucial support provided by the Kerala Startup Mission, government export and travel grants, and academic mentors. Emphasising a multidisciplinary approach, he details how biotechnology requires collaboration across civil, structural, mechanical, and software engineering. Najeeb also shares his philosophy of creating self-sustained rural economies, leveraging Dubai as a global networking launchpad, and prioritising consumer-centric research over aggressive commercial scaling to solve environmental and nutritional challenges sustainably.

Key takeaways

1. 1Student research projects can be transformed into commercially viable ventures with institutional incubation and academic support.
2. 2Formulating products for international markets requires studying local consumer preferences, regulatory standards, and packaging requirements before manufacturing.
3. 3Complex biotech solutions demand multidisciplinary collaboration combining biotechnology, mechanical engineering, architecture, and software design.
4. 4Early stage startups can effectively leverage government programmes such as international travel grants and direct procurement schemes.
5. 5Approaching institutional hurdles with diplomacy and cooperation produces better long-term outcomes than confrontation.
6. 6Participating in international expos and trade events in global commercial hubs like Dubai can unlock global enterprise contracts.

Chapters

1. 0:00Introduction
2. 05:13College Project & Company
3. 08:32Purpose of Zaara Biotech
4. 10:58Zaara Biotech’s Start from the Sahrdaya Campus
5. 23:28First Sale
6. 24:46Big Break & Finding the Market
7. 27:41Challenges in Biotechnology
8. 35:16Kerala Startup Mission
9. 39:24Cookies & Social Empowerment
10. 42:58International Clients & Events
11. 54:02Timeline of Zaara Biotech
12. 58:49Giving Back to Society & Conclusion