BIBCOL Closure: What Happens to Employees, Vaccine Plant and 60 Acres Near Jewar Airport?

The Centre has approved the closure of Bharat Immunologicals and Biologicals Corporation Limited (BIBCOL), a public sector vaccine manufacturer established in Bulandshahr, Uttar Pradesh, in 1989. The company disclosed the decision on September 17, following a communication from the Department of Biotechnology. The closure raises questions about employees’ pending dues and the future of its manufacturing assets.

BIBCOL was established to support domestic production of oral polio vaccine (OPV) and strengthen India’s vaccine-manufacturing capacity. Its plant is located in Chola village in Bulandshahr. The company has also been associated with products including zinc tablets and diarrhoea-management kits.

India was certified polio-free by the World Health Organization’s South-East Asia Region in 2014. BIBCOL’s closure comes after years of financial and operational difficulties, with its production and revival plans facing challenges.

Employees’ dues remain a key concern. A Central Information Commission order issued in May 2025 recorded that the company had been unable to pay staff salaries since September 2023. Details of any final settlement, compensation or redeployment arrangements were not available in the information reviewed.

BIBCOL had also been linked to plans to expand vaccine production, including a proposed role in manufacturing Covaxin during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the proposed expansion did not lead to sustained production. The company’s earlier records also documented its land holdings and assets.

The future of the Bulandshahr facility, including its buildings and equipment, has not been specified in the closure announcement. Any transfer, disposal or alternative use would depend on decisions taken by the government and the authorities concerned.

The land has also drawn attention following Congress leader Jairam Ramesh’s October 18 statement. He alleged that the government would sell around 60 acres near Noida International Airport at Jewar. However, the closure disclosure does not confirm a proposed land sale. BIBCOL’s 2021-22 annual report listed 50 acres at its OPV plant in Chola and a separate parcel of about 9.43 acres for a residential colony.

Further details on the closure process, employees’ dues and the handling of the company’s assets remain awaited.