Global laboratory supply giant Thermo Fisher opened a new $17 million clinical services facility in Ahmedabad, India, giving the Waltham, Mass.-based company the largest Indian presence of any company in its industry, according to a company release.

The new 150,000-square-foot facility will support growing demand for biopharma services in the region and serve as a hub for packaging, distribution and logistics management of clinical trial supplies.

“With the added capacity now available to us with this new facility, we can offer our customers a higher level of technology, quality and expertise to facilitate clinical trials that serve the needs of both local and multi-national pharmaceutical companies,” said Thermo Fisher president and CEO Marijn Dekkers at the opening of the new facility.

Thermo Fisher first located in India in 2000 and has rapidly expanded its presence there through new facilities and acquisitions. Earlier this year, the company acquired the analytical technologies and environmental instrumentation divisions of Mumbai-based Chemito, India’s largest local supplier of analytical instruments for life sciences and environmental monitoring applications.

Thermo Fisher now has more than 20 facilities and 600 employees in India.