Sabinsa/Sami Labs Limited in Bangalore, India, was honored by a visit from Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam, former president of the Republic of India (2002 to 2007) on Sunday June 29, 2014. Dr. Kalam also participated in a discussion on the contribution and relevance of ancient Indian science to modern techniques. The other participants were Dr. Muhammed Majeed, founder and managing director of SAMI/Sabinsa group of companies; Dr. S. Natarajan, scientific advisor of Sami Labs; Dr. Kalyanam, president of R&D at Sabinsa; and Dr. Sarang Bani, head of biological research at Sami Labs.

Dr. Majeed welcomed Dr. Kalam, and conducted him on a tour of Sami Lab’s Bangalore R&D facility, followed by discussions and a reception. More than 300 members of the Sami/Sabinsa staff were present, including 150 scientists involved in specialized work in the areas of phytochemistry, organic chemistry, bio chemistry and plant biotechnology for Sami/Sabinsa.

In his remarks, Dr. Kalam expressed his appreciation of the efforts of the young scientists in validating Ayurvedic knowledge with modern clinical documentation for health, personal care and cosmeceuticals benefits. “It is a great privilege to address the distinguished members of the Sami Group who've gathered here this morning,” Dr. Kalam said. “One key aspect of science is to help people live a good life and not just be limited to inventions. While we have progressed on the lines of science and developed products on every front, it is time now that we also realize the contribution of nature to these inventions and work in natural harmony.”

Dr. Majeed said, “We are honored by Dr. Kalam’s visit. He is a remarkable scientist and one of the top thought leaders of our time.” 

Dr. Kalam demonstrated his commitment to furthering India’s scientific achievements as the Principal Scientific Advisor to the Government of India, a Cabinet Minister rank, from 1999 to 2001. He was the Chairman, Ex-officio, of the Scientific Advisory Committee to the Cabinet (SAC-C) and piloted India Millennium Mission 2020.