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Illustrative project-room concept · active predevelopment · proposed, not built

Staged by design

Infrastructure follows evidence.

VARUNÉ Labs is being designed around an asset-light route that could use qualified external providers. The Scotland campus is a longer-term, separately gated platform. It is not a substitute for rights, reproducibility, operating leadership or runway.

Capital sequence

One strategy, two horizons.

The proposed model would use qualified external providers before considering owned capability. Fixed infrastructure would advance only when repeated use and accountable economics make the case.

Illustrative future formulation and analytical laboratory concept; no present facility or capability is represented
Illustrative workflow concept · no current laboratory represented
Horizon 01 · current strategy

Earn a controlled lead.

Qualify formulation-led opportunities, obtain defensible rights and data access, define the target product profile, run the smallest decisive external work and select one controlled lead. Specialist and regulated work could use qualified external providers.

Illustrative future collaboration interior concept; no present campus, event or operation is represented
Illustrative campus interior · conditional future scope only
Horizon 02 · conditional campus

Internalise only repeated demand.

Internalise only shared, repeatedly used capability when a technically suitable site, operating model, approvals, utilisation, funding and board authority are in place.

Location discipline

Scotland is preferred. Evidence remains decisive.

The proposal began in Scotland, where founder Varun Sharma was born. That origin explains the first geography under diligence. It does not replace technical, operating, commercial, capital or community evidence.

01

If the Scottish case meets the gates

A suitable site, utilities, planning route, operating responsibility, evidenced demand, commercial structure and finance would need to converge before the proposal could advance to another controlled stage. Advancement would still require formal agreements, permissions and documented governance approval.

02

If the evidence does not converge

Fixed infrastructure would pause rather than being forced into the wrong site or scale. The proposal could reduce in scope, change sequence, rely on externally commissioned specialist work or stop. Another geography would be considered only through a fresh and separately governed diligence process.

Illustrative decision sequence

Any next move would follow a controlled, evidence-led comparison.

  1. 01

    Reset the Scottish case

    Test whether another Scottish parcel, a smaller first phase or a different delivery structure can satisfy the same requirements.

  2. 02

    Preserve authorised work

    Keep any authorised opportunity evaluation external and commission specialist work only through qualified providers while avoiding premature fixed cost.

  3. 03

    Open a United Kingdom comparator

    If no Scottish case is viable, evaluate another United Kingdom life sciences cluster against the same site, utility, talent, operator and finance scorecard.

  4. 04

    Broaden only with authority

    If a wider comparison is justified, assess selected European ecosystems through a new evidence pack, governance gate and public status review.

External context

Public reference markets for comparison.

These public sources illustrate criteria that could inform a future comparison. They do not represent independent verification, a shortlist, an approach, a negotiation or a location decision by VARUNÉ Labs.

01

United Kingdom continuity

In this planning model, another United Kingdom cluster is the first logical comparator because the national medicines regulatory framework and potential continuity across corporate structure and qualified service providers could reduce avoidable change. Stevenage provides a public example of a life sciences campus that sought detailed permission for an initial phase and outline permission for the wider masterplan.

United Kingdom Life Sciences Sector PlanStevenage life sciences campus planning record
02

Illustrative reference: Republic of Ireland

The Republic of Ireland is a useful international benchmark because its official investment agency describes established biopharma manufacturing, specialist supply networks and industry focused research centres. Any location comparison would require a fresh review of tax, regulation, corporate structure, skills, land and capital support.

IDA Ireland biopharma sector overview
Current boundary

This section does not represent an active alternative location search, site discussion, negotiation, relocation decision or international campus. It illustrates how any future comparison would be governed.

Pre-feasibility capital sensitivity

A phased capital thesis, not a single cheque.

The figures below are early order-of-magnitude scenarios for comparative diligence. They are not a budget, valuation, funding request, financing commitment or construction decision. Every phase remains subject to site, demand, design, utilities, operator, regulatory, commercial and board evidence.

Estimate stateReproducible pre-feasibility sensitivity
Publication ruleInputs + formula + sources + exclusions
Commercial boundaryPredevelopment information · no offer or forecast

Published 11 August 2026; source cut-off 11 August 2026. Mixed as-published comparator dates; no index rebasing or currency conversion. GBP and INR remain separate; no FX translation is presented.

Illustrative aerial concept for a possible Glasgow science campus; no site, development or cost plan is approved
Illustrative campus concept · no site selected or secured
Scotland, United Kingdom

Glasgow pathway

Currency
GBP (£)
Published
11 August 2026
Confidence
Low
Estimate class
Early order-of-magnitude sensitivity; independent RICS cost planning required
Price basis
Comparator prices as published between 2022 and 2026; no index rebasing.
Calculated Phase 1 sensitivity£64.4m to £198.9mCalculated pre-feasibility sensitivity, not a published source figure or approved development cost.

80,000 to 120,000 sq ft GIA-equivalent whole-building scientific core with lab-ready construction, disclosed equipment allowances, shared on-site utilities, fees, commissioning and a 25% scenario risk allowance.

Calculation inputsLow case uses every low input; high case uses every high input
Working GIA-equivalent area
80,000 to 120,000 sq ft
Base rate
£324 to £677 per sq ft
Specialist multiplier
1.00x to 1.00x
Equipment schedule
£15m to £45m
Site and utilities
15% of core build
Fees and commissioning
15% of core + equipment + enabling
Risk method
25% of the complete pre-risk subtotal
Equipment basisScenario allowances awaiting vendor schedule and quotes

  • Formulation, analytical and quality systems

    Core formulation suites, chromatography, spectroscopy, material characterisation and quality-control systems.

    VARUNÉ scenario allowance; vendor schedule and quotes pending.
    £8m to £20m

  • Automation, robotics and governed data

    Laboratory automation, robotics cells, simulation, secure compute, monitoring and data infrastructure.

    VARUNÉ scenario allowance; architecture and vendor quotes pending.
    £4m to £12m

  • Shared controlled environments and cold chain

    Selected environmental control, sample management, cold storage and shared technical infrastructure.

    VARUNÉ scenario allowance; cleanroom classification and qualification scope pending.
    £3m to £13m
Formula output by categoryDerived from the disclosed inputs above
  1. 01

    Core building and lab-ready services

    Working floor area multiplied by the disclosed base rate and laboratory-intensity factor.

    area x base rate x specialist multiplier
    £25.9m to £81.2m
  2. 02

    Scientific, automation and digital equipment

    The disclosed equipment schedule summed without a vendor-quote premium.

    sum of three equipment allowances
    £15m to £45m
  3. 03

    Site, shared utilities and resilience

    On-site services, access, resilience and landscape planning allowance.

    15% x core build
    £3.9m to £12.2m
  4. 04

    Design, statutory, commissioning and qualification

    Professional, statutory, technical assurance, commissioning and qualification allowance.

    15% x (core + equipment + enabling)
    £6.7m to £20.8m
  5. 05

    Unresolved scope, programme and price risk

    A visible scenario risk allowance, not a quantified risk analysis or confidence percentile.

    25% x complete pre-risk subtotal
    £12.9m to £39.8m
Later Glasgow campus modulesNot quantified

No wider-campus total is published until each module has a floor area, performance brief, equipment schedule, utility load and delivery sequence.

  • scale-up and pilot capability
  • additional R&D buildings
  • public discovery and shared campus realm
Calculation assumptions, benchmark ledger and exclusions

Assumptions

  • No site is selected or controlled; ground, utility, planning, remediation and off-site reinforcement conditions remain unknown.
  • The 80,000 to 120,000 sq ft area range is a whole-building GIA-equivalent test-fit input. For Hyderabad planning it is treated as plinth-area-equivalent; it is not net usable or laboratory-only area, no net-to-gross conversion is applied, and it is not a measured design or approved brief.
  • No cross-currency conversion or purchasing-power comparison is used.
  • The percentage allowances are transparent VARUNÉ planning assumptions pending an independent cost plan; they are not market quotes.
  • The 25% risk allowance is applied to the complete pre-risk subtotal. It is not a Monte Carlo model, quantified risk analysis, P50 or P80 confidence level.
  • Red Tree Labs and the Advanced Research Centre differ materially in laboratory density and inclusions; their rates form a sensitivity corridor, not a like-for-like benchmark pair.
  • The Advanced Research Centre whole-project figure may include elements added separately in this calculation; possible double counting is retained in the high stress case rather than hidden.
  • No separate Scottish location factor is used because both formula anchors are in Glasgow.
  • BCIS escalation is shown as context but not mathematically applied without matched tender quarters and a defined procurement programme.

Exclusions

  • Land purchase or lease premiums; VAT, GST, customs duties, labour cess and tax recoverability.
  • Financing, interest, foreign-exchange hedging, working capital, operating losses and ongoing payroll.
  • Product development, preclinical or clinical programmes and programme-specific scientific spend.
  • Extraordinary off-site grid, water or effluent reinforcement and unknown ground remediation.
  • Commercial sterile, biologics, beta-lactam or high-containment manufacturing modules.
  • Equipment consumables, service contracts, validation batches, replacement capital and vendor price escalation.

Comparator and normalization ledger

Red Tree Labs
Published evidence
£16.5m / 50,915 sq ft
Derived evidence
£324.07 per sq ft
Price basis
Estimated contract value published 28 April 2026, excluding VAT
Normalization
No escalation or geography factor; Glasgow lower anchor used as published.
Formula use
Lower base-rate anchor
Advanced Research Centre
Published evidence
£116.55m / 16,000 m2 whole building
Derived evidence
£676.74 per sq ft
Price basis
Whole-project figure; source does not disaggregate equipment, fees or price quarter
Normalization
No escalation; retained as a conservative mixed-research upper sensitivity. Its whole-project basis may overlap with allowances added later, so the high case may double count scope.
Formula use
Upper base-rate sensitivity
CVIM
Published evidence
£6,417,069.73 / 590 m2
Derived evidence
£1010.45 per sq ft
Price basis
Award published 17 December 2024, excluding VAT
Normalization
No escalation; small GMP and containment facility is not comparable to the whole Phase 1 mix.
Formula use
Stress comparator only - excluded from formula
MMIC modification
Published evidence
£18m before / £24m after modification
Derived evidence
No area rate derived
Price basis
Modification published 18 May 2022; process equipment excluded
Normalization
No normalization; no reliable area denominator in the notice.
Formula use
Change-risk context only - excluded from formula

Source-to-category register

  • Red Tree Labs contract notice

    Estimated value £16.5m excluding VAT for 50,915 sq ft / 4,730 m2 GIA; used as the lower core-build rate anchor.

    formula anchor · Public Contracts Scotland · published 2026-04-28 · accessed 2026-08-11
    Applies to: Core building and lab-ready services
  • Advanced Research Centre facts and figures

    £116.55m for a 16,000 m2 mixed research building with about 3,580 m2 of labs; used as the upper core-build sensitivity anchor.

    formula anchor · University of Glasgow · accessed 2026-08-11
    Applies to: Core building and lab-ready services
  • The Centre for Veterinary Vaccine Innovation and Manufacturing (CVIM) - Design and Build

    Award value £6,417,069.73 excluding VAT for about 590 m2 with GMP, ISO 7 and containment scope; shown as a stress comparator and excluded from the base-rate corridor.

    stress comparator · Find a Tender · published 2024-12-17 · accessed 2026-08-11
    Applies to: Core building and lab-ready services, Scientific, automation and digital equipment
  • 1396 - Design and Build of the Medicines Manufacturing Innovation Centre (MMIC) - modification notice

    Contract value increased from £18m to £24m; process equipment was outside scope. Used only to evidence change risk, not a cost-per-area rate.

    stress comparator · Public Contracts Scotland · published 2022-05-18 · accessed 2026-08-11
    Applies to: Unresolved scope, programme and price risk
  • Construction industry forecast - 2Q2026 to 2Q2031

    Reports 3.2% annual tender-price growth at 2Q2026 and 2.9% forecast growth by end-2026. No index factor is applied without matched comparator tender quarters and a delivery programme.

    market context · BCIS · published 2026-07-06 · accessed 2026-08-11
    Applies to: Unresolved scope, programme and price risk
  • New Rules of Measurement 1

    Used only for early cost-category discipline and measurement terminology; it does not supply the published allowances.

    method · Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors · published 2022-10-01 · accessed 2026-08-11
    Applies to: Design, statutory, commissioning and qualification, Site, shared utilities and resilience, Core building and lab-ready services, Scientific, automation and digital equipment, Unresolved scope, programme and price risk
Illustrative aerial concept for a possible Hyderabad science campus; no site, development or cost plan is approved
Illustrative campus concept · no site selected or secured
Telangana, India

Hyderabad pathway

Currency
INR (₹)
Published
11 August 2026
Confidence
Low
Estimate class
Early order-of-magnitude sensitivity; independent Telangana cost planning required
Price basis
CPWD PAR base 1 April 2025, checked against Correction Slip No 1 and the April 2026 Delhi index; no index rebasing.
Calculated Phase 1 sensitivity₹94.9 to ₹216 croreCalculated pre-feasibility sensitivity, not a published source figure or approved development cost.

80,000 to 120,000 sq ft whole-building scientific node, treated as plinth-area-equivalent for the Hyderabad sensitivity, with a CPWD hospital base-rate anchor, disclosed 1.5x to 2.2x laboratory-intensity factor, equipment allowances, shared on-site utilities, fees, commissioning and 25% scenario risk.

Calculation inputsLow case uses every low input; high case uses every high input
Working GIA / plinth-area-equivalent area
80,000 to 1,20,000 sq ft
Base rate
₹2,972 to ₹2,972 per sq ft
Specialist multiplier
1.50x to 2.20x
Equipment schedule
₹25 to ₹60 crore
Site and utilities
15% of core build
Fees and commissioning
15% of core + equipment + enabling
Risk method
25% of the complete pre-risk subtotal
Equipment basisScenario allowances awaiting vendor schedule and quotes

  • Formulation, analytical and quality systems

    Core formulation suites, chromatography, spectroscopy, stability and quality-control systems.

    VARUNÉ scenario allowance; local and imported vendor schedule pending.
    ₹10 to ₹25 crore

  • Automation, robotics and governed data

    Laboratory automation, robotics cells, simulation, secure compute, monitoring and data infrastructure.

    VARUNÉ scenario allowance; architecture, duties and vendor quotes pending.
    ₹7 to ₹18 crore

  • Shared controlled environments and cold chain

    Selected environmental control, sample management, cold storage and shared technical infrastructure.

    VARUNÉ scenario allowance; cleanroom classification and qualification scope pending.
    ₹8 to ₹17 crore
Formula output by categoryDerived from the disclosed inputs above
  1. 01

    Core building and lab-ready services

    Working floor area multiplied by the disclosed base rate and laboratory-intensity factor.

    area x base rate x specialist multiplier
    ₹35.7 to ₹78.5 crore
  2. 02

    Scientific, automation and digital equipment

    The disclosed equipment schedule summed without a vendor-quote premium.

    sum of three equipment allowances
    ₹25 to ₹60 crore
  3. 03

    Site, shared utilities and resilience

    On-site services, access, resilience and landscape planning allowance.

    15% x core build
    ₹5.3 to ₹11.8 crore
  4. 04

    Design, statutory, commissioning and qualification

    Professional, statutory, technical assurance, commissioning and qualification allowance.

    15% x (core + equipment + enabling)
    ₹9.9 to ₹22.5 crore
  5. 05

    Unresolved scope, programme and price risk

    A visible scenario risk allowance, not a quantified risk analysis or confidence percentile.

    25% x complete pre-risk subtotal
    ₹19 to ₹43.2 crore
Later Hyderabad campus modulesNot quantified

No expanded or full-campus total is published until modules, cleanroom classes, production strategy, equipment ownership, utility loads and development sequence are defined.

  • expanded R&D and stability capability
  • pilot and technology-transfer modules
  • separately governed future manufacturing options
Calculation assumptions, benchmark ledger and exclusions

Assumptions

  • No site is selected or controlled; ground, utility, planning, remediation and off-site reinforcement conditions remain unknown.
  • The 80,000 to 120,000 sq ft area range is a whole-building GIA-equivalent test-fit input. For Hyderabad planning it is treated as plinth-area-equivalent; it is not net usable or laboratory-only area, no net-to-gross conversion is applied, and it is not a measured design or approved brief.
  • No cross-currency conversion or purchasing-power comparison is used.
  • The percentage allowances are transparent VARUNÉ planning assumptions pending an independent cost plan; they are not market quotes.
  • The 25% risk allowance is applied to the complete pre-risk subtotal. It is not a Monte Carlo model, quantified risk analysis, P50 or P80 confidence level.
  • The CPWD hospital rate is a Delhi-base public-sector anchor, not a Hyderabad laboratory quote.
  • Correction Slip No 1 changes Annexure II general-specification item 2.1 only; it does not amend rate-table item 1.1.1 or the hospital anchor used here.
  • The 1.5x to 2.2x specialist multiplier is an explicit sensitivity for higher services intensity, laboratory finishes and unresolved Delhi-to-Hyderabad differences; it is not a measured location factor.
  • The April 2026 Delhi Building Cost Index of 101 is deliberately excluded under the no-index-rebasing method and is not treated as a Hyderabad location factor.
  • Telangana SSR 2026-27 must be applied to measured quantities by a local cost professional before a development decision.

Exclusions

  • Land purchase or lease premiums; VAT, GST, customs duties, labour cess and tax recoverability.
  • Financing, interest, foreign-exchange hedging, working capital, operating losses and ongoing payroll.
  • Product development, preclinical or clinical programmes and programme-specific scientific spend.
  • Extraordinary off-site grid, water or effluent reinforcement and unknown ground remediation.
  • Commercial sterile, biologics, beta-lactam or high-containment manufacturing modules.
  • Equipment consumables, service contracts, validation batches, replacement capital and vendor price escalation.

Comparator and normalization ledger

CPWD hospital base rate
Published evidence
₹31,990 per m2
Derived evidence
₹2971.97 per sq ft before multiplier
Price basis
PAR base 1 April 2025; item 1.1.1 RCC framed hospital, up to six storeys
Normalization
Correction Slip No 1 was checked and does not amend item 1.1.1. No escalation or Hyderabad index is applied. A visible 1.5x to 2.2x planning factor tests laboratory intensity and unresolved location/specification differences.
Formula use
Single base-rate anchor x disclosed specialist multiplier
CPWD Delhi cost index April 2026
Published evidence
Delhi index 101 at 1 April 2026; PAR 1 April 2025 base 100
Derived evidence
No index factor applied
Price basis
Reference 68/SE(TAS)/CI/2026/99-H
Normalization
Deliberately excluded under no index rebasing; a Delhi index is not a measured Hyderabad location factor.
Formula use
Market context only - excluded from formula
Gleeds India Q3/Q4 FY26
Published evidence
Current market-report release dated 30 October 2025
Derived evidence
No Gleeds rate inserted
Price basis
Q3/Q4 FY26 market context
Normalization
No factor derived from narrative market commentary.
Formula use
Market context only - excluded from formula
Telangana SSR 2026-27
Published evidence
Current state item-rate schedule
Derived evidence
No whole-building rate derived
Price basis
2026-27 schedule listed first at source cut-off
Normalization
Reserved for a measured local bill of quantities, not collapsed into an invented area rate.
Formula use
Local validation source - excluded from formula

Source-to-category register

  • Plinth Area Rates 2025

    Base date 1 April 2025; item 1.1.1 hospital RCC framed structure up to six storeys at ₹31,990/m2. Converted to ₹2,971.97/sq ft before the disclosed laboratory-intensity multiplier.

    formula anchor · Central Public Works Department, Government of India · published 2025-07-31 · accessed 2026-08-11
    Applies to: Core building and lab-ready services
  • Correction Slip No 1 of Plinth Area Rates 2025

    Reference 62/SE(TAS)/PAR/2025/15-H, dated 15 January 2026. The one-page slip changes only Annexure II general-specification item 2.1 by clarifying that rates on pages 3 to 11 use RCC framed structures; it does not amend rate-table item 1.1.1 or the ₹31,990/m2 hospital rate.

    market context · Central Public Works Department, Government of India · published 2026-01-15 · accessed 2026-08-11
    Applies to: Core building and lab-ready services
  • Building Cost index of Delhi as on 01 04 2026 with reference to Plinth Area Rates 01 04 2025 as base 100

    Reference 68/SE(TAS)/CI/2026/99-H, dated 27 April 2026, approves a Delhi index of 101 at 1 April 2026 against the PAR-2025 base of 100. It is deliberately excluded under the no-index-rebasing method because a Delhi index is not evidence of a Hyderabad location factor.

    market context · Central Public Works Department, Government of India · published 2026-04-27 · accessed 2026-08-11
    Applies to: Core building and lab-ready services, Unresolved scope, programme and price risk
  • India Biannual Construction Market Report Q3/Q4 FY26

    Newest public Gleeds India market-report release found at the source cut-off. Used for current market context only; no report rate is inserted into the formula.

    market context · Gleeds · published 2025-10-30 · accessed 2026-08-11
    Applies to: Core building and lab-ready services, Site, shared utilities and resilience, Unresolved scope, programme and price risk
  • Schedule of Rates 2026-27

    The current state page lists SSR 2026-27 first. It is an item-level local ratebook for the next measured estimate, not a whole-laboratory ₹/sq ft comparator.

    local ratebook · Panchayat Raj Engineering Department, Government of Telangana · accessed 2026-08-11
    Applies to: Core building and lab-ready services, Site, shared utilities and resilience
  • New Rules of Measurement 1

    Used only to keep early cost categories explicit; local professional measurement and procurement rules must replace it for a Hyderabad cost plan.

    method · Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors · published 2022-10-01 · accessed 2026-08-11
    Applies to: Design, statutory, commissioning and qualification, Site, shared utilities and resilience, Core building and lab-ready services, Scientific, automation and digital equipment, Unresolved scope, programme and price risk

Illustrative infrastructure concept · no installed systems represented

Decision architecture

Seven gates before delivery.

If a gate fails, the scope pauses, shrinks, relocates or uses a qualified external route.

  1. 01

    Land and control

    A suitable parcel and a staged, financeable control route.

  2. 02

    Planning and safeguarding

    Compatible uses, access, height, aviation, environmental and operational parameters.

  3. 03

    Utilities

    Evidenced power, water, drainage, trade effluent, gases, fibre and reinforcement programme.

  4. 04

    Technical architecture

    A tested decision on qualified external access versus internal capability.

  5. 05

    Demand and utilisation

    Credible programme, occupier or operator demand, not capacity built for presentation value.

  6. 06

    Finance and delivery

    Cost plan, contingency, commercial structure and committed capital.

  7. 07

    Authority

    Formal board approvals, licences and regulatory permissions appropriate to each activity.

Illustrative future advanced manufacturing interior concept; no present facility, licence or production is represented
Illustrative manufacturing environment · no current operation or licence represented

Non-binding diligence

The next decisions are deliberately reversible.

  1. 01

    Controlled data room and NDA where appropriate.

  2. 02

    Plot selection workshop.

  3. 03

    Site visit.

  4. 04

    Utilities, planning, ground and safeguarding review.

  5. 05

    Preliminary test fit and cost plan.

  6. 06

    Non-binding discussion of heads of terms.

  7. 07

    Only then: a board decision on conditional site control and the next funded stage.

Value beyond the laboratory

The wider system advances through its own gates.

Public discovery and sustainable infrastructure remain future design options. They must be costed, operated and safeguarded with the same discipline as scientific space.

Illustrative future public science gallery with supervised young visitors outside a sealed laboratory boundary; no current venue, programme or event is represented
Future public-realm concept · no opening or event represented
Public discovery

Invite curiosity without crossing controlled boundaries.

A separately governed visitor route could help schools, families and non-specialists understand medicines, robotics and manufacturing without entering high-risk working areas.

Explore public discovery
Illustrative future connected utilities and controlled-waste campus concept; no installed infrastructure or measured performance is represented
Future utilities concept · performance is not yet measured
Sustainable delivery

Make utilities, waste and resilience part of the cost plan.

Energy, water, waste, trade effluent, heat recovery and future adaptation need explicit baselines and metering before any sustainability outcome can be claimed.

Review the sustainability model
Illustrative concept visualActive predevelopmentProposed, not built

Current design requirement

A planning envelope, not a commitment.

The present site brief tests approximately 12 to 15 initial acres and an 80,000 to 120,000 sq ft whole-building Phase 1 test fit, treated as GIA-equivalent for Glasgow and plinth-area-equivalent for the Hyderabad sensitivity, with adjoining expansion optionality sought. It tests wet laboratory, analytical, formulation, AI and robotics, clean advanced manufacturing and headquarters uses, alongside secure servicing and potential operations at all hours.

Every element remains subject to plot, planning, utilities, safety, operator, funding and approval evidence.

Discuss site or delivery capability