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Success Story: Anupam Rasayan’s Export Journey

Anupam Rasayan India Limited is an Indian speciality chemicals company with extensive expertise in customised synthesis and complex chemical manufacturing. Founded in 1984, Anupam Rasayan quickly developed its reputation in complex chemistry and multi-step synthesis, making it well-suited for catering to diverse industries. Based on the company's well-established manufacturing infrastructure and sound research base, Anupam Rasayan specialises in providing innovative chemical solutions to its customers around the world, which has established its reputation in segments related to life sciences and performance materials.

 

What factors guided your entry into international markets, and how did your global business evolve over the period? What kind of efforts were made in establishing your brand?

Scaling was one of the critical criteria which prompted us to venture into international markets, because the domestic market was providing limited headroom. In addition, the decrease in import tariffs meant that domestic manufacturing operations needed to be adjusted in order to face higher levels of competition.

The second insight we gained related to the fact that innovation-driven multinationals were behind development in the international chemicals industry. It became clear that we should develop our strategy to become partners in innovation through contract manufacturing.

With regard to brand building, we have been focusing on a capability-based approach. Quality, capability and relationship building have played a vital role in the development of our brand. Industry involvement and client interaction helped us increase our visibility; however, performance was the foundation of our brand-building efforts.

 

In the chemicals sector, building credibility with global customers can take time. What key practices or capabilities helped Anupam Rasayan establish trust with international clients?

 

Do government support, export incentives or industry associations play any role in your global expansion journey?

Although government policies and the overall ecosystem do have an influence on the industry, in our case, the key enabler of globalisation has been our ability to develop internal competencies instead of relying on any external incentives. Within the chemical industry, as we deal with international clients, our expectations have always been focused on quality, performance, compliance, and dependability. Thus, developing our internal competencies in R&D, process development, manufacturing, and logistics has always been the key approach to achieving these objectives.

That is not to say that industry changes like regulatory framework and support, infrastructure enhancements, and government policies do not make a difference in a way, they create the environment that helps us compete internationally. Hence, even though there are various enabling mechanisms in place, the foundation of our globalisation efforts has always been in our internal competencies and customer relationships.

 

Could you briefly outline your key product segments in international markets, and whether your export approach varies across these segments, along with destination countries?

From a product perspective, our portfolio consists of multiple segments, which include agrochemicals, pharmaceuticals, personal care, and performance materials. All of these segments have developed based on our strengths in complex chemistry and multi-step synthesis. Our export practices also differ based on the type of product involved. This difference can be explained mostly by variations between end-user applications, customer needs, and the specifics of the respective markets. For example, agrochemicals have been among the most successful segments with respect to exports; we now see how pharmaceuticals and performance materials are becoming increasingly important in the United States and Japan markets. These countries feature an advanced level of development, with significant demand for high-end products used specifically for certain applications.

Also, our emphasis lies on establishing sustainable cooperation based on reliable and efficient processes and delivery practices. While customer-specific needs might vary, the core elements of our work remain the same. Combining geographical diversification with a varied product portfolio helped us establish more efficient and sustainable export activities.

 

What key learnings has Anupam Rasayan gained in adapting products and processes to meet international standards, and how does the company manage overseas regulatory and compliance requirements without hindering growth?

Compliance with international standards has never been a single process for us but a continuous one. In the case of highly regulated markets globally, it becomes imperative that you build up your quality standards and process management skills over time to stay ahead.

In this regard, it is imperative that we develop robust internal capabilities in terms of process development and optimisation. With varying product requirements, our internal capability will make it possible to streamline each process in R&D, testing and then production phase. This process development can only be complemented by integration between R&D and manufacturing processes.

It is important to note that there has been the use of backward integration to maintain control over raw material inputs, along with process requirements, in order to comply with global standards. Alongside, we have developed proactive regulatory planning as different markets have different approval processes, and it is necessary to plan in advance. The most important thing is that we treat compliance more as an enabler than a limiting factor because of its inclusion in all processes.

 

Anupam Rasayan is known for its strong focus on R&D and custom synthesis. How has your innovation capability supported your export growth and long-term customer relationships?

     

In your view, what are the biggest challenges Indian chemical exporters face today, and how is your company navigating them?

The chemical exporters from India face a situation where size and increasing specialisation have to be balanced out. The demand for reliable and dependable large-scale supply of chemicals is rising, while the demand for specialised and technically complex products is gaining traction. This has been one of the main issues that chemical exporters in India have faced.

Dependence on third parties for vital intermediates is another issue that needs to be managed. Unless the exporter has complete control over the entire value chain of intermediates, they will find it hard to manage global requirements regarding supply stability and reliability.

Finally, there has been an urgent need for R&D investments. Products tend to evolve and change, and the cost structure changes with scale. Process improvements are vital, but there is also the issue of gaining trust among the customers abroad. This is not an overnight process.

Our strategy has been to build capabilities that would allow us to deal with these issues. We need to focus on our R&D capabilities and increase backward integration into the production process. Finally, we need flexible production systems that would cater to the changing nature of products.

 

Cost competitiveness is important, but global customers also value quality and reliability. How does Anupam Rasayan balance these factors while competing internationally?

Being cost-competitive in relation to product quality and reliability is vital when dealing with international clients, and all three aspects go hand-in-hand. In order to accomplish it, one of the approaches we utilise is the constant improvement of production processes. As we improve our internal manufacturing process, it becomes increasingly efficient with growth in volumes of production, thus maintaining competitiveness, but at the same time keeping high-quality standards. Research and development serve as an important means that makes such improvements possible and allows us to boost production yield and minimize losses, as well as to guarantee quality output. Moreover, a good synergy of chemical and engineering disciplines allows for effective scale-up, as well as for successful backward integration, which also contributes to the maintenance of competitive position and quality. Long-term relationships with our clients based on consistency and open dialogue make our collaboration more efficient and reliable.

 

Based on your experience, how has the perception of Indian chemical companies evolved among global customers over the years?

In recent times, there have been significant changes in the way Indian chemical companies are perceived. Previously, Indian chemical companies were viewed as inexpensive manufacturing companies. Currently, global customers have come to realise the strength of Indian chemical companies in areas such as process chemistry, R&D, and synthesis. The value that Indian chemical companies can provide through the development and scaling up of their products without losing quality has also been realised.

Reliability and sustainability in terms of partnership is another area in which a change has been observed. Because of the reliable performance shown by the Indian chemical companies, the integration of the companies into the supply chain of the global customers has become more common. This shows that there has been a change in the perception of Indian chemical companies from being inexpensive to being capable.

 

Looking ahead, what are Anupam Rasayan’s key priorities for expanding its global presence, whether in terms of markets, product segments, or capabilities? How important has storytelling around technology, quality and Indian capabilities been in shaping your brand identity abroad?

Looking ahead, for us it is crucial to develop a portfolio of products with balanced growth in geographies and segments. In addition to agrochemicals being a solid base for the company, there is an intention to move forward to new segments such as pharmaceuticals and performance materials with higher added value in line with our competencies in complicated chemistry.

Geographically, markets like the United States and Japan have gained special attention. The US market is becoming increasingly significant due to its importance in high-tech applications. Similarly, Japan is considered an important market due to established business relations with customers.

In terms of capabilities, emphasis should be placed on innovations in research and development, production processes, and advanced chemistry platforms such as fluorination and flow chemistry, which allow us to solve more complex molecules. In parallel, developing our manufacturing presence and establishing an integrated global footprint is also critical. From a brand perspective, performance has become more important than marketing in building credibility. It can be achieved through consistent delivery of quality products.

 

Based on your journey, what key lessons would you share with Indian companies looking to build a successful export business in speciality chemicals?

Based on our journey, some of the most important learnings for an Indian company aiming to establish itself successfully in exports in speciality chemicals are as follows:

• Adopt a long-term perspective : Developing a global business is not an overnight process. It takes years of effort to develop relationships with international customers and get their approvals before any product is ready to enter the market. Patience and commitment are very important in building relationships because there are no shortcuts to success.
• Focus on capability building : Having the right capabilities is the key to success in global markets. It includes having good R&D capability, developing process expertise and capacity to upscale products.
• Prioritise process optimisation : As we have seen in our journey, when we produce products at a large scale, costs go up considerably. We need to keep optimizing processes for remaining competitive while keeping in mind product quality and reliability.
• Strengthen backward integration : To increase consistency and decrease dependencies on outside suppliers, we should consider having control over key intermediates and raw materials used in the production process.
• Build deep customer relationships : Instead of increasing the number of customers, we should aim at building strong relationships with existing customers. We need to adopt a "less is more" philosophy and focus on creating long-term relationships for achieving sustainable results.
• Ensure consistency and reliability : Global customers value suppliers who can deliver consistently over long periods. Building systems and processes that support reliability is essential in becoming a trusted partner.
• Be prepared for evolving expectations : Over time, customer expectations move beyond cost to include compliance, intellectual property protection, and sustainability. Companies need to continuously upgrade their capabilities to meet these requirements.