dsm-firmenich is set to invest over USD 100 million (approximately Rs 835 crore) in India in the near future, aiming to scale its operations and capitalize on the country’s potential, according to the company’s global CEO, Dimitri de Vreeze. The investment will primarily focus on expanding production capacity, including establishing a new manufacturing facility, as the company positions India as a key export hub for ingredients for its global supply chain.
Formed in 2023 from the merger of Netherlands-based DSM and Switzerland’s Firmenich, both of which have over a century of heritage, dsm-firmenich is looking at India as a critical market in its growth strategy. The company expects India to rank among its top three global markets within the next five years.
“India plays a pivotal role in our growth strategy. Currently, our business in India is valued at around half a billion dollars,” Vreeze explained in an interview with PTI. “Over the past decade, we’ve invested about half a billion US dollars in the country, and now we are planning to invest an additional 100 million-plus dollars in new capacity over the coming years.”
The planned investment will support the development of new facilities, offices, laboratories, and innovation centers across India. Vreeze emphasized that the company’s focus is not only on the domestic market but also on enhancing India’s role as a major contributor to its global ingredient supply chain.
“In the next two to three years, we plan to ramp up investment in ingredient supply, debottlenecking and expanding our existing production lines. These ingredients will support our nutrition, health, and beauty sectors, catering to both the Indian market and our global operations,” he added.
The company is also looking to establish greenfield manufacturing plants to boost its “taste” business segment, which focuses on meeting local consumer needs. Currently, dsm-firmenich operates seven manufacturing facilities in India, located in Daman, Dahej, Vadodara, Jadcherla (Telangana), Navi Mumbai, and two in Kerala.
Highlighting India’s importance, Vreeze remarked, “India is a vital market for us, and we’ve experienced double-digit growth consecutively for the last five years. The country offers enormous opportunities, particularly given the rising focus on preventive healthcare, healthy food, and sanitation.”
When asked about the potential timeline for reaching USD 1 billion in revenue from India, Vreeze expressed optimism: “My aspiration is to achieve the 1 billion dollar milestone as quickly as possible.” In addition to India’s growing market, the country serves as a key production hub for ingredients used globally by the company. “We manufacture ingredients in India for our global portfolio, which are utilized by our customers around the world,” Vreeze said, adding that India’s role will only grow more significant in the coming years.
Currently, the company’s largest markets include the US, Europe, and the Asia Pacific region, but Vreeze expects India to break into the top three within the next five years. dsm-firmenich employs 1,700 people in India, a number projected to exceed 2,000 in the short term, driven by the company’s planned expansion. With operations in nearly 60 countries and an annual revenue exceeding 12 billion euros, the company views India as an essential part of its future growth trajectory.
dsm-firmenich is a global leader in nutrition, health, and beauty, formed through the merger of DSM (Netherlands) and Firmenich (Switzerland) in 2023. With over a century of expertise, the company operates in nearly 60 countries, delivering innovative solutions across food, health, and fragrance sectors, and generating annual revenues exceeding 12 billion euros.
