The Catalyst
Advanced Enzyme Technologies produces enzymes and probiotics worth over $20 million annually and it is the largest manufacturer of serratiopeptidase.
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Advanced Enzyme Technologies
Business: R&D, manufacturing and marketing of enzymes for different industries
CEO: Chandrakant L Rathi (MD)
Biotech Revenue: Rs 69.30 crore
Start-up Year: 1958
Address: 5th Floor 'A' Wing Sun Magnetica, Galaxy Accolade, Next to LIC Building, Service Road, Louis Wadi, Near Teen Hath Naka,
Thane - (W) 400 604
Tel.: 91-22-2583 8350
Fax: 91-22-2583 5159
Website: www.enzymeindia.com
Advanced Enzyme Technologies Ltd (AETL), a leading indus- trial enzyme manufacturer in India, has registered 23.8 percent growth in 2006-07 with sales revenue touching Rs 69.30 crore. In the previous year AETL registered a growth of 41 percent with its sales revenue standing at Rs 56 crore. Besides focusing on India, AETL has been exporting its products to other countries. It has been exporting enzymes consistently since its inception. Its exports touched Rs 15 crore during 2006-07 and are expected to grow to over Rs 40 crore by next year.
AETL has taken many initiatives during 2006-07 such as setting up a manufacturing facility in Indore at an investment of Rs 15 crore. It has received a process patent for leather manufacturing after two years of R&D. AETL has also forayed into the area of polyenzyme formulations. It is also keen to enter the pharmaceutical and nutraceuticals space in a bigger way.
AETL's Indore plant, which is built as per the US FDA requirements, will assist in the recovery and formulation of enzymes providing ecosafe solutions for pharma and non-pharma industries. The fermentation capacity stands at 250 metric cube and will cater to the company's export market. It has invested about Rs 15 crore and another Rs 35 crore has been set aside for its expansion. The plant covers 38400 sqm of land and has the potential of employing 100 people.
CL Rathi, managing director, AETL, said, "With the plant being put in place, we expect an increase in turnover by Rs 30 crore this year and Rs 90 crore in the next two years. The new facility will help us cater to various industries by providing customized solutions. We are working towards achieving sales of over Rs 200 crore of exports from AETL by 2010 and also establishing a few international manufacturing companies."
Catering to a worldwide market in geographies like Europe, America, China including India, AETL specializes in providing customized, eco-safe solutions across various industries. Some of its focus areas are healthcare, animal healthcare, textiles, leather and foodgrains. An R&D focused company with 10 percent of earnings being ploughed back into research and development activities, it is poised to file for 40 patents this year as opposed to only 20 last year and 7 prior to that. Today with an investment of over $10 million, AETL's production facilities produces enzymes and probiotics worth over $20 million annually. It is also the largest manufacturer of serratiopeptidase, having perfected the art of manufacturing the enzyme over the last 15 years.
AETL's multi-disciplinary R&D team comprises microbiologists, biochemists, chemical engineers, food technologists, and biotechnologists with several years of experience with enzyme technology. The R&D team at AETL has been working on disease management to health management or prevention therapy so as to provide unique non-toxic solutions through natural products such as enzymes and probiotic supplements for several lifestyle as well as communicable diseases such as obesity, cancer, and cardiovascular health, tuberculosis and leprosy.
Advanced Enzyme Technologies has received a process patent for leather manufacturing. Far superior to the conventional procedure used to process hides, this process will now allow for better quality of leather in terms of its grain structure. The patented leather process is termed Eco-Friendly WET Blue Manufacturing and comes as a relief to the leather industry as there has been a major cause of concern, resulting in a clampdown on many units by the Pollution Control Board (PCB).
The value of the patented process is over $200 million and is purely based on the developed technology. It took two years to develop this process and technology including the transfer to the plant scale. This process will provide a boost for the company in the leather markets and AETL plans to take its success to the American and European countries as well. CL Rathi said, "The global market for leather is valued at $98 billion and India has close to 2.5 percent share in the world market which amounts to around $2.25 billion. However, the Indian leather market is expected to double by the year 2010 to $4.5-5 billion. This is because leather technology in India is rapidly evolving to produce high quality leather using eco-friendly processes and AETL is proud to be contributing to this technology."
AETL is currently the only player in the area of polyenzyme formulations, the concept of which is not new to the European and American markets. They are available across the counter under the brand names Wobenzyme and Disperzyme developed by Mucos Pharma in Germany. The sister concern of AETL, Specialty Enzymes and Biochemicals based in Chino, CA has also been manufacturing and marketing SEB kinase and EXCLzyme EN which are polyenzyme formulations. They are well accepted in these markets and are tried and tested products serving as a replacement to conventional medicines. Some of these supplements are also available in the Indian markets, but the concept of polyenzyme formulations is yet to take roots in India.
Currently, AETL is striving hard not only to just introduce these novel polyenzyme products into the Indian markets and generate awareness about their manifold utilities but also to manufacture them as nutraceuticals which have no side effects and which are completely natural products.
To bring awareness about the benefits of enzymes in different industries, AETL has been participating in seminars and conference not only in India but also in other countries as well. In India it had organized a seminar on biotechnology and its applications in animal nutrition and healthcare in New Delhi which saw the participation of veterinarians.
Around the world, Advanced Enzyme Technologies' team of 180 people are working in pursuit of delivering excellence to its customers through quality products and unparalleled customer service.
