Top 20 Chemical Companies in India in 2022

The top 20 chemical companies in India provide chemicals and chemical-based products that cater not only to the country’s industrial sector, but to other sectors as well, like agriculture, pharmaceuticals, etc., and partly fulfilling household requirements.

These chemical companies in India are recognized and administered by several industry bodies, such as the Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers (Government of India), Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Authority (FICCI), Indian Chemical Council (ICC), and Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), etc.

The chemicals produced by these companies are used in a large number of applications and value-added specialty products.

Also, read our other articles:

“Top 20 MNCs in India” [link to article]

“Top 20 Pharmaceutical Companies in India” [link to article]

“Top 20 Engineering Colleges in India” [link to article]

Here are the names of the top twenty chemical companies in India that are involved in the manufacturing of chemicals and other products that are made from organic and inorganic chemicals.

List of Top 20 Chemical Companies in India

The following is a list (sorted in alphabetical order) of the top-ranked chemical companies in India that manufacture, supply, and export chemicals and chemical-based products to consumers.

1. Anthea Group

The Anthea Group is a leading manufacturer of specialty chemicals in India. Originally established in 1991 as Anthea Aromatics Pvt. Ltd. (AAPL), the company manufactured speciality chemicals that were primarily used in the perfumery and flavours industry. The organization headquarter is found in Mumbai.

Being a major producer of Fragrance & Flavour chemicals in India, the Anthea Group produces specialty chemicals used in various applications, such as pharmaceuticals, flame retardant polymers, agrochemicals, etc. The company’s products cater to international markets across North and South America, Europe, and the Asia-Pacific region.

Presently, The Anthea Group consists of four companies spread across 4 locations in India. These four companies are Anthea Aromatics Pvt. Ltd., DRT-Anthea Aroma Chemicals Pvt. Ltd., Crown Chemicals Pvt. Ltd., and Catasynth Specialty Chemicals Pvt. Ltd., respectively.

2. Asian Paints Limited

Asian Paints is a very popular name in India when it comes to a brand of household decorative paint products. Today, Asian Paints is India’s largest and Asia’s third-largest paints corporation. The company was incorporated in 1942 with headquarters located in Mumbai. It not only has its business operations in India but also caters to at least 15 countries worldwide.

The company manufactures, sells, and distributes a wide variety of chemicals and chemical-based products including paints, coatings, products related to industrial finishing and home décor, bath fittings, and providing related services to consumers.

Asian Paints Ltd has set up 10 manufacturing facilities in India. These include locations like Ankleshwar and Sarigam (Gujarat), Patancheru (Telangana), Kasna (Uttar Pradesh), Sriperumbudur (Tamil Nadu), Rohtak (Haryana), Khandala and Taloja (Maharashtra), Mysuru (Karnataka) and Visakhapatnam (Andhra Pradesh). The company also has 16 manufacturing plants set up in 16 countries across Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bangladesh, Indonesia, UAE, Bahrain, Oman, Egypt, Ethiopia, Solomon Islands, Samoa Islands, Vanuatu, Fiji, etc.

3. Atul Limited

Atul Ltd is a chemical company whose name is derived from the region in the state of Gujarat. The company was incorporated in 1947, just a few weeks after India gained independence from British rule which lasted for several hundreds of years. The industrialist, Kasturbhai Lalbhai, who started the company also co-founded one of India’s popular textile manufacturing companies, Arvind Mills (now under Arvind Group) in 1931 in Ahmedabad, Gujarat.

The company’s headquarter is located at Valsad, Gujarat, and has offices in Ahmedabad, Mumbai, New Delhi, Thane, and other parts of India. Its manufacturing facilities are set up in Atul and Panoli in Gujarat and Tarapur in Maharashtra. Also, the company has established joint venture businesses with several companies from around the world to cater to more industries.

In total, Atul Ltd manufactures around 900 chemical-based products and another 400 chemical formulations in its manufacturing facilities. Additionally, the company owns at least 140 retail brands and has a presence in 90 countries including, China, UAE, Brazil, the USA, the UK, and more.

4. Bengal Chemicals & Pharmaceuticals Limited (BCPL)

Bengal Chemicals & Pharmaceuticals Ltd, or BCPL, is India’s oldest chemical and pharmaceutical manufacturing company. BCPL was originally launched as Bengal Chemical & Pharmaceutical Works Ltd. (BCP) in the year 1892 in Calcutta (now Kolkata), West Bengal. The company’s management was later handed over to the Government of India to restore from financial losses.

BCPL manufactures a variety of industrial chemicals and chemical-based products under three divisions, namely Division I (Industrial Chemicals), Division II (Pharmaceuticals), and Division III (Home Products). The company produces Industrial Chemicals which include Aluminium Sulphate (Ferric) and Aluminium Sulphate (Non-Ferric) etc. Also, its Generic & Branded Pharmaceutical Products include Tablets, Capsules, Oral Liquids, Antiseptics, Antibiotics, etc. Lastly, the company’s range of Home Products includes Household Disinfectants, Hair Oil, and other household products like Naphthalene Balls, Liquid Soap, Floor cleaners, etc.

The company’s manufacturing facilities are located at Maniktala (Kolkata), Panihati (Kolkata), Mumbai (Maharashtra), and Kanpur (Uttar Pradesh).

BCPL also received clearance from the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) to manufacture drugs against COVID-19 (aka coronavirus), a fatal contagious virus, a pandemic that occurred in the last quarter of 2019 and is continuing to this day (even at the time of this writing).

5. Chemplast Sanmar Limited

Chemplast Sanmar is a leading Speciality Chemicals manufacturing company in India. The company started its chemical production business in the year 1967 (five years after its formation) with headquarters located in Chennai, Tamil Nadu. The company is part of the SHL Chemicals Group, a constituent of the Sanmar Group.

The company manufactures products, such as PVC Resins/Compounds and Fabricates PVC products, Chlorochemicals, Piping Systems, Speciality Paste PVC resin, and Custom Manufactured Chemicals for the agrochemical, pharmaceutical, and fine chemicals sectors. The company also produces other chemicals, such as Cutting Soda, Chloro chemicals, Hydrogen Peroxide, Refrigerant Gas, and company Salt. The salt needed for chlorine manufacture is supplied by Chemplast’s Salt Pans at Vedaranyam (Tamil Nadu). The power-intensive electrolysis procedure of fabricating chlorine is greatly helped by Chemplast’s own energy plant.

The company manufacturing facilities are located at Mettur, Panruti, Cuddalore and Ponneri (Tamil Nadu), Shinoli (Maharashtra), and Karaikal (Puducherry). All of the company’s manufacturing facilities are implemented with Zero Liquid Discharge (ZLD) in order to control or prevent the discharge of treated effluent.

6. Clariant Chemicals India Limited

Clariant Chemicals (India) is a part of the Switzerland-based chemical company Clariant Chemicals Limited (CCL) operating under the Clariant Group. The organization was founded in 1956 and its headquarters in India is located in the Thane district of Mumbai, Maharashtra. The company also owns subsidiaries like Vanavil Dyes & Chemicals, and Kundalika Investments Ltd., in India.

Clariant Chemicals (India) primarily operates in the business areas of Care Chemicals (BU Industrial & Consumer Fortes and New Business Development), Plastics & Covering (BU Pigments), Natural things (BU Functional Minerals, BL Mining Services, and BU Additives), and Catalysis (BU Catalysts and Biofuels & Derivatives). The company has manufacturing facilities set up at various locations, such as Roha (Maharashtra), Cuddalore (Tamil Nadu), Nandesari (Gujarat), Nagda (Madhya Pradesh), Bonthapally (Telangana), and Edayar (Kerala). Clariant Chemicals (India) Ltd is a leading manufacturer of speciality chemicals for domestic and industrial use. The company produces and markets products, such as textiles, leather, paints, plastic, and printing inks, as well as a variety of agrochemical products in India. The organization has existed in many global markets, too.

7. Cochin Minerals and Rutile Limited (CMRL)

Cochin Minerals and Rutile Ltd, or CMRL, is a chemicals manufacturing company in India. The company started its chemical business in 1989 with headquarters located in Kochi, Kerala. CMRL is India’s largest manufactory of Aqua Ferric Chloride which serves all primary International Standards. CMRL manufactures a range of products including Beneficiated Ilmenite (Synthetic Rutile), Ferric Chloride, and Ferrous Chloride. Rutile (meaning ‘red’ in Latin) is an oxide mineral found in high-temperature and high-pressure metamorphic rocks and igneous rocks and is largely used in the manufacture of certain optical elements for longer visible and infrared wavelengths.

CMRL transforms Ilmenite into Synthetic Rutile and Ferric Chloride, solely banking on indigenous technology and talents, for the prosperity of the nation and the world.

8. Deepak Fertilisers and Petrochemicals Limited (DFPCL)

Deepak Fertilisers and Petrochemicals, or DFPCL, is the leading fertilizers and industrial chemicals manufacturing company in India. The company was started in 1979 with headquarters located in Pune, Maharashtra. DFPCL is one of the five major Indian companies that produce methanol.

The range of products manufactured by DFPCL includes Industrial and Agricultural Chemicals, Crop Nutrients, Mining Chemicals, Fertilizers, and Petrochemicals. The company markets its fertilizer products under several brands. One such fertilizer brand is the ‘Mahadhan’ which the company has marketed since the 1990s. DFPCL is also a major producer of Technical Ammonium Nitrate (TAN), which is employed in farming and chemical enterprises and as an explosive in the mining and infrastructure initiatives. DFPCL has set up manufacturing facilities at various locations, such as Taloja (Maharashtra), Srikakulam (Andhra Pradesh), Dahej (Gujarat), and Panipat (Haryana).

9. Fineotex Chemical Limited (FCL)

Fineotex Chemical, or FCL, is a leading Speciality and Textile Chemicals manufacturing company in India and also has a presence in Malaysia. FCL entered the chemical production business in 1979 with headquarters located in Mumbai. The company owns a subsidiary Fineotex Malaysia Limited. In addition, the company formed a partnership with Belgium-based textile chemical company Eurodye-CTC, for the commercialization of specialty chemicals for the Indian market.

FCL manufactures a range of products, which include Speciality Chemicals and Enzymes for the Textile and Cloth Industry, Water Treatment Industry, Leather Industry, Construction Industry, Pigment Industry Agrochemicals, Adhesives, and others.

The company manufacturing facilities are located in Mumbai and Ambernath (Maharashtra) and Selangor (Malaysia). FCL has over 87 distributors across India.

10. Galaxy Surfactants Limited

Galaxy Surfactants is a leading Surfactants and Speciality Chemicals manufacturing company in India. The company started its chemical manufacturing business in 1980 with headquarters located in Mumbai. The company initially was a major contract manufacturer of Sodium Laureth sulfate which was produced for Colgate-Palmolive Company, a very popular US-based consumer products company.

The range of products manufactured by the company includes Surfactants and Speciality Chemicals that are mainly used in the cleaning and personal care space.

Today, Galaxy Surfactants manufactures more than 200 products and are exported to over 100 countries around the world. The company has over 1,400 clients both national and international, including popular brands like L’Oréal, Unilever, Colgate-Palmolive, Dabur, Himalaya, and more.

11. Godrej Industries Limited (Chemicals)

Godrej Industries (Chemicals) is a division of Godrej Industries Ltd and operates under the Godrej Group umbrella in India. The company started its chemical manufacturing business, particularly oleochemicals in the year 1963. It has since become one of India’s leading manufacturers and marketers of oleochemicals in India and over 80 countries around the world.

Godrej Chemicals primarily deals in the manufacture and supply of products which include Fatty Alcohols, Fatty Acids, Surfactants, Glycerine, Oleo Derivatives Speciality Chemicals, etc.

The company’s manufacturing plants are located at Ambernath in the Thane district of Maharashtra and at Valia, Gujarat. The company manufactures and markets over 100 chemicals for use in more than 24 industries. The products are also exported to more than 80 countries across North and South America, Asia, Europe, Australia, and Africa.

12. Gujarat Fluorochemicals Limited (GFL)

Gujarat Fluorochemicals is a manufacturer of refrigerants (a chemical fluid used in the refrigeration cycle of air conditioning systems and heat pumps), chloromethane, polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), and speciality chemicals (industrial gas) for the industry sector in India. GFL started its chemical business in the year 1987 with headquarters located in Noida, Uttar Pradesh.

The company caters to Industrial Gas by producing gaseous materials which are seen as also encompassing the supply of equipment and technology to produce and use the gases. Industrial gases are used in an exhaustive range of enterprises, which contains oil and gas, petrochemicals, chemicals, power, mining, steel manufacture, metals, environmental preservation, medicine, prescriptions, biotechnology, nutrition, moisture, fertilizers, nuclear power, electronics, and aerospace.

GFL has set up two manufacturing facilities located in Gujarat, a refrigerant facility at Ranjitnagar (Gujarat), and a PTFE facility at Dahej (Gujarat). The company runs two subsidiaries, Gujarat Fluorochemicals Americas LLC and Gujarat Fluorochemicals GmbH to cater to Americana and European operations respectively.

13. Hindustan Insecticides Limited (HIL)

Hindustan Insecticides, also known as HIL (India) Limited, is a government-owned corporation and is the world’s largest producer of DDT (Dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane), a chemical compound used in insecticides and insect-borne diseases. This type of chemical is commonly used in agricultural and household pesticides. The company was incorporated in 1954 and is operated by the Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers, Government of India.

HIL (India) Ltd first started supplying DDT for the National Malaria Eradication Programme, an initiative launched by the Government of India. The company later diversified its cope in agro-pesticides in order to meet the requirements of the nation’s growing agriculture sector. Presently, the company is also working in agro information namely agro-chemicals, and roots, and recently it launched fertilizers so that all the essentials of the agriculture society can be met beneath one shelter. The company’s line of chemicals and chemical products include Insecticides, Herbicides, Weedecides, and Fungicides.

HIL is also looking at the development of alternatives to DDT. The corporation has already linked up with the Institute of Chemical Technology, Mumbai, to create a bio-degradable recourse to DDT which can be utilized as an indoor residual mist. HIL is also at the progressive phase of the evolution of technology for insecticidal ministered nets which are presently being advertised by WHO as an alternate vector management tool.

14. Hindustan Organic Chemicals Limited (HOCL)

Hindustan Organic Chemicals is a government-owned enterprise operating under the Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers, Government of India. HOCL was incorporated in the year 1960 with the company headquarters located in Mumbai, Maharashtra. It is the greatest producer of an exhaustive variety of chemicals and organic chemical products. The company produces and markets basic chemicals efficiently and economically in an environment-friendly manner.

The chemicals that are manufactured by HOCL include Phenol, Acetone, Nitrobenzene, Aniline, Nitrotoluenes, Chlorobenzenes & Nitro chlorobenzenes. In addition, the company also produces Basic Organic Chemicals, which include Pesticides, Drugs & Pharmaceuticals, Dyes & Dyestuffs, Plastics, Resins & Laminates, Rubber Chemicals, Paints, Textile Auxiliaries & Explosives, etc.

Hindustan Organic Chemicals has set up a manufacturing facility in Kochi, Kerala for the production of Phenol, Acetone, and Hydrogen Peroxide. The company also entered the international markets earning special foreign business by shipping chemicals, paints, and medicines.

15. Kansai Nerolac Paints Limited

Nerolac Paints is a well-known brand, especially in households for its quality decorative paints and coating. It is the largest industrial paint and third-largest decorative paint company in India. The company is a subsidiary of Japan-based Kansai Paint, hence the name of the company. Kansai Nerolac Paints was launched in India in 1920, making it one of the oldest operating companies in the industry. The company’s India headquarter is located in Mumbai, Maharashtra. Over the years since its beginning, the company went through changing its name several times, and thus, fina stocking with Kansai Nerolac Paints Ltd when the company was acquired by a Japanese company operating in the same business.

The comp manufactures and markets a wide range of chemicals and chemical-based products including Decorative Paints, Industrial Finishing Products, Automotive & Performance Coatings, etc. In addition, the company is engaged in the industrial, automotive, and powder coating businesses. It develops and supplies paint systems that are used on the finishing lines of the electrical component cycle, material handling tools, bus structures, receptacles, and furniture enterprises.

Kansai Nerolac Paints has set up 6 paint manufacturing plants and at least 7 contract manufacturers in India. The plants are located at Kanpur Dehat (Uttar Pradesh), Bawal (Haryana), Chiplun (Maharashtra), Hosur (Tamil NadSayakaakha (Gujarat), Goindwal (Punjab), and Visakhapatnam (Andhra Pradesh), respectively.

16. Pidilite Industries Limited

Pidilite Industries is a well-known chemicals and adhesives manufacturing company in India. The company entered the chemical business in 1959 with headquarters located in Mumbai. Pidilite is marketed in India as one of the leading adhesive and leak-proof products used in the construction of buildings, both residential and non-residential structures.

The company manufactures a wide range of products including Adhesives, Construction Chemicals, as well as several other products that are used across verticals, such as art materials and stationery, food, and fabric maintenance, car creations, glues and adhesives, and metier industrial materials like bonds, stains, textile resins, leather chemicals, and structure chemicals. Fevicol and FeviKwick are adhesive brands, while Dr. Fixit is a leak-proof sealant (or waterproofing) product brand of Pidilite. The company also markets various products under different brands, such as M-Seal, Acron, Cyclo, Hobby Ideas, Roff, Manipal, etc.

17. Supreme Petrochem Limited (SPL)

Supreme Petrochem is a leading manufacturer and exporter of petrochemicals in India and overseas. SPL is also a global supplier of Styrenics (styrene polymer). Styrene polymers bear styrene as a monomer. Petrochemicals refer to chemical products and chemical compounds that are obtained from petroleum through the refining process. SPL entered the petrochemicals industry in 1995 with the company headquarter located in Mumbai.

The range of petrochemical products manufactured by Supreme Petrochem Ltd includes Polystyrene (PS), Expandable Polystyrene (EPS), Speciality Polymers and Compounds (SPC), Extruded Polystyrene Foam Boards (XPS), Styrene Methyl Methacrylate (SMMA), Styrene and Polymer. Polystyrene properties make it perfect for an extensive number of applications in many enterprises, such as building, packaging, and shopper goods.

SPL owns and operates state-of-the-art production facilities from two locations in India – Amdoshi- Wanganui Village (Maharashtra) and New Manali Town, Chennai (Tamil Nadu). SPL exports its products to more than 100 nations close the world.

18. Tamil Nadu Petroproducts Limited (TPL)

Tamil Nadu Petroproducts Ltd is a commodity chemicals manufacturing company in India. The company started its business operations in 1984 with headquarters located in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, hence the naming of the company. TPL also makes rich Alkylate and Spindle Oil as byproducts from LAB manufacture.

The company’s primary line of commodity chemical products manufactured at its facilities includes Linear Alkyl Benzene (LAB), Epichlorohydrin, Caustic Soda, Chlorine, and Derivatives. LAB’s primary use is in the manufacture of Linear Alkyl Benzene Sulfonates (LAS). LAB finds extensive application in the manufacture of domestic detergents, and institutional and industrial cleaners that are marketed under the brand “SUPERLAB”.

The products are used as raw materials in various industries that are largely engaged in the manufacturing of consumer commodities like detergents and cleaning agents, lubricants, epoxy resins, pharmaceuticals, textiles, etc.

19. Tata Chemicals Limited

Tata Chemicals is one of the largest chemical companies in India, which is also a subsidiary of the Indian- based Tata Group, a multinational conglomerate. In addition to operating as a subsidiary under the Tata Group umbrella, Tata Chemicals also runs its subsidiaries Rallis India and UK-based Tata Chemical Europe (erstwhile Brunner Mond was acquired in 2006). The company started its business operations in 1938, Creating it one of the most senior organizations in the country. The companies headquarter is stabled in Mumbai,

Maharashtra. The company manufactures a variety of chemical products, a few of which include Basic and Industrial Chemicals, Nitrogenous and Phosphatic Fertilizers, Industrial Refinishing Products, Soda Ash (Sodium Carbonate or Washing Soda), Coatings and Crop Nutrition, etc. The company is the second largest producer of soda ash (aka washing soda) with the manufacturing plant located in the states of Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, and Tamil Nadu.

Tata Chemicals not only supplies its chemical products in India, but the company also has operations in countries across Europe, North America, and Africa.

20. Travancore Titanium Products Limited (TTPL)

Travancore Titanium Products Ltd, or TTPL, is the leading manufacturing company of Titanium Dioxide (TiO2) pigment in India and South-East Asia. The organization was established in 1946 with an office 

located in Thiruvananthapuram (formerly Trivandrum), Kerala. TTPL today operates totally under the administration of the Government of Kerala.

The company business is engaged in the extraction of anatase-grade Titanium Dioxide pigment from ilmenite (a combination of titanium dioxide and iron in the formation of ferric/ferrous oxide). Titanium Dioxide is an inorganic compound in solid form and is available in abundance on beaches. Ilmenite is the most essential ore of titanium and the primary citation of titanium dioxide. It is largely used in pigments, printing inks, fabrics, plastics, paper, sunscreen, food coloring, cosmetics, etc.

TTPL, in collaboration with the British Titan Products Limited company (now known as Huntsman Tioxide), was incorporated to manufacture Titanium Dioxide pigment from ilmenite, which is a mineral abundantly found on the beaches of the southern region of Kerala (the then princely state of Travancore).

Today, the company is one of the leading manufacturers of white pigment in India.

Wrapping Up

The top chemical companies of India listed above are popular names in the country and overseas. These companies cater to a large number of industries in applied sectors as well as manufacturing chemical-based products for homes in India and across the sub-continent.