Specialty chemicals distributor Safic-Alcan has taken a majority stake in SA Ingredients Private Limited (SAI), strengthening its push into India’s fast-growing Life Sciences market.

 

The deal brings SAI — a key distributor serving pharmaceutical and nutraceutical manufacturers — into the Safic-Alcan Group’s expanding Asia footprint. 

 

Founded in 2023 after a demerger from S.A. Pharmachem Private Limited (SAP), SAI builds on a legacy dating back to 1992 and is based in Mumbai. The company supplies specialty ingredients to more than 400 customers and works with global principals, supported by a team of over 30 employees.

 

Yann Lissillour, CEO of the Safic-Alcan Group, said, “This acquisition is a key step in Safic-Alcan’s strategy to pursue our expansion in Asia and to reinforce our Life Sciences platform. 

 

"India continues to show strong GDP growth and represents an important relay of growth for our Group. SA Ingredients brings us a highly complementary footprint to our recent investment in Avees Biocos, with strong expertise in probiotics, pharmaceutical excipients and nutraceutical ingredients." 

 

The company sees India as a central pillar of its regional growth strategy, particularly in high-demand segments such as probiotics.

 

“SA Ingredients perfectly complements our existing presence in India and strengthens our Life Sciences offering across the Asia Pacific region. The probiotics market alone is expected to grow 20% year-on-year, and SAI is exceptionally well-positioned to capture this growth with its long-standing relationships with key principals. 

 

"Together, we will bring even more specialised solutions and services to our customers and principals,” added Laurent Nataf, Managing Director M&A for Safic-Alcan Group.

 

For SAI, the deal marks a major scale-up opportunity backed by a global player.

 

“We are very excited to be joining the Safic-Alcan Group. This partnership provides S.A. Ingredients with the global network, resources and expertise to accelerate our growth strategy and deliver greater value to our customers and suppliers. 

 

"We look forward to building on the strong foundations we have established since 1992, now with the backing of a world-class specialty chemicals distributor. Our team and our commitment to service will remain exactly as before” added Gaurav Kabra, Managing Director of SA Ingredients.

 

The acquisition underscores Safic-Alcan’s accelerating investment drive in Asia, as it builds a larger Life Sciences platform spanning pharmaceuticals, nutraceuticals, and specialty ingredients across the region.