What inspired you to launch Scimplify, and how is your vision to simplify specialty chemical sourcing and manufacturing come to life?

India has factories. India has talent. What we needed was a bridge. Coming from a deep manufacturing background and having worked with companies like ITC and Zetwerk, both leaders in the manufacturing space, I saw firsthand how underutilized India's vast industrial and scientific potential truly was. Despite the brilliance of our R&D ecosystem, many factories were running far below capacity due to the lack of demand generation and limited R&D capability. Scimplify was born to connect these dots and unlock India's full strength in specialty chemicals.

We envisioned a full-stack platform, from R&D to manufacturing to global distribution, built to simplify and scale innovation. India does around $50 billion in specialty chemicals today, but even without adding new infrastructure, better utilization alone could double the figure. The potential is massive, we just needed a system to connect the dots.

Today, we’ve exported to 15+ countries, getting repeat orders from global players, and enabled multiple manufacturing units to reach profitable utilization levels. Our ambition is to take molecules from India to customers worldwide and showcase India as a global hub of capability, reliability, and innovation.

How has been the performance of Scimplify in 2024 and what are your expectations from 2025?

2024 was our first year and a strong one with focus on building a solid foundation. We scaled up our R&D team and onboarded experts for chemical innovation.  On the manufacturing front, we partnered with 200+ factories across the country and began production at scale. A big win was substituting several China-sourced products with Indian-made ones.

2024 also reaffirmed our belief that the world is ready to trust India for innovation, quality, and reliability, not just validating our model but also highlighting the broader opportunity for India in specialty chemicals.

In 2025, we aim to deepen our global footprint, expand R&D, and strengthen our manufacturing network. Our mission is to take Indian innovation and manufacturing to the world.

How would you explain the emerging trends in specialty chemicals in India and globally?

India is fast emerging as a global powerhouse in specialty chemicals. With growing exports, strong domestic demand, and active government support, the country is stepping into a central role on the world stage. Global supply chain disruptions have prompted companies to rethink their sourcing strategies. India’s unique combination of cost-efficiency and scientific talent positions it as an ideal alternative. As international firms increasingly look to outsource production, India is becoming deeply embedded in the global value chain, offering reliability, scale, and innovation.

Scimplify emphasizes a "science-first" approach. Can you share how your R&D capabilities set you apart from other similar companies in the business?

We integrate R&D from process development to tech transfer till fulfillment. While our model remains asset-light, our capabilities are full-stack.

What truly sets us apart is that our R&D is not limited by our own lab infrastructure. Through our proprietary matchmaking platform and data intelligence, we connect the right projects with the right scientific expertise. This allows Scimplify to cover a broader base of chemistries and capabilities.

 We empower India’s SME manufacturers by offering deep scientific expertise. We also co-develop with global players in the pharma and agro sectors, ensuring Indian innovation reaches the end-use markets worldwide.

This interconnected, science-led model allows us to scale faster, deliver better outcomes, and unlock value across the specialty chemical ecosystem.

Scimplify has raised $54 million, including a recent $40 million Series B round. How do you plan to deploy this capital to accelerate growth, and what does this investment say about confidence in your model?

The capital will drive three growth pillars: international expansion (particularly in the US and Europe), scaling R&D with more talent and infrastructure, and onboarding capable but underutilized SME manufacturing units.

This investment is more than a validation of our model. It’s a strong vote of confidence in the broader India opportunity: in our talent, our manufacturing depth, and India's potential to lead the next era of global specialty chemical supply chains.

What is your expansion plan? What’s your strategy for further international growth, and which markets are you most excited about?

Our expansion strategy is rooted in leveraging India’s scientific talent and manufacturing strength to serve global markets. Domestically, we’re onboarding more contract manufacturing plants, especially those with idle capacity, while our R&D team designs custom synthesis routes based on global demand.

Internationally, our goal is to scale products we’ve built offering strong value propositions for API intermediates, agro inputs, or high-performance additives. Our ability to offer quality at globally competitive prices has been well received.

We’re also entering new segments like personal care, food, Nutraceuticals and industrial downstream chemicals where India has manufacturing strength but limited global visibility. Our key focus markets include the United States, Japan, Southeast Asia, and Europe.

India is a rising star in specialty chemicals. How does Scimplify leverage the country’s manufacturing expertise and capacity to serve global demand?

India has close to 10,000 chemical plants, many operating below capacity. Scimplify taps into this latent potential by partnering with small and mid-sized manufacturing units that have solid infrastructure but limited global reach. By providing international access, quality projects, and regulatory support, Scimplify turns these units into export-ready hubs.

We offer cost-effective, high-quality manufacturing with full transparency and science-backed support. It creates mutual value for the global supply chain and for India’s manufacturing ecosystem alike.

We don’t build factories, we onboard them. It’s a win-win for both as we scale fast, and they gain visibility and growth opportunities in global markets.

Green chemistry and sustainability are buzzwords in the industry. How does Scimplify integrate these principles into its operations, and what impact do you see this having on your customers?

For us, sustainability is a responsibility, not a trend. From the beginning, we believed that science and sustainability must go hand-in-hand. We integrated green chemistry principles from the start by designing efficient routes, reducing waste, and avoiding hazardous reagents as and where it is possible.

We’ve built dedicated infrastructure for hazardous reactions to ensure safety and sustainability coexist. We prioritize responsibly produced raw materials and work only with partners who align with our sustainability values.

The specialty chemicals sector is facing supply chain disruptions and geopolitical shifts. How does Scimplify address these challenges differently from traditional manufacturers?

The past few years have made it clear that global supply chains can’t be taken for granted. From geopolitical shifts to logistics disruptions, building resilience is more important than ever.

At Scimplify, we’ve addressed this structurally by putting R&D at the center for greater process control and flexibility. We also invest in close collaboration with our manufacturing partners to improve yield, reduce costs, and enhance quality.

Importantly, our supply chain strategy is not dependent on any single country or geography. This means we are insulated from the ripple effects of tariffs, trade wars, and regulatory bottlenecks that often disrupt traditional supply chains. Instead of getting caught in global traffic jams, we ensure seamless, reliable delivery through a diversified, de-risked network.

How does Scimplify approach product development and what new products are you planning to launch in 2025?

We anticipate demand through deep market intelligence, primary research, and regulatory foresight. We proactively scout and select molecules with strong commercialization potential and initiate process development well ahead of market demand.

In 2025, we're expanding into complex pharma intermediates and sustainable agrochemical ingredients while also co-developing high-value molecules with global formulation firms rooted in green chemistry and future-ready demand.

Where do you see Scimplify in five years, and how do you plan to shape the future of the specialty chemicals industry?

In five years, we see Scimplify as the preferred innovation and manufacturing partner for pharma, agro, and specialty chemical companies worldwide. Our goal is to enable end-to-end development across 50+ chemistries, R&D, scale-up, manufacturing, and distribution through a single, integrated platform.

We envision 1,000+ enterprises across 50+ countries relying on Scimplify to deliver complex, high-value chemicals at scale. We aim to transform the way specialty chemicals are sourced and developed.

We are aspiring to go public and prove that India can create global scientific and manufacturing platforms.