Material Insights · Understanding the Material World

Pharmaceutical excipients: Production

Why a few Western firms dominate branded grades

What this tab covers Who makes it and how much: world capacity and output, utilisation, the top producing countries and companies globally and in India, concentration, new capacity coming, and each region's position.
MeasureFigureDetailSource
World capacitynot published
World outputnot published
Capacity utilisationnot publishedSupply is generally ample; risk lies in single-site grades.
Concentrationshares by producing country not published; listed shares are demand by regionWestern firms (Roquette, DFE Pharma, BASF, Ashland, Evonik, Colorcon, JRS, Shin-Etsu) dominate branded grades.Statifacts (2025)
New capacitynot publishedConsolidation (Roquette-IFF, 2025) rather than large new plants.Techleap (2025)

Top producing countries

North America (demand) 38% · largest region by value (2024) Europe (demand) 27% · about $2.41 billion (2024) Asia Pacific (demand) 23% · about $1.99 billion (2024), fastest-growing India (demand) 4% · about $403 million (2025) Statifacts (2025); MarketsandMarkets (2025); share derived against $9.32 billion

Largest producers: global

CompanyCountryVolumeYearSource
Roquette (incl. former IFF Pharma Solutions) starches, polyols, MCC (Avicel), cellulosics France2.85 $ billion acquisition (up to) of IFF Pharma Solutions 2025Techleap
BASFGermanynot published 2025Statifacts
AshlandUSnot published 2025Statifacts
EvonikGermanynot published 2025Statifacts
DFE Pharma dairy-linked lactose leader (indicative) Netherlands / Germanynot published 2025not published
Associated British Foods, ADM, Kerry, Croda, Lubrizolvariousnot published 2025Statifacts

Largest producers: India

CompanyCountryVolumeYearSource
Sigachi Industries fatal explosion at Pashamylaram, Telangana, June 2025 Indianot published 2025press reports (indicative)
Colorcon Asia (India operations) indicative India / USnot published 2025not published
Roquette India indicative India / Francenot published 2025not published

India's excipient market was about $403 million in 2025, growing 6.9% a year to 2030 (MarketsandMarkets). Indian producers supply basic MCC, starch and coatings; many specialty grades are imported (import share not published).

Position by region

RegionPosition
USLargest demand; relies on US and EU producers plus Asian MCC.
EUHome to most branded excipient makers.
IndiaGrowing demand; mixed domestic and imported supply.
ChinaGrowing MCC and HPMC producer.
JapanShin-Etsu leads HPMC.
Middle EastNot material.