# Pharmaceutical excipients: Production

Why a few Western firms dominate branded grades

Source page: https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/excipients/production/

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.

| Measure | Figure | Detail | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| **World capacity** | not published |  |  |
| **World output** | not published |  |  |
| **Capacity utilisation** | not published | Supply is generally ample; risk lies in single-site grades. |  |
| **Concentration** | shares by producing country not published; listed shares are demand by region | Western firms (Roquette, DFE Pharma, BASF, Ashland, Evonik, Colorcon, JRS, Shin-Etsu) dominate branded grades. | Statifacts (2025) |
| **New capacity** | not published | Consolidation (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

| Company | Country | Volume | Year | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| **Roquette (incl. former IFF Pharma Solutions)** starches, polyols, MCC (Avicel), cellulosics | France | 2.85 $ billion acquisition (up to) of IFF Pharma Solutions | 2025 | [Techleap](https://finder.techleap.nl/news/feed/roquette-restructures-post-2-85b-iff-buyout) |
| **BASF** | Germany | not published | 2025 | [Statifacts](https://www.biospace.com/press-releases/pharmaceutical-excipients-market-size-worth-usd-15-6-billion-by-2034-driven-by-demand-for-advanced-drug-delivery-and-rising-chronic-disease) |
| **Ashland** | US | not published | 2025 | [Statifacts](https://www.biospace.com/press-releases/pharmaceutical-excipients-market-size-worth-usd-15-6-billion-by-2034-driven-by-demand-for-advanced-drug-delivery-and-rising-chronic-disease) |
| **Evonik** | Germany | not published | 2025 | [Statifacts](https://www.biospace.com/press-releases/pharmaceutical-excipients-market-size-worth-usd-15-6-billion-by-2034-driven-by-demand-for-advanced-drug-delivery-and-rising-chronic-disease) |
| **DFE Pharma** dairy-linked lactose leader (indicative) | Netherlands / Germany | not published | 2025 | not published |
| **Associated British Foods, ADM, Kerry, Croda, Lubrizol** | various | not published | 2025 | [Statifacts](https://www.biospace.com/press-releases/pharmaceutical-excipients-market-size-worth-usd-15-6-billion-by-2034-driven-by-demand-for-advanced-drug-delivery-and-rising-chronic-disease) |

#### Largest producers: India

| Company | Country | Volume | Year | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| **Sigachi Industries** fatal explosion at Pashamylaram, Telangana, June 2025 | India | not published | 2025 | press reports (indicative) |
| **Colorcon Asia (India operations)** indicative | India / US | not published | 2025 | not published |
| **Roquette India** indicative | India / France | not published | 2025 | not 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

| Region | Position |
|---|---|
| **US** | Largest demand; relies on US and EU producers plus Asian MCC. |
| **EU** | Home to most branded excipient makers. |
| **India** | Growing demand; mixed domestic and imported supply. |
| **China** | Growing MCC and HPMC producer. |
| **Japan** | Shin-Etsu leads HPMC. |
| **Middle East** | Not material. |

## Other sections

- [Summary](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/excipients/index.md)
- [Overview](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/excipients/overview/index.md)
- [Correlation](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/excipients/correlation/index.md)
- [Production route](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/excipients/routes/index.md)
- [Feedstocks](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/excipients/feedstocks/index.md)
- [Cycles](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/excipients/cycles/index.md)
- [Trading](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/excipients/trading/index.md)
- [Movement](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/excipients/movement/index.md)
- [Regulation](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/excipients/regulation/index.md)
- [Characteristics](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/excipients/characteristics/index.md)
- [Emissions](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/excipients/emissions/index.md)
- [Relationships](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/excipients/links/index.md)