by Carboxymethyl Cellulose or CMC is a cellulose derivative with carboxymethyl groups grafted onto the cellulose backbone. The carboxymethyl cellulose is synthesized from purified cellulose by its reaction with chloroacetic acid in the presence of a base such as sodium hydroxide or potassium hydroxide. It is an odorless, tasteless, non-toxic, eco-friendly and biodegradable thickening agent and emulsifier that binds water and prevents foods and formulations from separating. Due to its diverse functionality, CMC finds applications in various industries including food & beverage, pharmaceuticals, personal care, paints & coatings and oil drilling.
India Carboxymethyl Cellulose (Cmc) : Growing Food & Beverage
India’s food processing has experienced significant growth over the past few decades. The accounts for around 32 percent of the country’s total food , one of the largest industries in India and is ranked fifth in terms of production, consumption, export and expected growth. Carboxymethyl Cellulose (CMC) plays a major role as a thickening and stabilizing agent in various food products like ice creams, deserts, sauces, soups, syrups, bakery and confectionery items. It enhances consistency, texture and shelf life while maintaining transparency of the product. The growth of the F&B has driven the demand for CMC in India.
India Carboxymethyl Cellulose (Cmc) : Expanding Pharmaceutical Sector
The pharmaceutical in India is the third largest in terms of volume and thirteenth largest in terms of value. Generic drugs account for 20% of global exports in terms of volume, making the country the largest provider of generic medicines globally. CMC is used in pharmaceutical formulations including chewable tablets, dispersible tablets, syrups, suspensions and emulsions. It acts as a binder, coating agent and disintegrant. Rapid growth of the domestic pharma coupled with rising pharmaceutical exports has augmented the use of CMC over the years.
Evolving Personal Care
India’s personal care has witnessed strong growth over past few decades driven by factors like rising income levels, awareness of health & hygiene, changing demographics and urbanization. The country represents an increasingly important consumer globally for personal care products & cosmetics. CMC is utilized as a thickening agent, stabilizer and emulsion stabilizer in personal care products like creams, lotions, gels and other skin and hair care formulations. It provides lubricity, consistency, stability and enhances shelf life of formulations. Growth of the personal care sector has boosted the demand of CMC in the country.
India Carboxymethyl Cellulose (CMC) : Expanding Applications
In addition to food, pharma and personal care industries, CMC also finds use in other major sectors like oil drilling and paints & coatings. In oil drilling , CMC is used as a viscosifier and filtration control agent to improve drilling fluids properties. Whereas in paints and coatings , it acts as a thickening and binding agent. India paints has witnessed steady growth over the last few years. Other applications of CMC including textile sizing, detergents, sugar crystallization, mining agglomeration, concrete additives among others. Widespread industrial applications of CMC have supported growth.
Domestic Production
India has emerged as a key producer and exporter of CMC globally. Major domestic manufacturers include Ashland Specialty Ingredients, Hercules Inc, Hebei XinJiang Natural Sodium Alginate Industrial Co.Ltd, India Glycols Ltd, Vikram Cellulose India Ltd and Sidley Chemical Co.Ltd. Punjab is the leading CMC producing state in India, followed by Gujarat and Maharashtra. The government of India through its ‘Make in India’ initiative has taken efforts to promote the growth of domestic CMC manufacturing sector. Growing local CMC production has increased availability and augmented proliferation over the years.
Outlook
The India CMC was valued at around INR 1500 Crores in 2020 and is expected to grow at a CAGR of more than 7% during 2021-2026. Growth drivers include expansion of end-use industries, rise in private label brands, improving domestic production capacities and increasing awareness about benefits of CMC containing products. Pharmaceutical, food & beverage and personal care industries will continue to drive consumption in the foreseeable future. Furthermore, new applications in detergents, mining, electronics and construction are likely to support gains. The stands to benefit from supportive governmental policies and emergence of small/medium sized enterprises.
*Note:
1. Source: Coherent Market Insights, Public sources, Desk research
2. We have leveraged AI tools to mine information and compile it
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