VAV Lipids Completes Expansion of High Purity Lipids Facility

Mumbai-based VAV Lipids, one of the world’s leading lipid manufacturers, has completed upgrading and expanding its EU GMP-certified lipid production facility at Ratnagiri, in Maharashtra, India.

VAV Lipids EU cGMP-certified manufacturing facility at Ratnagiri in Maharashtra, India

The expanded facility will produce about six times its current volume of high-grade lipid ingredients, up from about 21 kg to 120 kg per month. High Purity lipids are used in the pharmaceutical, nutraceutical, healthcare, and personal care industries. For the first time in India, the facility will also produce pharmaceutical egg lecithin, an ingredient commonly used in the pharmaceutical and cosmetics industry. Pharmaceutical companies widely use pharmaceutical egg lecithin to make propofol, an anaesthetic, mucormycosis drugs and total parenteral nutrition products. VAV’s facility will produce 1000 kg of egg lecithin per month.

The new capacity will be operational from August 2023 and will boost VAV’s sales by about 3.5 times from its current Rs. 17 crores (USD 2 million) to about Rs. 60 crores (USD 7.5 million) by 2025. The company has invested Rs. 20 crore (US$ 2.5 million) to expand and upgrade the facility.

Speaking of the expansion, Arun Kedia, Managing Director of VAV Lipids, said, “We are continuously expanding our capacity in existing specialized lipid product lines to align production capacity with the needs of the customers. With constantly evolving R&D projects, we intend to tap new markets and novel opportunities in the pharmaceutical and premium nutraceutical industry in coming years.”

VAV Lipids is among the world’s leading manufacturers of phospholipids and lecithin. The company’s product portfolio includes plant phospholipids (LECIVA), Animal phospholipids (LIPOVA), synthetic phospholipids, and neutral lipids. The other products include APIs and speciality proteins made at the Ratnagiri facility. VAV exports almost 80% of its products to North America, Europe, and Asia.

VAV’s lipid production facility is EU GMP certified and conforms to the best global practices and world-class standards for sustainability and safety. The company follows the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) standards laid down by the US department of Labor regarding human safety, comfort, and long-term occupational health. The company has logged zero “Lost Time Accidents” since its inception in 2017. VAV Lipids is also on track to achieving Net Zero emissions status based on internal calculations of onsite fossil fuels consumed.