The Anthea Group is a private group of companies based in Mumbai, India, engaged in the manufacture and export of speciality chemicals. The Group's product portfolio includes fragrance and flavour chemicals, as well as chemicals used in applications such as pharmaceuticals, flame-retardant polymers, and agrochemicals. The company markets its products in regions including North and South America, Europe, and the Asia-Pacific region.
The Anthea Group has its origins to 1991 with the establishment of Anthea Aromatics Pvt. Ltd. (AAPL) in Navi Mumbai, India, for the manufacture of speciality chemicals used in the perfumery and flavour industry.In 2002, the company established a manufacturing facility in Roha, Maharashtra.
In 2007, AAPL entered into a 50:50 joint venture with , a French company engaged in the development and manufacture of resin and terpene derivatives. In 2008, the Anthea Group acquired Crown Chemicals Pvt. Ltd., a manufacturing facility located in Tarapur MIDC. In 2011, acquired a stake in Crown Chemicals, which later became a 50:50 joint venture between DRT and the Anthea Group.
In 2016, ICICI Venture, the private equity arm of ICICI Bank, invested approximately â¹120 crore in the Anthea Group for a minority stake.
The Anthea Group includes multiple companies, including Anthea Aromatics, which was founded by Vincent Paul. He previously served as head of organic chemistry at Hindustan Lever Ltd.
The Anthea Group includes the following companies, spread across 4 locations.
The Research and Development Center of the Anthea Group is located in Rabale, Navi Mumbai. The Anthea Group claims special focus on green chemistry and eco-friendly processes. The R&D lab has been certified by the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research (India) since 2004.
Heliotropin (also known as Piperonal), an extract of the Sassafras tree, is used in the manufacture of perfumes, soaps and body lotions. Natural Heliotropin is obtained from Sassafras oil which is extracted from the roots of the Sassafras tree, a species of deciduous trees in the family Lauraceae. The massive commercial felling of Sassafras forests has led to the danger of extinction of the species. It is estimated that around 5 million trees are cut down every year to meet the worldwide demand for Heliotropin. The Anthea Group through its in-house research developed a synthetic grade of Heliotropin having a high purity, and has set up manufacturing facilities in Group company, Crown Chemicals. Synthetic Piperonal manufactured in Crown Chemicals is widely used in Fragrance, Flavour and Pharmaceutical applications.
The US Food and Drug Administration has found synthetic Piperonal to be safe for human consumption.