India Castor Oil Strategy Guide

Diverse Business Potential for Castor Oil Chemicals

Leveraging India’s Advantage in Castor Oil Products

An Intelligence Report from CastorOil.in

Published May 2015

Price: US$175

The report is divided into the following sections:

1. Current Status of the Castor Oil Industry and India’s Position
2. Existing and Future Potential for Growth in the Castor Oil Industry
3. What’s Required for India to Exploit the Potential

Current Status of the Castor Oil Industry and India’s Status

Castor oil is a unique oil with an exceptional variety of applications. And India enjoys a unique status as the undisputed leader in the production of castor oil.

This section provides details on the variety of applications and industries for which castor oil and its derivatives are currently used.

It covers the following industry segments

• Agriculture
• Food
• Textile Chemicals
• Paper
• Plastics & Rubber
• Cosmetics & Perfumeries
• Electronics & Telecommunications
• Pharmaceuticals
• Paints, Inks & Additives
• Lubricants

India’s Status in the Industry

India is the undisputed leader in castor oil production. India supplies over 75% of the total production of castor oil in the world.

This section provides details and perspectives on existing and future growth potential for India

It also analyses the reasons behind the gap that exists between the potential and India’s current status and achievements in the castor oil sector.

Low Value Addition by the Indian Castor Oil Industry

Details are provided on how the Indian castor oil industry is doing on the various grades and derivatives of castor oil

Details are also provided on the extent to which India is losing out on value addition in the castor derivatives segment

What is the Existing & Current Potential that the Indian Castor Industry should capitalize on?

While India makes about $650-700 million per year on castor oil exports, the margins on these are less than 10% most times, owing to the commodity nature of India’s exports. Thus, India actually makes profits of only about $50 million.

This section provides data on the value being missed out by India.

Growth of Key End-user Industry Segments for Castor Oil Derivatives

This section takes a look at the potential in specific market segments that exists in the value-added castor oil derivatives market.

It has a specific focus on the following sectors

• Lubricants & Greases
• Coatings
• Personal Care & Detergent
• Surfactants
• Oleochemicals

Growth Prospects for Bio-based Products

Based on various research data, this section provides size estimates for the following markets for emerging uses of bio-based products:

• Biofuels
• Plant extracts
• Biopolymers
• Bulk Chemicals
• Bio-active ingredients
• Oleochemicals
• Enzymes

Future Potential for Higher Generation Castor Oil Derivatives

Looking at the future potential for specific castor oil derivatives, a table provides CastorOil.in estimates of the current demand / consumption for select higher generation derivatives of castor oil and future demand supply gaps for these.

Estimates for current demand and future demand-supply gas are provided for the following derivatives

• Hydrogenated castor oil
• 12-Hydroxy stearic acid
• Ricinoleic Acid
• Sebacic Acid
• Methyl 12-HSA
• Castor Oil Low Moisture
• Ethoxylated Castor Oil
• C-7 Derivatives of Castor Oil such as Heptanoic Acid, Heptaldehyde and Heptanol
• Undecylenic Acid and salts of this acid
• Methyl Ricinoleate
• Zinc Ricinoleate

Inferences on the Existing & Future Potential for Castor Oil Derivatives

Data and inputs provided in this section to analyze the potential for growth in India’s castor oil exports if the industry re-jigs itself and tunes itself to catering to these high growth markets.

Also discussed is: What needs to be done to exploit the Potential?

A final list of strategies is provided for India in order to ready itself to benefit from these opportunities

The price of the India Castor Oil Strategy Guide is $175 (Rs 10,000).