Advent International, one of the largest and most experienced global private equity investors, has signed a definitive agreement to acquire a majority stake in ZCL Chemicals Limited, one the fastest growing pharmaceutical companies in India. The business was formerly known as Zandu Chemicals Ltd.
With this transaction, Morgan Stanley Private Equity Asia (MSPEA), a private equity platform that previously managed a minority investment in ZCL, will exit their investment.
ZCL is one of the fastest growing manufacturers of specialty active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) and advanced intermediates. ZCL’s highly specialised approach focuses on niche therapeutic areas, underpinned by complex chemistry, supported by a state-of-the-art US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved facility, along with strong research & development capabilities.
The company has delivered impressive growth over the past few years, has leading market positions in its existing products, and is developing a strong pipeline of high potential products that is expected to drive the next phase of its growth.
“ZCL will be our third pharmaceuticals investment in India and the second in the API space. ZCL is a high-growth business, led by a capable management team, which will further fortify our presence in the API market, a key sub-sector focus of ours,” said Shweta Jalan, managing director and head of India at Advent International, India.
Over the last 12 months, Advent has committed over $1.2 billion globally across the healthcare sector. The firm has also committed over $600 million in four Indian businesses over the same period in varied sectors such as healthcare, consumer, and financial services amongst others.
“We are impressed with ZCL’s differentiated product portfolio, strong pipeline and its high focus on quality and compliance. The acquisition of ZCL helps us get closer to our goal of creating a top five merchant API platform in India,” said Pankaj Patwari, director, Advent International India.
“We are very pleased with this transaction and excited to partner with Advent. We are very excited for the future of ZCL, and strongly believe Advent’s global expertise in the pharmaceutical space, combined with ZCL’s strong capabilities in manufacturing and R&D and a culture of customer centricity, will ensure that we keep up our tradition of delivering immense customer value,” said Nihar Parikh, executive director of ZCL Chemicals Ltd.
\
“ZCL was one of MSPEA's first investments in the healthcare and life sciences sector in India, and we are happy with the progress the company has made in the last 4 years. Today, it is well positioned to embark on the next phase of growth, with a strong product portfolio and focus on quality standards”, said Nirav Mehta, managing director and co-head of Morgan Stanley Private Equity India.
Advent has been investing in India since 2007. In this time, it has deployed over $1.7 billion in 12 companies with headquarters or operations in the country. In addition to ZCL, new investments in last 12 months include RA Chem Ltd, a vertically integrated pharmaceutical company; Bharat Serums and Vaccines (BSV), a biopharmaceutical leader in women’s health and critical care; and Aditya Birla Capital, the holding company of the financial services businesses of Aditya Birla Group (ABG), an Indian multinational conglomerate.
The transaction will be subject to customary closing conditions.
