What Sterling Gelatin does

Sterling Gelatin (legal entity Sterling Biotech Limited) is an Indian manufacturer of pharmaceutical-grade and food-grade gelatin, and bone-based Di-Calcium Phosphate (DCP), with operations anchored in Vadodara, Gujarat since 1996. The company produces gelatin from collagen-rich buffalo bones through a controlled sequence of acidulation, liming (notably a 20-day soak in calcium hydroxide), washing, neutralization, extraction, filtration, deionization, concentration, Direct Steam Injector (DSI) sterilization, Votator solidification, and 8-zone tunnel drying, then sells it in IP/BP/USP-compliant grades to capsule manufacturers, pharmaceutical formulators, food producers, and nutraceutical customers across 15+ countries. Its DCP product line, sold under the Sterling DCP sub-brand, serves the Indian poultry and animal-feed industry, and Sterling self-identifies as one of the largest single-site pharmaceutical-grade gelatin manufacturers in India.

The business is a B2B bulk excipient and feed-input manufacturer using a direct enterprise sales motion: dedicated sales contacts (e.g., Jitendra J Sharma for gelatin, Divyang Shethiya for DCP) handle quote-based bulk orders; the company holds 2-Star Export House status and a comprehensive certification stack including GMP, EDQM, ISO 9001:2015, ISO 22000:2018, ISO 14001:2015, IFANCA Halal, MUI Halal, SKO Kosher, and CAPEXIL approval. Customer segments include pharmaceutical capsule makers (described as the world's largest), food and confectionery players, nutraceuticals, and poultry integrators; Sterling reports serving 1000+ customers worldwide.

Sterling was acquired by US-based Perfect Day Inc. as a going concern in November 2022 following NCLT liquidation proceedings, and previously completed the inorganic acquisition of Rallis Gelatin, Ooty from the Tata Group in 2022. In 2024 it formed a strategic joint venture with Zydus Lifescience Ltd targeting healthcare and nutrition adjacencies, and it has continued to expand manufacturing capacity with a new ORCA unit at Dahej alongside its four existing Gujarat plants. Leadership comprises CFO Anil Inani, President-Operations Priyadarshan Singh, VP-Marketing Jitendra Sharma, and VP-Quality Vikram Kale.

Name

Sterling Gelatin

Legal name

Sterling Biotech Limited

Website

https://sterlinggelatin.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1995

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Sterling Gelatin manufactures pharmaceutical- and food-grade gelatin and bone-based Di-Calcium Phosphate (DCP) from buffalo bones in Gujarat, India, supplying capsule makers, food producers, nutraceutical firms, and poultry integrators across 15+ countries, and is owned by Perfect Day Inc.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Gelatin and Specialty Ingredients Manufacturing

NAICS

Animal Food Manufacturing (31111), Other Animal Food Manufacturing (311119), Animal Food Manufacturing (3111)

SIC

Canned, Frozen & Preservd Fruit, Veg & Food Specialties (2030)

akta.pro primary industry

Gelatin & Collagen Hydrolysates (Animal-Based Gelling Agents) (AFAJABAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Gelatin & Animal-Derived Hydrocolloids (Gelatin, Collagen, Isinglass) (AFAJAMAG), Animal-Derived Protein Ingredients (Egg, Collagen/Gelatin, Blood/Plasma Proteins) (AFAJAHAB), Hydrocolloids, Thickeners & Gelling Agents (Pectin, Xanthan, Carrageenan, Gelatin) (CRADAOAD), Collagen, Gelatin & Protein Hydrolysates (Animal-Derived) (AFANAGAI), Milk Replacers, Colostrum & Neonatal Nutrition (HLAMAHAJ)

Keywords

• Pharmaceutical gelatin
• Edible gelatin
• Dicalcium phosphate
• Capsule grade gelatin
• Bone-based gelatin

Headquarters

HQ city

Vadodara

HQ country

India

HQ region

Asia

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Gelatin Products: Sale of pharmaceutical-grade, food-grade, and technical-grade gelatin. Primary revenue stream from capsule manufacturers, pharmaceutical companies, and food industry. Products include Edible Gelatin and Pharmaceutical Gelatin.
2. Di-Calcium Phosphate (DCP): Bone-based Dicalcium Phosphate for poultry and animal nutrition. One of the largest and most dominant players in the Indian market for DCP.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels1 record

Core offering

Sterling Gelatin manufactures high-purity pharmaceutical-grade and food-grade (edible) gelatin from collagen-rich buffalo bones via controlled acidulation, liming, washing, neutralization, extraction, filtration, deionization, concentration, sterilization, solidification, and drying. Its secondary offering is bone-based Di-Calcium Phosphate (DCP), used as a calcium and phosphorus supplement in poultry and animal nutrition.

Product overview

Sterling Gelatin operates as a manufacturer of high-purity gelatin and related products. The core product portfolio includes Gelatin (divided into Pharmaceutical Gelatin for capsule shells, tablet coatings, and controlled-release formulations, and Edible Gelatin for food applications), along with Di-Calcium Phosphate (DCP) as an animal nutrition supplement. These products share manufacturing infrastructure and raw material sourcing (buffalo bones), with gelatin production utilizing collagen extraction and DCP derived from bone-based calcium phosphate.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Sterling DCP: Bone-Based Di-Calcium Phosphate (DCP) products for poultry nutrition and animal feed supplements.

Products and services

• Gelatin High-purity gelatin produced from collagen-rich buffalo bones through controlled alkaline or acid hydrolysis, supplied in pharmaceutical, food, and nutraceutical grades for B2B buyers.
• Pharmaceutical Gelatin Pharmaceutical-grade gelatin meeting IP, BP, USP, and EDQM/Ph. Eur. standards, used by capsule manufacturers for hard and soft gelatin capsules, tablet binding and coatings, suppositories, lozenges, and controlled-release formulations.
• Edible Gelatin Food-grade gelatin supplied for confectionery products, dairy and desserts, processed meats and aspics, bakery fillings and toppings, and beverage clarification.
• Di-Calcium Phosphate (DCP) Bone-based Dicalcium Phosphate (CaHPO4) used as a poultry feed supplement providing highly bioavailable calcium and phosphorus for bone strength, eggshell quality, and feed conversion efficiency.

Quantifiable outcome

• Products stable for up to five years under proper storage conditions
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and historical.

• Zydus Lifescience LtdcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Strategic joint venture with Zydus Lifescience Ltd in 2024 to enhance market presence and capabilities. Zydus is a leading Indian pharmaceutical company. The JV with Perfect Day and Zydus represents a strategic partnership to enhance market presence in the healthcare and nutritional space.
• Perfect Day Inc.coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 November 2022Perfect Day Inc., a U.S.-based food technology company specializing in precision fermentation, acquired Sterling Biotech Limited as a going concern in November 2022. The acquisition was completed following NCLT liquidation proceedings. Perfect Day aimed to leverage Sterling's manufacturing capabilities to expand its production of animal-free dairy proteins and explore new ingredient opportunities.
• Rallis Gelatin, Ooty (A Tata Group Company)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Acquisition of Rallis Gelatin in Ooty, a Tata Group company, in 2022. This strategic acquisition marked a major expansion through inorganic growth for Sterling Gelatin.
• Croda Colloids of UKhistoricalTechnology or Integration · 1 January 1997Technical collaboration established with Croda Colloids of UK in 1997 when the Gelatin unit was formed. This early technical partnership provided industry expertise and technology transfer for gelatin manufacturing operations.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Weishardt Group: European gelatin and collagen producer serving food, nutraceutical, and pharmaceutical customers. Directly comparable in product range to Sterling's edible and pharma-grade gelatin offerings.
• Trobas Gelatine B.V. Dutch porcine and bovine gelatin manufacturer for food and pharmaceutical industries. Directly comparable in pharmaceutical-grade gelatin production and serves similar export markets as Sterling.
• Nitta Gelatin Inc. Japanese gelatin and collagen manufacturer with pharmaceutical, food, and edible applications. Comparable product mix to Sterling and a significant player in Asian gelatin markets overlapping with Sterling's export footprint.
• India Gelatine & Chemicals Limited: Indian gelatin manufacturer producing edible and pharmaceutical-grade gelatin, directly competing with Sterling in the domestic Indian market. Closest geographic competitor.

Broad incumbents

• Gelita AG: One of the world's largest gelatin and collagen peptide producers, serving pharmaceutical, food, and technical industries. Strong overlap with Sterling's pharmaceutical-grade and edible gelatin product lines across global markets.
• Rousselot (Darling Ingredients): Global leader in gelatin manufacturing across pharmaceutical, food, and nutraceutical applications. Direct competitor to Sterling in pharmaceutical-grade gelatin capsules and food-grade gelatin, with a much larger global footprint.
• PB Leiner (Tessenderlo Group): Major bovine and porcine gelatin manufacturer supplying pharmaceutical capsules, food, and technical applications. Competes directly with Sterling in pharma-grade gelatin and benefits from similar vertical integration.
• Kerry Group (Hydrocolloids): Global ingredients company with hydrocolloid and gelatin offerings serving food and beverage manufacturers. Competes with Sterling's food-grade gelatin in confectionery, dairy, and processed food applications.

Regional players

• Chemcolloids Ltd: Manufacturer of gelatin and collagen peptides for food, pharmaceutical, and nutraceutical applications, primarily serving South Asian markets. Comparable product portfolio with overlapping customer base in India and neighboring regions.

Others

• Perfect Day Inc. Parent company and precision fermentation dairy protein producer. While not a direct gelatin competitor, it owns Sterling Biotech and represents both a strategic backer and a disruptive force in animal-derived protein markets.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Compliance9 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Sterling Gelatin