Active Char Products

What Active Char Products does

Active Char Products Pvt. Ltd. (ACPL) is a Kerala, India-based manufacturer of coconut shell charcoal-based steam activated carbon, established in 2005 as a 100% Export Oriented Unit. It is one of three carbon companies under the M Far Group, a diversified multinational with US$ 6 billion in turnover, and operates from a manufacturing facility in the Industrial Development Area of Binanipuram, Edayar, Ernakulam. The company is described as one of the largest coconut shell-based steam activated carbon manufacturers globally, with access to 16,000 metric tons of annual group-level production capacity, and serves customers in more than 52 countries.

ACPL's product portfolio spans four core SKUs (granular activated carbon in various USS mesh sizes, acid washed granular, silver impregnated granular, and powdered) and eleven specialty application products targeting water treatment, air purification, gold extraction, petroleum & gas purification, chemical processing, food & beverage, nuclear, respiratory/gas mask, flue gas, supercapacitor energy storage, and cigarette filtration. The underlying technology is steam activation, marketed as an environmentally friendly, zero-carbon-footprint process ('Green Carb' line), producing carbons with surface area of 500–2000 m²/g, high hardness, low ash, and customizable mesh sizes from 4 to 325.

The business model is direct B2B sales of industrial materials to enterprise customers, priced via inquiry and quote rather than published list prices. ACPL markets primarily through its corporate website (activechar.com), supports product discovery via downloadable application-specific brochures, and captures leads through a website contact form segmented by industry. The company holds ANSI/NSF Standard 61, ISO 9001-2008, and Sedex certifications, and its products are stated to meet ASTM, AARL, JIS, AWWA, NSF, EU, and BIS standards. It has been recognized with the Coconut Development Board's Technical Innovation Award, the Ministry of Commerce & Industry's Export Excellence Award, and a Business Today / Yes Bank 'Best Medium Size Company in India' designation. Leadership is headed by Dr. P. Mohamed Ali, Vice Chairman & Managing Director, also of Galfar Engineering and Contracting SAOG (Muscat).

Name

Active Char Products

Legal name

Active Char Products Pvt. Ltd.

Website

https://activechar.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2005

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Active Char Products is a Kerala, India-based, 100% export-oriented manufacturer of coconut shell-based steam activated carbon, serving water treatment, air purification, gold extraction, petroleum, chemical, food & beverage, and energy storage customers in 52+ countries under the M Far Group.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Activated Carbon Manufacturing

NAICS

Carbon and Graphite Product Manufacturing (335991)

SIC

Industrial Organic Chemicals (2860)

akta.pro primary industry

Activated Carbon & Carbon Adsorbents (IMAEAIAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Water Treatment Adsorbents (GAC/PAC/Media) (IMAEAIAK), Bio-based Carbon Products & Advanced Bioproducts (Biochar, activated carbon, carbon black alternatives) (EUAAAIAM)

Keywords

• Activated carbon manufacturing
• Coconut shell charcoal
• Steam activated carbon
• Granular activated carbon
• Industrial adsorbent products

Headquarters

HQ city

Ernakulam

HQ country

India

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Activated Carbon Product Sales: ACPL generates revenue through manufacturing and exporting coconut shell-based steam activated carbon products. The company sells various grades of granular and powdered activated carbon in standard and custom mesh sizes, including virgin, acid washed, and silver-impregnated variants. Revenue is generated through product sales to industrial customers in over 52 countries.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Active Char Products Pvt. Ltd. (ACPL) manufactures and exports coconut shell charcoal-based steam activated carbon in granular and powdered forms. The company produces standard, acid washed, and silver impregnated variants as core products, alongside specialty application products such as H2S carbon, gas mask carbon, gold extraction carbon, petroleum purification carbon, super capacitor carbon, and food & beverage grade carbon. Products are sold to industrial customers globally across water treatment, air purification, gold mining, chemical, petroleum & gas, food & beverage, and electronics sectors.

Product overview

Active Char Products Pvt. Ltd (ACPL) is one of the largest manufacturers of coconut shell charcoal based steam activated carbon in the world. The company offers a portfolio of activated carbon products categorized as core products (Granular Activated Carbon in various USS mesh sizes, Acid Washed Granular Activated Carbon, Silver Impregnated Granular Activated Carbon, and Powdered Activated Carbon) and specialty application products (ACPL H2S Carbon, ACPL Nuclear Carbon, ACPL Water Carbon, ACPL Gas Mask Carbon, ACPL Gold Carbon, ACPL Petroleum & Gas Purification Carbon, ACPL Chemical Purification Carbon, ACPL Flue Gas Carbon, ACPL Super Capacitor Carbon, ACPL Food & Beverage Carbon, ACPL Cigarette Filter Carbon). The core products form the foundation with various mesh sizes and treatment types, while specialty products are tailored for specific industry applications including water treatment, air purification, gold extraction, petroleum refining, chemical processing, energy storage, and food/beverage industries. The company exports to more than 52 countries serving water, air, petroleum & gas, chemicals, food & beverage, precious metal extraction, and energy storage sectors.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• ACPL H2S Carbon Activated carbon specifically designed for hydrogen sulfide (H2S) removal applications, used in sewage water treatment and industrial processes.
• ACPL Nuclear Carbon High-grade impregnated activated carbon from coconut shell based charcoal designed for nuclear power station applications, used to tackle air and water contaminations.
• ACPL Water Carbon Activated carbon for drinking water and industrial water treatment applications, including municipal water treatment, POE/POU filters, and groundwater remediation.
• ACPL Gas Mask Carbon High-grade activated carbon for personal protection equipment including industrial masks, military masks, and underwater breathing apparatus for protection against toxic gases. Includes chromium-free respiratory carbon and impregnated carbon for toxic gas removal.
• ACPL Gold Carbon Technically superior activated carbon for gold mining industry used in Carbon in Leach, Carbon in Pulp, or Carbon in Column processes, designed to maximize gold loading and adsorption kinetics.
• ACPL Petroleum & Gas Purification Carbon Activated carbon for petroleum refinery applications including recovery of gasoline vapors, benzene, solvents, and hydrogen sulfide gas removal during sour crude oil processing.
• ACPL Chemical Purification Carbon Activated carbon used as catalyst and catalyst support in chemical industries, including chlorination reactions, glyphosate production, Merox process, and precious metal catalyst carriers.
• ACPL Flue Gas Carbon Virgin and impregnated activated carbon for adsorbing dioxins, mercury, and heavy metals from flue gases in waste-to-energy, hazardous waste, and clinical waste incineration plants.
• ACPL Super Capacitor Carbon High porous activated carbon for supercapacitor/EDLC electrodes, providing high surface area up to 2000 m2/g for energy storage applications in vehicles and fast-charging devices.
• ACPL Food & Beverage Carbon Food grade activated carbon for purification, dechlorination, and deodorization of edible oils and beverages, including sugar refining and decaffeination applications.
• ACPL Cigarette Filter Carbon Steam activated coconut shell based activated carbon for cigarette filters, known for highest micro porosity and high degree of hardness for selective reduction of vapor phase smoke toxicants.
• Granular Activated Carbon (Various USS Mesh Sizes) Coconut shell based steam activated granular carbon available in various mesh sizes (4x8 to 60x200) for liquid and gas phase applications across multiple industries.
• Acid Washed Granular Activated Carbon Acid washed granular activated carbon in various mesh sizes (8x30 to 50x100) for applications requiring low ash content and high purity. NSF/ANSI Standard 61 certified for drinking water applications.
• Silver Impregnated Granular Activated Carbon Silver impregnated granular activated carbon with 0.01% to 0.2% silver content for antimicrobial applications in various mesh sizes.
• Powdered Activated Carbon Powdered activated carbon with particle size distribution from 5 to 150 micrometer (-325 mesh) for liquid phase applications and flue gas applications.

Quantifiable outcome

• Surface area of 500-2000 m2/g (3 grams can have surface area equivalent to a football field)
• +3 more outcomes

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Cabot Corporation: Cabot Corporation is a global specialty chemicals and performance materials company with activated carbon as one segment alongside carbon blacks and specialty fluids. While broader in scope than ACPL, it competes in carbon adsorbents and represents an incumbent with deeper R&D and global reach.
• Evoqua Water Technologies: Evoqua is a major water treatment solutions provider that consumes and distributes activated carbon as part of broader municipal and industrial water portfolios. While not a carbon manufacturer at ACPL's scale, it is a key channel partner and competitor for water treatment end-customers.
• Oxbow Carbon: Oxbow Carbon is a global producer and distributor of petroleum coke and other carbon-based products serving energy, aluminum, and industrial markets. It is a broader carbon industry incumbent with some overlap in industrial carbon adsorbents and similar feedstock/value-chain dynamics.
• Kuraray Co., Ltd. Kuraray (parent of Calgon Carbon) is a Japanese specialty chemicals conglomerate with a significant activated carbon business serving water and industrial markets. It overlaps with ACPL's water and air purification segments and represents a vertically integrated multinational competitor.

Direct peers

• Calgon Carbon Corporation: Calgon Carbon (a Kuraray subsidiary) is a leading global manufacturer of activated carbon serving municipal water, industrial air, and food/beverage markets. It directly competes with ACPL's specialty carbons and represents a key reference competitor in standard and impregnated grades.
• Jacobi Carbons: Jacobi Carbons is one of the world's largest activated carbon producers, offering coconut, coal, and wood-based grades for water, air, food, and gold extraction. It directly competes with ACPL across all major application segments and provides the benchmark for global activated carbon commercial scale.
• Carbon Activated Corporation: Carbon Activated Corporation is a US-based manufacturer and supplier of activated carbon for water treatment, air purification, and industrial processes. It is a direct mid-tier peer competing in similar specialty carbon grades for municipal and industrial end-customers.
• Desotec Activated Carbon: Desotec is a European activated carbon specialist focused on mobile and stationary air purification, water treatment, and industrial process applications. It directly competes with ACPL's air and water carbons and offers a comparable specialty impregnated carbon portfolio.
• Haycarb PLC: Haycarb is a Sri Lankan manufacturer of coconut shell-based activated carbon with global export reach across water, air, gold, and industrial applications. It is the closest publicly comparable peer to ACPL, sharing the same coconut shell feedstock base, steam activation technology, and export-oriented B2B go-to-market model.
• CPL Activated Carbon (Carbon Link): CPL Activated Carbon is a UK-based activated carbon supplier and reactivation specialist serving water, air, and industrial markets. It directly overlaps with ACPL in water and air purification grades and represents a comparable mid-sized export-focused competitor.

Market position

Strengths1 record

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/profile.php

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 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 Active Char Products