Truetone Ink
Truetone Ink is an Ahmedabad-based natural dye technology company serving 500+ global fashion brands and textile manufacturers with patented herbal dye products, custom dyeing services, and training programs via ColorAshram Foundation.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1991
- HeadquartersAhmedabad, India
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Truetone Ink does
Truetone Ink Pvt Ltd is an Ahmedabad, India-based natural dye technology company founded in 1991, operating with a small team of 7 employees and serving 500+ fashion brands and textile manufacturers worldwide. The company's core technology consists of patented herbal dyeing formulations derived from Ayurvedic principles, with granted patents in both the United States and India (2007), a waterless dye formulation patent (2021), and the proprietary Amrut Dyes 'never-ending dye bath' system that reduces dyeing costs by approximately 70% versus traditional methods. The technology portfolio also includes one-step dyeing innovation (2015), a pad batch dyeing system for bulk processing (2025), and 14 algae-based microbial dye shades developed under UK-India sustainability grants (2024-2025).
The business operates a hybrid B2B/B2C model across four revenue streams: dye product sales (CPD Dyes, Amrut Dyes, microbial dyes, printing pastes, wood/water/Holi colors, and DIY home kits), custom dyeing and printing services (machine, hand, yarn, garment, screen, block, eco, tie-dye, and hand painting), training and consultancy via the ColorAshram Foundation in Mysore, and pre-dyed fabric sales through a Shopify e-commerce storefront. GOTS certification, ZDHC compliance, and international event presence (Future Fabrics Expo London, NIFT Bengaluru, CBI Bangladesh workshops) underpin the go-to-market. Customers range from enterprise fashion brands and textile manufacturers seeking sustainable dye supply chains to artisans, startup fashion brands, and individual consumers purchasing DIY kits at ₹1,200-1,500 per kit.
Truetone Ink firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Truetone Ink
- Legal name
- Truetone Ink Pvt Ltd
- Website
- https://truetoneink.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1991
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Truetone Ink is an Ahmedabad-based natural dye technology company serving 500+ global fashion brands and textile manufacturers with patented herbal dye products, custom dyeing services, and training programs via ColorAshram Foundation.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Truetone Ink industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Natural Textile Dyes
- NAICS
- Synthetic Dye and Pigment Manufacturing (32513), Synthetic Dye and Pigment Manufacturing (325130), Printing Ink Manufacturing (325910)
- SIC
- Industrial Organic Chemicals (2860), Apparel & Other Finishd Prods Of Fabrics & Similar Matl (2300)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Pigments & Dyes (IMAEAHAJ)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Dyeing, Printing & Finishing (Chemical & Mechanical) (CRAAAMAJ), Printing Operations (Rotary/Flat/Digital/Sublimation) (IMAOACAC), Colored, Art & Premium Paper Manufacturing (IMAMAEAG)
Keywords
Where Truetone Ink is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Ahmedabad
- HQ country
- India
- HQ region
- Asia
Offices2 records
Markets served
Truetone Ink business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Dye Product Sales: Sale of natural dye products including CPD Dyes (concentrated powder dyes), Amrut Dyes (permanent dye bath systems), microbial dyes, printing pastes, wood colors, water colors, Holi colors, and DIY home dye kits. Products sold in powder and paste forms with minimum order of 100 grams (powder) or 1 kg (paste).
- Dyeing and Printing Services: Custom dyeing and printing services for third-party brands and designers. Services include machine dyeing (MOQ 200m), hand dyeing (MOQ 1-50m), yarn dyeing (MOQ 50kg), garment/piece dyeing (MOQ 50 pieces), screen printing (MOQ 100m), block printing (MOQ 25m), eco-printing (MOQ 25m), tie & dye (MOQ 25m), and hand painting (MOQ 25m).
- Training and Consultancy: Education programs including consultancy services for brands and designers, structured training programs for artisans and production teams, experiential workshops for institutions, and incubation programs for early-stage natural dye brands. Training varies from half-day to three-day sessions, customizable.
- Fabric Sales: Sale of pre-dyed fabrics including organic cotton cambric, modal silk, and various naturally dyed textiles through their e-commerce store. Stock fabrics available in varying lengths.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | One time/ perpetual license | DIY Home Dye Kits - One Step Natural Dyeing Kit |
| Unit Pricing | One time/ perpetual license | DIY Home Dye Kits - Natural Indigo and Shibori |
| Unit Pricing | One time/ perpetual license | DIY Kits - Fabric Painting with Natural Dye Paste |
| Unit Pricing | One time/ perpetual license | DIY Kits - Natural Water Colors |
| Unit Pricing | One time/ perpetual license | Fabric Swatch Sets |
| Unit Pricing | One time/ perpetual license | Pre-dyed Fabrics |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Custom Manufacturing Services |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels5 records
Truetone Ink product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Truetone Ink manufactures and sells GOTS-certified, plant-based natural textile dyes (CPD, Amrut, Microbial, Wood Colors, Printing Paste, Water Colors, Holi Colors, Paper Painting Paste) and provides custom dyeing, fabric printing, training, consultancy, and R&D services to fashion brands and textile manufacturers. The company also retails a small consumer line of DIY natural-dye kits, fabric painting kits, and pre-dyed fabrics via its Shopify store.
Product overview
Truetone Ink is a natural dye technology and sustainable textile solutions company operating a multi-product, multi-service portfolio. The core offering consists of certified natural dye product lines — CPD Dyes (standardised commercial-grade dyes), Amrut Dyes (the proprietary 'never-ending' permanent dye bath system requiring no heat or mordants), Microbial Dyes (14 algae-based shades developed with UK–India grant support), Wood Colors, Printing Paste, CBP Dyes Paste, Water Colors, Holi Colors, and Paper Painting Paste — sold alongside finished dyed fabrics (organic cotton cambric, modal silk in various natural shades). Complementary add-on products include 4 distinct DIY home dyeing kit formats (Natural Indigo & Shibori, One Step Dyeing, Fabric Painting Paste, Natural Water Colors), fabric swatch sets, and shade cards. The service arm encompasses industrial and artisanal dyeing (machine, hand, yarn, garment, tie-dye, ombre), printing (screen, block, eco, resist, abstract, hand painting), and advisory services (consultancy, training, R&D collaboration, experiential workshops, and an incubation programme for early-stage natural dye brands). The company also operates the ColorAshram Foundation as an education and awareness arm. All offerings are unified by GOTS-certified, patented herbal dyeing technology with patents held in both India and the US.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- ColorAshram Foundation: Natural dye institute focused on education, awareness, and skill development in sustainable dyeing practices, offering training programs and workshops for brands, designers, and hobbyists.
- Amrut Dyes
Products and services
- CPD (Concentrated Powder Dyes) Concentrated powder natural dye line for textile and apparel applications, used by fashion brands, textile manufacturers, and artisans seeking GOTS-certified, plant-based colorants.
- Amrut Dyes Patented, one-step, waterless permanent natural dye system designed to cut dyeing cost by approximately 70% and enable scalable, eco-friendly production for fashion and textile manufacturers.
- Microbial (Algae-based) Dyes Algae- and microbial-derived natural dye range positioned as a frontier sustainable colorant for textile and apparel customers.
- Wood Colors
- Printing Paste
- CBP Dyes Paste
- Water Colors
- Holi Colors
- Paper Painting Paste
- Natural Indigo & Shibori DIY Kit
- One Step Natural Dyeing Kit
- Fabric Painting Kit
- Natural Water Colors Kit
- Contract Dyeing Services
- Contract Printing Services
- Training, Consultancy & R&D Services
Quantifiable outcome
- 70% cost reduction with Amrut Dyes compared to traditional natural dyeing
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Truetone Ink
Customer profileNamed customers1 record
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Truetone Ink technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature5 records
Truetone Ink partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- CBI (Centre for the Promotion of Imports from developing countries)coreCBI collaboration to take True Tone Ink's natural dyeing expertise to Bangladesh. Three-day workshop for textile SMEs focusing on practical approaches to commercial natural yarn dyeing in hanks, working in live production-style environment.
- International Trade Centre (ITC)coreITC commissioned a 6-day Natural Dye Training Workshop under the United Kingdom Trade Partnerships (UKTP) initiative. Mr. Arun Baid from Truetone Ink served as trainer for artisans from five pashmina wool industries in Nepal, focusing on traditional and extract-based natural dyeing techniques.
- British Council (UK)coreBritish Council facilitated the connection between Truetone Ink and Sukkha Citta, Indonesia. The British Council had previously supported Sukkha Citta as one of their success stories, and facilitated collaboration for natural dyeing knowledge exchange and technique refinement.
- Post Carbon LabminorCollaboration at Future Fabric Expo 2024 to showcase revolutionary microbial dyes. Partnership demonstrated rising international interest in sustainable textile innovation and natural color solutions.
- Sukkha Citta, IndonesiaminorCollaboration on refining and discovering efficient techniques for natural dyeing including yarn dyeing, batik, plain dyeing, and handloom weaving. Visit marked return to Indonesia after 40 years.
- ColorAshram FoundationcoreFounded by Truetone Ink as dedicated natural dye institute for education, awareness, and skill development. Ms. Namrata leads structured platform offering training programs and workshops. Continues to run successfully in Mysore.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves8 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Truetone Ink competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Archroma: Global specialty chemicals company offering textile dyes and coatings including the EarthColors bio-based range. Broad incumbent that competes across the full textile dye market including the sustainable segment Truetone targets.
- Huntsman Textile Effects: Large-scale textile dyes and chemicals manufacturer with growing sustainable dye portfolio. Incumbent competitor that dwarfs Truetone in scale and could compress niche economics through price competition on bio-based alternatives.
Direct peers
- Botanical Colors: US-based natural dye supplier offering plant-derived dyes and pigments for textiles, cosmetics, and food. Directly comparable as a small specialty natural dye manufacturer selling to fashion brands and artisans with similar education-led GTM.
- Earthues: Natural dye producer (formerly a division of a larger textile company) supplying plant-based dyes and extracts to textile manufacturers. Direct peer in the natural dye supply space with overlapping product portfolio and customer base in sustainable fashion.
- Maiwa: Canadian natural dye supplier and educator offering dye extracts, mordants, and training workshops. Comparable in operating a combined product + education business model serving artisans and small fashion brands with natural dyeing solutions.
Emerging players
- Colorifix: UK biotech startup using microbial fermentation to produce sustainable textile dyes. Comparable as a next-generation natural/bio-based dye technology developer; intersects with Truetone's microbial algae-based dye line and shares the same fashion brand customers.
- Huue: US-based biotech company producing sustainable indigo dye through microbial fermentation. Emerging player in bio-based textile dyes targeting the same fashion brand customers seeking to replace synthetic dyes with natural alternatives.
Others
- Textile Exchange: Global non-profit setting industry standards for sustainable fibers and materials, including the GOTS standard. Not a direct competitor but a key ecosystem player whose standards Truetone complies with to access sustainable fashion supply chains.
Regional players
- Arianrhod: UK-based natural dye workshop and supplier offering natural dye services, training, and products. Regional peer with similar product-plus-education model serving UK fashion and craft customers.
- Couleur Garance: French natural dye specialist focused on plant-based textile colorants and craft training. Comparable as a regional natural dye producer with a similar product-plus-education model, primarily serving European markets.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Truetone Ink social profiles
Digital presenceTruetone Ink compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance6 records
Truetone Ink financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Truetone Ink leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Truetone Ink subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
Truetone Ink funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Truetone Ink M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Truetone Ink
What does Truetone Ink do?
Truetone Ink manufactures and sells GOTS-certified, plant-based natural textile dyes (CPD, Amrut, Microbial, Wood Colors, Printing Paste, Water Colors, Holi Colors, Paper Painting Paste) and provides custom dyeing, fabric printing, training, consultancy, and R&D services to fashion brands and textile manufacturers. The company also retails a small consumer line of DIY natural-dye kits, fabric painting kits, and pre-dyed fabrics via its Shopify store.
Is Truetone Ink a public or private company?
Truetone Ink is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Truetone Ink founded?
Truetone Ink was founded in 1991. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Truetone Ink based?
Truetone Ink is headquartered in Ahmedabad, India, in the Asia region.
How does Truetone Ink make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Dye Product Sales are the primary driver. The others are dyeing and Printing Services, training and Consultancy and fabric Sales.
Who are Truetone Ink's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Archroma and Huntsman Textile Effects. Direct peers are Botanical Colors, Earthues and Maiwa. Emerging players are Colorifix and Huue. Textile Exchange is listed as an others. Regional players are Arianrhod and Couleur Garance.
Does Truetone Ink have an API?
No public API is recorded for Truetone Ink.
What industry is Truetone Ink in?
Truetone Ink's product category is Natural Textile Dyes. Its primary akta.pro industry code is IMAEAHAJ, Pigments & Dyes, with a secondary code of CRAAAMAJ, Dyeing, Printing & Finishing (Chemical & Mechanical). Its NAICS code is 32513 and its SIC code is 2860.