Specialty chemicals R&D startup AtomGrid, a company that custom manufactures and sources specialty agrochemicals, plans to launch products for farmers over the next 3-4 months, according to co-founder Siddharth Gupta.
Product Launch and Business Model
“We will launch our end customer brand in India in the next 3-4 months. There are limited brands from India which go to the end farmer globally. So that is the opportunity we are chasing,” said Siddharth Gupta, co-founder of the Bengaluru-based company, in an online interview with businessline.
Launched in January 2023, Atomgrid helps Indian companies capture value in the downstream value chain. In the B2B segment, it sells under the Atomgrid label, supplying finished goods and raw materials to the end customer. The company is also building its own agrochemicals company, working with manufacturing units to produce products that are sold globally under its brand name.
Export Focus and Geographic Expansion
Approximately 50 per cent of the company’s revenue comes from exports to Vietnam, Latin America, and Africa. The startup plans to enter the US in 2-3 years. “The initial target for us is Africa, Latin America and South-East Asia, after which we’ll look at the US and Europe. The Latin American region is an interesting one, being one of the world’s largest producers of some crops,” said Gupta.
| Metric | Details |
|---|---|
| Revenue from exports | ~50% |
| Target markets (near term) | Africa, Latin America, South-East Asia |
| Target markets (medium term) | US, Europe (in 2-3 years) |
| Growth target (current fiscal) | 3X |
| Manufacturing locations | Gujarat, Maharashtra |
| Number of products | 40-50 (herbicides, fungicides, pesticides) |
| Manufacturing partners (active ingredients) | 10-15 |
| Manufacturing partners (formulations) | ~10-15 |
China-plus-One Opportunity
The idea behind launching AtomGrid was to capture the China-plus-one opportunity coming to the Indian manufacturing sector. “The theme on which we are building AtomGrid is that value in manufacturing has been unlocked in India and China, both on the agrochemical side. Indian companies have not been able to capture value in the downstream value chain,” said Gupta.
In the B2B segment, the customers Atomgrid works for, especially in developed countries, are looking to diversify from China. They do not want to rely entirely on a Chinese supplier. The company is registering its products globally and launching its brands.
Product Portfolio and R&D
Atomgrid has 40-50 products, comprising herbicides, fungicides, and pesticides. These cover a majority of pests, such as pink bollworm and white flies, for most crops. Primarily, the company contract manufactures products by giving raw materials to the supplier.
The startup is working on pesticides, while biologicals are in the pipeline. It works with 10-15 manufacturers in India on the active ingredients side and a similar number on the formulations side, according to Gupta.
Entry into Developed Markets
On entering developed markets such as Europe, Gupta said they would have to first register the product in those destinations. “When we go for registration of our product, we have to generate extensive data on the product, which involves five batch analyses, toxicology, etc. We do the study to understand if the product qualifies in that geography. Then only do we go for product registration,” he said. Post-registration, Atomgrid will be able to sell the product in those markets.
With the firm establishing its R&D centre, it will double the number of products it manufactures. It will also invest in joint ventures on the manufacturing side to strengthen supplies.
For commodity traders and procurement teams tracking the agro-chemical market, Atomgrid’s entry into the B2C segment in India and expansion into new geographies could signal increased competition in the crop protection space. The company’s focus on China-plus-one sourcing aligns with broader supply chain diversification trends that may affect global agrochemical trade flows and pricing dynamics in the coming years.
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