- Acquisition of a family business that shares Robertet's long-term vision
- Development of the flavor business in India
- Additional industrial capacity to serve customers in Asia
- A stronger presence in East Africa
The Robertet Group, world leader in natural raw materials, announces that it has concluded an agreement to take control and gradually acquire Sonarome, a major player in flavors in India. With this operation, Robertet is pursuing its growth strategy with the development of flavors for food and beverages by strengthening its offer in India, where it is already established in the fragrance industry. Robertet also expands its presence in South-East Asia and East Africa, promising markets for these sectors.
Sonarome, an industrial gem for flavors in India
Sonarome, based in Bangalore, has been run by the Gulhati family since it was founded in 1979. Known for its high-quality products, the company has over 100 employees and long-standing relationships with leaders of the sector.
Sonarome has extensive, modern and certified industrial production capacity. The company is renowned for its R&D strategy, its flavorists and their creative expertise as well as in-depth knowledge of local trends.
Sonarome has reached over 15 million euros in sales in 2022 and has been recording double-digit annual growth for the past three years. Until this acquisition by the Robertet Group, Sonarome was jointly owned by the Gulhati family and IFF. To ensure business continuity, Robertet will entrust Mr Nitesh Gulhati as Sonarome's managing director.
Robertet expands its presence to become a major player in the Indian flavor market
Driven by strong local trends and a historic and growing appeal for natural products, India is one of the world's leading consumer markets as well as a leading producer of natural ingredients.
Robertet has already been established in Mumbai for 20 years. Over the last five years, its growth has accelerated significantly with the successful integration of Goldfield Manufacturing Pvt Ltd, an Indian company specializing in perfumery.
A successful strategy of targeted acquisitions
The strategic acquisition of Sonarome is the Robertet's 6th external growth operation in 5 years. Robertet's performance demonstrates the relevance of its development model, which combines solid organic growth with targeted acquisitions of local companies.
Jerome Bruhat, CEO of Robertet, announces: “We are proud to welcome Sonarome to the Robertet Group. This historic acquisition is part of our internationalization strategy and represents a milestone in our development in India and Asia. With our unique positioning in natural products, new local industrial capacity and enhanced expertise in flavors, we have all the assets to become a major player in this specific market.”
Nitesh Gulhati, Chairman and CEO of Sonarome, comments: “We are thrilled to be joining forces with Robertet, a family-run group that resembles us. Our shared culture of creative excellence, combined with our expertise in Indian market, gives us a unique positioning to serve our loyal customers. I am looking forward to support Robertet in its expansion in India.”
Arthur Le Tourneur d'Ison, Robertet's Chief Growth Officer, adds: “I am delighted to have the opportunity to enhance our presence in India alongside the Gulhati family and Sonarome's talented teams. Working with a family business that shares the same values of agility, high quality and long-term vision is in line with the Robertet spirit.”