When people think of India’s chemical industry, names like Reliance Industries or ITC often come up first. But if you’re asking who owns the second biggest chemical company in India, the answer isn’t as obvious as you might think. It’s not a startup. It’s not a foreign giant with a local branch. It’s a company built over a century ago, rooted in salt, soda ash, and innovation-and still growing today.
Tata Chemicals: The Quiet Giant
Tata Chemicals is India’s second-largest chemical manufacturer by revenue and production volume. It’s part of the Tata Group, but unlike Tata Steel or Tata Motors, it rarely makes headlines. That’s not because it’s small-it’s because it operates behind the scenes. You use its products every day without knowing it.Founded in 1939 in Mithapur, Gujarat, Tata Chemicals started by producing soda ash from salt. Today, it makes over 100 chemical products, from industrial-grade sodium carbonate to specialty chemicals used in detergents, glass, and food processing. Its annual revenue crossed ₹30,000 crore (about $3.6 billion USD) in FY 2024-25. That’s more than double the size of its closest domestic competitor in the bulk chemicals space.
What sets Tata Chemicals apart isn’t just scale-it’s integration. The company owns its own salt mines in Gujarat, uses solar energy to power its plants, and recycles waste into fertilizer. Its Mithapur facility is one of the largest single-site chemical complexes in Asia. It doesn’t just make chemicals; it designs the entire supply chain.
How It Compares to the Leader
Reliance Industries holds the top spot. Its chemical division, part of Reliance’s petrochemical empire, reported revenues of over ₹2.1 lakh crore ($25 billion USD) in FY 2024-25. That’s because Reliance owns massive refining and cracker plants that turn crude oil into ethylene, propylene, and polymers. It’s a different kind of chemical business-oil-based, capital-heavy, global.Tata Chemicals doesn’t compete in that space. It doesn’t refine crude. Instead, it focuses on inorganic chemicals derived from minerals and salt. That’s why it’s second-not because it’s behind, but because it plays a different game.
Here’s how they stack up:
| Attribute | Tata Chemicals | Reliance Industries (Chemical Division) |
|---|---|---|
| Primary Feedstock | Salt, limestone, coal | Crude oil, naphtha |
| Core Products | Soda ash, baking soda, sodium bicarbonate, specialty chemicals | Polyethylene, polypropylene, PTA, ethylene glycol |
| Annual Revenue (FY 2024-25) | ₹30,000 crore ($3.6B USD) | ₹2.1 lakh crore ($25B USD) |
| Primary Market | India, Southeast Asia, Africa | Global (exports to 120+ countries) |
| Production Facilities | 6 major plants in India | 11 integrated complexes across Gujarat and Maharashtra |
Tata Chemicals doesn’t need to match Reliance’s scale to be powerful. Its niche is stability. While petrochemical prices swing with oil markets, Tata’s salt-based products are less volatile. That makes it a safer bet for industries like food and pharmaceuticals that need consistent supply.
Where Tata Chemicals Dominates
Tata Chemicals is the biggest supplier of soda ash in India. Over 80% of the soda ash used in Indian glass factories comes from them. They also produce over 60% of the country’s baking soda used in food and pharmaceuticals. If you’ve eaten bread made in India, drunk bottled water treated with their chemicals, or used a detergent in your laundry, you’ve interacted with Tata Chemicals.They’re also a major player in water treatment chemicals. Municipalities across India rely on their coagulants and disinfectants to purify drinking water. In rural areas, their water purification tablets are distributed under government programs.
And they’re not resting. In 2023, they launched a new line of biodegradable polymers made from corn starch. They’re partnering with farmers in Maharashtra to source raw materials locally, cutting transport emissions and creating rural jobs. That’s not just chemistry-it’s circular economics.
Why People Get This Wrong
Many assume the second-largest chemical company is ITC or UPL. ITC has a big agrochemicals business, but that’s just one slice. UPL is a global agrochemicals giant, but it’s mostly focused on pesticides and herbicides-not bulk industrial chemicals.Others think of LG Chem or BASF, but those are foreign companies with Indian subsidiaries. They don’t count as Indian-owned. The question is about ownership, not presence.
Tata Chemicals is Indian-owned, Indian-managed, and Indian-built. It’s not a branch office. It’s a homegrown industrial powerhouse that quietly keeps the country running.
What’s Next for Tata Chemicals?
The company is betting big on green chemistry. By 2030, it plans to cut carbon emissions by 50% across all plants. It’s testing hydrogen-powered boilers and solar-powered electrolysis for salt processing. In 2024, it partnered with IIT Bombay to develop low-cost lithium-ion battery materials from industrial waste.It’s also expanding in Africa. Its plant in Tanzania produces soda ash for regional glass and detergent makers. That’s not just export-it’s building local supply chains. Tata Chemicals isn’t just selling chemicals. It’s building infrastructure.
For investors, it’s a steady performer. For policymakers, it’s a model for self-reliance. For manufacturers across India, it’s the unseen backbone of their production lines.
Final Answer: Tata Chemicals
So, who owns India’s second-biggest chemical industry? It’s Tata Chemicals Limited. Not because it’s flashy. Not because it’s loud. But because it’s reliable, integrated, and deeply rooted in India’s industrial ecosystem.If you want to know who really keeps the lights on in Indian manufacturing, look beyond the headlines. Look at the salt mines in Gujarat. Look at the water treatment plants in Uttar Pradesh. Look at the baking soda in your kitchen. That’s Tata Chemicals.
Is Tata Chemicals the largest chemical company in India?
No, Tata Chemicals is the second-largest. Reliance Industries holds the top position with a much larger petrochemical division. Tata Chemicals leads in inorganic chemicals like soda ash and baking soda, while Reliance dominates in plastics and synthetic fibers.
How does Tata Chemicals compare to UPL or ITC?
UPL and ITC are major players, but they focus on agrochemicals-pesticides and fertilizers. Tata Chemicals produces bulk industrial chemicals like soda ash, sodium bicarbonate, and water treatment agents. Their markets, products, and supply chains are different. Tata Chemicals has higher overall revenue and broader industrial reach.
Are there any foreign companies bigger than Tata Chemicals in India?
Yes, companies like BASF, Dow, and LG Chem have large operations in India, but they are foreign-owned. Tata Chemicals is Indian-owned and headquartered in Mumbai. The question asks for the second-biggest Indian-owned chemical company, so foreign subsidiaries don’t qualify.
Does Tata Chemicals export its products?
Yes. Over 30% of Tata Chemicals’ revenue comes from exports. They ship soda ash to Southeast Asia, Africa, and the Middle East. Their specialty chemicals are used in pharmaceuticals and food processing in Europe and North America.
Is Tata Chemicals involved in renewable energy?
Yes. Tata Chemicals uses solar power at its Mithapur plant and is investing in hydrogen-based production methods. It’s also developing battery materials from waste byproducts, aligning with India’s push for green manufacturing.
What makes Tata Chemicals different from other Indian chemical firms?
Tata Chemicals controls its entire supply chain-from salt mining to final product. Most other Indian chemical companies import raw materials or rely on third-party suppliers. Tata’s vertical integration gives it cost control, supply stability, and higher margins.
