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Dhampur Bio Organics partners Planetary to produce mycoprotein in India
The 10-year technology licence gives Dhampur Bio Organics exclusive Indian production rights, with royalties set at 10% of defined after-tax revenue.
INDIA – Indian sugar producer Dhampur Bio Organics (DBO) has partnered with Swiss fermentation startup Planetary to manufacture mycoprotein in India using Planetary’s BioBlocks technology platform.
Signed on 19 October 2026, the agreement formalises discussions that began in January, when the companies signed a non-binding term sheet.
Planetary had identified India as a potential first market for expansion beyond Europe, with the partnership targeting mycoprotein production costs below US$1 per kilogram.
Under the agreement, DBO receives exclusive rights to produce mycoprotein in India using Planetary’s licensed technology. DBO will establish and operate the production infrastructure, while Planetary provides its intellectual property, engineering expertise and technical support.
Planetary’s BioBlocks platform covers bioprocess design, scale-up and industrial manufacturing. The partnership builds on a model that combines Planetary’s fermentation technology with established sugar-processing infrastructure and access to sugar-rich feedstocks.
For DBO, the arrangement extends its operations beyond sugar and molasses production into higher-value ingredients.
The company can use its existing industrial capabilities to enter mycoprotein manufacturing, while Planetary gains access to the Indian market without bearing sole responsibility for building and operating the production facility.
The companies also plan to enter separate commercialisation and offtake agreements and establish a joint venture to commercialise mycoprotein products in India.
Under the financial terms, DBO will pay Planetary a quarterly royalty equivalent to 10% of after-tax revenue, as defined in the agreement. Planetary will also receive a one-time fee covering engineering, project launch, installation, commissioning, process training and handover support.
The technology licence will run for an initial 10 years, with successive five-year renewals possible through mutual written agreement. DBO may use the licensed intellectual property only at an approved facility and must obtain the necessary regulatory approvals.
The agreement also specifies that the transaction is not a related-party transaction, according to the company.
The partnership represents a step in Planetary’s expansion strategy, which involves licensing its fermentation technology to industrial partners with existing processing infrastructure.
For DBO, the deal creates a pathway to diversify its product portfolio by using its sugar-industry operations to support the production of alternative protein ingredients.
Neither company provided a direct quotation in the supplied announcement, so no verbatim speaker quotes have been added.
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