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Two decades of green pioneering.
From a trading house to a world-class biotechnology company — driven by curiosity, defined by trust.
From a trading house to a world-class biotechnology company — driven by curiosity, defined by trust.
Founded in 2002 by Vikas Rishi, a high-velocity visionary with over 40 years of experience in the F&F domain. Tojo has evolved from trading in oils and premium peppermint into a cutting-edge biotech company focused on commercialising sustainable solutions for the leading F&F houses.
We bring rare scientists who understand the molecule and the market it must serve. That dual fluency is why discerning partners trust us with their hardest briefs.
Vikas Rishi established Tojo Vikas International in New Delhi, drawing on over two decades of personal expertise in the global flavour and fragrance trade. The company's early years were defined by sourcing and trading premium essential oils — Indian peppermint, sandalwood, and specialty naturals — directly to the world's leading F&F houses. This phase built the deep commercial trust and encyclopaedic product knowledge that still underpins Tojo's relationships today.
Recognising the need to move beyond trading, Tojo invested in its first manufacturing asset — a state-of-the-art steam distillation and fractional distillation plant in Hapur, Uttar Pradesh. Strategically located in India's mint belt, this facility rapidly became one of the country's foremost mint-processing and aroma molecule isolation hubs, supplying high-purity isolates to global F&F customers and establishing Tojo as a credible manufacturer.
In a bold strategic shift, Vikas Rishi committed Tojo to biotechnology — well ahead of the industry curve. The Green Shoots Centre (GSC) in Bangalore was launched as one of India's first dedicated biotech-for-F&F research centres. The GSC built core capabilities in microbial screening, enzymatic biotransformation, strain engineering, and shake-flask-to-pilot fermentation — laying the scientific foundation for everything that followed.
The Centre of Excellence (CoE) in Mumbai was established to complement the GSC with a focus on green chemistry, advanced analytical R&D, and high-throughput molecule discovery. The CoE introduced novel synthetic biology tools, HPLC and GC-MS characterisation platforms, and a structured process for translating laboratory-scale discoveries into commercially viable, scalable production routes. It became the bridge between science and market-ready solutions.
Tojo commissioned its 20,000-litre commercial fermentation facility in Nashik, Maharashtra — one of the largest dedicated biotech F&F production plants in India. In the same period, a dedicated aroma chemicals manufacturing unit was established at Jagadia, Gujarat, and international warehousing hubs were opened in Rotterdam (Europe) and New Jersey (North America). Tojo's first two biotech-derived molecules were commercially launched to global F&F partners, marking the transition from R&D company to full production partner.
Tojo formed a landmark strategic partnership with a leading Japanese research organisation specialising in computational biology and AI-driven molecular design. Machine-learning models trained on vast molecular datasets are now applied to Tojo's discovery pipeline — predicting optimal biosynthetic routes, identifying high-value target molecules, and compressing the discovery-to-pilot timeline dramatically. The partnership expanded Tojo's active molecule pipeline to over 40 candidates in concurrent development.
Eighteen senior managers from across Tojo's global operations gathered in New Delhi for a three-day consensus workshop — the first time the leadership team had collectively authored the company's Purpose, Vision and Mission, word by word. Every statement was debated and agreed by full consensus, creating a PVM that the entire leadership team owns. Simultaneously, Tojo's vanilla sourcing and processing operations in Kampala, Uganda, were significantly expanded to include direct processing and export of premium East African naturals.
A pipeline of 40+ sustainable natural molecules moving from discovery to commercialisation. Expanding global distribution. New certifications. New geographies. New partnerships. Built on two decades of trust, driven by science, and guided by the conviction that the best natural molecules are still waiting to be unlocked — sustainably, reliably, at scale.
Decades of global flavour & fragrance experience, paired with world-class scientific depth.
Vikas Rishi is a visionary entrepreneur with 40+ years shaping the global flavour and fragrance industry. Starting in the 1980s trading premium essential oils, he founded Tojo Vikas International in 2002 — transforming it from a trading house into a cutting-edge biotechnology company. He championed Tojo's pivot to fermentation-based production, established two world-class research centres, and forged an AI-discovery alliance now accelerating a 40-molecule pipeline.
Deep customer relationships across the US & Europe, forming strategic alliances to promote natural molecules and essential oils globally.
A versatile, visionary scientist shaping the pipeline of products developed specifically for biotechnology applications in flavour and fragrance.
Deep expertise in chemical and bioprocess engineering, leading scale-up from bench to commercial plant and downstream processing optimisation.
Overseeing manufacturing excellence across Nashik, Jagadia and Hapur — driving quality, efficiency and on-time delivery across all production sites.
More than words on a wall — the behaviours we hire for, reward, and hold ourselves to.
We take responsibility for our commitments, deliver on time, and proactively solve problems without waiting to be asked.
We treat company resources and goals with care, and support colleagues beyond our individual roles.
We continuously suggest new ideas and adopt practices that reduce waste and promote sustainable working.
We communicate openly across teams and share knowledge for better collective decision-making.
We take initiative and make informed decisions confidently — independence used responsibly, with full accountability.
We respect all opinions and backgrounds, creating an inclusive environment where everyone feels valued and heard.
Our products and processes are certified across the most rigorous international food, safety, environmental and ethical frameworks — giving our partners complete confidence in every ingredient we deliver.
The best way to understand Tojo Vikas is to talk to us about your challenge. We'll bring the curiosity — and the candour.
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