Fermenta Biotech Signs Exclusive Licence Agreement with VIT for Vitamin B12 Fortification Technology
Fermenta Biotech Limited has entered into an exclusive licence agreement with Vellore Institute of Technology (VIT), Vellore, for the commercialisation of a technology designed to naturally enhance Vitamin B12 levels in fermented foods.
The development puts Fermenta Biotech in focus as the company looks to expand its food fortification capabilities beyond conventional vitamin and mineral premixes.
Fermenta Biotech-VIT agreement: What happened?
Fermenta Biotech announced on September 8, 2026, that it has signed an Exclusive Licence Agreement with VIT Vellore covering technology for Natural In-Situ Vitamin B12 Fortification in Fermented Foods.
The technology was developed by Dr. Krishnan Venkataraman and his team at VIT’s Centre for BioSeparation Technology (CBST).
It is covered under Indian Patent Application No. 202441015300.
Unlike conventional fortification, where Vitamin B12 is added to food after production, the technology is designed to enhance Vitamin B12 formation during the natural fermentation process itself.
How does the Vitamin B12 technology work?
According to Fermenta Biotech, the process uses selected nutrients and cofactors during fermentation to enhance the formation of Vitamin B12 within the food matrix.
One of the potential advantages is that the technology has been designed to work with existing fermentation processes without requiring substantial changes to conventional production methods.
Laboratory studies conducted as part of the technology development demonstrated approximately 80% retention of enhanced Vitamin B12 levels after cooking.
This could be important for fermented foods that are subsequently cooked before consumption.
Potential food applications
The technology could potentially be applied to a range of commonly consumed fermented foods, including:
- Curd
- Idli and dosa batter
- Appam
- Breads
- Other traditional fermented foods
This gives the technology potential applications across the broader food, nutrition and FMCG ecosystem.
However, the company has clarified that the technology is still moving through development and validation stages. Commercial applications will depend on further technical, nutritional and regulatory work.
Why Vitamin B12 fortification is important
Vitamin B12 deficiency is a significant nutritional concern, particularly for people whose diets contain limited natural sources of the vitamin.
Fermenta Biotech believes that fortifying widely consumed foods could provide another approach to improving Vitamin B12 intake, alongside existing supplementation methods.
The company also sees several long-term trends supporting demand for Vitamin B12 solutions, including increasing vegetarian and vegan diets, ageing populations and growing consumer awareness around nutritional deficiencies.
Fermenta Biotech’s role
The agreement combines VIT’s research capabilities with Fermenta Biotech’s experience in vitamins, nutritional premixes and food fortification.
Fermenta plans to use its existing capabilities to help move the technology from research towards scalable commercial applications.
The company’s expertise in nutritional ingredients could potentially help convert the technology into accessible premixes and fortified food solutions.
What comes next?
The next phase of the collaboration will involve several steps before commercialisation.
These include:
- Application development
- Nutritional validation
- Assessment of final Vitamin B12 concentrations
- Regulatory evaluation
- Development of commercially viable food applications
- Scale-up and commercialisation
Therefore, investors should distinguish between the signing of the licence agreement and actual commercial revenue generation.
The agreement represents a technology and business-development milestone, but the company has not indicated any immediate revenue contribution from the technology.
Potential market opportunity
If successfully commercialised, the technology could have applications across multiple segments.
Potential areas include:
FMCG: Vitamin B12-enriched everyday food products could provide a potential route to reach a wider consumer base.
Food and nutrition: Fermented foods could become a platform for nutritional fortification.
Nutraceuticals: The technology could complement Fermenta’s existing nutritional ingredient portfolio.
Health-related applications: Vitamin B12 fortification could potentially address broader micronutrient requirements.
The ultimate size of the opportunity will depend on regulatory approvals, product development, customer adoption and the ability to commercially scale the technology.
What it means for Fermenta Biotech
The agreement is strategically relevant because it expands Fermenta Biotech’s potential offering in food fortification.
The company already operates across pharmaceuticals, dietary supplements, food and beverage, veterinary and animal nutrition markets, with a portfolio that includes vitamins and nutritional premixes.
The VIT technology could therefore complement its existing capabilities rather than representing an entirely new business area.
Fermenta has manufacturing facilities in Kullu, Himachal Pradesh; Dahej, Gujarat; and Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh, supported by an R&D Excellence Centre in Thane.
The company says it serves more than 400 customers across over 60 countries.
Fermenta Biotech stock: Why the company is in focus
Fermenta Biotech is in focus after announcing the exclusive licence agreement with VIT Vellore for Vitamin B12 fortification technology.
The key points investors should watch are:
- Exclusive licence agreement with VIT Vellore
- Technology aimed at natural Vitamin B12 enhancement during fermentation
- Indian Patent Application No. 202441015300
- Potential applications in curd, idli/dosa batter, appam, breads and other fermented foods
- Approximately 80% retention of enhanced Vitamin B12 levels was demonstrated after cooking in laboratory studies
- Commercialisation is still at the development and validation stage
- Regulatory evaluation and product development are yet to be completed
- Potential long-term applications across FMCG, food, nutrition and nutraceutical markets
Investor takeaway
The Fermenta Biotech-VIT agreement is strategically interesting rather than an immediate earnings trigger.
The biggest positive is the potential to create a differentiated Vitamin B12 fortification solution that can be incorporated into commonly consumed fermented foods. If the technology successfully passes nutritional validation, regulatory evaluation and commercial development, it could create a new opportunity for Fermenta in the growing food-fortification market.
At the same time, investors should remain cautious because the company is still at the technology development and commercialisation preparation stage. There is currently no disclosed revenue guidance or confirmed large customer order associated with the agreement.
The next important milestones will therefore be application development, regulatory progress, commercial partnerships, scale-up and eventual customer adoption.
Disclaimer
This article is for informational and educational purposes only and should not be considered investment advice. Investors should conduct their own research and evaluate the company’s financial performance, valuation, risks and future prospects before making any investment decision.