Warburg Pincus Set to Acquire Seacod Maker Universal NutriScience for Rs 2,800 Crore: Report
New Delhi: Global private equity firm Warburg Pincus has emerged as the frontrunner to acquire Universal NutriScience (UNS), the company behind the popular Seacod cod liver oil capsule brand, in a proposed transaction valued at around Rs 2,700-2,800 crore. The potential acquisition comes as private equity firms, pharmaceutical companies and consumer businesses increasingly focus on India's rapidly growing nutraceutical and preventive healthcare markets, while rising consumer interest in personalised nutrition and healthy ageing continues to drive investment in the sector.
According to a recent media report in The Economic Times, Warburg Pincus emerged ahead of several prominent bidders in the competitive acquisition process, including ChrysCapital, Procter & Gamble, TA Associates and Haleon, the former consumer health business of GlaxoSmithKline. A formal announcement of the transaction is expected in the coming days. The proposed acquisition would strengthen Warburg Pincus' presence in India's healthcare and nutraceutical sectors and provide the investment firm with access to an established portfolio of consumer healthcare brands.
Universal NutriScience was established in 2021 through a partnership between Kedaara Capital and Universal Medicare. The company was created following the acquisition of 16 nutraceutical brands from Sanofi India for ₹587 crore. Since then, UNS has expanded its portfolio across several healthcare and wellness categories. Its established brands and presence in the nutraceutical market have made it an attractive acquisition target as demand for preventive healthcare products continues to rise.
The proposed acquisition would also further expand Warburg Pincus' broader healthcare strategy in India. The private equity firm has been developing a domestic pharmaceutical platform through investments in specialised healthcare segments, including women's health and orthopaedics. Warburg Pincus recently acquired Integrace Health, following its investments in Koye Pharma and the non-tuberculosis portfolio of Maneesh Pharmaceuticals. The firm's healthcare platform also gained additional industry expertise after Rehan A. Khan, former managing director of MSD and Abbott India, joined Integrace Health as its Chief Executive Officer.
The potential acquisition also highlights the growing investor interest in India's nutraceutical and preventive healthcare industry. Increasing consumer health consciousness is driving demand for dietary supplements, functional nutrition and healthy-ageing products, creating new opportunities in the sector. As a result, established nutraceutical brands such as Universal NutriScience are attracting interest from private equity investors as well as global healthcare and consumer companies.
The Economic Times reports that Warburg Pincus had emerged as the frontrunner to acquire Universal NutriScience in a proposed transaction valued at around ₹2,700–2,800 crore. The report covered the competitive bidding process involving ChrysCapital, Procter & Gamble, TA Associates and Haleon, the expected formal announcement, the formation of Universal NutriScience through Kedaara Capital and Universal Medicare, its acquisition of 16 nutraceutical brands from Sanofi India for ₹587 crore, the company's subsequent portfolio expansion and Warburg Pincus' broader healthcare investments.
The proposed transaction would give Warburg Pincus greater exposure to India's healthcare, nutraceutical and preventive healthcare segments, while Universal NutriScience's established portfolio, including Seacod, positions the company within a market benefiting from growing consumer interest in personalised nutrition, dietary supplements, functional nutrition and healthy ageing.
