Color has always been an important additive in the food and beverages industry, as it enhances the appearance of food and makes it more desirable. Additionally, they can be found in cosmetics and pharmaceuticals. However, though inexpensive in use, the prolonged use of synthetic colors has thrown up many challenges, including allergic reactions to humans (many of the synthetic colors are carcinogenic in nature), air pollution and water pollution.
Today, almost 1.3 million tonnes of dyes, pigments and dye pigments – valued at $23 billion – are manufactured synthetically leading to 15-20 percent of freshwater pollution caused by textile dyeing and treatment alone.
Another challenge is the rapid depletion in non-renewable petroleum sources, which act as the starting material for all synthetic colors.
Working to find viable natural alternatives is the Pune based technology driven startup, KBCols Sciences. Utilizing the bioprocess technology, the start-up currently focuses on exploring microbes as an inexhaustible source for extracting different natural colors.
It was this apathy towards the environment relating to uninhibited use of synthetic colors that motivated Dr Vaishali M. Kulkarni and Dr Arjun Singh Bajwa; both PhDs in bioprocess technology, to start their this venture.
“Previously, natural colors were used in various industries; however, the inexpensive manufacturing of synthetic colors has led to the complete capture of the market by synthetic colors,” says Dr Vaishali while sharing the motivation behind their idea.
The inception & recognition
KBCols Sciences was founded in January 2018 is by Dr Vaishali M. Kulkarni who is now the CEO. The top management also includes Dr Arjun Singh Bajwa who is spearheading the business development of the company.
The journey of the company started at the Institute of Chemical Technology, Mumbai (formerly, UDCT Mumbai). However, its first tryst with entrepreneurship was when founders as young Ph.D. research fellows participated in ABLE’s BEST-India in 2015, with merely an idea. Following that, they refined their idea into a solid business plan by participating in various workshops and competitions such as IIGP 2016, Axis Moves 2017 etc.


The developmental efforts at KBCols are being implemented and further developed by Dr Vaishali M Kulkarni and Dr Arjun Singh in assistance with able professors serving as an honorary advisory board.
Since its inception, the company has received many national and international laurels like BEST ABLE 2015, India Innovation Growth programme 2016, Axis Moves 2017 and National Bio-entrepreneurship competition 2018.
Overcoming challenges
The biggest challenge for the company was to arranges funding to set up its own research facility. As a fresh Ph.D. graduate without industrial experience, it was a difficult task for founders to arrange initial funds.
Vaishali credits her mentors and incubation partner, Venture Center, Pune besides the team’s will power for having not only set up their own facility but now also actively trying to establish the scale-up facility. “The support received has not only included mentorship sessions to improve on our business pitch but also valuable technical guidance to sharpen our pitch impact,” she says.
“The other major problems have been getting the right candidates and business and financial administration. As an entrepreneur, you are supposed to know everything and do everything, which can be disconcerting, but through all the support from various partners (Venture Center, BIRAC, DST-Lockheed Martin) it’s all been wonderful and worth cherishing. The various partners have not just helped meet various compliance and regulations but have also provided valuable technical help in product development, explains Vaishali while summing up, “In all, the journey of KBCols has been worth every hurdle so far!”
The startup is currently supported by and funded by BIRAC’s Biotechnology Ignition Grant, with Venture Center as our BIG partner. The ignition grant has helped us to develop our proof-of-concept studies and carry out industrial validation.
The company expects guidance from government agencies for sufficient follow up funding options as product development requires a huge investment, and networking support to reach the market faster. Besides, it is also looking for regulatory assistance to navigate the complex regulatory landscape.
R&D focus and the reasons for it
“At KBCols, we are using an innovative approach to develop the proof-of-concept for extracting stable natural colors from natural isolates or microbes and applying them in various industries through an environment friendly and novel process. The overall process not only includes screening for novel stable producers but also a cost effective sustainable process for producing these colors along with novel formulations for application purposes,” explains Dr Vaishali.
