Orchid Chemicals & Pharmaceuticals Ltd. specializes in the manufacture of bulk cephalosporin antibiotics for the world market. The company is the largest cephalosporin producer in India and has established itself as a leading cephalosporin producer in the world.

The company began its commercial manufacturing operations in February 1994 with oral cephalosporins such as cephalexin, cephradine and their key intermediate 7-Amino desacetoxy cephalosporanic acid (7-ADCA). The company owns a bulk drug facility at Alathur, near Chennai, which has a manufacturing capacity to produce over 500 tonnes of oral and sterile cephalosporins. The company has dedicated plants for most products.

The company manufactures four oral cephalosporin bulk drugs. These include cephalexin monohydrate, cefuroxime axetil, cephradine, and cefixime. Sterile cephalosporins manufactured by the company are cefazolin sodium, ceftriaxone sodium, cefoperazone sodium, cefotaxime sodium, cefradine arginine and ceftazidime sodium.

The company is setting up Rs 50-crore formulations facility at Irungattukotai in Tamil Nadu.