British India Corporation Limited (BIC) is a central public sector undertaking under the

ownership Ownership is the state or fact of legal possession and control over property, which may be any asset, tangible or intangible. Ownership can involve multiple rights, collectively referred to as title, which may be separated and held by different ...

of the

Ministry of Textiles The Ministry of Textiles is an Indian government national agency responsible for the formulation of policy, planning, development, export promotion and regulation of the textile industry in India. This includes all natural, artificial, and ce ...

Government of India The Government of India (ISO: ; often abbreviated as GoI), known as the Union Government or Central Government but often simply as the Centre, is the national government of the Republic of India, a federal democracy located in South Asia, c ...

. The cpsu produces

textiles Textile is an umbrella term that includes various fiber-based materials, including fibers, yarns, filaments, threads, different fabric types, etc. At first, the word "textiles" only referred to woven fabrics. However, weaving is not the ...

for use by civilians and the Indian

armed forces A military, also known collectively as armed forces, is a heavily armed, highly organized force primarily intended for warfare. It is typically authorized and maintained by a sovereign state, with its members identifiable by their distinct ...

. It manufactures the popular "Lal-imli" and "Dhariwal" brands of woollen products. The cpsu was established in 1872 or 1876 by Sir Alexander MacRobert as a cpsu when he combined his six companies into one enterprise. MacRobert died on 22 June 1922 and his widow,

Rachel, Lady MacRobert Rachel, Lady MacRobert, née Workman (23 March 1884 – 1 September 1954) was a geologist, cattle breeder and an active feminist. Born in Massachusetts to an influential family, she was educated in England and Scotland. She was elected to F ...

, assumed the role of director until her eldest son, Alasdair, became chairman in 1937. Its date of incorporation in the

Registrar of Companies A company register is a register of organizations in the jurisdiction they operate under. A statistical business register has a different purpose than a company register. While a commercial/trade register serves a purpose of protection, accounta ...

is 24 February 1920. In 1981, it was nationalised and taken over by the Government of India. It has not generated profit since 1989. Headquartered in

Kanpur Kanpur or Cawnpore ( /kɑːnˈpʊər/ pronunciation (help·info)) is an industrial city in the central-western part of the state of Uttar Pradesh, India. Founded in 1207, Kanpur became one of the most important commercial and military stations o ...

, BIC nominally operates two

wool Wool is the textile fibre obtained from sheep and other mammals, especially goats, rabbits, and camelids. The term may also refer to inorganic materials, such as mineral wool and glass wool, that have properties similar to animal wool. As ...

len mills in Kanpur and Dhariwal (

Punjab Punjab (; Punjabi: پنجاب ; ਪੰਜਾਬ ; ; also romanised as ''Panjāb'' or ''Panj-Āb'') is a geopolitical, cultural, and historical region in South Asia, specifically in the northern part of the Indian subcontinent, comprising ...

). In 2006 the cpsu employed over 2,700 people and had aggregated revenues of . LalImli

It ceased manufacturing in 2005 but still employs 1,800 people. New weaving machines installed in 2005 have never been used.

References

Notes Citations Bibliography * Textile companies of India Companies based in Kanpur Government-owned companies of India Companies nationalised by the Government of India Ministry of Textiles Companies established in 1872 Indian companies established in 1876 Indian companies established in 1920 Manufacturing companies established in 1920 {{india-company-stub