Nirma is a group of companies based in the city of
Ahmedabad
Ahmedabad ( ; Gujarati: Amdavad ) is the most populous city in the Indian state of Gujarat. It is the administrative headquarters of the Ahmedabad district and the seat of the Gujarat High Court. Ahmedabad's population of 5,570,585 (per t ...
in
Gujarat,
India, that manufactures products ranging from
detergent
A detergent is a surfactant or a mixture of surfactants with cleansing properties when in dilute solutions. There are a large variety of detergents, a common family being the alkylbenzene sulfonates, which are soap-like compounds that are more ...
s,
soaps,
cement,
cosmetics, salt,
soda ash, LAB and injectables.
Karsanbhai Patel
Karsanbhai Khodidas Patel (born 1945, Ruppur, Patan, Gujarat) is an Indian billionaire businessman, industrialist and founder of the Nirma group a company with major business interests in cements, detergents, soaps and cosmetics. As of 2021 ...
, an entrepreneur and philanthropist, started Nirma in 1969 as a one-man operation.
History
In 1969, Dr. Karsanbhai Patel, a
chemist at the
Gujarat Government's Department of Mining and Geology manufactured phosphate-free synthetic detergent powder, and started selling it locally. The new yellow powder was priced at ₹3.50 per kg, at a time when HUL's Surf was priced at ₹13. Nirma sold well in Ruppur (
Gujarat), Patel's hometown. He started packing the formulation in a 10x10 ft room in his house. Patel named the powder Nirma, after his daughter Nirupama. He was able to sell about 15-20 packets a day on his way to the office on bicycle, some 15 km away. By 1985, Nirma washing powder had become one of the most popular household detergents in many parts of the country.
By 1999, Nirma was a major consumer brand, offering a range of detergents, soaps and personal care products. The group also set up a healthcare subsidiary called Nirlife to manufacture
intravenous fluids.
In November 2007, Nirma purchased American raw materials company
Searles Valley Minerals Inc.
Searles Valley Minerals Inc. is a raw materials mining and production company with corporate offices in Overland Park, Kansas. It is owned by the Indian company Nirma. It has major operations in the Searles Valley and in Trona, California wher ...
, making it among the top seven
soda ash manufacturers in the world.
Nirma Group started cement manufacturing in 2014 from a single plant in Nimbol. In 2016, Nirma acquired
Lafarge India's cement assets for $1.4 billion.
In February 2020, Nirma acquired
Emami Cement for .
Major products
* Soda ash
* Linear alkyl benzene
* Soaps
* Detergents
* Edible & industrial salt
*
Alpha-olefin sulfonate
In organic chemistry, alpha-olefins (or α-olefins) are a family of organic compounds which are alkenes (also known as olefins) with a chemical formula , distinguished by having a double bond at the primary or alpha (α) position.''Petroche ...
* Sulfuric acid
* Glycerin
* Infusions
* Injectables
* Critical care products
* Medical disposables
* Sugar
* Cement
* Single super phosphate
*
Castor oil
* Multilayer tubes
* Seamless tubes
* Tube laminate
* Flexible laminate
* Paper & plastic cups
* Tarpaulin
* Injection molding
* Bromine
* Phosphoric acid
See also
*
Nirma University of Science & Technology
Nirma University (NU) is a multi-disciplinary university located in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India. It functions under the aegis of the Nirma Education and Research Foundation (NERF). The Gujarat Government has granted "Centre of Excellence" status ...
References
{{reflist
External links
Official Nirma company website
Chemical companies of India
Manufacturing companies based in Ahmedabad
Laundry detergents
Chemical companies established in 1969
Manufacturing companies established in 1969
Indian companies established in 1969
Companies formerly listed on the Bombay Stock Exchange
Indian brands
1969 establishments in Gujarat