History of Britannia Industries Ltd.
1918
- The Comp. was Incorporated on 21st March, as a public limited company under the Indian Companies Act, VII of 1913. The Company Manufacture bakery & soyabean products, export of cashew Kernels marine products, general merchandise items & computer software.
1921
- The Comp. obtained a priority of Certificate & imported new machinery thereby becoming the first biscuit Comp. in India to instal and run a gas oven plant.
1924
- A new factory was established at Kasara Pier Road in Mumbai. In the same year, the Comp. became a subsidiary of Peek, Frean and Co. Ltd., U.K., a leading biscuit manufacturing company, & further strengthened its position by expanding the factories at Calcutta & Mumbai.
1939-45
- A large part of Company production was diverted to war effort on Acc. of World War II & at times as much as 95% of total capacity was booked for production of 'Service Biscuit'.
1951
- 19,779 Equity shares issued to acquire the Delhi Biscuit Co. limited In August 1,53,234 Bonus equity shares issued in the proportion 1:1.
1952
- The Calcutta Factory was shifted from Dum Dum to spacious grounds at Taratola Road in the suburbs of Calcutta. During the same year automatic plants were installed there & later in Mumbai in 1954.
1954
- The development of high quality sliced & wrapped bread in India was pioneered by Comp. & was first manufactured at Delhi.
- 1,53,234 Bonus equity shares issued in the proportion 1:2.
1961
- Manufacture of bread was started in Mumbai & a new bread bakery was set up at Delhi in 1965.
- 2,29,851 Bonus equity shares issued in the proportion 1:2.
1966
- In May 1966, 3,06,468 Bonus equity shares issued in the proportion 4:9.
1968
- On 14th May, 6,64,014 Bonus equity shares issued in the proportion 2:3.
1970
- 9,96,021 Bonus equity shares issued in the proportion 3:5.
1976
- Britannia bread was introduced in Calcutta & Chennai.
- 18,59,239 Bonus equity shares issued in the proportion 7:10 in April.
1978
- After the issue of shares to the Indian public, the non-resident holding in the Comp. was reduced to less than 40%.
- 18,00,000 Equity shares issued at a premium of Rs 5 per share. 4,06,286 shares offered as rights to resident Indian shareholders in proportion 1:5. 43,714 shares offered to the Company employees; 1,00,000 shares to UTI & 50,000 shares each to LIC & GIC were reserved for allotment & 11,50,000 shares offered to the public during January/February.
1979
- With effect from 3rd October, the name of Comp. was changed from the Britannia Biscuit Co., Ltd., to Britannia Industries Ltd.
1980
- The Comp. signed a 10 year technical collaboration agreement with Nebico Pvt. Ltd., Nepal, for supply of know-how relating to manufacturing, packaging & marketing of biscuits & selection of plant & machinery.
1982
- 25,26,118 Bonus equity shares issued in proportion 2:5.
1986
- The turnover increased by 19.4% over the the previous year to Rs 192.15 crores. Sales of biscuits, in terms of volume, registered a satisfacotry growth. 'Good Day', a new biscuit launched during the year met with good market response.
- Production of bread at Delhi unit was adversely affected due to launched pure refined cooking oil under the brand name of 'Vital'.
- 35,36,565 Bonus shares issued in proportion 2:5 during July 1987.
1987
- In [16 monthss], the total sales turnover increased on an annualised basis by 38.7% over the previous year. Increase in sales of bakery and soya products divisions & higher cashew exports helped to realise higher sales. With the introduction of some more brands during the year, the total biscuit brands of bakery division reached 27. The soya products division introduced a range of extruded products under the brand name 'VITAL FEAST'.
1989
- The Comp. launched new brand of biscuit, namely, `CIRCUT'. Another brand 'PURE MAGIC' was extended nationally & posta badam was added to 'GOOD DAY' range of biscuits. Bread production & affected for some time at Delhi factory due to industrial unrest.
- 61,88,989 Bonus shares issued in proportion 1:2.
1990
- Two new brands of biscuits,'Elaichi Cream'and 'Petit Beurre' were launched. Also, a new cashew badam variant of brand 'Milk Bikis' and brand extension of Pure magic biscuit Vanilla cream were launched. Fruit bread was launched in Delhi & was well received.
1991
- The Comp. launched two new speciality brands viz., Britannia milk bread & Britannia brown bread in Delhi & extended nationally its main brands Petit Beurre & elaichi cream.
- On 17th August, the Comp. handed over to SM Dychem Ltd, its soya unit at Vidisha, MP.
- The Comp. proposed to invest in the equity capital of Britco Company Pvt. Ltd., a joint venture with JMRPCO Ltd., Hongkong, for manufacture of beverage bases & essence for Coca Cola, Fanta and Sprite and to export processed snack foods.
1992
- The Comp. launched a new brand of biscuit, namely `Little Hearts' which carved a niche in the market.
1993
- The Comp. launched new brand of biscuit, namely, `Fifty-Fifty'. Bread market remained depressed. To revive the market, the Company launched a speciality brand viz. `Premium Bake' in both Delhi and Mumbai. During the year, the Comp. has started exporting Basmati Rice under the name `Britannia Indian Pearl'.
1994
- During the year, the bakery division launched `Bakers Choice' a sweet biscuit & `Thinlite' a light semi-sweet biscuit aimed at fitness concious consumers.
1995
- Under the `Pure Magics' Umbrella, the Comp. launched a new sandwich cream biscuit with two-in-one flavour viz. double cream & this was well received in the market. In the cake market, under the premium segment, the Comp. launched with Groupe Danone technological input a Swissroll Cake 'Mini Roule' which was also met with good response.
1996
- Mariegold biscuits registered quantum growth in volumes & milk bikis milk cream launched during the year was well received. Despite general slow down in the economy the company profits improved.
1997
- The Biscuit industry has been dereserved which would not only remove restriction on increasing capacity but would also provide opportunities of growth through new products & efficient production systems. The Company undertook to diversify into cheese & dairy whitner.
- The Comp. launched `Tiger' range of biscuits for mass market category, `Jim-Jam' & ` `Chekkers' in the premium segment. The Company also launched Butter in Delhi during the year.
- Britannia Industries [BILs] is one of largest bakery in the private sector & a household name in food products.
- Britannia Industries Ltd [BILs] will shortly enter the cheese & milk products market with an alliance proposed between itself & the Mumbai-based Dynamix Dairy Ltd.
- Britannia Industries Ltd is all set to launch a new corporate identity & a total revamp of its product portfolio, with strategic inputs from an international strategic design & brand repositioning company - Shining Strategic Design. 1998
- Food major Britannia Industries Ltd [BILs] has signed a wage agreement with the Maharashtra General Kamgar Union [MGKUs], providing an average wage increase for 1,000 workers employed in the biscuit manufacturing unit at Reay Road, Mumbai.
- The Comp. has launched Half/Half, a soft cake filled with cream in two variants, chocolate-vanilla & vanilla-orange. Half/Half comes in a twin-cake pack [Rs.6s] & a tray pack containing five cakes.
- Britannia Industries Ltd has launched a festival offer for Britannia Dairy Whitener in Kerala.
- A Ind AAA rating has been signed to the Rs.100-crore secured non-convertible debenture issue from Britannia Industries Limited [BILs].
1999
- Britannia Industries Ltd has rolled out its flavoured milk brand `Zip-Sip' in tetrapaks. Zip-Sip has been launched in Mumbai & some markets in the South. - Britannia Industries, launching the country first branded flavoured milk is another step towards its goal of becoming a dairy-products giant.
- In a move meant to sharply increase its India-profile, `knowledge major' Encyclopaedia Britannica Inc plans to come out - for first time - with India & south Asia-specific volumes targeted at school children as well as institutions & the general `knowledge-seeker'.
2000
- Britinnia Industries has launched consumer promotion scheme `Britannia Khao, Cricketer Ban Jao' on May 1st.
- Britannia Industries, in its second coming in the Indian dairy market under the `Milkman' brand, is introducing a range of products many in desi flavours to woo the Indian consumer.
- The Comp. has launched Vita Mariegold, a semi-sweet biscuit which reportedly has 10 essential vitamins, milk protein & 58 cereals.
- Britannia Milk Bikis Funland biscuits an innovative extension of the Milk Bikis brand.
- The Industry is set to start bread-manufacturing factories in Kochi, Hyderabad & Chennai to tap the region market potential.
- The Comp. has become the first Comp. to take its products to the Net in the form of video file.
- Britannia Industries has launched Britannia Milkman Butter, a product under the Milkman brand.
- The Comp. has appointed Tata Energy Research Institute [Teris] for a power audit.
- FITCH rating India Pvt. Ltd has reaffirmed the Ind AAA rating assigned to the Rs 1000 million non convertible debenture program of Britannia Industries Ltd.
- The Comp. has lauched two new dairy products Milkman Cold Coffee and Milkman Sweet lassi.
- Britannia Industries limited has introduced a new range of traditional namkeens called Britannia Snaz in Mumbai.
2001
- Britannia Industries has launched Britannia Milkman Milk in Delhi.
- Biscuits major Britannia Industries will fund its in-principle agreement to acquire 49 per cent of Kwality Biscuits through internal accruals.
2002
-Britannia Industries Ltd announced on March 26, 2002 that it has entered into a joint venture with the Fonterra Cooperative Group, New Zealand biggest Comp. & one of leading diary co-operative groups in the world.
-Britannia new COO is Nikhil Sen.
2003
- Board of Directors of Britannia Industries Ltd has passed a resolution to terminate the employment of Mr S K Alagh as Managing Director of Comp. with immediate effect.
- The management of Britannia Industries has roped in John Miller, a Danone representative, as additional director on its board.
-Britannia New Zealand Foods, a joint venture of Britannia Industries & Fonterra Co-operative group of New Zealand has launched 'Britannia MilkMan' fresh milk.
-Britannia Non-convertible Debentures have been rated AAA by Fitch Rating India as 'Stable Outlook'.
-Britannia Industries has appointed Mr.Nikhil Sen,Chief Operating Officer as the manager of the company.
2004
-Britannia Industries Ltd has informed that pursuant to the approval of shareholders of Comp. at the AGM held on August 08, 2003 & the subsequent application to the Cochin Stock Exchange Ltd., the said stock exchange has delisted the securities of Comp. with effect from November 15, 2003.
-Britannia Industries Ltd reviews marketing alliance with the Kolkata-based Thacker Dairy Products Pvt Ltd
2005
--Britannia New Zealand launches health drink for adult
2006
-Britannia Industries Ltd has forged a strategic alliance with 'CCD Daily Bread Pvt Ltd' a Bangalore based Comp. engaged in manufacturing & retailing of premium breads, cakes & high end ready to eat foods & snacks
-Britannia Industries Ltd has appointed Mr. Stephan Gerlich as a Director.
-Britannia Industries Ltd has informed that Mr. Durgesh Mehta has joined the Comp. as the Chief Financial Officer [CFOs] with effect from November 16, 2006.
