Eveready Industries India, Ltd (EIIL) (formerly known as Union Carbide India, Ltd) is the flagship company of the B.M Khaitan Group and is one of the most respected and significant companies in India today. The brand Eveready has been a part of India since 1905.

EIIL's principal activities are the manufacture and market batteries, flashlight cases, electrolytic manganese dioxide and arc carbons. It also manufactures photo-engravers plates/strips for printing, castings, hard facing and tube rods, carbon electrodes and other related products. The company also produces and markets Tea. The Group's operating facilities are located at Kolkata, Chennai, Hyderabad, Noida, Lucknow and New Mumbai. During the fiscal year 2002 The Group sold its wholly subsidiaries Dufflaghur Investments Limited and Natex Investment and Marketing Limited. Batteries accounted for 51% of fiscal 2002 revenues; Tea, 38%; Flashlight cases, 9%; Electrolytic Manganese dioxide, 1%; Purchased products, 1% and Others, nominal.

EIIL is the world’s third largest producer of carbon zinc batteries, selling more than a billion units a year. EIIL is India’s largest selling brand of dry cell batteries and flashlights (torches), with dominant market shares of about 46% and 85% respectively.

Eveready Industries India Ltd Officers:

Non Executive Chairman - B. M. Khaitan; Vice Chairman & Managing Director - Deepak Khaitan; Chief Financial Officer - Suvamoy Saha; Secretary - A. Chakravarti; President - S. Mukherjee

Eveready's corporate headquarters is located at: 1 Middleton Street, Kolkata, WEST BENGAL 700 071, INDIA

History

EIIL started its operation in India in the year 1905. The first dry cell batteries were imported from USA and sold in the major cities of the country. These batteries were primarily used in imported torches.

In 1939, the company set up its first battery plant in Kolkata. This was followed by another battery manufacturing plant in Chennai in the year 1952. It was only logical for the company to set up a torch manufacturing plant to boost up the market for batteries. Accordingly, a torch manufacturing plant was set up at Lucknow in the year 1958. Today it is one of the largest torches manufacturing plants in South East Asia. The plant manufactures the full range of brass, aluminum and plastic torches.

In 1969, the now infamous factory in Bhopal, an overnight train ride from New Delhi, was opened. Indian officials believed pesticides would wipe out the country's crop-devouring insects and fully supported the efforts to help rescue the agricultural nation from widespread hunger. Bhopal is a city in central India, which is the capital of the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh. ...

By the time of the Bhopal Disaster in 1984, the company was ranked twenty-first in size among companies operating in India. It had revenues of Rs 2 billion (then equivalent to US$170 million). Fifty-one per cent of the company (known at the time as UCIL) was owned by Union Carbide Corporation; remaining shares were held by 24,000 stockholders. Ten thousand people were employed in five operating divisions that manufactured batteries, carbon products, welding equipment, plastics, industrial chemicals, pesticides, and marine products. EIIL became part of the Williamson Magor Group through McLeod Russel Ltd in the latter half of 1994 following the sale of Union Carbide Corporation's stake in UCIL. UCIL is primarily a dry-cell battery manufacturer at the time, but as part of the Williamson Magor Group EIIL launched three brands of packet tea under the Greendale Brand umbrella - Tez, Jaago and Premium Gold. Coupled with EIIL’sbrands of packet tea are now easily available in most states in India. In 1997, the Eveready brand was extended to its packet tea business. McLeod Russel Ltd. eventually merged with Eveready Industries. Time cover about Bhopal disaster. ...

Since EIIL does not have the license to market its products under Eveready outside India, Bhutan and Nepal, it was imperative to identify a new brand name for the export market. Accordingly, brand LAVA was launched in 1999. LAVA batteries and flashlights have been sold in Dubai, Bahrain, Jordan, Sudan, Egypt, Bangladesh, Mauritius, Sri Lanka, Azerbaijan, Mexico, US, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Ethiopia and Nigeria.

In 2005, EIIL celebrated its 100 anniversary in India. That same year, EIIL separated its bulk tea business and de-merged McLeod Russell. EEIL also acquired the ailing BPL Soft Energy System in 2005.

MILESTONES

1905 National Carbon starts its Indian operations with sale of batteries imported from USA.

1926 Ever Ready Company India sets up the first arc carbon factory at Canal Road, Kolkata.

1934 Eveready Company incorporated as a private company on 12th November.

1939 Camperdown Works - first modern battery plant established at Cossipore in Kolkata.

1941 Union Batteries merges with Eveready Company and the name is changed to National Carbon Company.

1951 Renamed as Union Carbide India Ltd, a subsidiary of world wide multinational, Union Carbide Corporation.

1959 Name of the company changed to Union Carbide India Ltd.

1984 Bhopal Gas Disaster at Union Carbide India LTD plant in Bhopal, India

1995 Sale of shares of Union Carbide Corporation in Union Carbide India Ltd to Mc Leod Russel (I) Ltd. belonging to the Williamson Magor Group and a new name - Eveready Industries India Ltd (EIIL).

1996 Mc Leod Russel (India) Ltd, merged with EIIL, bulk tea business brought into EIIL fold.

2000 Bishnauth Tea Company merged with Eveready Industries India Ltd.

2005 Brand EVEREADY is hundred years.

Eveready's Ties to the Bhopal Disaster

The Union Carbide India Ltd. (UCIL) pesticide plant in Bhopal, India, gained world-wide attention as a result of the tragic chemical disaster in December 1984. The Bhopal Disaster involving a massive release of methylisocyanate (MIC) gas, resulted in the death or injury of thousands of people in the surrounding residential areas. Bhopal is a city in central India, which is the capital of the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh. ... Time cover about Bhopal disaster. ...

At the time of the disaster UCIL was ranked twenty-first in size among companies operating in India. It had revenues of Rs 2 billion (then equivalent to US$170 million). Fifty-one per cent of UCIL was owned by Union Carbide Corporation; remaining shares were held by 24,000 stockholders. Ten thousand people were employed in five operating divisions that manufactured batteries, carbon products, welding equipment, plastics, industrial chemicals, pesticides, and marine products. On January 14, 1987 , the U.S. Second Circuit Court of Appeals in Manhattan upheld a decision by the U.S. District Court to send the legal case against Union Carbide to India and reaffirmed that UCIL, which operated the Bhopal plant, was a separate and independent legal entity that was managed and staffed by Indian citizens.

In February 1989, the Supreme Court of India directed Union Carbide Corporation (UCC) and UCIL to pay a total of $470 million in full settlement of all claims arising from the tragedy. The government, UCC and UCIL agreed and the two companies paid in full on Feb. 24. Union Carbide of South Charleston, West Virginia is a chemical manufacturer, now a subsidiary of The Dow Chemical Company. ...

In November 1994, UCC completed the sale of its 50.9 percent interest in UCIL to McLeod Russel Ltd. of Calcutta. Indian government financial institutions owned 26 percent of the shares and some 24,000 Indian private citizens owned the balance. Following the tragedy, the Government of India ceased production at the plant and took complete control of the property. In the years that followed and under very close supervision by the Government, UCIL undertook significant effort to remediate the site. This work was not completed prior to the time in 1994 when Union Carbide sold its shares in UCIL to McLeod Russell a part of the Williamson Magor Group . UCIL was subsequently renamed to Eveready Industries India Ltd. (EIIL). As part of this transaction, EIIL became the leaser of the property and assumed full responsibility for the environmental clean up of the site. In the years that followed, EIIL continued to remediate the site under close supervision by the Government of India. In 1998, the Government of Madhya Pradesh (state government where Bhopal is located) revoked EIIL's lease on the property and took responsibility for the property "as is" stating, "The State Government (Madhya Pradesh) will ensure the safe disposal of the residual Sevin tar and Nepthol tar from the factory.”

Union Carbide India Ltd.maintained a low profile in the post-Bhopal period. The Chairman, Keshub Mahindra, and the Bhopal Factory Manager, J. Mukund, moved on to new positions. Most of the Bhopal plant managers left the company after the plant closed. The company steered clear of lawsuits between the parent company and the Government of India, and concentrated on managing other businesses in India. UCIL closed the pesticide plant and reduced the Research and Development Center in Bhopal to a skeleton staff. Top management personnel from the Bhopal plant moved to other parts of the company. Apart from the fact that UCIL was denied permits that would have permitted expansion, it remained largely unaffected by the Bhopal accident.

External links

• Eveready Industries India, Ltd Corporate Website
• Greenpeace.org on UCIL Pesticide Plant
• International Campaign For Justice For The Victims Of The Bhopal Disaster