No, GHCL Limited, formerly known as Gujarat Heavy Chemicals Limited, is not a government company. It is a private sector-oriented publicly traded company. Founded in the year 1983, GHCL is promoted by the Dalmia Group, which holds around 19.83% stakes in it, with the rest of the shares being held by institutional and public or retail investors.
GHCL Limited’s core focus is chemicals and it is recognised as India’s largest manufacturer of soda ash at a single location. It is also a leading manufacturer of sodium bicarbonate or baking soda. Apart from chemicals, the company also operates in consumer products and textiles.
Here is a quick overview of GHCL Limited
| Details | Info |
| Founded | 14th October 1983 |
| Founder | GIIC, Dalmia Group, GTC Industries Limited and other investors |
| Headquarters | Ahmedabad, Gujarat |
| Chairman | Anurag Dalmia |
| Industry | Chemicals, Consumer Products, Textiles |
| Products | Soda Ash, Sodium Bicarbonate, Edible and Industrial Salts, Synthetic and Cotton Yarns |
| Manufacturing Facilities | Sutrapada, Gujarat
Chennai, Tamil Nadu Paravai and Manaparai, Tamil Nadu |
| Official Website | www.ghcl.co.in |
Company History
GHCL Limited was incorporated as Gujarat Heavy Chemicals Limited on 14th October 1983. It was established as a joint-sector company, promoted by Gujarat Industrial Investment Corporation Limited, Dalmia Dairy Industries Limited and other subsidiaries of the Dalmia Group, GTC Industries Limited (formerly known as Golden Tobacco Co. Ltd.) and Indian and NRI investors.
The company’s primary objective was to set up a soda ash manufacturing plant, with a capacity to produce 1200 tonnes per day of soda ash of both light and dense varieties. It commenced soda ash production in the year 1987, initially at 4.2 lakh metric tonnes per annum, which gradually increased to 5.25 lakh MTPA.
Gujarat Heavy Chemicals Limited entered edible and industrial salt production in the late 1980s and 1990s. The company entered the textile sector in early 2000s, starting with 65,000 spindles, later scaling to over 140,000 spindles. On 21st November 2003, the company’s name was officially changed from Gujarat Heavy Chemicals Limited to GHCL Limited.
Current Status
GHCL Limited produces 1.2 million tonnes per annum of soda ash, contributing to almost 25% of the country’s domestic demand. Its soda ash manufacturing facility is located at Sutrapada in Gujarat. The company produces both light and dense soda ash, and markets the same under the brand name “Lion”. Both types of soda ash are used in a number of industries like soap and detergents, iron and steel, glass manufacturing and more.
GHCL owns and operates 3500-acre Veda Salt Works at Vedaranyam in Tamil Nadu. It produces 150,000 MTPA of raw salt. The company also has a salt refinery at Chennai, which produces 100,000 MTPA of edible and industrial salt. Both edible and industrial salt are marketed under the brand name “i-FLO”.
Future Outlook
GHCL Limited has a positive outlook, driven by rising demand for soda ash due to high growth in glass, ceramics, detergents, lithium-ion batteries, food and pharma sectors. The company plans to increase its soda ash production capacity to 2.3 million MTPA by the year 2030.
