No, ITC Limited is not a government company. It is a leading Indian private sector conglomerate, with diverse business interests. Founded in the year 1910, ITC has diversified beyond tobacco products in the course of over a century, however it still generates most of its revenue from tobacco products.
ITC Limited operates across six businesses segments, namely Fast Moving Consumer Goods or FMCGs, agribusiness, hotels or hospitality, paper products, packaging and information technology. In terms of market capitalisation, ITC is the third-largest tobacco company in the world and the second-largest FMCG company in the world.
Here is a quick overview of ITC Limited
| Details | Info |
| Founded | 24th August 1910 |
| Founder | William M. Jacks |
| Headquarters | Kolkata |
| Chairman | Sanjiv Puri |
| Industry | Conglomerate |
| Products | Cigarettes, FMCGs, Packaging, Paperboards, Specialty Paper, Agri, IT |
| Brands | Aashirwad, Bingo, Fiama, Mangaldeep, Master Chef |
| Official Website | www.itcportal.com |
ITC Company History
ITC was founded on 24th August 1910 as Imperial Tobacco Company of India Limited. The company partnered with south Indian tobacco farmers to form the Indian Leaf Tobacco Development Company Limited in the Guntur district of Andhra Pradesh in the year 1912. In the year 1925, the company entered the packaging and printing business as backward integration for cigarettes.
In the year 1953, the company acquired the manufacturing business of Tobacco Manufacturers (India) Limited. The name was changed to India Tobacco Company Limited. Subsequently, the company was renamed ITC Limited. ITC Limited entered the hotel business in the early 1970s, with premium chain like ITC Hotels, Welcomhotel, Fortune and Mementos.
ITC Limited established agri business for commodity exports in the year 1990. The company entered the IT solutions segment with the formation of ITC Infotech as a wholly-owned subsidiary in 2000. ITC launched its FMCG business in the year 2001. The company formed the paperboard and specialty papers division in the year 2002.
Current Status
ITC Limited has 11 business divisions, with a portfolio of more than 25 brands, including prominent ones like Aashirwad, Bingo, Master Chef, Fiama, Vivel, B Natural, Sunbean, Engage, Classmate, Paperkraft and Mangaldeep. The company has completed the demerger of its hotel business, while retaining 40% stakes. ITC Hotels now operates independently.
ITC Limited is the only enterprise of its size and diversity to be carbon positive, water positive and solid waste recycling positive. The company has created over 9 million sustainable livelihoods, particularly in rural India.
ITC Limited is among the foremost private sector companies in India, with a gross revenue of INR 73,465 crores and EBITDA of 24,025 crores, as of 31st March 2025.
Future Outlook
ITC Limited’s FMCG and other non-cigarette segments are expected to drive the double-digit growth rate of the company. The company’s core cigarette business faces pressure due to sharp hike in excise duty and GST. However, FMCG, paperboards and packaging, agri business and IT segments are likely to ensure steady growth.
