India's 75th Independence Day also marks a historical milestone for Grasim, the flagship company of Aditya Birla Group. Grasim was incorporated as a textile company in August 1947, just days after India attained freedom. From these humble roots, the company founded by the visionary Shri G.D. Birla went on to craft a true-blue swadesi success story as an industry leader in diverse sectors such as fibres, chemicals, finance, cement, and most recently, paint.
Today, Grasim is among the world's top VSF and VFY makers, as well as India's largest producer of chlor-alkali, linen, and insulators. It is a globally and nationally respected brand across industries and domains, and has won multiple awards for its sustainable and forward-looking business practices.
Here are the major milestones that showcase Grasim's triumphant trajectory over the years.
The multi-hued story of Grasim
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1947
A swadeshi story
Gwalior Rayons and Silk Manufacturing (Grasim) is established in Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh
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1951
A royal connection
The Maharaja of Gwalior offers land in Nagda, Madhya Pradesh for Grasim to set up a Viscose Staple Fibre (VSF) plant
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1963
The move to textiles
Grasim sets up textile mill in Bhiwani, Haryana
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1965
Focus on R&D
Birla Research Institute for Applied Sciences set up in Nagda to augment Grasim's research capabilities
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1974
Going overseas
Grasim sets up Thai Rayon in Bangkok, becoming India's first company to set up production capacity on foreign soil
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1979
A footprint in Philippines
Signing of joint venture with Indo-Phil textiles in Philippines
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1985
Cementing a new foundation
Grasim enters cement sector with Vikram Cements, in Jawad, Madhya Pradesh
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1993
New frontiers in fibres
Grasim begins developing in-house capability for Lyocell technologies
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1998
Venture in Canada
Company expands operations abroad by acquiring AV Cell Pulp Mill in Canada
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2004
Pouring more cement
Grasim Cement acquires controlling stake in UltraTech cement from Larsen & Toubro
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2006
The China move
Acquisition of a VSF plant in China and establishes Birla Jingwei Fibres Company
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2011
Entry into Europe
Acquisition of a key stake in Domsjo Fabriker (Domsjo) AB, Sweden
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2013
Chemicals get a boost
High-tech plants set up at Vilayat, Gujarat to manufacture caustic soda and epoxy
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2019
Global recognition
Grasim wins the Dun and Bradstreet award for excellence in the textile sector
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2019
Greening of fashion
Launch of Livaeco, a fabric made with nature-based fibres to promote sustainable fashion
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2020
Breaking new ground
Development of Liva Antimicrobial, a revolutionary fibre that offers wearers long-lasting protection from microbes
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2021
A splash of paint
Grasim announces entry into India's paints market
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2022
Reimagining the saree
Grasim launches Navyasa, a contemporary saree brand with brand ambassador Deepika Padukone
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2022
Digital deep-dive
Grasim announces the launch of a B2B e-commerce platform for building materials
Versatile, Agile, Innovative, Responsible
Grasim's business approach shows why it's an examplar for Indian industry on the global stage.