Type Public

Industry FMCG
Founded 1969
Headquarters Ahmedabad
Key people Karsanbhai Patel (CMD)
Products Nirma detergent, Nima soaps
Rs. 3350 crores (2009 standalone)
Revenue
Rs. 4898.71 crores (2009 consolidated)
Employees 14000
Website www.nirma.co.in

Nirma is a group of companies based in the city of Ahmedabad in western India that
manufactures products ranging from cosmetics, soaps, detergents, salt, soda ash, LAB and
Injectibles. Karsanbhai Patel, a well known entrepreneur and philanthropist of Gujarat, started
Nirma as a one-man operation. Today Nirma has over 15000 employees and a turnover of over
Rs. 3550 crores. In 2004, Nirma's detergent approached 800,000 tonnes – one of the largest
volumes sold in the world – under a single brand 'NIRMA'.

] Major plants
 Soda Ash
 Linear Alkyl Benzene
 Packaging
 Soaps
 Detergents
 Edible & Industrial Salt
 Alpha Olefin Sulfonate
 Sulfuric Acid
 Glycerin
 Single Super Phosphate
 Infusions
 Injectibles
 Critical Care Products
 Medical Disposables
 Overview
Starting as a one-product, one-man outfit from a 100 sq.ft room in 1969, Nirma became a very
successful company within three decades. The company had multi-locational manufacturing
facilities, and a broad product portfolio under an umbrella brand – Nirma. The company's
mission to provide, "Better Products, Better Value, Better Living" contributed a great deal to its
success.

Nirma successfully countered competition from HLL and carved a niche for itself in the lower-
end of the detergents and toilet soap market. The brand name became almost synonymous with
low-priced detergents and toilet soaps. However, Nirma realized that it would have to launch
products for the upper end of the market to retain its middle class consumers who would
graduate to the upper end. The company launched toilet soaps for the premium segment.
However, analysts felt that Nirma would not be able to repeat its success story in the premium
segment.

In 2000, Nirma had a 15% share in the toilet soap segment and more than 30% share in the
detergent market. Aided by growth in volumes and commissioning of backward integration
projects, Nirma's turnover for the year ended March 2000 increased by 17% over the previous
fiscal, to Rs. 12.17 bn.

History
In 1969, Karsanbhai Patel (Patel)[2] , a chemist at the Gujarat Government's Department of
Mining and Geology manufactured phosphate free Synthetic Detergent Powder, and started
selling it locally. The new yellow powder was priced at Rs. 3.50 per kg, at a time when HLL's
Surf was priced at Rs 15. Soon, there was a huge demand for Nirma in Ruppur (Gujarat), Patel's
hometown. He started packing the formulation in a 10x10ft room in his house. Patel named the
powder as Nirma, after his daughter Nirupama. Patel was able to sell about 15-20 packets a day
on his way to the office on bicycle, some 15 km away. By 1985, Nirma washing powder had
become one of the most popular, household detergents in many parts of the country.

By 1999, Nirma was a major consumer brand – offering a range of detergents, soaps and
personal care products. In keeping with its philosophy of providing quality products at the best
possible prices, Nirma brought in the latest technology for its manufacturing facilities at six
locations[3] in India. Nirma's success in the highly competitive soap and detergent market was
attributed to its brand promotion efforts, which was complemented by its distribution reach and
market penetration. Nirma's network consisted of about 400 distributors and over 2 million retail
outlets across the country. This huge network enabled Nirma to make its products available to
the smallest village.

In November, 2007, Nirma purchased the American raw materials company Searles Valley
Minerals Inc. - making it among Top-7 Soda Ash manufacturer in the world.[

Nirma is a customer-focused company committed to consistently offer better quality products

and services that maximise value to the customer.

This customer-centric philosophy has been well emphasised at Nirma through:

  Continuously exploring & developing new products & processes.
 Laying emphasis on cost effectiveness.
 Maintaining effective Quality Management System.
 Complying with safety, environment and social obligations.
 Imparting training to all involved on a continuous basis.
 Teamwork and active participation all around.
 Demonstrating belongingness and exemplary behaviour towards organisation, its goals
and objectives.

  Major Plants   Soda Ash ::...  

  Investment of Rs. 1,140 crores
Capacity
   650,000 TPA
 770 m3/hr capacity Sea
Water RODM plant
 40 MW Captive co-
generation plant
 10,000 MT solid
handling

Energy efficient technology

from AKZO, Netherlands
Only Soda Ash plant in the
world with full DCS controls
ICMA award for Best Total
Water Management Practices in
Chemical Industry Category
 
Linear Alkyl Benzene ::...  
Investment of Rs. 630 crores
75,000 TPA capacity
Only second plant in the world
with Eco-friendly Non HF
technology from UOP, USA
Bio-degradable product
70 km of integrated pipeline
network for feed stock
8,00,000 TPA of Feed Stock
32% market share
DCS controlled fully automatic
plant
 
Packaging ::...  
 Full range of Packaging facilities
   13,500 TPA of packaging
material
 7,200 TPA of Poly Ethylene
film manufacturing
 6,000 TPA Paper Wrapper
printing
 6,000 TPA Laminated
Wrappers & Pouch
manufacturing
 3,600 TPA of Stiffner
Boards Poly Coating and
Slitting
 14,000 TPA Craft Paper
manufacturing
 12,000 TPA Corrugated Box
manufacturing

State of art production facilities

   8 colour printing from
Cerruti Spa, Italy
 2 lines of 3 - Layer
Extrusion Plant from
Reifenhauser, Germany
 Automatic Control from
Prestech, U.K. and Eltromet,
Germany

 
Soaps ::...  
Investment of Rs. 200 Crores
30,00,000 Soap pieces sold per day
Annual sales of Rs. 500 crore
20% market share
Second largest soap manufacturer in
India
Four lines of 500 soaps per minute
 
Detergents ::...  
 50,00,000 pieces sold per day
38% market share
Largest Detergent manufacturer of
India

 
Edible Salt ::...  
Asia’s largest salt works
Spread over 30,000 acres
Edible salt capacity of 288,000 tpa
Edible vacuum evaporated salt plant
with
   Technology from akzo
nobel, netherlands
 Tripple effect monel cladded
evaporator
 Fluidized bed dryer

Human contact free process from

water to packaging
 
Industrial Salt ::...  
Asia’s largest salt works
Spread over 30,000 acres
Industrial salt capacity of 15,00,000
tpa

 
Others ::...  
AOS ( Alfa Olefin Sulfonate )
Sulfuric Acid
Glycerin
SSP ( Single Super Phosphate )

Nirma is a phenomenon and synonymous with Value for Money. The brand transcends the
specific dynamic of any particular product category, which is best captured in its above mission
statement - a statement of sustained innovation, an unceasing effort to deliver better value to
consumers, through better product quality.
  Consumer Products    
»»Soaps
»»Detergents
  »»Edible Salt
»»Scouring Products
  Soaps Detertents

Salt

  Industrial Products    LAB ( Linear Alkyl Benzene )

   AOS ( Alfa Olefin Sulfonate )
 Sulfuric Acid
 Glycerin
 Soda Ash
 Pure salt
 Vacuum Evaporated Iodized Salt
 SSP ( Single Super Phosphate )
 Sodium Silicate

      Nirma Limited markets its products through its fully owned subsidiary
Nirma Consumer Care Limited (NCCL), which was incepted in 1985.
NCCL in turn resells these products in the market under the umbrella
brands “NIRMA” and “NIMA” along with extensions.

The distribution strength of Nirma is based on mutually rewarding and

satisfying relationship.

Nirma pioneered the concept of flat distribution network. Nirma

Consumer Care Limited operates with two parallel distribution
networks. The NIRMA brand is marketed through the first network,
which consists of about 450 exclusive distributors. It is one of the lowest
 cost FMCG distribution channels of the country.

Principal Channel [Nirma Products]:

 Lowest Cost system in India

 Speed in distribution
 Flexibility

The NIMA range of products is marketed through a parallel marketing

network that comprises of more than 2000 distributors.

Parallel Channel [Nima Products]:

 Wider Reach
 Speedy Market Intelligence
 Competitive edge & Better focus
 Complementing Principal Channel

All NIRMA and NIMA range of products have a retail reach of over two
million retail outlets and more than 40 million loyal consumers spread
all over the country. The Company has been successful in establishing
an extremely good urban as well as rural presence through the two
distribution channels. The distribution channels have played a
significant role in making Nirma a household name. The efficient
network has made Nirma Washing Powder and Nirma Detergent Cake,
the brands with highest penetration in the respective product categories
in the market. The network is well equipped to meet the demands of the
loyal consumers of the Company across the country.

The robust network ensures the availability of various products at

different retail outlets across the nation. The Distribution channel is
geared up to enhance trade relations, build up the retailer base by
providing various benefits and incentives, organize and implement
Channel Partners different activities to generate sales and manage numerous other
Reach programmes, schemes and activities concentrated towards business
development.
Join Us