Atul Limited is a member of the Lalbhai Group, one of the oldest business houses in India. Today, Atul is one of India's largest integrated chemical companies, with a turnover of Rs1,500 crore. The Company is rated among the top five global producers in several niche chemicals; it serves a number of industries in India, as well as around the world, in the fields of aerospace, automobiles, agriculture, construction, fragrance and flavours, and paper and textiles.

Inception

Established in 1947 as Atul Products Ltd, Atul is the brainchild of Kasturbhai Lalbhai, a visionary, philanthropist and leading industrialist of his times. His dream was to make India self-reliant, generate large-scale employment and create wealth in rural India.Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, the first Prime Minister of independent India, inaugurated Atul's plant in Gujarat.

Atul produces over 700 diverse products including colours and dyestuff, aromatics, crop protection chemicals, polymers, bulk chemicals, pharmaceuticals and intermediates. The Company's sprawling manufacturing complex at Atul, Gujarat, is one of the greenest chemical sites in the world. Atul also has manufacturing complexes at Ankleshwar in Gujarat and Tarapur in Maharashtra. The Company has established international subsidiaries in the US, Europe, Brazil and China, in a bid to meet the needs of their overseas customers more effectively.

Kasturbhai established three successful joint ventures: Cyanamid India Ltd with American Cyanamid Corp in 1947; Atic Industries Ltd with Imperial Chemical Industries plc in 1955; and Cibatul Ltd with Ciba-Geigy Ltd in 1960. In 1995, Atic Industries was merged into Atul, followed by Cibatul Ltd in the year 1998.

From its humble beginnings with only a few dyes, Atul has expanded its operations to produce over 700 products and an array of custom-synthesised solutions, which are developed in its state-of-the-art manufacturing centre. The Company has the capability to implement a wide range of chemical reactions such as chlorination, fusion, hydrogenation, photo-chlorination and sulphonation. It utilises world-class technology and R&D facilities and has consistently contributed to the progress and development of the country by developing resources and capabilities in key industrial segments.

Business

Atul is one of India's largest integrated chemical companies and among the top five global producers of several niche chemicals. The Company caters to the aerospace, automobiles, agriculture, construction, fragrance and flavours, and paper and textiles industries. Atul produces over 700 diverse products through its seven business divisions:

Aromatics

The Aromatics Division's portfolio comprises more than 20 products, catering to diverse industries namely, antioxidants, sunscreen actives, bulk drugs, active pharmaceutical intermediates, flavours and fragrances, dye intermediates, pulp and paper, glass manufacturing, animal premix and micro- nutrients.
Bulk Chemicals & Inters

The Bulk Chemicals & Inters Division manufactures Resorcinol and 1,3-cyclohexanedione, a derivative of Resorcinol, and is currently the only manufacturer of Resorcinol and its derivatives in India. The Division plans to enhance its manufacturing process efficiency and add more value-added downstream products to its portfolio.

Colors

The Colors Division was formed by combining the colours business of Atic Industries Ltd and Atul Ltd. This Division's extensive product range includes vat, reactive, sulphur, disperse and direct dyes, naphthol bases, acid metal complexes, optical brighteners, solvent dyes, high-performance pigments and textile chemicals.

Crop Protection

The Crop Protection Division manufactures key herbicides, insecticides and fungicides. It is the fourth-largest global manufacturer of 2,4-D range of Phenoxy herbicides and is a leading producer of Sulfonyl urea herbicides in India. The Division also manufactures Phosgene, a vital raw material.

Floras

The Floras Division of Atul develops, manufactures and supplies aroma chemicals, essential oils and oleoresin extracts. Its product range includes extracts of patchouli, turmeric, black pepper, cumin, ex-palmarosa, ginger, nutmeg and green cardamom.

Pharma & Inters

The Pharma & Inters Division's products are sulfones, phosgene derivatives and intermediates. It handles custom synthesis contracts and contract manufacturing for several overseas customers. The products cater to the aerospace, electronics, paper, pharmaceuticals and agrochemicals industries.

Polymers

The Polymers Division of Atul is the leading manufacturer of epoxy resins and allied products in India. The Division manufactures Epoxy Resin and Hardener Systems under the brand name Lapox. It also produces a wide range of other components such as air release agents, reactive diluents, rheological modifiers and wetting agents.

Work Culture

Atul considers its employees to be its most valuable asset. Atul prides itself on being an organisation driven by, and known for, an energetic, committed and highly motivated task force.

A culture rooted in values
Atul aims to achieve organisational excellence by creating a unique synergy between its business goals and the aspirations of its employees, the foundations of which are embedded in its core values.

• Integrity: Working with honesty and following the highest standards of professionalism in all its dealings

• Understanding: Developing the ability to connect with those around it and continually enhancing its understanding of human relationships

• Unity: Collaborating within the organisation to harness the unique abilities of each individual to achieve a common, greater goal

• Responsibility: Going the extra mile to deliver value and taking ownership of its actions, such that its goals are governed by the broader ideal of giving back to society

• Excellence: Striving to continually improve and enhance performance

At Atul, employees are introduced to an exceptional work environment that combines the dynamism of one of India's largest chemical complexes with an ethos where its values are not just its guiding principles, but also a way of life.

Beyond work

Atul strives to foster a healthy environment, where people are valued. The Company wants its employees to look forward to coming to work each day. This means encouraging innovative structures and letting its employees know that their life outside the Company is also important to the Company. Atul firmly believes that it in its people's happiness lies its happiness.

In keeping with the Company's emphasis on all-round development and a healthy work-life balance, employees are offered a number of opportunities to interact outside the workplace by way of co-curricular and cultural activities.

Employees at the Atul site can enroll at the Atul Club, which boasts well-equipped sports facilities for badminton, billiards, squash, swimming and tennis, among others, while those at Ankleshwar have access to the Ankleshwar Gymkhana.

A series of employee satisfaction surveys were conducted across the organisation, which led to the formation of an Employee Care Unit to take care of employee welfare outside the Company. Leisure activities such as food festivals, movie screenings, cricket matches, dance classes, meditation sessions by Bramha Kumaris and garden competitions are regularly organised by Employee Care. Located at Atul, Utkarsha is a voluntary organisation that spearheads various social events.

Community Work

Atul Limited has been adopting and promoting business practices that are eco-friendly apart from integrating “Sustainability” into work ethos since inception.

Concepts Adopted:

• Zero discharge concept.
• Adoption Of Clean Development Mechanism
• Change Of Technology - Replacement of Mercury by Membrane Cells
• Use Of Reverse Osmosis System
• Lime Stone Injection in Fluidised Bed Boiler
• Catalystic Incineration and Heat Recovery (Formaldehyde Plant)
• Minimization of Emissions: DCDA system for H2SO4 plant
• Vapour Absorption Systems and Ammonia Compressors
• Carbon Sinks: A Green Belt Development

Sustainability

As an integrated chemical company operating on a global platform, Atul Ltd has always been supremely conscious of its commitments as a responsible corporate citizen. Safety, health and environment concerns rank very high and the Company has consistently striven to achieve benchmarks beyond regulatory standards. The Atul complex at Valsad in Gujarat, India has the reputation of being the greenest chemical site in the world.

The Company's global operations require it to meet multi-lateral regulations. For instance, the Company is preparing for registration of its chemicals with the European Chemical Agency as per the requirements of the Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH) legislation of the European Union.

A key pillar of the sustainability platform is the Atul Rural Development Foundation that works among local communities.

• Safety, health and environment

• Livelihood

• Community initatives

• Community development

• Health

• Relief and rehabilitation

• Education

• Waste management

The Company's commitment to community and social issues is longstanding. Founder Kasturbhai Lalbhai, a visionary philanthropist who believed that India's economic progress lay in self-reliance, industrial strength and inclusive policies, spent more than half his life in developmental and nation-building work. This focus continues till this day, with Atul spearheading education, health and livelihood projects in the community development space.

Awards & Recognition

• 2007 Rajiv Gandhi Memorial National Awards for Excellence in Indian Industries

• 2006 Certificate of Appreciation for 100% Utilization of Fly Ash By MOEF and TIFAC Greentech Environmental Excellence Gold Award in Chemical Sector

• State Level Shram Bhushan Award

• 2005 Rajiv Ratna National Best Pollution Control Gold Award in Chemical Division

• 2004 Rospa Gold Award By Royal Society for Prevention of Accident, UK

• 2004 Jawaharlal Nehru Memorial Gold Award for Environmental Protection

• 2001 International Greenland Society International Gold Award for Excellent Environmental and Ecological Implementation

• Indo German Greentech Environmental Excellence Award

• 2000 Indo German Greentech Environmental Excellence Award First Prize in Bulk Chemicals and Dyes Sector

• 1998 Good House Keeping Trophy (First Rank in Pharmaceuticals and Chemicals Category) from Baroda Productivity Council

• 1981 Award from National Safety Council of India for longest Accident-Free Period (> 4 million man hours)

• 1973 Award from National Safety Council of India for longest Accident-Free Period (> 1 million man hours)

• Second Export Award – CHEMEXCIL

• 1971 First Export Award – CHEMEXCIL

Board of Directors

• Mr S S Lalbhai (Chairman and Managing Director)

• Mr G S Patel

• Dr S S Baijal

• Mr B S Mehta

• Mr H S Shah

• Mr S A Lalbhai (Managing Director)

• Mr S M Datta

• Dr K Aparajithan

• Mr R A Shah (Alternate Director)

• Mr B N Mohanan (Wholetime Director)

• Mr V S Rangan (With effect from July 19, 2010)