Eveready Industries
Encyclopedia
Eveready Industries India, Ltd (EIIL) (previously known as Union Carbide India, Limited
) is the flagship company of the B.M. Khaitan Group. The brand Eveready
has been present in India since 1905.
EIIL's principal activities are the manufacture and market of batteries
, flashlight
cases, electrolytic manganese dioxide and arc carbon
s. It also manufactures photo-engravers plates/strips for printing, castings, hard facing and tube rods, carbon electrode
s and other related products. The company also produces and markets tea. The Group's operating facilities are located at Kolkata
, Chennai
, Hyderabad, NOIDA, Gurgaon
and Navi Mumbai
. During the fiscal year 2002 the group sold its wholly subsidiaries Dufflaghur Investments Limited and Natex Investment and Marketing Limited. Batteries accounted for 51% of fiscal 2002 revenues; Tea, 38%; Flashlight cases, 9%; Electrolytic Manganese dioxide, 1%; Purchased products, 1% and Others, nominal.
EIIL is the world’s third largest producer of carbon zinc
batteries, selling more than a billion
units a year. EIIL is India’s largest selling brand of dry cell batteries and flashlights (torches), with dominant market shares of about 46% and 85% respectively.
In 1939, the company set up its first battery plant in Kolkata. This was followed by another battery manufacturing plant in Chennai in the year 1952. A torch manufacturing plant was set up at Lucknow
in 1958. Today it is one of the largest torch manufacturing plants in South East Asia. The plant manufactures the full range of brass, aluminium and plastic torches.
In 1969, the now infamous factory in Bhopal was opened.
in 1984, the company was ranked twenty-first in size among companies operating in India. It had revenues of Rs 2 billion (then equivalent to US$170 million). Fifty-one per cent of the company (known at the time as UCIL) was owned by Union Carbide Corporation; remaining shares were held by 24,000 stockholders. Ten thousand people were employed in five operating divisions that manufactured batteries, carbon products, welding equipment, plastics, industrial chemicals, pesticides, and marine products.
EIIL became part of the Williamson Magor Group through McLeod Russel Ltd in the latter half of 1994 following the sale of Union Carbide Corporation's stake in UCIL. UCIL is primarily a dry-cell battery manufacturer at the time, but as part of the Williamson Magor Group EIIL launched three brands of packet tea under the Greendale Brand umbrella - Tez, Jaago and Premium Gold. Coupled with EIIL’sbrands of packet tea are now easily available in most states in India. In 1997, the Eveready brand was extended to its packet tea business. McLeod Russel Ltd. eventually merged with Eveready Industries.
EIIL has the licence for the Eveready brand only in India, Bhutan and Nepal from Energizer Holdings
, so it had to create a new brand for export to other markets where Energizer Holdings still has the rights to the Eveready brand. The brand LAVA was launched in 1999. LAVA batteries and flashlights have been sold in Dubai
, Bahrain
, Jordan
, Sudan
, Egypt
, Bangladesh
, Mauritius
, Sri Lanka
, Azerbaijan
, Mexico
, US, Lebanon
, Saudi Arabia
, Ethiopia
and Nigeria
.
In 2005, EIIL celebrated its 100 anniversary in India. That same year, EIIL separated its bulk tea business and de-merged McLeod Russell. EEIL also acquired the ailing BPL Soft Energy System in 2005.
The Bhopal Disaster took place in the early hours of the morning of December 3, 1984, in the heart of the city of Bhopal in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh. A Union Carbide subsidiary pesticide plant released 40 tonnes of methyl isocyanate (MIC) gas, immediately killing nearly 3,000 people and ultimately causing at least 15,000 to 22,000 total deaths. Bhopal is frequently cited as one of the world's worst industrial disasters. The International Medical Commission on Bhopal was established in 1993 to respond to the disasters.
Batteries
Flashlights
Lighting Solutions
Eveready Industries has launched an advertising campaign for Eveready Ultima to highlight its latest offering, Eveready Ultima Batteries. The entire animation has been worked on by creating controlled trails of light concept which is derived out of light painting
. Recognizable shapes were made with a torch and captured on a digital still camera. The film comprises over 3000 such photographs, played back quickly, one after the other, like in a flicker book.
Union Carbide India, Limited
Union Carbide India Limited was a chemical company established in 1934, eventually expanding to employ 9,000 people working at 14 plants in five divisions. UCIL was 51% owned by Union Carbide Corporation and 49% by Indian investors including the Government of India...
) is the flagship company of the B.M. Khaitan Group. The brand Eveready
Eveready Battery Company
Eveready Battery Company, Inc., headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri, is an American manufacturer of battery brands Eveready and Energizer, owned by Energizer Holdings.-History:...
has been present in India since 1905.
EIIL's principal activities are the manufacture and market of batteries
Battery (electricity)
An electrical battery is one or more electrochemical cells that convert stored chemical energy into electrical energy. Since the invention of the first battery in 1800 by Alessandro Volta and especially since the technically improved Daniell cell in 1836, batteries have become a common power...
, flashlight
Flashlight
A flashlight is a hand-held electric-powered light source. Usually the light source is a small incandescent lightbulb or light-emitting diode...
cases, electrolytic manganese dioxide and arc carbon
Carbon
Carbon is the chemical element with symbol C and atomic number 6. As a member of group 14 on the periodic table, it is nonmetallic and tetravalent—making four electrons available to form covalent chemical bonds...
s. It also manufactures photo-engravers plates/strips for printing, castings, hard facing and tube rods, carbon electrode
Electrode
An electrode is an electrical conductor used to make contact with a nonmetallic part of a circuit...
s and other related products. The company also produces and markets tea. The Group's operating facilities are located at Kolkata
Kolkata
Kolkata , formerly known as Calcutta, is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal. Located on the east bank of the Hooghly River, it was the commercial capital of East India...
, Chennai
Chennai
Chennai , formerly known as Madras or Madarasapatinam , is the capital city of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, located on the Coromandel Coast off the Bay of Bengal. Chennai is the fourth most populous metropolitan area and the sixth most populous city in India...
, Hyderabad, NOIDA, Gurgaon
Gurgaon
Gurgaon is the second largest city in the Indian state of Haryana. Gurgaon is the industrial and financial center of Haryana. It is located 30 km south of national capital New Delhi, about 10 kilometers from Dwarka Sub City and 268 km south of Chandigarh, the state capital...
and Navi Mumbai
Navi Mumbai
Navi Mumbai is a Planned Satellite City on the west coast of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It was developed in 1972 as a twin city of Mumbai, and is the largest planned city on the planet, with under the jurisdiction of the Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation and a total area of . Navi Mumbai...
. During the fiscal year 2002 the group sold its wholly subsidiaries Dufflaghur Investments Limited and Natex Investment and Marketing Limited. Batteries accounted for 51% of fiscal 2002 revenues; Tea, 38%; Flashlight cases, 9%; Electrolytic Manganese dioxide, 1%; Purchased products, 1% and Others, nominal.
EIIL is the world’s third largest producer of carbon zinc
Zinc
Zinc , or spelter , is a metallic chemical element; it has the symbol Zn and atomic number 30. It is the first element in group 12 of the periodic table. Zinc is, in some respects, chemically similar to magnesium, because its ion is of similar size and its only common oxidation state is +2...
batteries, selling more than a billion
1000000000 (number)
1,000,000,000 is the natural number following 999,999,999 and preceding 1,000,000,001.In scientific notation, it is written as 109....
units a year. EIIL is India’s largest selling brand of dry cell batteries and flashlights (torches), with dominant market shares of about 46% and 85% respectively.
Early history
EIIL started its operation in India in 1905. The first dry cell batteries were imported from the USA and sold in the major cities of the country. These batteries were primarily used in imported torches.In 1939, the company set up its first battery plant in Kolkata. This was followed by another battery manufacturing plant in Chennai in the year 1952. A torch manufacturing plant was set up at Lucknow
Lucknow
Lucknow is the capital city of Uttar Pradesh in India. Lucknow is the administrative headquarters of Lucknow District and Lucknow Division....
in 1958. Today it is one of the largest torch manufacturing plants in South East Asia. The plant manufactures the full range of brass, aluminium and plastic torches.
In 1969, the now infamous factory in Bhopal was opened.
Success
By the time of the Bhopal DisasterBhopal disaster
The Bhopal disaster also known as Bhopal Gas Tragedy was a gas leak incident in India, considered one of the world's worst industrial catastrophes. It occurred on the night of December 2–3, 1984 at the Union Carbide India Limited pesticide plant in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, India...
in 1984, the company was ranked twenty-first in size among companies operating in India. It had revenues of Rs 2 billion (then equivalent to US$170 million). Fifty-one per cent of the company (known at the time as UCIL) was owned by Union Carbide Corporation; remaining shares were held by 24,000 stockholders. Ten thousand people were employed in five operating divisions that manufactured batteries, carbon products, welding equipment, plastics, industrial chemicals, pesticides, and marine products.
EIIL became part of the Williamson Magor Group through McLeod Russel Ltd in the latter half of 1994 following the sale of Union Carbide Corporation's stake in UCIL. UCIL is primarily a dry-cell battery manufacturer at the time, but as part of the Williamson Magor Group EIIL launched three brands of packet tea under the Greendale Brand umbrella - Tez, Jaago and Premium Gold. Coupled with EIIL’sbrands of packet tea are now easily available in most states in India. In 1997, the Eveready brand was extended to its packet tea business. McLeod Russel Ltd. eventually merged with Eveready Industries.
EIIL has the licence for the Eveready brand only in India, Bhutan and Nepal from Energizer Holdings
Energizer Holdings
Energizer Holdings is an American manufacturer of batteries and personal care products, headquartered in Town and Country, Missouri. Its most well known brands are Energizer and Eveready batteries, Schick, Wilkinson Sword and Edge shaving products, Playtex feminine hygiene and baby products, and...
, so it had to create a new brand for export to other markets where Energizer Holdings still has the rights to the Eveready brand. The brand LAVA was launched in 1999. LAVA batteries and flashlights have been sold in Dubai
Dubai
Dubai is a city and emirate in the United Arab Emirates . The emirate is located south of the Persian Gulf on the Arabian Peninsula and has the largest population with the second-largest land territory by area of all the emirates, after Abu Dhabi...
, Bahrain
Bahrain
' , officially the Kingdom of Bahrain , is a small island state near the western shores of the Persian Gulf. It is ruled by the Al Khalifa royal family. The population in 2010 stood at 1,214,705, including 235,108 non-nationals. Formerly an emirate, Bahrain was declared a kingdom in 2002.Bahrain is...
, Jordan
Jordan
Jordan , officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan , Al-Mamlaka al-Urduniyya al-Hashemiyya) is a kingdom on the East Bank of the River Jordan. The country borders Saudi Arabia to the east and south-east, Iraq to the north-east, Syria to the north and the West Bank and Israel to the west, sharing...
, Sudan
Sudan
Sudan , officially the Republic of the Sudan , is a country in North Africa, sometimes considered part of the Middle East politically. It is bordered by Egypt to the north, the Red Sea to the northeast, Eritrea and Ethiopia to the east, South Sudan to the south, the Central African Republic to the...
, Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
, Bangladesh
Bangladesh
Bangladesh , officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh is a sovereign state located in South Asia. It is bordered by India on all sides except for a small border with Burma to the far southeast and by the Bay of Bengal to the south...
, Mauritius
Mauritius
Mauritius , officially the Republic of Mauritius is an island nation off the southeast coast of the African continent in the southwest Indian Ocean, about east of Madagascar...
, Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
, Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan , officially the Republic of Azerbaijan is the largest country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. Located at the crossroads of Western Asia and Eastern Europe, it is bounded by the Caspian Sea to the east, Russia to the north, Georgia to the northwest, Armenia to the west, and Iran to...
, Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
, US, Lebanon
Lebanon
Lebanon , officially the Republic of LebanonRepublic of Lebanon is the most common term used by Lebanese government agencies. The term Lebanese Republic, a literal translation of the official Arabic and French names that is not used in today's world. Arabic is the most common language spoken among...
, Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia , commonly known in British English as Saudi Arabia and in Arabic as as-Sa‘ūdiyyah , is the largest state in Western Asia by land area, constituting the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and the second-largest in the Arab World...
, Ethiopia
Ethiopia
Ethiopia , officially known as the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. It is the second-most populous nation in Africa, with over 82 million inhabitants, and the tenth-largest by area, occupying 1,100,000 km2...
and Nigeria
Nigeria
Nigeria , officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a federal constitutional republic comprising 36 states and its Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The country is located in West Africa and shares land borders with the Republic of Benin in the west, Chad and Cameroon in the east, and Niger in...
.
In 2005, EIIL celebrated its 100 anniversary in India. That same year, EIIL separated its bulk tea business and de-merged McLeod Russell. EEIL also acquired the ailing BPL Soft Energy System in 2005.
Milestones
- 1905: National Carbon starts its Indian operations with sale of batteries imported from USA.
- 1926: Ever Ready Company India sets up the first arc carbon factory at Canal Road, Kolkata.
- 1934: Eveready Company incorporated as a private company on 12 November.
- 1939: Camperdown Works - first modern battery plant established at CossiporeCossiporeCossipore is a neighbourhood in north Kolkata, earlier known as Calcutta, in the Indian state of West Bengal. One of the old neighbourhoods of the metropolis, it has a police station and is an assembly constituency.-History:...
in Kolkata. - 1941: Union Batteries merges with Eveready Company and the name is changed to National Carbon Company.
- 1951: Renamed as Union Carbide India Ltd, a subsidiary of world wide multinational, Union Carbide Corporation.
- 1958: Company set its torch manufacturing plant in LucknowLucknowLucknow is the capital city of Uttar Pradesh in India. Lucknow is the administrative headquarters of Lucknow District and Lucknow Division....
,one of the largest in south Asia. - 1959: Name of the company changed to Union Carbide India Limited.
- 1984: Bhopal disasterBhopal disasterThe Bhopal disaster also known as Bhopal Gas Tragedy was a gas leak incident in India, considered one of the world's worst industrial catastrophes. It occurred on the night of December 2–3, 1984 at the Union Carbide India Limited pesticide plant in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, India...
at Union Carbide India LTD plant in Bhopal.
The Bhopal Disaster took place in the early hours of the morning of December 3, 1984, in the heart of the city of Bhopal in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh. A Union Carbide subsidiary pesticide plant released 40 tonnes of methyl isocyanate (MIC) gas, immediately killing nearly 3,000 people and ultimately causing at least 15,000 to 22,000 total deaths. Bhopal is frequently cited as one of the world's worst industrial disasters. The International Medical Commission on Bhopal was established in 1993 to respond to the disasters.
- 1995: Sale of shares of Union Carbide Corporation in Union Carbide India Ltd to Mc Leod Russel (I) Ltd. belonging to the Williamson Magor Group and a new name - Eveready Industries India Ltd (EIIL).
- 1996: Mc Leod Russel (India) Ltd, merged with EIIL, bulk tea business brought into EIIL fold.
- 2000: Bishnauth Tea Company merged with Eveready Industries India Ltd.
- 2005: Brand EVEREADY is a hundred years old.
- 2009: EIIL acquires controlling stake in UnirossUnirossUniross is a Paris based international battery and battery accessory manufacturer. It founded in the UK in 1968. It makes and sells rechargeable batteries and battery chargers under the brand names Encore, UltraLast and Uniross....
SA of France, which is a leading rechargeable battery manufacturer.
Products
Eveready Industries have business interests spreading across batteries, flashlights, lighting solutions, alternative lighting solutions, and packed Tea.Batteries
- Zinc-carbon batteryZinc-carbon batteryA zinc–carbon dry cell or battery is packaged in a zinc can that serves as both a container and negative terminal. It was developed from the wet Leclanché cell . The positive terminal is a carbon rod surrounded by a mixture of manganese dioxide and carbon powder. The electrolyte used is a paste of...
: A zinc-carbon battery which is commonly used for Toys, Cameras, Torches, Walkman, CD-players, Radios, clocks and cordless mikes. - Alkaline Battery: Eveready Ultima Alkaline battery is the is one of one of the most popular batteries used in electronic gadgets of modern times.
- Rechargeable Battery: 'Eveready Recharge' is one of the pioneers as a brand of rechargeable batteries and chargers to be introduced in IndiaIndiaIndia , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. - Battery Guide
Flashlights
- digiLED Torches: These torches use power efficient LEDs in place of the incandescent bulbs.
- Brass Torches: Jeevan Sathi brass torchlight has been a reliable, durable and repairable, making it a must-have evening companion especially in the villages. It is one of the most trusted brands in rural India across all product categories.
- Aluminium & Plastic Torches: These torches have strong durable bodies, slide switches for easy handling and come in a wide range of models and colors.
Lighting Solutions
- Compact Fluorescent Lamps: In 2007, Eveready forayed into the lighting business with the launch of a range of Compact Fluorescent Lamps.
- Halogen Lamps: Eveready offers halogen lamps for outdoor lighting and video-shooting.
- General lighting service/incandescent lamps: A range of incandescent bulbs in different sizes, voltages and colours are used widely in household and commercial lighting, apart from portable, decorative and advertising lighting.
Marketing
In 1992, Rediffusion Y&R, the agency on record, cracked the ‘Give me Red’ tagline that Eveready Industry continues to use. In 2004, Amitabh Bachchan was appointed as brand ambassador for a period of two years, during which the agency came up with another ‘Give me Red’ campaign. Following the Bachchan ads, it was only earlier in 2009 that Eveready released an ad titled ‘Boxing’.Eveready Industries has launched an advertising campaign for Eveready Ultima to highlight its latest offering, Eveready Ultima Batteries. The entire animation has been worked on by creating controlled trails of light concept which is derived out of light painting
Light Painting
Light painting, also known as light drawing or light graffiti is a photographic technique in which exposures are made usually at night or in a darkened room by moving a hand-held light source or by moving the camera. In many cases the light source itself does not have to appear in the image...
. Recognizable shapes were made with a torch and captured on a digital still camera. The film comprises over 3000 such photographs, played back quickly, one after the other, like in a flicker book.
Also see
- Energizer HoldingsEnergizer HoldingsEnergizer Holdings is an American manufacturer of batteries and personal care products, headquartered in Town and Country, Missouri. Its most well known brands are Energizer and Eveready batteries, Schick, Wilkinson Sword and Edge shaving products, Playtex feminine hygiene and baby products, and...
- Eveready East AfricaEveready East AfricaEveready East Africa is an affiliate of the American Eveready Battery Company. Founded in 1967 and based in Nakuru, it is one of Africa's largest battery manufacturers and is listed on the Nairobi Stock Exchange.-External links:* *...
- Ucar batteries
- British Ever Ready Electrical Company
- Ever-ready, an Indonisian battery firm.