Britannia Industries

1918
 
 - The Company was Incorporated on 21st March, as a public limited
 company under the Indian Companies Act, VII of 1913.  The Company
 Manufacture bakery and soyabean products, export of cashew Kernels
 marine products, general merchandise items and computer software.
 
 1921
 
 - The Company obtained a priority of Certificate and imported new
 machinery thereby becoming the first biscuit company in India to
 instal
 and run a gas oven plant.
 
 1924
 
 - A new factory was established at Kasara Pier Road in Mumbai. In
 the
 same year, the Company became a subsidiary of Peek, Frean & Co.
 Ltd.,
 U.K., a leading biscuit manufacturing company, and further
 strengthened
 its position by expanding the factories at Calcutta and Mumbai.
 
 1939-45
 
 - A large part of the Company's production was diverted to war
 effort
 on account of World War II and at times as much as 95% of the total
 capacity was booked for the production of Service Biscuit.
 
 1951
 
 - 19,779 Equity shares issued to acquire the Delhi Biscuit Co. Ltd. 
 In
 August 1,53,234 Bonus equity shares issued in the proportion 1:1.
 
 1952
 
 - The Calcutta Factory was shifted from Dum Dum to spacious grounds
 at
 Taratola Road in the suburbs of Calcutta.  During the same year
 automatic plants were installed there and later in Mumbai in 1954.
 
 1954
 
 - The development of high quality sliced and wrapped bread in India
 was
 pioneered by the Company and was first manufactured at Delhi.
 
 - 1,53,234 Bonus equity shares issued in the proportion 1:2.
 
 1961
 
 - Manufacture of bread was started in Mumbai and a new bread bakery
 was
 set up at Delhi in 1965.
 
 - 2,29,851 Bonus equity shares issued in the proportion 1:2.
 
 1966
 
 - In May 1966, 3,06,468 Bonus equity shares issued in the proportion
 4:9.
 
 1968
 
 - On 14th May, 6,64,014 Bonus equity shares issued in the proportion
 2:3.
 
 1970
 
 - 9,96,021 Bonus equity shares issued in the proportion 3:5.
 
 1976
 
 - Britannia bread was introduced in Calcutta and Chennai.
 
 - 18,59,239 Bonus equity shares issued in the proportion 7:10 in
 April.
 
 1978
 
 - After the issue of shares to the Indian public, the non-resident
 holding in the Company was reduced to less than 40%.
 
 - 18,00,000 Equity shares issued at a premium of Rs 5 per share.
 4,06,286 shares offered as rights to resident Indian shareholders in
 proportion 1:5.  43,714 shares offered to the Company's employees;
 1,00,000 shares to UTI and 50,000 shares each to LIC and GIC were
 reserved for allotment and 11,50,000 shares offered to the public
 during January/February.
 
 1979
 
 - With effect from 3rd October, the name of the Company was changed
 from the Britannia Biscuit Co., Ltd., to Britannia Industries Ltd.
 
 1980
 
 - The Company signed a 10 year technical collaboration agreement
 with
 Nebico Pvt. Ltd., Nepal, for the supply of know-how relating to
 manufacturing, packaging and marketing of biscuits and selection of
 plant and machinery.
 
 1982
 
 - 25,26,118 Bonus equity shares issued in proportion 2:5.
 
 1986
 
 - The turnover increased by 19.4% over the the previous year to Rs
 192.15 crores.  Sales of biscuits, in terms of volume, registered a
 satisfacotry growth.  Good Day, a new biscuit launched during the
 year met with good market response.
 
 - Production of bread at Delhi unit was adversely affected due to
 launched pure refined cooking oil under the brand name of Vital.
 
 - 35,36,565 Bonus shares issued in proportion 2:5 during July 1987.
 
 1987
 
 
 - In (16 months), the total sales turnover increased on an
 annualised
 basis by 38.7% over the previous year.  Increase in sales of bakery
 and
 soya products divisions and higher cashew exports helped to realise
 higher sales.  With the introduction of some more brands during the
 year, the total biscuit brands of the bakery division reached 27. 
 The
 soya products division introduced a range of extruded products under
 the brand name VITAL FEAST.
 
 1989
 
 - The Company launched new brand of biscuit, namely, `CIRCUT'. 
 Another
 brand PURE MAGIC was extended nationally and posta badam was added
 to
 GOOD DAY range of biscuits.  Bread production and affected for some
 time at Delhi factory due to industrial unrest.
 
 - 61,88,989 Bonus shares issued in proportion 1:2.
 
 1990
 
 - Two new brands of biscuits,Elaichi Creamand Petit Beurre were
 launched.  Also, a new cashew badam variant of the brand Milk Bikis
 and brand extension of Pure magic biscuit Vanilla cream were
 launched.
 Fruit bread was launched in Delhi and was well received.
 
 1991
 
 - The Company launched two new speciality brands viz., Britannia
 milk
 bread and Britannia brown bread in Delhi and extended nationally its
 main brands Petit Beurre and elaichi cream.
 
 - On 17th August, the Company handed over to SM Dychem Ltd, its soya
 unit at Vidisha, MP.
 
 - The Company proposed to invest in the equity capital of Britco
 Company Pvt. Ltd., a joint venture with JMRPCO Ltd., Hongkong, for
 manufacture of beverage bases and essence for Coca Cola, Fanta &
 Sprite
 and to export processed snack foods.
 
 1992
 
 - The Company launched a new brand of biscuit, namely `Little
 Hearts'
 which carved a niche in the market.
 
 1993
 
 - The Company launched new brand of biscuit, namely, `Fifty-Fifty'.
 Bread market remained depressed.  To revive the market, the Company
 launched a speciality brand viz. `Premium Bake' in both Delhi and
 Mumbai.  During the year, the company has started exporting Basmati
 Rice under the name `Britannia Indian Pearl'.
 
 1994
 
 - During the year, the bakery division launched `Bakers Choice' a
 sweet
 biscuit and `Thinlite' a light semi-sweet biscuit aimed at fitness
 concious consumers.
 
 1995
 
 - Under the `Pure Magics' Umbrella, the company launched a new
 sandwich
 cream biscuit with two-in-one flavour viz. double cream and this was
 well received in the market.  In the cake market, under the premium
 segment, the company launched with Groupe Danone's technological
 input
 a Swissroll Cake Mini Roule which was also met with good response.
 
 1996
 
 - Mariegold biscuits registered quantum growth in volumes and milk
 bikis milk cream launched during the year was well received. 
 Despite
 general slow down in the economy the company's profits improved.
 
 1997
 
 - The Biscuit industry has been dereserved which would not only
 remove
 restriction on increasing capacity but would also provide
 opportunities
 of growth through new products and efficient production systems. 
 The
 Company undertook to diversify into cheese and dairy whitner.
 
 - The Company launched `Tiger' range of biscuits for mass market
 category, `Jim-Jam' and ` `Chekkers' in the premium segment.  The
 Company also launched Butter in Delhi during the year.
 
 - Britannia Industries (BIL) is one of the largest bakery in the
 private sector and a household name in food products.
 
 - Britannia Industries Ltd (BIL) will shortly enter the cheese and
 milk
 products market with an alliance proposed between itself and the
 Mumbai-based Dynamix Dairy Ltd.
 
 - Britannia Industries Ltd is all set to launch a new corporate
 identity and a total revamp of its product portfolio, with strategic
 inputs from an international strategic design and brand
 repositioning
 company - Shining Strategic Design.
  
 1998
 
 - Food major Britannia Industries Ltd (BIL) has signed a wage
 agreement
 with the Maharashtra General Kamgar Union (MGKU), providing an
 average
 wage increase for 1,000 workers employed in the biscuit
 manufacturing
 unit at Reay Road, Mumbai.
 
 - The company has launched Half/Half, a soft cake filled with cream
 in
 two variants, chocolate-vanilla and vanilla-orange.  Half/Half comes
 in
 a twin-cake pack (Rs.6) and a tray pack containing five cakes. 
 
 - Britannia Industries Ltd has launched a festival offer for
 Britannia
 Dairy Whitener in Kerala.
 
 - A Ind AAA rating has been signed to the Rs.100-crore secured
 non-convertible debenture issue from Britannia Industries Limited
 (BIL).
 
 1999
 
 - Britannia Industries Ltd has rolled out its flavoured milk brand
 `Zip-Sip' in tetrapaks.  Zip-Sip has been launched in Mumbai and
 some
 markets in the South.
  
 - Britannia Industries, launching the country's first branded
 flavoured
 milk is another step towards its goal of becoming a dairy-products
 giant.
 
 - In a move meant to sharply increase its India-profile, `knowledge
 major' Encyclopaedia Britannica Inc plans to come out - for the
 first
 time - with India and south Asia-specific volumes targeted at school
 children as well as institutions and the general `knowledge-seeker'.
 
 2000
 
 - Britinnia Industries has launched consumer promotion scheme
 `Britannia Khao, Cricketer Ban Jao' on May 1st.
 
 - Britannia Industries, in its second coming in the Indian dairy
 market
 under the `Milkman' brand, is introducing a range of products many
 in
 desi flavours to woo the Indian consumer.
 
 - The Company has launched Vita Mariegold, a semi-sweet biscuit
 which
 reportedly has 10 essential vitamins, milk protein and 58 cereals.
 
 - Britannia's Milk Bikis Funland biscuits an innovative extension of
 the Milk Bikis brand.
 
 - The Industry is set to start bread-manufacturing factories in
 Kochi,
 Hyderabad and Chennai to tap the region's market potential.
 
 - The Company has become the first company to take its products to
 the
 Net in the form of a video file.
 
 - Britannia Industries has launched Britannia Milkman Butter, a
 product
 under the Milkman brand.
 
 - The Company has appointed Tata Energy Research Institute (Teri) for
 a
 power audit.
 
 - FITCH rating India Pvt. Ltd has reaffirmed the Ind AAA rating
 assigned to the Rs 1000 million non convertible debenture program of
 Britannia Industries Ltd.
 
 - The Company has lauched two new dairy products Milkman Cold Coffee
 and Milkman Sweet lassi.
 
 - Britannia Industries Ltd. has introduced a new range of
 traditional
 namkeens called Britannia Snaz in Mumbai.
 
 2001
 
 - Britannia Industries has launched Britannia Milkman Milk in Delhi.
 
 - Biscuits major Britannia Industries will fund its in-principle
 agreement to acquire 49 per cent of Kwality Biscuits through
 internal
 accruals.
 
 2002
 
 -Britannia Industries Ltd announced on March 26, 2002 that it has
 entered into a joint venture with the Fonterra Cooperative Group, New
 Zealand's biggest company and one of the leading diary co-operative
 groups in the world.
 
 -Britannia's new COO is Nikhil Sen.
 
 2003
 
 - Board of Directors of Britannia Industries Ltd has passed a
 resolution to terminate the employment of Mr S K Alagh as Managing
 Director of the company with immediate effect.
 
 - The management of  Britannia Industries has roped in John Miller, a
 Danone representative, as additional director on its board.
 
 -Britannia New Zealand Foods, a joint venture of Britannia Industries
 and Fonterra Co-operative
 group of New Zealand has launched Britannia MilkMan fresh milk.
 
 -Britannia's Non-convertible Debentures have been rated AAA by Fitch
 Rating India as Stable Outlook.
 
 -Britannia Industries has appointed Mr.Nikhil Sen,Chief Operating
 Officer as the manager 
 of the company.
 
 2004
 
 -Britannia Industries Ltd has informed that pursuant to the approval
 of the shareholders of the Company at the AGM held on August 08, 2003
 and the subsequent application to the Cochin Stock Exchange Ltd., the
 said stock exchange has delisted the securities of the Company with
 effect from November 15, 2003.
 
 -Britannia Industries Ltd reviews marketing alliance with the
 Kolkata-based Thacker Dairy Products Pvt Ltd
 
 2005
 
 --Britannia New Zealand launches health drink for adult
 
 2006
 
 -Britannia Industries Ltd has forged a strategic alliance with CCD
 Daily Bread Pvt Ltd a Bangalore based Company engaged in
 manufacturing and retailing of premium breads, cakes and high end
 ready to eat foods and snacks
 
 -Britannia Industries Ltd has appointed Mr. Stephan Gerlich as a
 Director.
 
 -Britannia Industries Ltd has informed that Mr. Durgesh Mehta has
 joined the Company as the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) with effect
 from November 16, 2006.