Reckitt Benckiser Ltd.

1951
 
 - The Company was Incorporated on 5th July, in Calcutta.  The
 Company
 Manufacture ultramarine blue food products, Antiseptics, polishes,
 cosmetics and pharmaceuticals.  The Company took over the
 manufacturing
 assets and manufacturing operations of Atlantic (East) Ltd., a
 company
 in the Reckitt & Colman group incorporated in England, trading in
 India
 in 1934 and established new facilities for the manufacture of
 several
 household, pharmaceutical, food and toiletry products hitheto
 imported.
 
 1969
 
 - Atlantic (East) Ltd., was amalgamated with the company as from the
 close of business on 30th April, whereupon the Company also acquired
 the trading activities of the amalgamated company.  The Company was
 a
 wholly owned subsidiary of Reckitt & Colman Ltd., U.K. 
 
 1970
 
 - The holding of company was reduced to 70% after issuing shares to
 the
 public.  The company owns three factories situated at Dhadka, Chetla
 and Behala of which the one at Dhadka is reported to be one of the
 world's largest ultramarine blue factories.
 
 - 17,50,000 shares issued to Reckitt & Colman Ltd., U.K., and its
 nominees (6,00,000 shares without payment in cash).  In May,
 7,50,000
 shares issued (prem. Rs 3 per share), 75,000 shares reserved and
 allotted to directors and employees of the company and 6,75,000
 shares
 offered to the public.
 
 1977
 
 - During July, the holding company offered out of its holding
 7,52,000
 No. of equity shares of the company at par to the Indian nationals;
 3,00,000 shares were offered as rights in the proportion of 2:5 to
 the
 Indian shareholders of the company; 1,25,000 shares reserved for
 offer
 to the employees of the company, distributors and directors, etc.,
 who
 were resident Indian nationals and 3,27,000 shares offered to the
 Indian public.  After the offer of sale, the holding of Reckitt &
 Colman Ltd., U.K., in the equity capital of the company was reduced
 from 70% to 39%
  
 1981
 
 - 4,99,400 Bonus shares issued in prop. 1:5.
 
 1986
 
 - 11,98,776 Bonus shares issued in prop. 2:5.
 
 1991
 
 - 50,34,859 Bonus shares issued in prop. 3:5.
 
 1993
 
 - 30,30,303 shares allotted at a prem. of Rs 90 per shares to Reckitt
 &
 Colman Plc. U.K. to increase their holding to 51%.
 
 1994
 
 - The Company commissioned 1st phase of PCMX project of 150 MT
 capacity
 per annum at Hosur.  Two lines of Coil plant was commissioned in
 September under the 1st phase of household insecticides project. 
 The
 Mat and Aerosol plants were under installation.
 
 - 164,56,594 bonus shares issued in prop. 1:1.
 
 1995
 
 - New dryer was installed and commissioned in the coils factory at
 Hosur.  The project for capacity increase in PCMX plant and the
 multipurpose chemicals plant at Triclosan was proceeding on
 schedule.
 
 1996
 
 - The Company launched Lizol, Woolite, Dettol Shaving Cream and Gel
 and
 Harpic Flushmatic which received good market response.
 
 - Additional eight lines had been installed at Hosur to increase the
 capacity from two lines to ten lines of coils production.
 
 1997
 
 - The company made major investments in creating capacities for the
 manufacture of mosquito coil.  The Company also invested
 substantially
 in the area of information technology and communication systems
 which
 would help in increasing the productivity, reduction in cost and
 achieve higher growth.
 
 - During the year a joint venture company viz. Reckitt Piramal Ltd.
 was set up with Reckitt and Colman Plc. and Nicholas Piramal India
 Ltd.
 to create a unique force in India by combining the focussed
 marketing
 of both the companies OTC brands.
 
 - By announcing impressive first-half (9706) results, Reckitt &
 Colman
 of India (RCI) has joined the league of MNC's to buck the trend of
 sagging bottom lines.  RCI, a 51% subsidiary of the British
 multinational Reckitt & Colman, reported a 31% growth in sales and a
 62% jump in net profit.
 
 - Reckitt & Colman India is to hold a 20 per cent stake in Reckitt
 Piramal India Ltd, a joint venture with Nicholas Piramal India Ltd.
 (NPIL).  Its British parent Recikitt & Colman Plc and NPIL will each
 hold 40 per cent of the company's Rs.10 crore equity.
 
 - Reckitt & Colman is close to a deal to acquire from Knoll (India)
 the
 well known burns and antiseptic ointment Burnol.
 
 1998
 
 - R & C, RCI and Nicholas Piramal India signed an agreement for a
 tripartite joint venture company, Reckitt Piramal (RP).  The venture
 will have an equity of Rs.10 crore with the state of R&C, RCI and
 Nicholas Piramal being in the ratio of 4:2:4 in order.
 
 - Meanwhile, Reckitt and Colman Plc has set up a joint venture with
 Nicholas Piramal which is one of India's largest prescription
 pharmaceuticals companies with excellent detailing relationship with
 doctors throughout the country, said the RCI chairman.
 
 - The joint venture agreement is aimed at to be the overall number
 one
 OTC pharmaceutical company in the country.
 
 - Reckitt & Coleman of India Ltd. (RCIL) has acquired the brand
 `Colin', a glass and household cleaner, from Fernhill Laboratories &
 Industrial Establishment.
 
 - Reckitt Piramal India Ltd, the 60:40 joint venture between the
 Reckitt & Colman (R&C) companies and Nicholas Piramal India Ltd. 
 The
 company will introduce six new products next year including line
 extensions.
 
 1999
 
 - Reckitt & Colman's over-the-counter (OTC) pharmaceutical products
 have been allocated to its' joint venture company, Reckitt Piramal
 Ltd,
 from March 1998.  Reckitt Piramal has an extensive distribution
 network
 with chemists and doctors.
 
 - R&C also said its joint venture Reckitt Piramal Ltd. (RPL)
 handling
 the OTC pharmaceutical product business had in its first year of
 operations, become the single largest OTC company in India.  The
 joint
 venture markets brands like Dettol, Disprin and Gelora.
 
 - The company has also reached an agreement with its workers on
 reorientation of productivity norms that will be required to
 modernise
 the production process.
 
 2000
 
 - The Company has launched `Cherry Blossom Handyshine' in a new
 compact
 case with a neutral polish that can be applied on any colour
 leather.
 
 - The Company launched its internationally popular Calgonit range of
 automatic dishwashers in India.
 
 - The Company changed its name to Reckitt Benckiser (India).  The
 firm
 is a unit of Anglo-Dutch consumer products group Reckitt Benckiser.
 
 2001
 
 - Vanish, a stain-removing brand of Reckitt Benckiser, has entered
 the
 Indian market.
 
 - Reckitt Benckiser, the Indian arm of $5-billion Reckitt Benckiser
 Plc, has launched two new versions of its 24-year old brand Dispirin
 for various therapeutic uses.
 
 - Reckitt Benckiser (India) Ltd today said it will launch Disprin CV,
 a
 100 mg aspirin dose, for the treatment of cardiovascular disorders,
 in
 September.
 
 2002
 
 - Reckitt Benckiser India Ltd has informed that Mr Pranab Barua,
 Managing Director of the company has resigned with immediate effect.
 Consequent to the above resignation, Mr C M Sethi is being inducted
 with immediate effect as the Managing Director of the company.
 
 -Life Insurance Corporation of India has sold 19,66,735 equity shares
 of Rs 10 each of Reckitt Benckiser India Ltd @ Rs 250 per share to M/s
 Reckitt Benckiser plc along with Lanacaster Square Holdings SL as
 Person Acting in Concert.
 
 -Reckitt Benckiser India Ltd has informed BSE that Mr K N
 Bhattacharya, Executive Director & CFO of the Company would retire
 from the services of the Company w e f the close of business hours of
 September 30, 2002 earlier than the normal course of his term of
 office which is up to March 31, 2003.
 
 2003
 
 -Delhi High Court has given judgement saying that Dettol soap is not
 an antiseptic soap.