{{Short description|Indian conglomerate}} {{Use dmy dates|date=August 2018}} {{Use Indian English|date=August 2018}} {{Infobox company | name = | logo = Nirma svg logo.svg | logo_size = | type = Private | industry = Fast-moving consumer goods | foundation = 1969 | location = Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India | founder = Karsanbhai Patel | products = Detergent, Soaps, Cements, Putty, Soda ash, Injectables | revenue = | operating_income = | net_income = | num_employees = | parent = | subsid = {{ubl|Nirma Ltd|Nuvoco Vistas Corporation|Searles Valley Minerals Inc.|Aculife Healthcare|Alivus Life Sciences}} | footnotes = | homepage = [http://www.nirma.co.in www.nirma.co.in] }} '''Nirma''' is a conglomerate based in Ahmedabad, India, involved in the manufacture of various products, including detergents, soaps, cement, cosmetics, salt, soda ash, linear alkyl benzene, and injectables. It was founded in 1969 by Karsanbhai Patel, a laboratory technician, as a one-man operation.<ref name="BusinessStandard"/>
==History== In 1969, Dr. Karsanbhai Patel, 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 ₹3.50 per kg, at a time when HUL's Surf was priced at ₹13. Nirma sold well in Ruppur (Gujarat), Patel's hometown. He started packing the formulation in a 10x10 ft room in his house. Patel named the powder Nirma, after his daughter Nirupama. He 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, which was aided in part by the popular "Washing Powder Nirma" television advertisement.<ref name="BusinessStandard">{{cite news | last = | first = | date = | title = 40 years ago...and now: Nirma girl endears, but brand's seen better days | url = https://www.business-standard.com/article/management/40-years-ago-and-now-nirma-girl-endears-but-brand-s-seen-better-days-114110501447_1.html | work = Business Standard | location = | access-date = 8 January 2020 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|access-date=2023-04-14|title=Indian Ad-age: How a jingle made Nirma sabki pasand!|url=https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/opinion-entertainment/indian-ad-age-how-a-jingle-made-nirma-sabki-pasand-6145078/|date=1 December 2019}}</ref>
By 1999, Nirma was a major consumer brand, offering a range of detergents, soaps and personal care products.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://srimca.edu.in/srijan/Srijanmar2010/Biography.html|title=SRIJAN March - 2010|website=srimca.edu.in|access-date=2016-09-03|archive-date=5 August 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140805222404/http://srimca.edu.in/srijan/Srijanmar2010/Biography.html|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-62645795 |title= From Maruti to Amul: Five brands that shaped India after independence |last=Desai|first=Santosh|date=28 August 2022|website=BBC}}</ref> The group also set up a healthcare subsidiary called Nirlife to manufacture intravenous fluids.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/people-places/karsanbhai-patel-the-man-behind-the-sucess-of-nirma/articleshow/6761439.cms|title=Karsanbhai Patel: The man behind the {{sic|suc|ess|nolink=y}} of Nirma|first=Tapash|last=Talukdar|newspaper=The Economic Times}}</ref>
In November 2007, Nirma purchased American raw materials company Searles Valley Minerals Inc., making it among the top seven soda ash manufacturers in the world.<ref name="ET">{{cite news |title= Nirma shares soar 7% on acquisition of US co |url=http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/stocks_in_news_home/Nirma_shares_soar_7_on_acquisition/articleshow/2574416.cms |newspaper= The Economic Times |date=27 November 2007 }}</ref>
Nirma Group started cement manufacturing in 2014 from a single plant in Nimbol, with a newly established company Nuvoco Vistas Corporation.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/markets/ipos/fpos/nuvoco-vistas-likely-to-file-drhp-for-rs-5000-crore-ipo-this-week/articleshow/82408450.cms|title=Nuvoco Vistas likely to file DRHP for Rs 5,000 crore IPO this week|first=Rajesh|last=Mascarenhas|newspaper=The Economic Times}}</ref> In 2016, Nirma acquired Lafarge India's cement assets for $1.4 billion.<ref name="Pandey 2016">{{cite web | last=Pandey | first=Piyush | title=Nirma to buy Lafarge India cement assets for $1.4 billion | website=The Hindu | date=2016-07-11 | url=https://www.thehindu.com/business/Industry/Nirma-to-buy-Lafarge-India-cement-assets-for-1.4-billion/article14483453.ece | access-date=2021-05-06}}</ref> In February 2020, Nirma acquired Emami Cement for {{INRconvert|5500|c|mode=historical|year=2020}}.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.thehindu.com/business/Industry/nirma-to-acquire-emamis-cement-business-for-5500-cr/article30755164.ece|title=Nirma to acquire Emami's cement business for ₹5,500 cr.|newspaper=The Hindu |date=6 February 2020|via=www.thehindu.com}}</ref>
In September 2023, Nirma acquired a 75% stake in Glenmark Life Sciences from Glenmark for {{INR}}5,652 crore (US$680 million).<ref>{{Cite news |last=Sadam |first=Rishika |date=2023-09-21 |title=India's Glenmark to sell majority stake in life sciences unit for $680 million |language=en |work=Reuters |url=https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/indias-glenmark-pharma-sell-75-stake-life-sciences-unit-nirma-680-mln-2023-09-21/ |access-date=2023-09-22}}</ref> In 2024, Glenmark Life Sciences was renamed Alivus Life Sciences.<ref>{{cite news |title=Glenmark Life Sciences to rebrand as Alivus Life Sciences, shares in green |url=https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/markets/stock-markets/glenmark-life-sciences-to-rebrand-as-alivus-life-sciences-shares-in-green/article68735665.ece |access-date=4 January 2025 |work=BusinessLine |date=9 October 2024 |language=en}}</ref>
== CSR == The company established Nirma University in 1995, which is managed by the Nirma Education and Research Foundation (NERF). It also runs the Nirmalabs education program, which has been dedicated to training and supporting entrepreneurs since 2004.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Shah |first1=Vrutika |title=How a Gujarati businessman went from making detergent in his backyard to building a Rs 2500 crore empire |url=https://www.gqindia.com/get-smart/content/nirma-success-story-gujarati-businessman-nirma-detergent-karsanbhai-patel |publisher=GQ India |date=January 24, 2020}}</ref>
==See also== * Nirma University of Science & Technology
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== * [http://www.nirma.co.in/ Official Nirma company website] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141105155846/http://www.nirma.co.in/ |date=5 November 2014 }}
Category:Chemical companies of India Category:Manufacturing companies based in Ahmedabad Category:Laundry detergents Category:Chemical companies established in 1969 Category:Manufacturing companies established in 1969 Category:Indian companies established in 1969 Category:Companies formerly listed on the Bombay Stock Exchange Category:Indian brands Category:1969 establishments in Gujarat