KRBL Limited

KRBL was founded in 1889 in Lyallpur by two brothers–Khushi Ram and Behari Lal; the company name is an acronym of their names. Initially set up as a cotton-spinning business, it also had business interests in edible oil, wheat and rice. After the partition of India, the family settled in Delhi and started again from scratch, working as trade agents of rice and oil in the city's Naya Bazaar area.

By the 1970s, KRBL was producing only rice, and supplying to local exporters including the Zee Group. The company began exporting rice directly, in its own name, only in 1985. In 1992, it set up its first unit in Ghaziabad, UP, in the outskirts of Delhi. This unit was for sorting, grading and packaging rice. In 1995, KRBL issued its initial public offering. In 1998, the company launched its own brand of rice, "India Gate," in the Indian market. In 1998, the company commissioned its second plant in Alipur, Delhi. In 2001, the third plant was set up in Gautam Buddh Nagar, UP .They year 2003 was a milestone year for the company. In that year, KRBL became the first Indian rice company to receive foreign investment, and in 2006, it issued GDRs of US$13 million. It was also in 2003 that KRBL acquired a 65-acre rice processing, grading and packaging plant near Dhuri for ?15.8 crore through a court auction. The facility was turned into the largest rice milling plant in the world after a ?200 crore upgrade. In 2016, the company started operating its fourth plant, located in Sonipat district of Haryana.To clarify, KRBL has two manufacturing facilities , one in Uttar Pradesh and the other in Punjab . KRBL also has four state-of-the-art facilities for grading, sorting and packaging rice. These are located at Gautam Budh Nagar, Dhuri, Sonipat and Alipur.

Timeline

1889: Founded in Lyallpur by brothers Khushi Ram and Behari Lal

1947: Moved to Delhi due to Partition of India and began working as commission agents, procuring commodities mainly for big exporters

1985: Began exporting rice directly , under their own name

1992: Commissioned its first unit in Ghaziabad, UP, in the outskirts of Delhi

1995: Issued IPO

1998: Commissioned its second rice unit in Alipur near Burari in Delhi. In the same year, launched its own brand of rice in India

2003: Received foreign funding; purchased a 65-acre integrated rice facility located at Dhuri near Sangrur in Punjab and began upgrading it at a cost of Rs.200 crores to become India's largest rice processing facility

2006: Issued GDRs for USD 13 million

2016: Commissioned its fourth unit in Sonipat, Haryana, again on the outskirts of Delhi