Website bengalchemicals.gov.in Owner Government of India | Founder Prafulla Chandra Rây Revenue 1 billion INR (2014–2015) | |
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Founded Calcutta, British India (April 12, 1901; 115 years ago (1901-04-12)) Products Hospitol
Naphthalene balls
Phenyl | ||
Bengal Chemicals and Pharmaceuticals Limited (BCPL), established in 1901, is a Public Sector Undertaking (PSU) of the Government of India and India's first pharmaceutical company. The company was started by Prafulla Chandra Roy in Kolkata and has since manufactured such household Indian products as "Hospitol", "naphthalene balls", and "Phenyl". The company is headquartered in Kolkata and reported aggregated revenues of ₹61.99 billion (US$920 million) in the fiscal year 2006.
History
Bengal Chemical & Pharmaceutical Works Ltd. (BCPW) was the precursor of the present company Bengal Chemicals & Pharmaceuticals Ltd (BCPL). Acharya P C Ray took a rented house at 91 Upper Circular Road, Kolkata and started a business with a capital of ₹700 (US$10). The reputation of the company grew, and Acharya P C Ray added funds to the Company to increase the scale of production. Soon the business was converted into a Limited Company and on 12 April 1901 the name of the company became Bengal Chemical and Pharmaceutical Works Ltd. (BCPW), retaining the same premises at 91 Upper Circular Road, Calcutta.
From a beginning with one factory in Maniktala (Kolkata) in 1905, three more factories were established – one in Panihati in 1920, one in Mumbai in 1938 and one in Kanpur in 1949 with its Registered Office at 6 Ganesh Chandra Avenue. The company has nine sales outlets and two C & F Agencies across India.
In the 1965s the market situation acted as deterrent to growth and the company passed into a dark phase in 1970. The management of the company was taken over by the government of India on 15 December 1977 and nationalized on 15 December 1980. A new company was formed under the name and style “Bengal Chemicals & Pharmaceuticals Ltd.” (BCPL) in 1981.
The Company expanded and diversified into a multi-product conglomerate, with three divisions.
BCPL has received WHO-GMP Certificate, DGQA Certificate and ISO 9001 Licence.
BCPL has entered the production of sera and vaccines. Already manufacturing anti snake venom serum (ASVS), steps are being taken to manufacture anti rabies vaccine (ARV), Anti Rabies Serum (ARS), Diphtheria Anti Toxin (DAT), Kalazar, etc. It is planned to open a new Pharma Division in the areas of Cardiovascular medicines, Hypolipidemic Drugs, Anticancer Drugs, new Cephalosporin Antibiotics. Negotiation is going on to evaluate the possibility of manufacturing Anti Retroviral Products for which the nation is dependent on imports. It has opened various sales depots and C&F agents in the year 2014 and is now having a Pan India distribution Network.