Britannia Industries Limited is one of Indias leading FMCG companies

Britannia Industries Limited (BIL) is one of India's leading FMCG companies. Britannia's product portfolio includes Biscuits Bread Cakes Rusk and Dairy products including Cheese Beverages Milk and Yoghurt. Its brand portfolio includes Tiger Marie Gold Good Day 50:50 Treat NutriChoice and Milk Bikis. BIL has a presence in more than 60 countries across the globe. BIL's international footprint includes presence in Middle East through local manufacturing in UAE and Oman. The company is also the market leader in Nepal. The Company was born in 21st March of the year 1918 as a public limited company. The Company's plants are situated in Kolkata Delhi Chennai Mumbai and Uttarakhand. In 1921 it became the first company east of the Suez Canal to use imported gas ovens.

Britannia's business was flourishing. But more importantly Britannia was acquiring a reputation for quality and value. As a result during the tragic World War II the Government reposed its trust in Britannia by contracting it to supply large quantities of 'service biscuits' to the armed forces. A new factory was established in the year 1924 at Kasara Pier Road in Mumbai. In the same year the Company became a subsidiary of Peek Frean & Company Limited U.K. a leading biscuit manufacturing company and further strengthened its position by expanding the factories at Calcutta and Mumbai. In 1952 the Kolkata factory was shifted from Dum Dum to spacious grounds at Taratola Road in the suburbs of Kolkata.

During the same year automatic plants were installed in Calcutta and later in 1954 the automatic plants were installed in Mumbai plant also in the same year the development of high quality sliced and wrapped bread in India was initiated by the company and was first manufactured at Delhi and a new bread bakery was set up at Delhi in the year 1965. Britannia Biscuit Company takes over biscuit distribution from Parry's during the year 1975. In 1976 the company had introduced Britannia bread in Calcutta and Chennai.

During the year 1978 the company made Public issue in that Indian shareholding crossed 60%. The Company re-christened from Britannia Biscuit Company Limited to Britannia Industries Limited with effect from 3rd October of the year 1979. The Company had signed a 10-year technical collaboration agreement with Nebico Pvt Ltd. Nepal during the year 1980 for the supply of know-how relating to manufacturing packaging and marketing of biscuits and selection of plant and machinery. During the year 1989 BIL's Executive Office was relocated to Bangalore. During the year 1990 two new brands of biscuits Elaichi Creamand and Petit Beurre were launched. Also in the same year 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. The Company launched two new speciality brands in the year 1991 viz.

Britannia milk bread and Britannia brown bread in Delhi and extended nationally its main brands Petit Beurre and Elaichi Cream. In 17th August of the year 1991 the Company handed over its Soya unit at Vidisha MP to SM Dychem Ltd. BIL had celebrated its Platinum Jubilee in the year 1992. After a year in 1993 Wadia Group had acquired the stake in ABIL UK and becomes an equal partner with Group Danone in BIL. The Company was in re birth phase during the year 1997 new corporate identity 'Eat Healthy Think Better' leads to new mission of 'Make every third Indian a Britannia consumer' and in the same year BIL entered into the dairy products market. In 1998 BIL had launched Half/Half a soft cake filled with cream in two variants chocolate-vanilla and vanilla-orange.

The Company had rolled out its flavored milk brand `Zip-Sip' in tetrapaks in the year 1999. Zip-Sip had been launched in Mumbai and some markets in the South.Forbes Global Ranking rated the company during the year 2000 among Top 300 small companies. In the same year the company had launched Britannia Milkman Butter a product under the Milkman brand. BIL made its fund in-principle agreement to acquire 49 per cent of Kwality Biscuits in the year 2001 through internal accruals. During the year 2002 the company had 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 and the Britannia New Zealand Foods Pvt. Ltd was born.

Pure Magic the company's product was winner of the Worldstar Asiastar and Indiastar award for packaging in the same year 2002. After a year in 2003 BIL had launched 'Treat Duet' most successful of the year and Britannia Khao World Cup Jao rocks the consumer lives yet again. During the year 2004 Britannia accorded the status of being a 'Superbrand' and the brand Good Day added a new variant Choconut in its range. Reviewed marketing alliance with the Kolkata-based Thacker Dairy Products Pvt Ltd. In the year 2005 Britannia New Zealand had launched health drink for adult.

The new plant in Uttaranchal commissioned during the year 2005 it was ahead of schedule. In the same year BIL launched yet another exciting snacking option the Britannia 50-50 Pepper Chakkar. BIL had forged a strategic alliance with CCD Daily Bread Pvt Ltd in the year 2006 a Bangalore based Company engaged in manufacturing and retailing of premium breads cakes snacks and high end ready to eat foods. In the year 2007 Britannia industries formed a joint venture with the Khimji Ramdas Group and acquired a 70 percent beneficial stake in the Dubai-based Strategic Foods International Co. LLC and 65.4% in the Oman-based Al Sallan Food Industries Co. SAOG.

The company was rated as the No 1 Most Trusted Food Brand in a survey conducted by AC Nielsen ORGO-MARG and published in Economic Times in the year 2007. Britannia launched Iron fortified 'Tiger Banana' biscuits 'Good Day Classic Cookies' Low Fat Dahi and renovated 'MarieGold' during the period of 2008. BIL was ranked 27th place in the list of India's Fastest Growing Large Companies by Business Today Special on June of the year 2008. In 2009 Britannia took full control of Daily Bread. During the year Britannia New Zealand Food (BNZF) became a BIL subsidiary after BIL bought out New Zealand's Fonterra from the existing joint venture. BNZF was renamed Britannia Dairy Pvt. Ltd. (BDPL). During the year Britannia became the first bakery brand in India to remove trans-fats from 99.9% of its products. During the year Wadia Group became the largest shareholder in BIL after acquiring stake holdings from Group Danone.In November 2011 Britannia Bread launched its new range of Health Breads in Delhi. The range consists of Honey & Oats Bread Multi-Grain Bread 100% Whole Wheat Bread and Multi-Fiber Bread.In 2013 Britannia launched new NutriChoice Crackers Range a biscuit made with the natural taste of sun-kissed golden wheat.

In 2014 Britannia entered into an exclusive tie-up with Amazon for the launch of its latest product Good Day Chunkies a super-premium chocolate chip cookie. In 2015 Britannia Bourbon India's first premium chocolate biscuit completed 60 glorious years.In 2016 Britannia launched Cake Biscotti India's first ever classic 'Bridge' product combining the best of the world of a cake and that of a cookie. During the year Britannia launched its state of the art R&D Centre facility in Bidadi Karnataka.The Board of Directors of Britannia Industries at its meeting held on 9 February 2016 considered and approved a Scheme of Arrangement under Sections 391-394 of the Companies Act 1956 for demerger of the Manufacturing Business division and Retail Sales Business division of Daily Bread Gourmet Foods (India) Private Limited a wholly-owned subsidiary of Britannia Industries into Britannia Industries.

During the year 2016-17this demerger was completed.On 28 March 2017 BIL announced that it has signed a joint venture agreement with Chipita S.A. a Greek company for the manufacture and sale of ready-to-eat delicious croissants in India through a joint venture company namely Britchip Foods Limited. BIL will hold 60% stake and Chipita will hold 40% stake in Britchip Foods Limited.Also in the year 2016-17the company acquired 26% stake in Sunandaram Foods Private Limited a cake manufacturing unit in Assam. During the year 2017-18 the Company incorporated a wholly owned Subsidiary in Nepal under the name of Britannia Nepal Private Limited.During the year 2018-19 voluntary winding up of Daily Bread Gourmet Foods (India) Private Limited was initiated considering the unviability of the business in spite of the best efforts taken by the Company to revive the same.

The year 2019Company celebrated its 100th year and refreshed its identity with the launch of the new Britannia logo signifying Excitement and Goodness. Massive multi media campaigns viz. T.V radio engagements social media digital campaigns outdoor advertising sponsorships and newspaper publications were conducted to bring alive the Britannia identity and celebrate 100 years.During the year 2019-20the Company incorporated a wholly owned subsidiary in Dhaka Bangladesh under the name of Britannia Bangladesh Private Limited. The Company sold its equity stake in Klassik Foods Private Limited an Associate Company during the year.ATNI (Access to Nutrition Index) - Britannia ranked No.1 amongst Indian headquartered companies in ATNI 2020 underlining Britannia's efforts and commitments towards making nutrition accessible to billions in the country. During the FY2021 Strategic Foods Uganda Limited in Uganda and Britannia Egypt LLC in Egypt were incorporated as step-down subsidiaries of the Company.

The Board of Directors at their meeting held on 5 October 2020 approved the Scheme of the Arrangement between the Company and its Members for: a. Issue of 1 (one) unsecured non-convertible redeemable fully paid-up debenture of the face value of Rs 29 (Rupees Twenty Nine) each by way of bonus to the Members of the Company for every 1 (one) fully paid-up equity share of face value of Re 1 (Rupee one) each by utilising the General Reserves of the Company and Payment of the dividend of Rs 12.50 (Rupees Twelve and Fifty Paise) per every 1 (one) fully paid-up equity share of face value of Re 1 (Rupee One) each by utilizing accumulated profits of the Company.The Scheme of Arrangement has been approved by the Hon'ble National Company Law Tribunal Kolkata Bench by its order dated 7 May 2021.

The Bonus Debenture Committee at its Meeting held on 3 June 2021 allotted 240868296 unsecured non-convertible redeemable fully paid-up debentures of face value of Rs 29 each bearing interest at 5.5% p.a and approved payment of dividend of Rs 12.50 per equity share of face value of Re 1 each subject to deduction of applicable taxes in terms of the Scheme of Arrangement to the Members holding shares as on record date i.e. Thursday 27 May 2021.