Kanpur has traditionally been an industrial city and on economic center. At one point in time it was the second most industrialized city in India. Due to large number of cotton textile units and a vibrant trade center for cotton it was also called the ‘Manchester of India’.
Kanpur has several location advantages i.e. location at a vantage point, raw material availability for many industries viz. leather, food processing, plastics etc., proximity to large markets, availability of skilled manpower due to various institutes located within Kanpur (viz. Institute of Technology, Chander Shekhar Azad Agricultural University, Central Pulse Research Institute, Leather Institute etc.) and existing traditional industrial base attracting skilled workers to the city.
At present, Kanpur has most industries and factories including shoe making, manufacture silk, woolen and jute textiles, food products, fire-bricks, fertilizers, railway wagons, textile machinery, television sets, metal ware, leather goods, soap, tents, fountain pens, hosiery, cutlery, television picture tubes, etc.
Kanpur City is surviving because of the following:
- Defence Establishments like OEF, SAF and Ordinance Factory etc.- Tanneries
- Coaching industry for I.I.T, JEE, IAS/IPS etc.
- Trading Activities.
Industries of KANPUR:
1. Associated Chemical Industries:
Associated Chemical Industries (Kanpur) Private Limited manufactures specialty chemicals. Over the past seventy years it has grown into a chemical market that provides a diversified range of products for the leather industry. Today, they are the leading manufacturers of a wide range of synthetic, semi-synthetic and natural oil-based fat-liquors.
2. SPEE Chemical Industries, Panki Industrial Area, Kanpur:
SPEE Chemical Industries is one of the leading industrial chemicals manufacturer and supplier, meeting the demand of various industries. They are engaged in the manufacturing and supply of Non Ferric Alum, Aluminum Silicate, Sodium Aluminum Sulphate and Anhydrous Aluminum Sulphate. Their manufacturing unit is located in the Panki Industrial Area Kanpur; the industrial hub of Uttar Pradesh.
3. Rotomac Pumps, Industrial Area, Panki, Kanpur:
Rotomac Pumps , with its Head office located in Kanpur, is one of the leading manufacturers of API 676 compliant Progressive cavity pumps in India, providing and developing pumping solutions for delivering low to highly: viscous, aggressive and abrasive media.
4. Aditya Industries, Panki Industrial Area, Kanpur:
Aditya Industries is known as top Manufacturer, Exporter, Supplier, Trader and Distributor of best Agricultural Pipes and Pipes & Fittings.
5. Hariom Industries Limited, Bangali Purwa, Kanpur:
Hariom Enterprises, an offshoot of the group founded by Shri Ram Kumar Gupta is a reputed Kanpur based private sector business group. The company first started as a fertilizer trading company with 40 years of existence, later it has diversified the business. The group has business interests that range from paper manufacturing (Hariom industries ltd.) to manufacture of PP/BOPP laminated bags (Hariom Enterprises). At present Hariom Enterprises is enrolled in the panel of vendors of Bag suppliers to many government and private sector companies and supplying more than 60 lakh of pp/bopp bags per month.
6. Sunrise Chemical Industries, Panki Industrial Estate, Site No.1, Kanpur:
SCI has been operating for over 30 years as a manufacturer of Zinc Chloride & trader of Zinc Metal. They also provide different grades of Zinc Chloride. Sunrise Chemical Industries is headquartered in Uttar Pradesh.
7. Risansi Industries Limited, Fazal Ganj, Kanpur:
Risansi Industries Ltd., headquartered in Kanpur, India, develops, manufactures and globally markets progressive cavity pumps, magma mascuitte pumps and online blinds/ actuators for delivering low to highly-viscous, aggressive and abrasive media.
8. Ganga Industries:
Established in the year 2011, Ganga Industries has made a well-recognized name as a manufacturer of Non Woven Fabric, Plain Non Woven Fabric and Printed Non Woven Fabric.
9. New India Canvas Industries, Birhana Road, Kanpur:
They are manufacturers of cotton canvas fabrics from 36" to 72" and deal in high quality Waterproof Cotton Canvas Tarpaulins. They also deal in Supreme Silpaulin products like tarpaulins, fumigation covers, car body covers etc.
10. Swastik Industries in Dada Nagar, Kanpur:
Swastik Industries in Kanpur is one of the leading businesses in the Door Panel Manufacturers. Also known for Plastic Door Manufacturers, Door Panel Manufacturers, PVC Door Panel Manufacturers and much more. Established in the year 2017, Swastik Industries in Dada Nagar, Kanpur is a top player in the category Door Panel Manufacturers in the Kanpur. This well-known establishment acts as a one-stop destination servicing customers both local and from other parts of Kanpur.
11. Kamla Plastic Industries:
Established in year 1994, “Kamla Plastic Industries” is manufacturing Fan Sheet, PVC Pipe Bend, PVC Conduit Pipe, Fan Box etc.
12. Ashoka Rubber Industries, Panki Industrial Area, Site 1, Kanpur:
Customer centricity is at the core of Ashoka Rubber Industries in Kanpur and it is this belief that has led the business to build long-term relationships. Ensuring a positive customer experience, making available goods and/or services that are of top notch quality is given prime importance. It is one of the players in Shock Absorber, Rubber Sheets, Rubber Part, Rubber O Ring, Nitrile Rubber Sheet to name a few.
13. Perfect Surgical Industries, Shyam Nagar, Kanpur:
Perfect Surgical Industries (Orthoaids) is a primary manufacturer and distributor of orthopedic appliances in India. With a experience of more than 40 years in the medical and surgical industry, they started this company few years back, as a soft goods manufacturer, which is one of the main focuses of business for the company today. Over the past couple of years they have earned a niche in the market, by offering a range matching global standards in orthopedic appliances, fracture aids, walking aids and commode chairs.
14. Hindustan Steel Industries, Kanpur:
Hindustan Steel Industries is a famous Manufacturer of a wide gamut of Baling Press Machine, Hydraulic Power Pack and much more.
Industrialization in Kanpur started with the establishment of a liquor distillery in Jajmau in the year 1786, 15 years before the formation of the district. After the formation of the district, business spread from indigo factories in Kanpur. After the revolution of 1857, the development of industries in Kanpur in a planned manner started with the formation of Harness Saddlery Factory (Fort) in 1859 and Kanpur Cotton Committee in 1860. The Elgin Mill was established by the Kanpur Cotton Committee in 1861 on the banks of the Ganges in the Civil Line, which started working in 1864 with a capital of three lakhs. In the year 1876, Mr. Sir George Allen, Mr. Sir William Earnshaw Cooper, Mr. Bevan Peterman, Dr. Kandan and Mr. Gavin S. Johns opened a mill for making army blankets which became famous as Kambalghar, Kanpur Ulen Mill and Lalimli. In the year 1874, Mr. Gavin Johns called Muir Mill and in 1880 Mr. John Harwood established Kanpur Cotton Mill at Cooperganj and New Victoria Mill in 1886, Swadeshi Cotton Mill in 1911, Earthton Mill in 1921 as well as JK Cotton Mill, Laxmiratan Cotton Mill Kanpur city with the establishment of Kanpur Textile Mill Industrial development reached the top. Along with the cotton textile industry, the leather industry which Mr. What started with the Harness and Saddlery Factory by John Stewart has also grown a lot. Mr. William Arnasha Cooper and Mr. George Allen founded in 1880 Cooper Allen & Co. Permut in which the North West Tannery started in 1892 was also merged in 1904, later the government took it and ran it as TAFCO. The famous Flex brand shoes were made in this company. In 1900, German entrepreneur Mr. Vander Vance has Tannery in Juhi and Mr. WB Shewan opened Jajmau Tannery, later Kanpur Tannery, Indian National Tannery, United Provinces Tannery etc. Along with this, the first jute mill in Kanpur, Mr. Established by Arnold Weir in 1883, later that mill was called Maheshwari Devi Jute Mill, after which JK Jute Mill opened in the year 1929. In Gutaya Sugar Mill between 1937 and 39, instead of making sugar from jaggery, sugar was made directly from sugarcane juice. Kanpur Sugar Works Koparganj and Baijnath Balmukund Sugar Mill Anwarganj were also quite famous. The first iron rolling mill in Kanpur was opened in 1904 by Haji Muhammad Fakhruddin in the name of India Rolling Mill at Sabzi Mandi. Sardar Inder Singh earned substantial fame from Singh Rolling Mill.
The 4th All India Cotton Textiles Conference held in Kanpur made an important contribution to the modern textile industry. JK Rayon started in the year 1959 in Jajmau area which was closed in 1983.
The oldest of the Ordnance Factories in Kanpur is the Ordnance Equipment Factory which dates back to 1859. Harness Saddlery Factory was established in which first military shoes were made and then other armament materials. Ordnance Parasuit Factory in 1941 and Ordnance Factory and Small Arms Factory in 1942 and Fieldgun Factory was established in the year 1929, along with COD and DMSRDI etc.
After independence, the factories of cotton textile industry in Kanpur became victims of closure, then hosiery, readymade garment, chemical, vegetable ghee and oil, soap, tyre, pan masala industries grew in the new.
Detailed History Of Cotton Mills
Since Kanpur is called Manchester of North India due to cotton mills, therefore, detailed history of cotton mills of Kanpur is being published here so that the new generation can know how mills worked here day and night. Thousands of hands got work and thousands of families got bread.
Elgin Cotton Spinning and Weaving Co. Ltd.
Not only Kanpur, North India's first cotton mill was established in the year 1861 by an organization called Kanpur Cotton Committee in Civil Lines by the name of Elgin Cotton Spinning and Weaving Co. Ltd. In 1912 it was converted into a limited company. In 1914, the said mill came under the management of Baig Sutherland & Company and in 1946 it became a part of the BIC Group. When BIC was acquired by the Government of India in the year 1981, from June 11, 1981, Elgin Mill got the distinction of becoming a Government of India establishment.
Mayur Mills Company Ltd.
The pride of being the second cotton mill of Kanpur is registered in the name of Mayur Mills Company Ltd. located in Parade. This mill was established in the year 1874 by Gauvin Jones. About 6300 workers were employed during the golden age of the mills. In this mill, mainly coarse wefts were made. Later it was acquired by the Government of India.
New Victoria Mills Co. Ltd.
Victoria Mills Co. was established in 1886, which was renamed as New Victoria Mills Co. Ltd. in 1920. 4770 workers were employed in this mill. After independence, Sir J.P. Srivastava bought it. Later, this mill was also acquired by the central government.
Swadeshi Cotton Mills
Swadeshi Cotton Mills was established in 1911 by AF Horseman at Juhi. About 335,000 yards of cloth and about 95,000 pounds of yarn were produced daily in this mill. The mill was taken over by the government in April 1978 and it was nationalized in 1986.
JK Cotton Spinning & Weaving Mills Co. Ltd.
This mill was established by the founder of the J.K. group, Lal Kamlapat Singhania. He started it as a private company in the year 1921. In 1923, this mill was converted into a private limited company under the Joint Staff Companies Act. In this mill, for the first time, Lala Kamalapat had successfully experimented with making fine goods from Indian cotton.
Other Big Industries of Kanpur
Kanpur Woollen Mills (Lal Imli)
Kanpur was the first place in the whole country where a woollen mill was established in the name of Kanpur Mills. This mill, popularly known as Lal Imli, occupied a significant place on the global stage over a period of time. In 1876, this mill was set up in the middle of Parade Chunniganj, mainly for making army blankets. In 1914, the name of the company was changed to The Kanpur Woollen Mills Co. Ltd. In 1920 there were more than 2000 employees serving here. During the Second World War, the production of the mill largely expanded, as a result of which the number of employees reached more than 4000. In 1981, the Government of India nationalized Lal Imli.
Ashok Spices- The Father of Ground Spices in Kanpur
The credit for the introduction of ground spices in Kanpur undoubtedly goes to the late Bhagwati Prasad Gupta, an eminent grocer and social worker, who started this business on a very small scale in the year 1957. By packing in butter paper, grinding it by hand and delivering this product from door to door through women, it was truly a struggle to make an identity. Because then people did not even have the imagination of ground spices, so they used to hesitate to even buy a packet of it. The struggle paid off and gradually the housewives started using it. The company was the first to take AGMARK in 1965 in this area, came as a surprise for everyone.
Sikka Bandhani Hing
Mr. Jaiprakash Gupta is the father of the Sikka Bandhani Hing . In the year 1984, the life of food, the pride of the kitchen, Sikka Bandhani Hing was started on a very small scale from Kidwai Nagar, Kanpur. In the entire state, this asafoetida became people's favourite due to its unique quality and reasonable prices. Thereafter, the brand made its way to Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, West Bengal, Gujarat.
Kadak Family Chai
Kadak Family Chai was established in 1993 by Shri Rajjan Lal Gupta (Tandon ji). Kadak Family Chai Pvt. Ltd. has over the years, not only been successful in becoming a leading tea producer of North India, but today it has become the first choice of millions of consumers. The company has also received the Udyog Ratna 2003 award in the Uttar Pradesh Packet Tea Sector.
Ghadi Detergent
Late Dayaldas ji established his factory in Darshanpurwa at a rented place named Manoj Soapworks. His elder son Mr. Muralidhar in a very short span of time succeeded in creating brand popularity among the consumers. In 1988, the production of detergent cake and powder started from the brand. Today, it is a great pride and honour for Kanpur that it's homegrown brand Ghadi Detergent is one of the leading detergent producing units of the country.
Aluminum Utensil Industry
The Aluminium Utensil Industry was lunched in Kanpur post independence. First, the JK Group entered this field, then the owners of Singh Group and Bhatia Safe also started making aluminum utensils. Entrepreneurs' continued efforts in this direction resulted in the establishment of factories named Vijay Metal Works, Lakshmi Metal Industries and Chaudhary Metal Industries. Due to their success, 7 more factories were established between 1965-70. According to Mr. Ladli Prasad Gupta, who had been associated with the aluminum utensils industry for a long time, the decade of 70 to 80 can be considered as the golden period for the aluminum utensils industry of Kanpur.
GLIMPSES
The ‘Firsts’ In The Industrial History Of Kanpur Post-Independence
• The first cold storage in the industrial history of Kanpur was the Upper India Cold Storage, established in the year 1949.
• JK Iron & Steel Co. Ltd. for the first time in 1960, constructed the Khandsari Sugar Plant which was operated by hydraulic method.
• In 1968, not only in Kanpur, but in the whole country the first television was by J.K. Electronics was from the Samrat brand.
• The first scooter in Kanpur was from Pawan and Flamingo brand, constructed in 1971 by Jang Bahadur Singh.
• The credit for the production of the first Tempo and Loader in Kanpur goes to J.S. Auto Pvt. Ltd., which was established in the year 2005 by Mr. Joginder Pal Puri.
Most Significant Industries Of The City In 1976
1. Elgin Mills No. 1 and No. 2 Civil Lines, Deputy's Halt, Cooperganj- Cotton clothes
2. Swadeshi Cotton Mills, Juhi- Cotton Fabrics
3. Arthtun Cotton Mills GT Road- Cotton Fabric
4. Kanpur Textiles Ltd., Coopergaj- Cotton Fabrics
5. J. Of. Cotton Sp. & V. Mills, Kalpi Road- Cotton Fabrics
6. J. Of. Cotton Manu, Kalpi Road- Cotton Fabrics
7. Laxmiratan Cotton Mills, Kalpi Road- Cotton Textiles
8. JK Rayon, Jajmau- Synthetic Fabric
9. Kanpur Woollen Mills, Lal Imli -Woollen Textiles
10. Kanpur Jute Industries, Harrisganj- Jute Products
11. JK Jute Mills, Kalpi Road- Jute Products
12. Motilal Padampat Industries (Vegetable Branch) Guttaiya- Vanaspati
13. Motilal Padampat Udyog (Steel Foundry Equipment) Guttaiya -Sariya etc.
14. Indian Oxygen Ltd. Fazalgan-j Oxygen Gas
15. JK Electronics , GT Road- TV
16. Plastic Products , Kalpi Road- Plastic Products
17. Synthetics Tubes Works, Gt. Road- Bobbing
18. TAFCO, Civil Lines- Leather Goods
19. IEL - Compost
20. Singh Engineering Works, G.T. road- Pig Iron etc.
21. Shri Ram Mahadev Prasad Floor Mill, Harishganj- Atta/ Flour
Major Milestones In The Industrial Journey Of Kanpur Post-Independence
• 1948 Chawla Brand Namkeen launched
• 1949 Upper India Course Storage Established
• 1951 India Thermit Corporation Ltd. establishment
• 1952 Establishment of UPCA, Establishment of Central Workshop of Uttar Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation, Start of Pehalwan Soap
• 1953 Singh Engineering Wagon Factory launched
• 1954 Formation of Uttar Pradesh Financial Corporation
• 1957 Introduction of Ashoka Masala
• 1958 Establishment of Small Industries Service Institute, Uttar Pradesh Small Industries Corporation established
• 1959 Ryan Founded
• 1960 Establishment of Kanpur Industrial Cooperative Estate at Dadanagar, HAL launched
• 1961 UPSIDC constituted
• 1962 Establishment of Industrial State by Directorate of Industries
• 1966 Establishment of Uttar Pradesh Export Corporation
• 1967 Formation of Kanpur Powerloom Owners Association
• 1969 I.L. Establishment of Fertilizer Factory, Formation of North State Textile Corporation, Establishment of Tannery and Footwear Corporation of India Limited, Started Vinas Hosiery, Production of Taj Brand Detergent Powder started
• 1970 Model Food Industries Limited Established
• 1971 Start of UP Scooter Limited
• 1972 Establishment of Directorate of Handloom and Textile Industries, Establishment of Artificial Limb Manufacturing Corporation of India, Lohia Machine Pvt. Ltd. establishment
• 1973 Beginning of Parag Pan Masala
• 1974 Muir Mills, New Victoria Mills under NTC
• 1975 Allen Forest Transport Workshop opened, Laxmi Ratan Cotton Mills and Earthton Mills 1976 Panki Industrial Area established under NTC
• 1978 Acquisition of Cotton Mills
• 1979 Mirza Tenors Pvt. Ltd. establishment
• 1980 Uttar Pradesh Co-Operative Spinning Mill Union Ltd. establishment
• 1981 Acquisition of BIC Group by Government of India, Lohia Starlinger Ltd. Established
• 1982 Establishment of Kanpur Stock Exchange
• 1983 LML LTD Scooter factory established
• 1984 Hindustan Vegetable Oil Corporation opened
• 1985 Ghatampur Sugar Mill Established
• 1988 Launch of watch brand Detergent Cake & Powder
• 1994 Establishment of UP Trade Promotion Authority under the Directorate of Industries
• 2001 Kanpur declared as Economic Zone
• 2005 JS Auto Pvt. Ltd. establishment
• 2007 Kanpur Central to Udyogkarmi Express started for Surat for the first time