SRF Limited

Indian manufacturing company From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

SRF Limited is an Indian multi-business chemicals conglomerate engaged in the manufacturing of industrial and specialty intermediates. The company’s business portfolio covers fluorochemicals, specialty chemicals, packaging films, technical textiles, coated and laminated fabrics.[1] It has a workforce of more than 8,000 employees across eleven manufacturing plants in India Thailand, South Africa and Hungary. The company exports to more than 90 countries.[2]

Company typePublic
Founded1970; 56 years ago (1970)
Headquarters,
India
Quick facts Company type, Traded as ...
SRF Limited
Company typePublic
BSE: 503806
NSE: SRF
Founded1970; 56 years ago (1970)
Headquarters,
India
Area served
Worldwide
Key people
  • Arun Bharat Ram (Chairman Emeritus)
  • Ashish Bharat Ram (Chairman & Managing Director)
  • Kartik Bharat Ram (Joint Managing Director)
ProductsChemicals
Packaging films
Technical textiles
RevenueDecrease 3,819 crore (US$450 million) (FY25)
Decrease 830 crore (US$98 million) (FY25)
Decrease 432 crore (US$51 million) (FY25)
Number of employees
Increase 10,000+ (2025)
ParentKama Holdings Ltd.
Websitewww.srf.com
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History

The company was established in 1970, as Shri Ram Fibres Limited, by DCM Limited as a wholly owned subsidiary. Its initial focus was on the manufacture of tyre cord fabrics. Its first manufacturing plant was set up in Manali, near Chennai, in 1973.[3]

In 1986, the company set up a joint venture with Denso called SRF Nippondenso, for the manufacture of automotive components. This was later spun off as a separate company in 1993. Another subsidiary, SRF Finance, started in 1986 was sold to GE Capital in 1997. SRF also had a healthcare division which manufactured plastic optical lenses, which was spun off as a separate company in 1997.[4]

In 1989, the company entered the chemicals business to manufacture refrigerants. Consequently, in 1990, it changed its name to SRF Limited.[5]

The company started its packaging films business in 1995 when it acquired a BOPET film plant at Kashipur in India from Flowmore. SRF has since then manufactured both BOPET and BOPP films globally.[6]

The company entered the specialty chemicals business in 2004 as a supplier of fine chemicals to the agrochemicals and pharmaceuticals industry. The business is engaged in custom synthesis, and contract research and manufacturing.[7]

Business segments

Technical textiles

SRF is the largest manufacturer of technical textiles in India. SRF's technical textile products contain tyre cord fabrics, belting fabrics, and industrial yarn.[8]

Fluorochemicals

Set up in the year 1989, SRF's fluorochemicals business makes refrigerants, pharma propellants, and industrial chemicals.[9] The company has allocated capital to enter the fluoropolymers business.[7][10]

Specialty chemicals

SRF's specialty chemicals business is involved in the development and production of advanced intermediates for agrochemical and pharmaceutical applications.[11]

Packaging films

SRF's packaging films business manufactures BOPET and BOPP films for use in food and non-food packaging, labelling, industrial and other end applications.[12]

Market leadership

The company is a market leader in most of its business segments in India and commands a significant global presence in some of its businesses/products, namely Difluoro & Trifluoro Alkyl Intermediates (global no. 1), Nylon 6 Tyre Cord (global no. 2) and Belting Fabrics (global no. 3).[13][14] SRF is the only Indian manufacturer of ozone friendly refrigerants, namely F 134a and F 32, both of which it has developed using indigenous technology.[15] With the addition of F 125, SRF is now the largest producer and seller of refrigerants in India and has further consolidated its market leadership.[16] SRF obtained ASHRAE (American Society of Heating, Refrigeration, Air-conditioning Engineers) certification for R-467A, its low GWP refrigerant blend for stationary air-conditioning applications.[17] It is the first-ever refrigerant from India to have received this certification by the ASHRAE Standards Committee under the Designation and Safety Classification of Refrigerants.[18] SRF acquired the Dymel® HFA 134a/P regulated medical pharmaceutical propellant business from DuPont™ in January 2015 and became one of the few manufacturers of Pharma grade HFA 134a/P in the world.[19][20][21]

Awards and recognitions

  • Deming Prize for the Tyre Cord Business in 2004 [22]
  • SRF Limited was listed in the 2011 Asia's Best under a Billion list by Forbes magazine.[23][24]
  • Deming Prize for Chemicals Business in 2012 [25]
  • ICC (Indian Chemical Council) Lifetime Achievement Award to Chairman, Arun Bharat Ram [26]
  • Sword of Honour by the British Safety Council in 2018 [27]
  • The Economic Times Family Business of the Year (Large Companies) Award in 2019 [28]
  • National CSR Award 2018 in the category – Corporate Awards in CSR in Challenging Circumstances – North by the President of India, Shri Ram Nath Kovind [29]
  • EY Entrepreneur of the Year 2019 in the manufacturing category conferred on Chairman, Mr. Arun Bharat Ram [30]
  • Ashish Bharat Ram, Managing Director of SRF Ltd. named India’s Best CEO in the emerging companies category by Business Today in January, 2021 [13]
  • Best Family Business award in the giga category at the first-ever Indian Family Business Awards 2021, presented by Moneycontrol [31]
  • Employer of the Future 2022 by Fortune India [32]
  • Ashish Bharat Ram, Chairman and Managing Director of SRF Ltd., named India’s Best CEO in the mid-sized companies category by Business Today in May 2023[33]

See also

References

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