GHCL Share Price

Gujarat Heavy Chemicals Ltd (GHCL) — founded on October 14, 1983 — is one of the largest producers of soda ash in India. The company has its registered office in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, and corporate office in Noida, Uttar Pradesh.

With a market capitalisation of over ₹5,800 crores as of January 12, 2024, GHCL's share price has gained over 185% in the previous three years.

Business operations

In chemicals, GHCL produces soda ash (anhydrous sodium carbonate), which is an essential raw material in the glass and detergent industries, as well as sodium bicarbonate (baking soda).

The company’s activities in the textile industry include spinning fibre (yarn), weaving, dyeing, printing and finishing to produce finished goods like duvets and sheets that are exported all over the world.

GHCL’s business also includes manufacturing edible and industrial-grade salt, as well as managing operations in the salt, honey and spices sector.

Soda Ash

In the chemical sector, GHCL specialises in the production of soda ash, an important raw material for detergent, glass, ceramics industries. The company’s soda ash manufacturing plant in Sutrapada, Gujarat, currently has an installed production capacity of 1.2 million tonnes per annum (MTPA).

Future expansion plans include a greenfield project aimed at elevating the production capacity to 22 MTPA within the next five to six years. According to the company’s annual report, GHCL is India’s second-largest soda ash manufacturer, holding a 26% market share. The company maintains lignite mines in Khadsaliya, Gujarat, ensuring supply of raw materials for Soda Ash production.

GHCL markets its soda ash under the Lion brand, offering two grades – light and dense. Dense soda ash is integral to industrial chemical manufacturing, especially in powdered detergent production, enhancing cleaning efficiency. Light soda ash, a low-density variant of sodium carbonate, finds applications across multiple industries, including detergent manufacturing, casting, oil refining, chemicals, soaps, textiles, paper production, food processing and the creation of various sodium compounds.

GHCL supplies soda ash to many well-known detergent and glass manufacturers in the domestic market. Soda ash is one of the basic raw materials for producing soaps and detergents, glass and various sodium salts. Some of GHCL’s clients include Hindustan Unilever, Gujarat Borosil Ltd, FENA, P&G, Saint Gobain, Patanjali and Hindustan Zinc.

Sodium Bicarbonate

GHCL’s product portfolio also includes production of sodium bicarbonate (baking soda), with an annual output of approximately 0.12 MTPA. This versatile raw material finds applications in bakery, pharmaceuticals, fire extinguisher manufacturing, cleaning agents and various other industries.

Yarns

The company’s tarn division, situated in Madurai and Tiruchirappalli districts in Tamil Nadu, has earned recognition as a reliable manufacturer and supplier of diverse yarns.

Edible Salt

GHCL’s consumer product division focuses on the production and sale of edible salt and industrial-grade salt under the i-FLO and Sapan brands. The manufacturing facility in Vedaranyam of Tamil Nadu’s Nagapattinam district is complemented by a refinery in Chennai dedicated to edible salt manufacturing.

Financial highlights

– GHCL’s revenue from operations for FY23 stood at ₹4,545.4 crores, down by 49% compared to ₹3,052 crore in FY22. – The profit after tax for FY23 was ₹1,141.6 crore compared to ₹650 crore during the previous year. – The company's earnings per share (EPS) stood at ₹120.06 in FY23 compared to ₹68.24 in the previous financial year.