Bengal Chemicals & Pharmaceuticals Ltd. (BCPL), formerly Bengal Chemical & Pharmaceutical Works Ltd. (BCPW), is an Indian central public sector undertaking under the ownership of Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers, Government of India.[2] lt manufactures industrial chemicals, pharmaceuticals like antibiotic injectables, tablets, and capsules; and household products.[3]
Established in Kolkata, West Bengal in 1901 by Prafulla Chandra Ray, it is India's first government owned-pharmaceutical-manufacturer. While initially successful, it started making losses in the mid-1950s. The management of the company was taken over by the Union government on 15 December 1977, and the company was nationalised on 15 December 1980.[2] Following decades of losses, BCPL returned to profitability in financial year 2016–17.[4][5]