Eveready Industries India
An Indian manufacturer and marketer of batteries, flashlights, lighting products, and related consumer goods.
Last updated August 26, 2026
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Overview
Eveready Industries India Ltd. is an Indian consumer-products company whose principal businesses are batteries, portable lighting, and general lighting products. The Eveready name has been used in India since 1905, when batteries imported from the United States were sold in major Indian cities, initially for use in imported torches. The company later developed domestic manufacturing capabilities and became one of India's best-known dry-cell and flashlight brands. The business has a complex corporate history. It traces its operating heritage through National Carbon, Eveready Company, Union Batteries, National Carbon Company, and Union Carbide India Ltd. A modern battery plant was established at Cossipore in Kolkata in 1939, followed by a Chennai battery facility in 1952 and a flashlight plant in Lucknow in 1958. The Lucknow operation became a major production center for brass, aluminium, and plastic torches. Union Carbide India was associated with several industrial businesses, including batteries, carbon products, welding equipment, plastics, industrial chemicals, pesticides, and marine products. The 1984 Bhopal disaster at a Union Carbide India pesticide facility became the defining controversy associated with the company's predecessor. Union Carbide India, as it was then known, was held responsible in proceedings in India and the United States for its role in the disaster. The incident caused thousands of deaths and extensive long-term injury and remains one of the world's most consequential industrial disasters. Eveready Industries India is the later corporate successor and rebranded entity, but references to its corporate history commonly discuss the Union Carbide India connection. In the 1990s, Union Carbide Corporation sold its stake in the Indian company to McLeod Russel (India), part of the Williamson Magor Group. The company adopted the name Eveready Industries India Ltd. and subsequently absorbed or merged with related group businesses. It briefly expanded beyond batteries and lighting into packaged tea, including the Greendale brands Tez, Jaago, and Premium Gold. The bulk tea business was later separated, while the Eveready brand was extended to tea for a period. Because Energizer Holdings retained rights to the Eveready name in many foreign markets, the company introduced the LAVA brand in 1999 for batteries and flashlights sold in a range of international markets. Eveready's consumer portfolio has included zinc-carbon dry cells, alkaline batteries, rechargeable batteries and chargers, LED torches, traditional metal torches, plastic torches, compact fluorescent lamps, halogen lamps, incandescent lamps, and other lighting products. Its rechargeable offering was marketed under Eveready Recharge, while Ultima became associated with alkaline batteries. The company also acquired a controlling interest in the French rechargeable-battery business Uniross SA in 2009 and acquired BPL Soft Energy System in 2005. Eveready has historically described itself as a leading Indian brand in dry-cell batteries and flashlights, with broad retail distribution and mass-market positioning. Its advertising has used the “Give me Red” platform since the early 1990s, and the brand has employed celebrity endorsement, television advertising, animation, and light-painting imagery to connect battery performance with visibility and energy. In 2022, members of the Burman family, already significant shareholders, announced an open offer for additional shares. Chairman Aditya Khaitan and Managing Director Amritanshu Khaitan accepted the offer and resigned during that transaction. The company remains associated primarily with batteries and portable lighting in India.
History
Eveready's Indian history began in 1905, when imported dry-cell batteries were sold in major Indian cities for use in imported torches. Domestic industrial development followed in the 1920s and 1930s. An arc-carbon factory was established in Kolkata in 1926, Eveready Company was incorporated as a private company in 1934, and the first modern battery plant was established at Cossipore in 1939. Union Batteries later merged with Eveready Company, and the business became National Carbon Company before being renamed Union Carbide India Ltd. in the post-war period. The company expanded its manufacturing footprint with a battery plant in Chennai in 1952 and a flashlight plant in Lucknow in 1958. The Lucknow facility produced brass, aluminium, and plastic torches and became one of the region's important flashlight plants. By 1984, Union Carbide India was a diversified industrial company with operations extending well beyond batteries. Its Bhopal pesticide facility suffered a catastrophic methyl isocyanate gas release on 3 December 1984. The disaster killed thousands of people and injured many more. Courts in India and the United States held Union Carbide India, as it was then known, responsible in connection with the disaster. In the mid-1990s, Union Carbide Corporation sold its stake in Union Carbide India to McLeod Russel (India), a Williamson Magor Group company. The Indian business adopted the Eveready Industries India name, and McLeod Russel subsequently merged with it. During this period the company remained primarily a dry-cell manufacturer but also entered packaged tea through the Greendale umbrella, marketing brands such as Tez, Jaago, and Premium Gold. The bulk tea business was separated in 2005 through a demerger associated with McLeod Russel. The company expanded its brand activities during the 1990s and 2000s. Since 1992, advertising has used the “Give me Red” platform. In 1997, the Eveready name was extended to packaged tea. In 1999, LAVA was introduced for international battery and flashlight markets where Energizer Holdings controlled rights to the Eveready name. Eveready also acquired BPL Soft Energy System in 2005 and took a controlling interest in Uniross SA of France in 2009, strengthening its rechargeable-battery interests. Lighting became a significant adjacent category. Eveready introduced compact fluorescent lamps in 2007 and also marketed halogen, incandescent, and general-lighting products. Its battery range included zinc-carbon cells for everyday devices, alkaline cells under the Ultima name, and rechargeable products under Eveready Recharge. Portable lighting included LED torches as well as brass, aluminium, and plastic models. Ownership changed again in 2022 when the Burman family, already a substantial shareholder, made an open offer for additional shares. Chairman Aditya Khaitan and Managing Director Amritanshu Khaitan resigned after accepting the offer. The company's enduring identity is that of an Indian battery and flashlight manufacturer with a long operating history, a nationwide consumer presence, and a corporate lineage that also encompasses the Union Carbide India period.
- 2022
Burman family open offer
[1]The Burman family announced an offer to acquire additional shares, followed by the resignation of the chairman and managing director.
- 2009
Uniross investment
[1]Eveready acquired a controlling stake in Uniross SA of France, a rechargeable-battery manufacturer.
- 2007
Entry into compact fluorescent lighting
[1]Eveready entered the lighting business with compact fluorescent lamps.
- 2005
Centenary and business restructuring
[1]The Eveready brand marked a century in India, while the bulk tea business was separated and BPL Soft Energy System was acquired.
- 1999
LAVA export brand launched
[1]LAVA was introduced for overseas markets where the Eveready name was unavailable to the Indian company.
- 1995
Union Carbide stake sold and company renamed
[1]Union Carbide Corporation sold its Indian stake to McLeod Russel, and the company adopted the Eveready Industries India name.
- 1984
Bhopal disaster
[1]A gas leak at a Union Carbide India pesticide facility in Bhopal became one of the world's worst industrial disasters.
- 1958
Lucknow flashlight plant established
[1]The company opened a major torch manufacturing plant in Lucknow.
- 1952
Battery manufacturing expands to Chennai
[1]A second battery manufacturing plant was established in Chennai.
- 1939
First modern battery plant opens
[1]The Camperdown Works at Cossipore in Kolkata became the company's first modern battery plant.
Products and positioning
Mass-market Indian batteries and portable-lighting brand
Primary batteries
Eveready zinc-carbon batteries
Everyday dry-cell batteries designed for relatively low- to moderate-drain devices such as toys, clocks, radios, torches, cameras, portable audio equipment, and cordless microphones.
Alkaline batteries
Eveready Ultima
An alkaline-battery range intended for electronic devices requiring longer life and higher performance than conventional zinc-carbon cells.
Rechargeable batteries and chargers
Eveready Recharge
Rechargeable battery products and associated chargers marketed for consumers seeking reusable power for household electronics and portable devices.
Portable lighting · 1958
Eveready flashlights and torches
A broad portable-lighting portfolio including LED torches, brass torches, aluminium torches, and plastic models. Production has been associated particularly with the Lucknow facility.
General lighting · 2007
Eveready lighting products
Lighting products have included compact fluorescent lamps, halogen lamps, incandescent lamps, and other household or commercial lighting formats.
Export battery and lighting brand · 1999
LAVA batteries and flashlights
An export-oriented brand introduced because the Indian company did not hold rights to use Eveready in every international market. LAVA batteries and flashlights were sold in several countries across the Middle East, Africa, Asia, and other regions.
Controversies
1984
Bhopal disaster and Union Carbide India liability
On 3 December 1984, a pesticide facility operated by Union Carbide India released methyl isocyanate gas in Bhopal. The disaster caused thousands of deaths and more than 500,000 reported injuries or affected persons in accounts cited by the company's history. Indian and United States courts held Union Carbide India responsible in connection with the event. The incident concerns the predecessor corporate identity and remains central to discussion of Eveready Industries India's historical lineage.
Marketing campaigns
- 2009Boxing
India
Eveready released an advertisement titled “Boxing” as part of its battery marketing activity.
- 2004Amitabh Bachchan and Give me Red
India
Amitabh Bachchan was appointed brand ambassador for a two-year period, during which Eveready revived and extended its “Give me Red” advertising platform.
Outcome. Expanded celebrity-led national brand communication.
- 1992Give me Red
India
Rediffusion Y&R developed the “Give me Red” advertising platform for Eveready. The campaign linked the brand's red visual identity with energy, recognition, and everyday battery use.
Outcome. Became a long-running signature platform for the brand.
- Eveready Ultima light-painting campaign
India
An animated film for Eveready Ultima used more than 3,000 still photographs of shapes and trails created with a torch through light painting.
Brand decisions
2022
Burman family open offerM&ABackground
The Burman family held a 19.84% stake and sought greater control of Eveready Industries India.
Action taken
The family announced an open offer for an additional 26% stake at a reported consideration of ₹604 crore.
Aftermath
Chairman Aditya Khaitan and Managing Director Amritanshu Khaitan accepted the offer and resigned.
Open-offer consideration. ₹604 crore (2022 open offer)
2009
Controlling investment in Uniross SAM&ABackground
Uniross was a rechargeable-battery manufacturer based in France.
Action taken
Eveready acquired a controlling stake in Uniross SA.
Aftermath
The transaction broadened the company's exposure to rechargeable-battery products and international operations.
2007
Entry into compact fluorescent lightingProduct launchBackground
The company sought to extend its battery and flashlight presence into broader household and commercial lighting.
Action taken
Eveready launched a range of compact fluorescent lamps.
Aftermath
Lighting became an additional business category alongside batteries and portable torches.
1999
Creation of the LAVA export brandStrategyBackground
Energizer Holdings retained rights to the Eveready name in markets outside the Indian company's licensed territory.
Action taken
The company launched LAVA for batteries and flashlights sold in selected overseas markets.
Aftermath
LAVA products were reported in markets including Dubai, Bahrain, Jordan, Egypt, Bangladesh, Mauritius, Sri Lanka, Azerbaijan, Mexico, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Ethiopia, and Nigeria.
Recent events
- Unconfirmed
Eveready Industries appoints Suvamoy Saha as joint managing director[2]
Reported:
Eveready Industries appointed Suvamoy Saha as joint managing director. The company said the appointment was intended to add professional depth to management.
Sources2 sources
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