KSDL records 40-year high in detergent production

State-owned Karnataka Soaps & Detergents Ltd (KSDL) manufactured a record 852 tonnes of detergents valued at Rs 123.42 crore in December, the highest in 40 years, Industries Minister M B Patil said on Tuesday. 

Before this, 775 metric tonnes of detergents manufactured during September 2023 stood as the highest output, Patil said. 

"In a bid to expand the market for its products, KSDL has taken several measures including introducing three shifts of work in the detergents production section instead of the earlier single shift. Besides, the number of machines deployed for making detergents has been increased to three in place of one machine that was previously used to operate," Patil said, adding that these measures have made KSDL competitive and profitable like private players. 

"The entity posted a profit of Rs 118 crore during the previous year. It has recorded transactions of Rs 1,171.07 crore in the nine months of the current fiscal," Patil said, expressing confidence that KSDL will reach the target of Rs 1,404 crore set for 2023-24.

Commending the feat achieved by the KSDL, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah recalled that the state-owned company was mired in corruption when the BJP was in power.

"With our honest effort, the state-owned KSDL, which had fallen into the hands of corrupt people like Madal Virupakshappa and Prashant Madal, has achieved a new record after 40 years," Siddaramaiah said in a statement.

"KSDL is an example to show how a profitable company went into losses under the previous BJP government as it was used to accumulate family wealth," he said. "It was Congress that built government institutions in independent India. It is Congress that is striving to keep them afloat."