SOAP INDUSTRY

INDUSTRY PROFILE

         Soap is one of the fast moving consumer goods, which have become an indispensable part of life of the modern fantasy world.  Since it is non-durable consumer goods.   There is a large market for it.  The whole soap industry is experiencing changes due to innumerable reasons such as government relations.  Environment, toxicological allergy problems, increases in cost of raw material etc.

                     The changing technology and even existing desire by the individuals and the organization to produce a better product at a mere economical rate has also acted as Catalyst for the dynamic process of change, more and more Soap manufactures are trying to capture a commanding market share by introducing and maintaining acceptable products.  The soap industry in India faces a cutthroat Competition while multinational companies dominate the market.  They are also facing severe threat from dynamic and enterprising new entrances especially during 1991-92.

Looking back at the history of soaps and detergents.  Human kind knew about the soap 2000 year ago.  Roman was known to have been considerable users of soaps and during the period of Roman Empire state right was collected as sources of ammonium carbonate for cleaning purpose.

In 17 AD when pliancy and Elder accidentally discovered the soap, when roasted meat over flowed on the glow of ashes, this lump like product was soap that has forming and cleaning character.  Since then, the first commercial batch has made and marketed by M/s Bristol soap marketers and had on in 1192 AD.

Then from 1662 AD the first patent for making soap was taken in London and old consumption of Soap was said 2 Lakes tons per annum and it was in the year that even the field in a big way.

Indian Soap industry has seen several ups and downs in the last 30 to 40 years in the year 1964, due to this India faced severe shortage of fats due to foreign exchange crisis again in the year 1975 due to severe crunch in India northwest Soap Company established first soap industry in 1887 at Meerut.

Following the Swedish movement in 1905, few more factories set up and they were:

1.      Mysore Government factory at Bangalore.

2.      Godrej Soaps in Bombay.

THE INDIAN SOAP INDUSTRY SCENARIO:

            The Indian soap industry has long been dominated by hand full of companies such as

1.      Hindustan Levers Limited.

2.      Tate Oil Mills (Taken over by HLL )

3.      Godrej Soaps private Limited.

The Indian Soaps industry continued to flourish very well until 1967-68.  But began to stagnate and soon it started to recover and experienced a short upswing in 1974.  This increase in demand can be attributed due to

1.      Growth of population.

2.      Income and consumption increase.

3.      Increase in urbanization

4.      Growth in degree of personal hygiene.

Soap manufacture has 2 Classification, Organized and unorganized sector.

KSDL carries under organized Sector.

PRESENT STATUS:

MARKET SCENARIO

India is the ideal market for cleaning products. The country’s Precipitate consumption of detergent powders and bars stands at 1.6 Kg and soap at 543 GM. 

Hindustan Liver, which towers over the cleaning business, sells in all over the cleaning business but the tiniest of Indian settlements.

           

PROBLEMS OF SOAP INDUSTRY:

           

Soap industry faces some problems increase of Raw Materials.  The major ingredients like soap ash, Linear alkyl, benzene and Sodium.  Tripoli Phosphate posse’s number of serious problems in terms of availability.  The demand supply gap vegetables oil is 1.5 to 2 Lakes tons and is met through imports.  In recent times, price of caustic soda has shown ashes in the cheaper verities of Soaps are quite high.