Union Carbide India Limited (UCIL) was a chemical company established in 1934, eventually expanding to employ 9,000 people working at 14 plants in five divisions. UCIL was 51% owned by Union Carbide Corporation (UCC) and 49% by Indian investors including the Government of India. UCIL produced batteries, carbon products, welding equipment, plastics, industrial chemicals, pesticides, and marine products.
In 1970 UCIL built a pesticide plant in Bhopal, India, which gained worldwide attention as a result of the Bhopal disaster. On December 3, 1984, a release of methyl isocyanate (MIC) gas immediately killed thousands and lead to the death of thousands in subsequent weeks and months. At the time of the disaster UCIL was ranked twenty-first in size among companies operating in India. It had revenues of Rs 2 billion (then equivalent to US$170 million).
In November 1994, UCC completed the sale of its interest in UCIL to McLeod Russel Ltd. of Calcutta. UCIL was subsequently renamed Eveready Industries India Ltd.
Read more about Union Carbide India Limited: Impact of The Bhopal Disaster
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