Founded by two Scotsmen, Stephen George Balmer and Alexander Lawrie, in Kolkata, Balmer Lawrie & Co. Ltd. started its corporate journey as a Partnership Firm on 1st February 1867. Traversing the 157 years gone by, today Balmer Lawrie is a Miniratna - I Public Sector Enterprise under the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, Govt. of India, with a turnover of Rs. 2383 crores and a profit of Rs. 154 crores.
Balmer Lawrie is a diversified PSE leveraging technology and innovation for manufacturing and providing world class solutions.
Balmer Lawrie adheres to robust corporate governance practices, emphasising on transparency, accountability, and ethical conduct to ensure sustainable business growth and stakeholder trust.
Balmer Lawrie regularly invites tenders for various projects and services, promoting fair competition and transparency in the procurement process.
Balmer Lawrie through regular press releases, events and newsletters, ensures that its stakeholders are well-informed about the company's latest developments and achievements.
1867 - 1894
1908 - 1936
1937 - 1969
1972 - 1972
1987 - 2022
Driven by the spirit of entrepreneurship, two enterprising Scotsmen Stephen George Balmer and Alexander Lawrie sowed the seeds of this company at Kolkata on 1st February, 1867. History goes…a coin was tossed…Balmer won…Balmer’s name preceded in the Firm incorporated and thus was born Balmer Lawrie.
There was hardly any business where Balmer Lawrie did not delve into in its formative years, whether it was from Tea to Shipping, Insurance to Banking or Trading to Manufacturing. The company has left a mark of its own at every step of its remarkable corporate journey.
Today, Balmer Lawrie is a Mini-Ratna-I Public Sector Enterprise, under the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, Government of India. It has eight Strategic Business Units – Industrial Packaging, Greases & Lubricants, Chemicals, Travel & Vacations, Logistics Infrastructure, Logistics Services, Cold Chain and Refinery & Oil Field Services, with offices spread across the country and abroad. Balmer Lawrie has grown enormously in the last 157 years and has become the market leader in Steel Barrels, Industrial Greases & Specialty Lubricants, Corporate Travel and Logistics Services. It has very well responded to the demands of an ever changing environment and has taken full advantage of every opportunity to innovate. Balmer Lawrie also grew inorganically through various JVs over the period of time.
The Founders, Mr. Stephen George Balmer and Mr. Alexander Lawrie History goes... a coin was tossed, Balmer won and thus the name Balmer Lawrie
British Staff (1873) Mr. Alexander Lawrie is second from the left
The First Balance Sheet of the Firm (August 1, 1867–December 31, 1867)
Clippings from the Statesman, January 28,1878
Managers's Residence, Jamirah Tea Garden, 1940s
Tea Auction in progress, Calcutta, 1940s
Tea Tasting Room, Calcutta, 1940s
Laphroag Islay Whisky was the first product for which an impressively coloured pamphlet was brought out in 1880s