Fertilisers and Chemicals Travancore

The Fertilisers and Chemicals Travancore Limited (FACT)
	FACT Cochin Division
Company type	Public
Traded as	BSE: 590024 ; NSE: FACT
Industry	Agrochemical
Founded	1943; 81 years ago
Founder	Chithira Thirunal Balarama Varma
Headquarters	Kochi, Kerala, India
Area served	India
Key people	Kishor Rungta; (Chairperson & MD)
Products	Ammonia; Sulfuric Acid; Ammonium Phosphate-Sulfate (FACTAMFOS); Ammonium Sulfate; Zincated Ammonium Phosphate; Caprolactam;
Owner	Government of India (90%)
Divisions	Udyogamandal Complex (UC); Cochin Division (CD);
Website	www.fact.co.in

The Fertilisers and Chemicals Travancore Limited, abbreviated as FACT, is an Indian central public sector undertaking headquartered in Kochi, Kerala. It was incorporated in 1943, by Maharajah Sree Chithira Thirunal Balarama Varma of the Kingdom of Travancore.^[1] It was the first fertiliser manufacturing company in independent India and also the largest Central Public Sector Undertaking (CPSU) in Kerala. The company is under the ownership of Government of India and administrative control of the Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers.

It has 2 production units - Udyogamandal Complex (UC) at Eloor, Udyogamandal, and Cochin Division (CD) at Ambalamedu. In 1947, FACT started production of ammonium sulfate with an installed capacity of 50,000 MT per annum at Udyogamandal near Kochi. The Caprolactam plant in Udyogamandal was commissioned in 1990. Main products include Ammonia, Sulfuric Acid, Ammonium Phosphate-Sulfate (FACTAMFOS), Ammonium Sulfate, Zincated Ammonium Phosphate, Caprolactam, and also complex fertilisers. Gypsum, Nitric acid, Soda Ash and coloured Ammonium Sulfate are major by-products.

History[edit]

The factory commenced production of ammonium sulfate in 1947, at the dawn of Indian independence using wood as the raw material for production of ammonia. With the effect of time, wood gasification became uneconomic and was replaced with naphtha reforming process. Through a series of expansion programmes, FACT soon became the producer of a wide range of fertilizers for all crops and all soil types in India. It became a Kerala State public sector enterprise in 1960 and in 1962, it came under the Government of India. The consultancy unit known as FACT Engineering and Design Organisation (FEDO) was set up in 1965 and has since diversified into chemicals, petrochemicals, hydrometallurgy, pharmaceuticals and other areas. The fabrication division, FACT Engineering works (FEW) was established in 1966. FACT has formed a joint venture company with Rashtriya Chemicals & Fertilizers Limited, named FRBL (FACT RCF Building Products Ltd) for manufacturing load-bearing panels and other building products using phosphogypsum.^[1]