GHCL LTD (formerly Gujarat Heavy Chemicals) was promoted in 1987 in the joint sector by the GIIC and the Dalmias, through their companies - GTC Industries and Dalmia Dairy Corporation. The company is engaged in manufacturing of industrial chemicals and textiles. The company also has presence in IT services and Edible salt. GHCL exports to Saudi Arabia, Iran, the UAE, Jordan, Bangladesh, Sri-Lanka, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Taiwan and Australia.

GHCL created and deployed a 1200-tpd plant to manufacture soda ash (both dense and Light) , at Veraval, Gujarat, based on the technology provided by AKZO Noble BV, Netherlands. Soda ash is a base alkali widely used in the manufacture of detergents, glass, sodium silicate, dyes and intermediates, paper etc. The company's soda ash manufacturing unit has obtained ISO 14001 and ISO 9002 certification awarded by Det Norske Veritas India in the year 2002-03, which is valid for three years. The company has salt refineries at Nagapattinam and Thiruporur in TamilNadu. Further the company has its textiles units at Madurai and Manaparai in TamilNadu and Valsad in Gujarat.

The subsidiaries of GHCL are Colwell & Salmon Communications Inc and Colwell & Salmon Communications (India) Ltd. It came out with a public issue in Aug.'87 to part-finance the project.

The diversification programmes of the Company are exploring investment avenues in Information technology businesses particularly IT enabled services, salt production and also into lignite mining. GHCL is in the process of being allotted Lignite Mining rights in Gujarat for which steps for implementation have already been initiated.

In 1998-99, it executed a strategic acquisition of two salt refinery plants from DCW Home Products LTDone at Thiruporur near Madras and the other at Palghar, Maharashtra havinga production capacity of 1 lac tonne each per annum.

GHCL has broadened its footprint operations into into IT enabled services through wholly owned subsidiary,Icon Data management Ltd. (IDML) in the year 2000-2001. Icon Data Management LTD was amalgamated with the company with prior approval from High Court of Gujarat in 2003. Consequent to this amalgamation, M/s Colwell & Salmon Communications Inc. USA has become a direct subsidiary of the company. Further the company has executed a strategic acquisition of the entire equity capital of M/s. Colwell & Salmon Communications India Ltd comprising of 50,500 equity shares of Rs.10 each, thereby making it a wholly owned subsidiary of GHCL. BIFR has approved the scheme of amalgamation of Sree Meenakshi Mills Ltd with GHCL w.e.f April,2001.

The name of the company was changed from Gujarat Heavy Chemicals Ltd to GHCL Ltd with effect from 21st November 2003.

The company has completed its first phase of modernization at Paravai in the year 2002-03. In the year 2004-05 the company has completed the third phase of modernization at Paravai and the fourth phase, which includes additional 10000 spindles is also expected to be completed by December 2005. Further the company has planned a Home textile project, a green field project with Fabric process house, Weaving and Finishing unit for made ups at Vapi, Gujarat. The company has approved an investment of Rs.230 crore for this project.

During 2004-05 the company has augmented its installed capacity of Soda Ash and Yarn- Spindles by 75000 MT and 3236 Nos respectively. With this expansion the total installed capacity has mounted to 600000 MT and 64268 Nos respectively. Further the company has installed a new capacity of Detergent with a capacity of 24000 MT and Wind Turbine Generators with 8.40 MW per hour.