Incorporated in 1955, Polychem products include polystyrene, styrene monomer, industrial alcohol, VAM, acetic acid, PVA, etc. It also has a fairly wide range of alcoholic beverages like whisky, vodka and brandy. Some of the brands marketed by the company include Royal Secret, Alcazar, Beehive, etc. It came out with a rights issue of zero-interest FCDs in Nov.'92 to part-finance the expansion of its alcohol distillery, vinyl acetate monomer plant (VAM), and polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) plant, and to meet working capital needs (estimated cost of Rs 32 cr)._x000D_ _x000D_ Polychem signed an agreement with International Distillers and Vintners (IDV), UK, to produce and market the latter's brands in India. It also formed a strategic alliance with Dow Chemical Company, US, to market the latter's speciality grade polystyrene in India. Polychem, in collaboration with AVX, US, promoted a new company, Gujarat Poly-AVX Electronics, to manufacture leaded and chip multi-layer ceramic capacitors._x000D_ _x000D_ In 1999-2000, due to the accumulated losses the company has reffered to the BIFR in terms of its provision of SICA and has appointed IDBI as its operating agency._x000D_