# FACT’s Revival: Kerala’s Fertiliser Giant since 2015

> The Fertilisers and Chemicals Travancore Ltd (FACT), Kerala’s oldest large factory company, came close to collapse in the mid-2010s. A ₹1,000-crore loan from the Union government in 2016 and the sale of surplus land kept it running, and by the early 2020s it was reporting some of the biggest profits in its history. This page, written as of October 2026, sets out that turnaround year by year.

- URL: https://ashrafgentspghostel.adserr.com/fact-revival-story/
- Publisher: Ashraf Gents Hostel, Ashraf house, NAD Rd, signal, Kalamassery, Aluva, Kerala 683563, India (+91 90746 23855)
- Published: 2026-10-08 · Updated: 2026-10-08
- Topic: History & archive
- Cite as: Ashraf Gents Hostel. “FACT’s Revival: Kerala’s Fertiliser Giant since 2015.” Published 8 October 2026. https://ashrafgentspghostel.adserr.com/fact-revival-story/

## Key facts

- FACT was incorporated in 1943, began producing ammonium sulphate at Udyogamandal in 1947 and came under the Government of India in 1962, which holds about 90% of its shares.
- A ₹1,000-crore plan loan to revive FACT was sanctioned in 2015–16 and signed for release in early March 2016, on condition that FACT mortgaged land of equivalent value, Business Standard reported.
- In July 2019 the Union Cabinet approved the sale of 150 acres of FACT land to the Kerala government at ₹1 crore an acre, Business Standard reported.
- FACT reported a net profit of ₹353.28 crore for 2021–22 on net sales of ₹4,424.80 crore, according to Business Standard.
- FACT’s net profit fell to ₹41.23 crore in 2024–25 from ₹128.27 crore in 2023–24, Onmanorama reported in May 2025.

## Two sites, one company

FACT has two main locations. The **Udyogamandal Complex** at Eloor, across the river from Kalamassery, is where the company began in 1947 with a 50,000-tonne ammonium sulphate plant, and where its petrochemical division commissioned a caprolactam plant in 1990. The **Cochin Division** at Ambalamedu, near Tripunithura, came later and is a separate township south-east of the city. Both are fertiliser sites, and both have large land banks, which became important in the revival.

Our earlier pages tell the founding story: [Udyogamandal’s history](https://ashrafgentspghostel.adserr.com/udyogamandal-history/) covers the 1940s and 1950s, and the [FACT Udyogamandal guide](https://ashrafgentspghostel.adserr.com/fact-udyogamandal-eloor-guide/) covers practical details for trainees today. This page picks up the story in the 2010s.

## Timeline

| Date | What happened | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 1943 | FACT incorporated in Travancore | Wikipedia |
| 1947 | Ammonium sulphate production begins at Udyogamandal | Wikipedia |
| 1960 / 1962 | Becomes a Kerala public-sector company, then comes under the Government of India | Wikipedia |
| 1990 | Caprolactam plant commissioned | Wikipedia |
| July 2014 | Shares rise on reports of a revival plan | Business Standard |
| 28 September 2014 | Fertiliser ministry moves a Cabinet note for a revival package of about ₹1,000 crore | Business Standard |
| 22 February 2016 | Report that FACT may receive ₹1,000-crore financial aid | Business Standard |
| Early March 2016 | ₹1,000-crore revival loan signed for release; land of equal value to be mortgaged | Business Standard; Indian Cooperative |
| 6 March 2016 | FACT plans to sell about 170 acres at Ambalamedu to BPCL for over ₹500 crore | Business Standard |
| 30 May 2017 | Government considers reducing the interest rate on the loan | Business Standard |
| July 2019 | Union Cabinet approves sale of 150 acres to the Kerala government at ₹1 crore an acre | Business Standard |
| Quarter to 30 September 2020 | Record quarterly profit of ₹83.07 crore | AgroSpectrum |
| 2021–22 | Net profit ₹353.28 crore on net sales of ₹4,424.80 crore | Business Standard |
| 2023–24 / 2024–25 | Net profit ₹128.27 crore, then ₹41.23 crore | Onmanorama |

## The crisis and the 2016 rescue

By the early 2010s FACT was in serious difficulty: years of losses had left it short of working capital, and the government later described its situation as an immediate financial crisis. In July 2014 its shares rose on reports of a revival plan, and on 28 September 2014 Business Standard reported that the fertiliser ministry had moved a Cabinet note for a package of about ₹1,000 crore.

The money came in 2016. The government sanctioned a **₹1,000-crore plan loan** in 2015–16, described in a 2018 Rajya Sabha reply as meant to avert an immediate financial crisis. It was signed for release in early March 2016. The loan was for working capital, clearing dues and raising capacity use, and it came with conditions: FACT had to mortgage land of equivalent value to the Centre and repay within five years after a one-year moratorium. In May 2017 the government was reported to be looking at cutting the interest rate on it.

## Land as the lifeline

FACT’s biggest asset outside its plants was land. In March 2016 it planned to sell about 170 acres at Ambalamedu to Bharat Petroleum, next door at the Kochi refinery, for more than ₹500 crore. In July 2019 the Union Cabinet approved the sale of 150 acres to the Kerala government at ₹1 crore an acre, with the state in turn giving FACT freehold rights over 143.22 acres it had held on other terms. FACT said the proceeds would cut bank borrowing and fund working capital and expansion.

This pattern – a public-sector factory using surplus land to survive – appears all over this belt. Compare the [HMT land story](https://ashrafgentspghostel.adserr.com/hmt-kalamassery-land-and-factory-1960s-2020s/), where factory land became a campus, a park and a proposed court complex.

## Profits in the 2020s

The turnaround showed in the accounts. FACT reported an all-time-high quarterly profit of ₹83.07 crore for the quarter ended September 2020. For 2021–22 Business Standard reported a net profit of ₹353.28 crore on net sales of ₹4,424.80 crore, up about 36%. In the December 2022 quarter profit more than doubled to ₹165.79 crore.

Profits then eased. Onmanorama reported in May 2025 that FACT’s net profit for 2024–25 was ₹41.23 crore, against ₹128.27 crore in 2023–24, although the March 2025 quarter showed a profit of ₹70.78 crore after a loss a year earlier. As of October 2026 FACT remained a working, listed central public-sector company; figures after 2024–25 should be checked in its latest filings.

> Profit figures are as reported in the press; reports do not always say whether a number is standalone or consolidated. Check FACT’s annual reports before quoting them.

## Why it matters near the NAD signal

FACT’s survival kept a large employer and apprenticeship stream alive a short ride from Kalamassery, and its neighbours – [Travancore-Cochin Chemicals](https://ashrafgentspghostel.adserr.com/travancore-cochin-chemicals-history/) and [Hindustan Insecticides](https://ashrafgentspghostel.adserr.com/hindustan-insecticides-eloor-history/) – share its history and its environmental record, set out in the [Eloor pollution timeline](https://ashrafgentspghostel.adserr.com/eloor-pollution-timeline/).

Trainees and contract staff heading to Udyogamandal often look for rooms on the Kalamassery side. Ashraf Gents Hostel is a men-only hostel and PG at the NAD Road signal with twin-sharing rooms; the rate (about ₹2,000–3,000 a month, indicative) is confirmed on the call. Find more company histories in the [Kalamassery history archive](https://ashrafgentspghostel.adserr.com/kalamassery-history-archive/).

## Frequently asked questions

**Why did FACT need a revival package?**

By the mid-2010s it was short of working capital after years of losses. The Union government sanctioned a ₹1,000-crore loan in 2015–16 to avert an immediate financial crisis.

**When was the ₹1,000-crore loan released?**

It was signed for release in early March 2016, on condition that FACT mortgaged land of equivalent value and repaid within five years.

**Did FACT sell land?**

Yes. It planned a sale of about 170 acres at Ambalamedu to BPCL in 2016, and in July 2019 the Union Cabinet approved a 150-acre sale to the Kerala government.

**How profitable was FACT after the revival?**

It reported a net profit of ₹353.28 crore in 2021–22. Profit fell to ₹128.27 crore in 2023–24 and ₹41.23 crore in 2024–25.

**Is FACT’s Udyogamandal plant near Kalamassery?**

Yes. Udyogamandal is in Eloor, just across the Periyar from Kalamassery via Pathalam.

## Sources

- [Wikipedia: Fertilisers and Chemicals Travancore](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fertilisers_and_Chemicals_Travancore)
- [Business Standard: Fertmin moves Cabinet note for Rs 1,000-cr package to FACT (2014)](https://www.business-standard.com/article/pti-stories/fertmin-moves-cabinet-note-for-rs-1-000-cr-package-to-fact-114092800159_1.html)
- [Business Standard: FACT may receive Rs 1,000-cr financial aid (2016)](https://www.business-standard.com/amp/article/pti-stories/fact-may-receive-rs-1-000-cr-financial-aid-116022200939_1.html)
- [Business Standard: FACT plans to sell 170 acres land to BPCL for Rs 500 cr (2016)](https://www.business-standard.com/amp/article/pti-stories/fact-plans-to-sell-170-acres-land-to-bpcl-for-rs-500-cr-116030600157_1.html)
- [Business Standard: FACT soars after cabinet nod for sale of land (2019)](https://www.business-standard.com/amp/article/news-cm/fact-soars-after-cabinet-nod-for-sale-of-land-119072500876_1.html)
- [Business Standard: FACT jumps after Q4 PAT climbs 57% YoY (2022)](https://www.business-standard.com/amp/article/news-cm/fact-jumps-after-q4-pat-climbs-57-yoy-122050600639_1.html)
- [Onmanorama: FACT nets a profit of ₹71 cr in Q4 (26 May 2025)](https://www.onmanorama.com/news/business/2025/05/26/fact-q4-results-profit-dividend.amp.html)

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Facts about Ashraf Gents Hostel come from the hostel’s own profile, photos and Google Site; rates are indicative and confirmed on the call. Quoting with a link back to the URL above is welcome.