GOCL Corporation Limited, originally started its journey as Indian Detonators Limited (IDL) in year 1961, in Hyderabad. In October 1995, the Company changed their name from IDL Chemicals Limited to IDL Industries Limited and thereafter, changed to Gulf Oil Corporation Limited on August 28, 2002. Further, the Company got renamed as 'GOCL Corporation Limited' on August 10, 2015. Today, Company has established a diversified business with presence across commercial explosives, detonators, mining chemicals, accessories and real estate.
Hinduja Capital Limited (HCL) is the Promoter of the Company. As part of the Hinduja Group, Company pioneered the manufacturing of detonators in India and was the first company in the world to develop slurry-based permitted explosives. The expertise extends to EMS for OEMs, Metal Cladding Division (MCD) for industry needs and Special Projects Group for defence and space applications. It has realty banks and commercial spaces. With a manufacturing capacity of 270,000 MT explosives per annum and 192 million initiating devices, GOCL Corporations are among the largest exporters to 21 countries, including Southeast Asia, North Africa, the Gulf and Southern Europe.
The company is multi-locational with factories and service centres across India. The IDL division has three main production centres at Hyderabad, Rourkela and Bhiwandi. The Lubricants division has their manufacturing facilities at Silvassa. The Building Products division has manufacturing facilities at Visakhapatnam and Hyderabad. The IDL Consult division operates from Hyderabad. The Speciality Chemicals division is based in Hyderabad. The Floriculture division is located in Bangalore. And the wind farms unit is located in Ramagiri in Andhra Pradesh.
In the year 1967, IDL Chemicals Ltd set up their detonator factory in Hyderabad with technical assistance from Hungary and Yugoslavia. The company is the forefront of the explosives and detonator industry in India. In the year 1970, they set up an explosives plant in Rourkela with US collaboration.
In the year 1981, the company diversified into pharmaceutical business through their joint venture with Astra Pharmaceuticals AB, Sweden.
In September 1997, the company stared their operation in the Wind Mill Division located in Ramagiri in Andhra Pradesh. During the year 1999-2000, they started commercial production in their new site mix plant at Ramagundam in Andhra Pradesh. In May 2000, the second Detonating Fuse Plant at Hyderabad was commissioned and in October 2000, anew bulk explosives plant was commissioned in Dhanbad.
Gulf Oil India Ltd was merged with the Company effective from January 1, 2002 and as per the Scheme of Amalgamation. During the year 2001-02, IDK Arom International Ltd became the subsidiary of the company.
During the year 2002-03, the company undertook Iron ore mining projects for three mines in Barbil region. In August 2003, the Contracts Division of the company completed the Manuguru project. The company entered into joint venture agreement with Oil Bangladesh Ltd and formed Gulf Oil Bangladesh Ltd and the company commenced their operation in July 2003.
During the year 2004-05, PT.GULF OIL Lubricants Indonesia became a subsidiary of the company. The Lubricant Division of the company launched a new business venture namely, Gulf Authorised Mechanic Service in four metros during the year. Also, an agreement was reached with Mangalore Refinery & Petroleum Ltd for the sale of Gulf branded lubricants through the Oveal Relax Top fuel retail outlet. The sale of Gulf products commenced on March 19, 2005 in their first Oval Relax Top outlet, which was inaugurated on that day.
In the same year, the Lubricants Division of the company entered into a MoU with Indian Oil Corporation Ltd, for test marketing of CCP in selected outlets covering 5 metros. They completed the Koyagudem Project awarded by Singareni Collieries Company Ltd during the year. IDL Finance Ltd, a subsidiary of the company, acquired the Building Products Division of the company with effect from April 1, 2005 and renamed as IDL Buildware Ltd. In April 2005, the company acquired 51% shareholding in GULF OIL Yantai (Co) Ltd.
During the year 2006-07, the Lubricants Division of the company in association with Ashok Leyland, launched the country's first long drain engine oil with a drain period of 36,000 Kms. They bagged two large contracts in the coal-belt during the year. The first one is at Manuguru of Singareni Collieries. The second one is at Dudhichua Project of Northern Coalfields Ltd. The contracts are for Rs 110 crore and Rs 185 crore respectively. In June 2006, commercial production was started in their API Plant.
During the year 2007-08, the company entered into agreement with the Aditya Birla retail group and Metro Cash & Carry for placing their Gulf Car Care Product (CCP) line in the new retail channel across the country. They are continuing their mining services at the 6 iron ore mines in the Barbil region and 1 mine in Karnataka.
In the same year, the company has taken up a few assignments, which includes, Delhi Metro Rail Project, Structural Works at Jamnagar under Reliance and at Outer Ring Road in Hyderabad. They have been awarded an infrastructural contract from the Aditya Birla Group for their new Alumina Project in Orissa.
In October 2008, the company is in the process of transferring the Speciality Chemicals Division to IDL Agrochemicals Ltd, a wholly owned subsidiary and in turn transferring agriculture related business of the said subsidiary along with the land in favour of the company.
The Singareni Collieries at Manuguru OC II was commissioned during the year 2008-09. The Mining & Infrastructure Division started operation of Manganese Ore Mining in Orissa in 2008-09. The Division started a large infrastructure Project under Aditya Birla Group for their Alumina Plant in Rayagada.
The Industrial Explosives Business Division commissioned a packaged emulsion explosives facility at Rourkela during the year 2009-10. At the same time new packaged explosives for underground coal mining were developed in Dhanbad, and commercialised during the year. The Mining and Infrastructure Division started operating its first Uranium Ore Mining in Jharkhand under Uranium Corporation of India Limited from February 2010. Further progress was made in the large infrastructure Project under Aditya Birla Group for their Alumina Plant in Rayagada, Orissa, during the year 2009-10. The Company disinvested the shareholding in IDL Speciality Chemicals Limited which was a 100% subsidiary of the Company, after transfer of the API and formulations businesses to two pharma companies during the year 2009-10.
During the year 2010-11, the Company went through a Scheme of Arrangement for Demerger of the Explosives Undertaking of the Company and merge the same into with IDL Explosives Limited (IDL), a 100% subsidiary of Company, which became effective on 24th May 2011 with the Registrar of Companies, Andhra Pradesh. Upon the said Scheme becoming effective, the Explosives Undertaking of the Company was transferred effective from 1st October 2010.
The Company acquired through its UK subsidiary, 100% stake in Houghton International Inc., in USA in December 2012.
During 2013-14, Gulf Oil International (Mauritius) Inc. (GOIMI), Promoter of the Company, acquired 4.99% additional Equity Share Capital of the Company, enhancing their shareholding in the Company to 54.95%. With this, Company became subsidiary of GOIMI from April, 2014. The Promoters subsequently, acquired another 5% shareholding, which enhanced their shareholding in the Company to 59.95%.
During the year 2013-14, the Lubricants Undertaking of the Company was demerged into a separate company with Gulf Oil Lubricants India Limited (GOLIL) (Erstwhile known Hinduja Infrastructure Limited), a wholly owned subsidiary, through the Scheme of Arrangement with effect from Appointed Date, 1st April 2014. And resultant to the said Demerger Scheme, the shares of Gulf Oil Lubricants India Limited (GOLIL) got listed on the stock exchanges, BSE Limited and the National Stock Exchange of India Limited effective from July 31, 2014.
As part of internal restructuring by the Promoter Group entities, Hinduja Power Limited, Mauritius ( HPL ) became the Holding Company and Promoter of the Company, by acquiring the entire shareholding from Gulf Oil International (Mauritius) Inc. by way of inter-se transfer on 17th March 2015. HPL acquired further 4.99% of the equity share capital of the Company, increasing their shareholding to 64.94% during the year 2014-15. Gulf Oil Lubricants India Limited (formerly known as Hinduja Infrastructure Limited), ceased to be subsidiary of the Company during the year 2014-15, consequent to demerger of the Lubricants Division and transfer of the same to the said Company.
During FY 2018-19, the two wholly owned subsidiaries, IDL Buildware Limited and Gulf Carosserie India Limited were amalgamated with the Company through the Scheme of Arrangement with effect from November 30, 2018. The Electronics Group of the Company started commercial operations from January 2020.
In 2023, Company ventured into the Electronics Manufacturing Services (EMS) business, rapidly expanding the electric vehicle (EV) space.