ITC Limited Celebrates 116 Years: A Legacy of Transformation and Nation-Building
CE DESK 
ITC Limited commemorates 116 years of its corporate journey, marking a remarkable transformation from a colonial-era tobacco trader to one of India’s most diversified and admired conglomerates. Founded on August 24, 1910, as the Imperial Tobacco Company of India Limited in Kolkata, the company has evolved through multiple identity shifts, reflecting India’s own economic and industrial evolution over more than a century.economictimes.
The company’s journey began with cigarette manufacturing and distribution, establishing early brands that dominated India’s nascent tobacco market. As India’s post-independence economic landscape transformed, ITC embarked on a deliberate diversification strategy that would redefine its corporate identity. The name changed to India Tobacco Company Limited in 1970, and subsequently to ITC Limited in 1974, signalling ambitions that transcended its tobacco origins.economictimes.
The 1970s proved pivotal as ITC entered hospitality, paperboards and packaging, and launched its first branded packaged food products. The 1990s and 2000s brought aggressive FMCG expansion with iconic brands like Sunfeast biscuits in 2003, Bingo! snacks in 2007, and a succession of personal care and hygiene products that positioned ITC as a genuine challenger to established multinationals in India’s consumer goods landscape.
Today, ITC operates across six distinct business verticals: FMCG including cigarettes and non-tobacco consumer goods, Hotels, Paperboards and Packaging, Agri-Business, and Information Technology. For the financial year ended March 31, 2026, the company recorded gross revenue of ₹80,867 crore and consolidated net profit of ₹21,018 crore, demonstrating sustained financial strength.
The company’s e-Choupal rural digital platform, launched in 2000, connected over 2.6 million farmers through its agri ecosystem, with ambitions to benefit 10 million farmers by 2030. Most recently, ITC executed a landmark structural transformation with the demerger of its hotels business into ITC Hotels Limited, effective January 1, 2026, unlocking significant value for shareholders.
With presence in over 90 countries, a portfolio spanning more than 30 Indian brands, and a ₹17,500+ crore investment planned over the next decade, ITC continues positioning itself as a future-forward enterprise contributing to India’s development story.
