1941

Mid 1950s

Grindwell launches its first Brand – Compass. It continues to be a major brand till date. (Note: Carborundum is the generic name for Silicon Carbide).

For many years, GNO’s registered and Head Office was located in the iconic Army & Navy Building in the heritage Fort area of Mumbai

1967

Grindwell Abrasives enters into a technical collaboration with Norton Co., USA

Early 1970s

First modernization of the Grinding Wheel plant and start of manufacture of Coated Discs and Super Refractories at Mora

1971

Norton Company becomes a partner and Grindwell Norton Ltd. (GNO) comes into being

1972

GNO pioneers the manufacture of Silicon Carbide (SiC) in India at its new site in Bangalore

1977

R&D Centre set up in Bangalore to support the manufacturing function, in areas like process optimization, improvement in furnacing technologies, etc.

1980

Manufacture of SiC moves to a new site near Tirupati

Second modernization of Mora plant with introduction of new age machinery and the Pullman tunnel kiln

1983

GNO goes Public. Following an Initial Public Offering (IPO), GNO is listed on the Bombay Stock Exchange. Since then, GNO’s market value has grown at a compounded annual rate of 18.5%

1984

GNO starts manufacture of Fused Alumina grains in the old SiC plant at Bangalore. Later discontinued

1986

GNO forays into marketing of Centralized Lubrication Systems manufactured by Lincoln GmbH

1989

GNO starts manufacturing Centralized Lubrication Systems in Bangalore. In 1993, Lincoln Helios (India) Ltd. is formed as a JV between GNO and Lincoln GmbH 

1990

GNO commissions High Performance Refractories (HPR) plant at Bangalore

1991

GNO celebrates a major milestone in its history - its Golden Jubilee - with the theme: ‘LIFE BEGINS AT 50’

1993

A state-of-the-art plant set up at Bangalore to manufacture a full range of Coated Abrasive products

1994

GNO sets up a new Non-woven Abrasives plant and pioneers its production in India

1996

GNO becomes the first majority-owned subsidiary of Saint-Gobain in India. Earlier in 1990, Compagnie de Saint-Gobain had acquired Norton Co., USA, and thus became a stakeholder in GNO

Super Abrasives plant set up for manufacturing Diamond and cBN Grinding Wheels

1997

A state-of-the-art plant set up at Nagpur for manufacturing Thin Wheels and Bonded Abrasive products

2005

GNO acquires the Grinding Wheels business of Orient Abrasives

2006

GNO’s Head Office moves from the heritage Army & Navy Building to a new owned office at the Leela Business Park, Mumbai (near the International Airport)

2008

GNO commissions a new Abrasives plant near Baddi in Himachal Pradesh for manufacture of Thin Wheels and Coated Abrasive products

An ultra-modern Performance Plastics plant set up on GNO’s Bangalore campus

2009

Saint-Gobain Ceramic Materials Bhutan, a majority-owned subsidiary of GNO, commissions a new plant for manufacturing Silicon Carbide near Phuentsholing, Bhutan

2010

GNO launches INDEC, a captive, global IT Development Centre in Mumbai for providing a range of services to the Saint-Gobain Group worldwide

2012

GNO commissions a new High Performance Refractories plant at a new site at Halol in Gujarat

Enters a new business - ADFORS - with a plant at Bangalore for manufacturing mine-grids

Commissions a new, high-tech Non-woven Abrasives plant at Bangalore

2013

GNO commissions a new Bonded Abrasives plant at Nagpur

2015

GNO becomes the No. 1 Abrasives company in India

2016

GNO celebrates its 75^th Anniversary - with the theme: SoAlive@75