Lal Imli Mill - British India Corp. (Kanpur)

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CAWNPORE WOOLEN MILLS, KANPUR
In 1876 five residents of Cawnpore, namely, Mr. George Allen (afterwards Sir George Allen), Mr. W.E. Cooper (afterward Sir William Earnshaw Cooper), Mr. Bewan Petman, Dr. Condon, and Mr. Gavin S. Jones erected a small mill for the manufacture, chiefly, of Army Blankets. The original plant appears to have consisted of Cards and Mules, followed by Handlooms in the weaving, and a power driven Finishing Plant.

This company, which was know as "The Woolen Mills Cawnpore", continued somewhat precautious until 1882, when advantage was taken of the New Indian Companies Act to convert it into public company with limited liability. The name of the new company was "The Cawnpore Woolen Mills and Army Cloth Manufacturing Co., Ltd.,"-a name which it continued to hold until 1914, when opportunity of a chance in the capital structure of the company was taken to alter the name to "The Cawnpore Woolen Mills Co., Ltd.".

Cawnpore woolen mills is one of the oldest working mills of Kanpur, active since year 1869. It was one of the first ventures of the British residents of India. The company was set up in Kanpur with the obvious intension of getting the rich raw materials from the nearby fertile land of Ganga. With increasing industrial activity in Kanpur, transportation became very important, railway lines were put up and Kanpur railway station was constructed in 1850's. Kanpur was already connected very well from roadways with major industrial and administrative cities of India.

The benefit which the cawnpore woolen mills got was the easy access to the raw material to produce cotton and wool and also the cheap resources. The company itself produced the electricity required for the production work, hence a totally self-dependent organization was built up.