Kerala Soaps[1] is a state-owned soap-manufacturing company in the state of Kerala, India, producing the erstwhile brands, manufactured by Kerala Soaps and Oils Limited.
[3] The company operates as a subsidiary of Kerala State Industrial Enterprises Limited.
After four decades of operation, the company was locked down in 2002 owing to heavy losses, and in a general atmosphere of state divestment.
After remaining closed for eight years, aimed at tapping on the popularity of its legacy brands, operations restarted on 1 January 2010, under a new management.
[2] The original company Kerala Soaps and Oils Limited was known for its legacy brands, including Kerala Sandal, a bathing bar made of sandalwood extract harvested from the forest of Kerala.