Industrial Visit to KSDL

Industrial Visit to KSDL

The Second Year BCom students were taken to the Karnataka Soaps and Detergents Limited [KSDL] on 16th January 2023. The bus departed from the college campus at 1.40 pm and reached the factory premises at 3.00 pm. Prof Roopashree, the HOD, Prof Ramya and Prof Keerthishree, the Class coordinator of III BCom accompanied the students.

The aim of the industrial visit is to go beyond academics, as an industrial visit provides students’ a practical perspective of the workplace and gives an opportunity to the students to learn practically through interaction, the working methods and employment practices. The undergraduates were taken to KSDL to understand the manufacturing process of the well-known soap- the Mysore Sandal soap! This soap belongs to one of those products that every household in India has either used it or heard of it irrespective of one’s standard of living.

The students were explained the history of this magnificent company.

The king of Mysore, Krishna Raj Wadiyar IV set up the factory at Bangalore and it is now under the Government of Karnataka. It is an ISO certified company.Apparently, the excess of sandalwood reserves gave way to these products. Now, the growth of sandalwood trees is highly encouraged, and the company has taken many steps to get people to grow sandalwood saplings in their farms, estates and gardens.

Mr. Balakrishna (R&D employee of KSDL) also explained that this soap is the only soap in the world that is made of 100% pure sandalwood oil, which costs about Rs 6,00,000 per liters .The Sandalwood plant is also known as parasitic plant, 80% of it is grown in India, out of which 70% is grown in South India.30 year old tree with circumference of 36 inches is the eligibility criteria to cut sandalwood tree along with State forest department permission. The sandalwood oil is extracted from the trunk of the sandalwood tree. The sandalwood oil is very rich in antioxidants, which replenish dryness and also retain the moisture. The sandalwood oil being an essential oil is very strong in fragrance and long lasting at the same time. The sandalwood oil is available at factory outlets and should be bought with invoice to avoid imprisonment. The students were surprised to know the product line of the company that ranges from products like soaps, detergents, handwash to powder, incense sticks, perfumes and more. They also have a wide range of soaps that costs up to Rs. 800. The soap contains 80% TFM (Total fatty matters) which ensures the premium quality of the soap. He also explained about the process of making the soap and the students were shown the process too .The Raw material required is base soap, which is imported from Malaysia, later base soap is processed and added with sandalwood oil to get the final product. 1000 kgs of soap are produced each day and exported to many countries across the globe for its fragrance and healing properties. The company is known for its authenticity. This gave us an understanding of one of the familiar brands that originated in Karnataka. Mr. Balasubramanyam had created a very friendly and positive learning environment at KSDL.

We were thankful to the college for providing us an opportunity to visit an organization, and to witness sandalwood tree, actual working environment of the organization and to gain valuable knowledge that we received at KSDL.

It is for soothing skin care and has been cherished for centuries for its exotic fragrance.

It has several uses in religious rites, skin, and hair therapeutic treatments, and in pharmaceuticals.

It is also used as a “blender fixative” in the blending of many popular perfumes in the world.