K. S. Oils
K. S. Oils is an integrated Indian edible oil company producing branded mustard oil (Kalash, Double Sher), refined oils, and vanaspati, with backward-integrated palm plantations in Indonesia and a pan-India distribution network reaching 170,000+ retailers; now delisted and in restructuring.
- Company typePublic
- Founded1985
- HeadquartersMorena, India
- Headcount1,001–5,000
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What K. S. Oils does
K. S. Oils Limited is an integrated Indian edible oil company founded in 1985 by the Garg family and headquartered in Morena, Madhya Pradesh. The company operates across the full edible oil value chain — mustard seed crushing, solvent extraction, refining, cold-press (Kachi Ghani), and vanaspati manufacturing — with branded consumer products sold under flagship brands Kalash and Double Sher (mustard oils), KS Soya and Kalash Soyabean (refined soybean), KS Gold (refined sunflower), KS Gold Palmolein, and KS Gold/KS Gold Plus (vanaspati). It also operates 28 windmills generating 24 MW of captive power and supplies the Indian Defence Forces as its largest institutional customer. The business historically served both retail consumers (urban and rural across 1,200 cities via 1,313 distributors and 170,000+ retailers) and modern trade chains (Big Bazaar, More, Spencers, Reliance Fresh, Vishal Mega Mart, Vishal Mega Mart), with an institutional segment supplying temples, hajis, and bulk institutional buyers.
The company's distinctive technical and strategic posture was built around three pillars: (i) full vertical integration at a single Morena complex (the only such setup in India), (ii) backward integration via 138,000 acres of palm plantations in Indonesia and Malaysia through its Singapore-based subsidiary K S Natural Resources (KSNR) — the largest such land bank owned by any Indian firm — and (iii) port-based refining capacity added via the Rs 125 crore Haldia Port acquisition. The company went public on BSE, NSE, and SGX, raising cumulative private equity of roughly Rs 720 crore from Citigroup Venture Capital, Baring Private Equity Asia, and New Silk Route between 2006 and 2009. Revenue grew from Rs 2,052 crores in FY08 to Rs 4,662 crores in FY11, capturing 11% of India's mustard oil market and 25% of the branded mustard segment.
The company is now delisted and, as of October 2021, is operating under a Section 230 insolvency/restructuring process with active invitations for Expression of Interest to dispose of company assets — a material change from its pre-2011 hyper-growth posture. The corporate website has not been updated materially since approximately 2011, and no post-FY16 audited financials are available in the input data.
K. S. Oils firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- K. S. Oils
- Legal name
- K S Oils Limited
- Website
- https://ksoils.com
- Company type
- Public
- Founded year
- 1985
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1,001–5,000 employees
- Short description
- K. S. Oils is an integrated Indian edible oil company producing branded mustard oil (Kalash, Double Sher), refined oils, and vanaspati, with backward-integrated palm plantations in Indonesia and a pan-India distribution network reaching 170,000+ retailers; now delisted and in restructuring.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
K. S. Oils industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Edible Oils
- NAICS
- Fats and Oils Refining and Blending (311225), Soybean and Other Oilseed Processing (311224), Starch and Vegetable Fats and Oils Manufacturing (31122)
- SIC
- Fats & Oils (2070)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Vegetable Oil Crushing & Refining (Soy, Canola/Rapeseed, Sunflower, Corn, Cottonseed) (AFAKAEAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Palm Oil Milling, Refining & Fractionation (AFAKAEAB), Commodity Edible Vegetable Oils (Refined/Bleached/Deodorized) (AFAJALAA), Tropical Oils & Fractions (Palm, Palm Kernel, Coconut) (AFAJALAD), Edible Oils & Fats Trading/Wholesale (AFAIAKAC), Edible Oils & Food-Grade Liquid Terminals (TLAHABAJ), Other Oilseed Farming (Flaxseed/Linseed, Safflower, Sesame, Mustard, Camelina, etc.) (AFAGABAI)
Keywords
Where K. S. Oils is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Morena
- HQ country
- India
- HQ region
- Asia
Offices13 records
Markets served
K. S. Oils business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Mustard Oil: Crude (filtered and unrefined) mustard oil sold under brands Double Sher and Kalash; contributes 40-50% of total revenue
- Refined Oils: Refined soybean oil and other refined oils; contributes approximately 30% of revenue
- Vanaspati: Hydrogenated palm oil products under KS Gold and KS Gold Plus brands; contributes 7-10% of revenue
- Solvent and By-products: Solvent extraction and de-oiled cake for cattle feed; contributes 10% of revenue
- Power Generation: Windmill power generation for captive consumption and sale; 28 windmills generating 24 MW of energy
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Bulk/Trade Packs |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Retail Packs |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels5 records
K. S. Oils product offering
Product offeringCore offering
K. S. Oils is an integrated edible oil company that manufactures and sells branded packaged cooking oils across mustard oil (Kalash, Double Sher), refined oils (KS Soya, KS Gold, KS Gold Palmolein), and vanaspati (KS Gold, KS Gold Plus). The company operates India's only fully integrated manufacturing complex combining cold press, refinery, solvent extraction, and vanaspati production in a single location, and has backward integration into palm plantations in Indonesia and Malaysia. Products are sold in pack sizes from 200ml to 15kg through a 1,313-distributor network reaching 170,000+ retailers across 1,200 cities.
Product overview
K. S. Oils is an integrated edible oil company offering a diversified portfolio of cooking oils across multiple segments. The company operates across three main product categories: Mustard Oil (with flagship brands Kalash and Double Sher), Refined Oils (including soybean, sunflower, and palmolein under KS Soya, KS Gold brands), and Vanaspati (KS Gold and KS Gold Plus hydrogenated palm oil). The company is the largest processor of mustard seeds in India with 11% market share in the overall mustard oil segment and dominant 25% market leadership in branded mustard oil. Their products are sold across various pack sizes from 200ml to 15kg to serve different consumer segments including retail, modern trade, and institutional buyers.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Kalash: Flagship premium brand in mustard oil segment; popular among health-conscious consumers
- Double Sher
- KS Gold
- KS Gold Plus
- Kalash Soyabean
- KS Soya
- K S Gold Palmolein
Products and services
- Kalash Mustard Oil
- Double Sher Mustard Oil
- Kalash Soyabean Oil (KS Soya)
- Kalash Sunflower Oil (KS Gold Refined)
- KS Gold Palmolein
- KS Gold Vanaspati
Quantifiable outcome
- 11% overall mustard oil market share, 25% in branded segment
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use K. S. Oils
Customer profileNamed customers8 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles1 record
K. S. Oils technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
K. S. Oils partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.
- K S Natural Resources (KSNR) Pte. Ltd.coreFully-owned subsidiary of K S Oils in Singapore; drives international business including palm plantations in Indonesia and Malaysia, trading operations, and global expansion; received International Headquarters (IHQ) status from Singapore EDB
- National University of SingaporesupportingR&D partnership for mineral and nutrient analysis of plantation sites, mathematical modelling to increase yield and optimize production at lower costs; partnership active for over two years
- Singapore Economic Development Board (EDB)supportingAwarded International Headquarters (IHQ) status to KSNR - first for an Indian agri-commodity company; supports global expansion from Singapore
- PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC)supportingAdvised on taxation matters for the Haldia refinery acquisition
- KPMGsupportingConducted due diligence for the Haldia refinery acquisition
- Rajani AssociatessupportingLaw firm handling legal due diligence for the Haldia refinery acquisition
Scale indicators18 records
Recent moves8 records
Expansion highlights5 records
K. S. Oils competitors and assessment
Company assessmentPeers
Direct peers
- Ruchi Soya Industries (Patanjali Ayurved): Direct competitor in branded edible oils (Mahakosh, Ruchi Gold); went through its own IBC resolution in 2017–2019 and was acquired by Patanjali — the most direct precedent for K. S. Oils' restructuring path.
- Adani Wilmar Limited: India's largest edible oil company by revenue (Fortune, Alpha, Raag brands); directly comparable integrated player with refining, packaging and pan-India distribution, and the natural consolidator for distressed edible oil assets like K. S. Oils.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks7 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
K. S. Oils social profiles
Digital presenceK. S. Oils financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
K. S. Oils leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
K. S. Oils subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
K. S. Oils funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors3 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
K. S. Oils M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about K. S. Oils
What does K. S. Oils do?
K. S. Oils is an integrated edible oil company that manufactures and sells branded packaged cooking oils across mustard oil (Kalash, Double Sher), refined oils (KS Soya, KS Gold, KS Gold Palmolein), and vanaspati (KS Gold, KS Gold Plus). The company operates India's only fully integrated manufacturing complex combining cold press, refinery, solvent extraction, and vanaspati production in a single location, and has backward integration into palm plantations in Indonesia and Malaysia. Products are sold in pack sizes from 200ml to 15kg through a 1,313-distributor network reaching 170,000+ retailers across 1,200 cities.
Is K. S. Oils a public or private company?
K. S. Oils is a public company. It is classified as public and is currently operating.
When was K. S. Oils founded?
K. S. Oils was founded in 1985. It employs 1,001 to 5,000 people.
Where is K. S. Oils based?
K. S. Oils is headquartered in Morena, India, in the Asia region.
How does K. S. Oils make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Mustard Oil is the primary driver. The others are refined Oils, vanaspati, solvent and By-products and power Generation.
Who are K. S. Oils's main competitors?
Cargill India is listed as a peer. Direct peers are Ruchi Soya Industries (Patanjali Ayurved) and Adani Wilmar Limited.
Does K. S. Oils have an API?
No public API is recorded for K. S. Oils.
What industry is K. S. Oils in?
K. S. Oils's product category is Edible Oils. Its primary akta.pro industry code is AFAKAEAA, Vegetable Oil Crushing & Refining (Soy, Canola/Rapeseed, Sunflower, Corn, Cottonseed), with a secondary code of AFAKAEAB, Palm Oil Milling, Refining & Fractionation. Its NAICS code is 311225 and its SIC code is 2070.