JewelWoodcock19 at 19:39, 29 January 2026

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{{Short description|Indian conglomerate}}
{{Infobox company
|name = Gogte Group
|type = [[Private company|Private]]
|foundation = {{start date and age|df=yes|1957}}
|founder = [[Raosaheb Gogte]]
|location = [[Belgaum]], [[Karnataka]], India
|industry = [[Conglomerate (company)|Conglomerate]]
| subsid = {{plainlist|
*Gogte Mines
*Gogte Salts
*Gogte Minerals
*Gogte Textiles}}
}}

'''Gogte Group''' is an Indian conglomerate, headquartered in [[Belgaum]], [[Karnataka]], involved in [[mining]], [[minerals]], [[salts]] and [[textiles]]. The conglomerate was founded by [[Raosaheb Gogte]], beginning in 1957.

== History ==
=== Gogte Mines ===
In the early 1950s, [[Japan|Japanese]] interest in the [[iron ore|iron]] and [[manganese ore]]s of [[Portuguese India|Portuguese Goa]] led [[Raosaheb Gogte]], a lawyer at the time, to explore the possibility of mining for the ores in the districts of [[Ratnagiri district|Ratnagiri]] and [[North Kanara]]. In 1954, he began mining for manganese near Kuveshi. With financial encouragement from local lenders, Gogte established the Gogte Mines company and began mining for iron ore at [[Redi, Maharashtra|Redi]] in 1957, having leased 187 acres and 16 [[guntha]]s for the project, and producing 15,000 tonnes of iron ore within the first four months.<ref name="kamath">{{cite book |last1=Kamath |first1=M. V. |authorlink=M. V. Kamath |title=The Makings of a Millionaire: A Tribute to a Living Legend, Raosaheb B.M. Gogte, Industrialist, Philanthropist & Educationist |publisher=Jaico Publishing House |pages=78–110 |asin=B0000CQNU1 | date=1991 |oclc=25633742}}</ref><ref name="barve">{{cite book |last1=Barve |first1=D. K. |title=सागरमेघ: बा. म. ऊर्फ रावसाहेब गोगटे यांचा भैतिक व आत्मिक आविष्कार|trans-title= Sagarmegh: The Physical and Spiritual Invention of B. M. "Raosaheb" Gogte |date=1982 |publisher=Bombay Book Ḍepot |location=[[Mumbai]] |language=mr|oclc=12024875|pages=89–227}}</ref>

In 1962, the company came under scandal when one of its mines collapsed, injuring several workers.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Mines |first1=India Dept of |title=Report of the Chief Inspector |date=1962 |location=[[University of California]] |page=280 |language=en}}</ref> When contractors began demanding higher rates, he commissioned two self-propelled [[barge]]s for the transport of the ore, which were inaugurated by [[Yashwantrao Chavan]] and his wife.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Karkaria |first1=Bachi J. |title=Dare to Dream: A Life of Rai Bahadur Mohan Singh Oberoi |date=1992 |publisher=Penguin |isbn=978-0-670-84723-5 |page=129 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=3_DgAAAAMAAJ&q=raosaheb%20gogte |language=en}}</ref> Turning a profit after a decade of functioning, Gogte formally incorporated his mining company on July 20, 1967.<ref name="barve"/>

By 1972, the company was exporting iron and manganese ore to [[Europe]] and the [[Middle East]].<ref>{{cite book |title=Indian Export Directory: With Foreign Section |date=1972 |location=[[University of Michigan]] |page=214 |volume=5 |language=en}}</ref> By 1973, the company was considered one of the leading exporters of iron ore in Maharashtra,<ref>{{cite book |title=Capital: A Weekly Journal of Commerce, Industry, and Finance |date=July 1973 |location=[[University of Michigan]] |page=1640 |language=en}}</ref> with their mine in Redi, being cited as the principal producer.<ref>{{cite book |title=Principal Producers of Major Minerals in India |date=1999 |publisher=Mining & Minerals Statistics Division, Indian Bureau of Mines, Ministry of Steel & Mines, Department of Mines |location=[[University of Michigan]] |page=10 |language=en}}</ref>

=== Gogte Salts ===
In 1963, Gogte scouted 1500 acres of land near [[Nala Sopara]] for developing a [[salt farm|salt works]].<ref>{{cite book |last1=Sousa |first1=J. P. De |title=Chemical Age of India |date=1968 |publisher=Technical Press Publications. |location=[[University of Michigan]] |page=102 |language=en}}</ref> He tasked his brother Vasudev with its management, who would apply [[France|French]] and [[Tunisia|Tunisian]] techniques of salt production at the works. The Gogte Salts company was inaugurated in 1964 at the hands of [[Sadashiv Govind Barve]],<ref name="kamath" /> after Gogte's brother Vaman, dealt with lengthy legal proceedings to obtain letters of intent from the government for the company to go into commercial production in [[Maharashtra]].<ref>{{cite book |last1=Sabha |first1=India Parliament Lok |title=[[Lok Sabha]] Debates |date=1967 |publisher=[[Indian Parliament]] |location=[[University of Michigan]] |page=9929 |language=en}}</ref> Negotiations concluded, after the company acquiesced to manufacture both [[edible salt|edible]] and [[Magnesium sulfate|industrial salt]] for which the government would allot 2,000 acres of land to the company.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Industries |first1=Maharashtra (India) Directorate of |title=Industrial Bulletin |date=1964 |location=[[University of California]] |page=141 |language=en}}</ref> In July 1964, the [[Government of Maharashtra]] gave the company licenses to manufacture [[soda ash]] and [[ammonium chloride]].<ref>{{cite book |last1=Sabha |first1=India Parliament Rajya |title=Parliamentary Debates: Official Report |date=1967 |publisher=Council of States Secretariat |location=[[University of Michigan]] |page=545 |language=en}}</ref>

=== Gogte Minerals ===
By 1974, Gogte had secured buyers for the company's iron ore in [[Romania]], formally incorporating the Gogte Minerals company on February 23, 1977, for promotion of [[ammonium chloride]] [[fertilizer]]s.<ref>{{cite book |title=Indian Mining Directory |date=1989 |publisher=Mining, Geological, and Metallurgical Institute of India |location=[[University of Michigan]] |page=50 |language=en}}</ref> As of 2020, the company's research in the use of the minerals it mines, as well as the company's export practices have been cited by several government and educational institutions studying the field.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Li |first1=Jian |last2=Zhang |first2=Mingming |last3=Li |first3=Bowen |last4=Monteiro |first4=Sergio Neves |last5=Ikhmayies |first5=Shadia |last6=Kalay |first6=Yunus Eren |last7=Hwang |first7=Jiann-Yang |last8=Escobedo-Diaz |first8=Juan P. |last9=Carpenter |first9=John S. |last10=Brown |first10=Andrew D. |title=Characterization of Minerals, Metals, and Materials 2020 |date=23 January 2020 |publisher=Springer Nature |isbn=978-3-030-36628-5 |page=i |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |title=Mineral Research |date=1990 |publisher=Directorate of Geology and Mining, and Groundwater Development |location=[[University of Minnesota]] |page=4 |language=en}}</ref>

=== Gogte Textiles ===
On May 17, 1980, Gogte established Gogte Textiles, venturing into [[textiles]], manufacturing [[cotton yarn]]s and [[fabric]]s. Under the advisement of [[S. M. Krishna]], he pursued to obtain a license from the [[Government of Karnataka]] under [[Gundu Rao]], to set up a [[textile mill]] in Kakti, acquiring 100 acres for the venture, and ordering weaving machinery from [[Switzerland]]. After promises of financial encouragement from the [[Ministry of Commerce and Industry (India)|Ministry of Industry]] fell through, Gogte appealed to [[R. N. Malhotra]] at the [[Reserve Bank of India]] for provision of [[working capital]]. Financial encouragement came from the [[State Bank of Mysore]] and [[IDBI]], under the advisement of [[Shankarrao Chavan]].<ref name="barve"/>

In the late 1980s, Gogte's son Arvind, and his wife presented samples of their Textile Mills' [[terrycloth]] towels to then [[Prime Minister of India|Prime Minister]] [[Rajiv Gandhi]], when they learned that his wife [[Sonia Gandhi]] had enquired after them. When Gandhi requested Gogte to arrange a visit to the mills, the mills' workers went on strike. By 1990, the Gogte Textile Mills was one of the largest exporters of textile goods in Karnataka.<ref name="kamath" />

== References ==
{{reflist}}

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[[Category:Indian brands]]
[[Category:Conglomerate companies established in 1957]]
[[Category:Companies based in Karnataka]]
[[Category:Indian companies established in 1957]]
[[Category:Metal companies of India]]
[[Category:Iron ore mining companies of India]]
[[Category:Mining companies of India]]
[[Category:Textile companies of India]]
[[Category:Chemical companies of India]]
[[Category:Fertiliser companies of India]]

Gogte Group - Revision history

JewelWoodcock19 at 19:39, 29 January 2026