2024-04-06 22:31:01
New Delhi: Lok Sabha elections will be held in seven phases from April 19 to June 1. As soon as the election season begins, EVMs are also in the news again. Elections are being conducted using EVMs in the country for the last several years. But earlier elections were held through ballot paper. For the first general elections held in 1952, ballot boxes were manufactured by Hyderabad company Allwin. This company was started in 1942 as a joint venture between the Nizam’s Hyderabad Government and M/s Allwin & Company. It was once a well-known name in every household. The business of this engineering and manufacturing company was spread across many sectors. These included refrigerators, watches, automobiles and rail coaches. But after initial success, the company became a victim of mismanagement and was closed in 1995. Take a look at the story of this company… Allwin started in the background of the country’s freedom movement. It was established in the year 1942 as a joint venture between the Nizam’s Hyderabad Government and M/s Allwin Company. It was initially known as Hyderabad Allwyn Metal Works and assembled Albion CX9 buses for the State Railways of Hyderabad. This company had done the work of making ballot boxes for the country’s first general elections in 1952. In 1969, after complaints of mismanagement, the state government took control of it. After this Allwyn expanded his business in many sectors. The company started out manufacturing refrigerators and soon established itself in it.
Left job, tried his hand in pizza business and built a company worth Rs 1,000 crore without funding.
various types of businesses
Despite brands like Godrej and Kelvinator, Allwyn has won the hearts of customers across the country. Its refrigerators were known for durability and energy efficiency. In 1981, Allwyn also entered the watch market in collaboration with Japan’s Seiko. The company’s watches soon became popular due to their stunning designs and reliable mechanisms. It gained recognition in every household on the basis of quality and innovation. Not only this, Allwyn also ventured into automobiles and coach building. In 1983, Allwyn started manufacturing light commercial vehicles in collaboration with Japanese company Nissan. But he did not get success. The success of its Allwyn Pushpak was limited in the scooter market also.
There were many reasons for Allwyn’s downfall. The company went into trouble due to mismanagement, bad decisions and inability to adapt to changing times. The company invested heavily in mechanical watches when quartz technology was rapidly emerging. Also, the functioning of the company was affected due to the indifference and political interference of the government officials. By the 1990s, the company’s losses had increased and its cash was running out. It was finally closed in 1995. Its different divisions were sold to different companies. The refrigerator division was bought by Voltas while the watch division was discontinued.