The story of English Indian Clays Limited can be traced back to English explorers Ward and Conner, who surveyed Trivandrum in 1891 making note of kaolin reserves that was on par with the finest quality of china clay found at Cornwall in England. The clay deposits at Trivandrum are among the best in the world with 96 per cent kaolinite content. But it was not until a tenacious entrepreneur pursued this hidden wealth, did Kerala realise the value of its world-class china clay. Still, it was not till much later when one of India’s leading business houses took over the enterprise did Kerala house Asia’s biggest mining, manufacturing and processing facility.