The ISGEC Group comprises the heavy engineering divisions of the Saraswati Industrial Syndicate Ltd., which is a public company. The Group has its origins in the Saraswati Sugar Mills, which was established in 1933, with a sugarcane crushing capacity of 400 Tonnes per day. It has grown into one of India's largest sugar mill and now crushes 13,000 Tonnes per day. It is today a subsidiary company. At the time of the nation's independence, the need for an Indian Capital Goods Industry was recognized and Isgec was established in 1946. The initial activity was the manufacture of spares for sugar mills. In the course of its history, the Company diversified into a range of engineering products. In 1964 it established a joint venture with John Thompson of the UK to form ISGEC JOHN THOMPSON. In 1981, it acquired majority shares in UP STEELS. Both units were subsequently absorbed into the parent company. Today, the Company has six business units.