Carborundum Universal Limited (CUMI) was founded in 1954 as a tripartite collaboration between the Murugappa Group, Carborundum Inc, USA, and the Universal Grinding Wheel Co Ltd, UK.

CUMI pioneered the manufacture of coated and bonded abrasives in India, besides super refractories, electro minerals, industrial ceramics and ceramic fibres. In sync with the global vision, CUMI is expanding its product spread. The Company makes over 20,000 varieties of products manufactured at 25 locations across India, Russia, South Africa, Australia, China, Thailand and Canada. CUMI exports its products to 43 countries spread across the globe. All the manufacturing facilities of CUMI are ISO 9001:2008 and ISO 14001: 2004 certified for quality standards and environment-friendly manufacturing practices.

State-of-the-art facilities and strategic alliances with global partners have earned CUMI a reputation for quality and innovation. It is one of the few manufacturers of abrasives and ceramics in the world with fully integrated operations that include mining, fusioning, power generation and manufacturing, besides marketing and distribution.

CUMI is equipped with a state-of-the-art Research and Development centre that works aggressively on product development and efficiency enhancement. Its in-house R&D and collaborative research with leading research institutions have ensured market leadership in India and abroad. CUMI has manufacturing practices like Lean and Six Sigma in place to improve its cost competitiveness.

The Company has a commanding list of subsidiaries across the globe that include Volzhsky Abrasive Works-Russia, CUMI Australia Pty Ltd, Foskor Zirconia Pty Ltd-South Africa, CUMI Middle East-RAK, CUMI Canada Inc, CUMI America Inc, Sterling Abrasives Limited-Ahmedabad, Net Access India Limited, Southern Energy Development Corporation Limited (SEDCO), CUMI Abrasives and Ceramics China Limited (CACCL), Cellaris Refractories India Limited and CUMI International Limited, Cyprus. CUMI's joint ventures include Wendt (India) Limited – manufacturing super abrasives, Murugappa Morgan Thermal Ceramics - manufacturers of ceramic fibre and Ciria India Limited - specialising in design and installation of refractory liners for petrochemical and fertiliser industries. This unique strength allows the Company to serve diverse markets and geographies leveraging the local strength of its partners.