During the British era, trains passing through Punjab made a stop at a processing unit where farmers sold freshly picked fruits. Locals called this spot Kissan and from there on it became a household name. The UB group, under the Late Vittal Mallya then, acquired Kissan from Mitchell Bros. in the year 1950. In 1993, Kissan was acquired by Brooke Bond India and is now an integral part of Hindustan Unilever Limited (HUL).