RP TripathyAska by the side of River Rushikulya (at a distance of 30 kms from Berhampur) is famous in the history of the world for its sugar industry which is considered Asia's 1st Sugar Factory. When the world was experiencing the infant stage of the sugar production and industrial revolution in Europe was catching up, Aska was fortunate to have a sugar industry in the first half of the 19th century and thus made its presence felt across Asia. Throughout the 19th century, there was no industry in Orissa except the famous sugar factory at Aska near Berhampur. This factory was the first great sugar industry in India and Asia. This sugar factory was founded by the British with some local entrepreneurs probably in 1841. Frederick Vivian Minchin joined in 1852 as a member of the Board of Directors and later on purchased it. 
Minchin had devoted his energy, attention and wealth to the sugar factory and enriched, perfected it day by day. It was astonishing and crowning glory of Mr. Minchin and Aska sugar factory that Minchin got the silver medal by displaying the Aska Sugar in the International Sugar exhibition in Paris in 1878. The sugar produced in Aska was being sold in the Hyderabad State, Madras and in the South Indian territories. Even today in Many Parts of India especially in Tamilnadu, People call "ASKA" for the name "Sugar" Minchin also exported sugar to Burma, Malay, Java, Borneo, Sumatra and Cambodia from the Gopalpur Port in sea-route where Minchin had set up a huge “Godown”. The Minchins made Gopalpur their home. Minchin is regarded as the “Father of Aska Sugar” in history. A very small village near Rambha is named after Mr Minchin as “Minchin Patna”. This small village bears the eloquent testimony of the greatness of Mr Minchin and his sugar town. The new Aska sugar factory was inaugurated by Shri Biju Patnaik, the then Chairman of Orissa Planning Commission in 1963.
Minchin had devoted his energy, attention and wealth to the sugar factory and enriched, perfected it day by day. It was astonishing and crowning glory of Mr. Minchin and Aska sugar factory that Minchin got the silver medal by displaying the Aska Sugar in the International Sugar exhibition in Paris in 1878. The sugar produced in Aska was being sold in the Hyderabad State, Madras and in the South Indian territories. Even today in Many Parts of India especially in Tamilnadu, People call "ASKA" for the name "Sugar" Minchin also exported sugar to Burma, Malay, Java, Borneo, Sumatra and Cambodia from the Gopalpur Port in sea-route where Minchin had set up a huge “Godown”. The Minchins made Gopalpur their home. Minchin is regarded as the “Father of Aska Sugar” in history. A very small village near Rambha is named after Mr Minchin as “Minchin Patna”. This small village bears the eloquent testimony of the greatness of Mr Minchin and his sugar town. The new Aska sugar factory was inaugurated by Shri Biju Patnaik, the then Chairman of Orissa Planning Commission in 1963.
(Thanks to Shri Ajaya Sahu for the relevant information)
Source: History of Modern Orissa, Kalingatimes, Askasugar
Source: History of Modern Orissa, Kalingatimes, Askasugar
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