SRF began as Shri Ram Fibres in 1970 when its parent company DCM decided to set up a separate entity to manufacture nylon tyre cord fibres. Its formation was a result of the foresight that nylon was the future material for tyre cord fibres.

The company established its first plant in Manali near Chennai in 1973. With an initial annual capacity of 2000 tonnes of nylon cords, the plant started operations in 1974. Shri Ram Fibres thus became one of the first companies in India to start manufacturing nylon tyre cords. Over the years, the company expanded its product line in technical textiles and also diversified into other businesses like Chemicals, Packaging Films and Engineering Plastics. The company was no longer manufacturing fibres alone, a fact that necessitated the change in the name of the company. Shri Ram Fibres thus became SRF in 1990.

In between, the company made a tryst with unrelated business diversifications as well. It entered into a Joint Venture with Denso of Japan, a supplier of auto components to Toyota. The commercial production at SRF Nippondenso started in 1986. The same year, SRF also started a new venture SRF Finance. In 1995, the company entered into health care segment by setting up a Vision Care project to manufacture plastic lenses at Bangalore. All the three units were eventually divested, pursuant to a decision by the board to concentrate on its core businesses only.