Which were India's first companies that still exist today? Many trace their origins to over a century back. These venerable organisations are business entities. But they chronicle the beginnings of Corporate India too.
1. EID Parry, 1839
EID Parry operates in the realms of sweeteners and health supplements. Its main office is housed within the historic Dare House (Parry House), a landmark in Chennai. Established in 1839 by Welshman Thomas Parry, it initially sold piece goods, pottery and was in the business of banking. The company today is owned jointly by public investors and the Murugappa Group. Biz district Parry's Corner (பாரி முனை) in George Town, Chennai, is named after this company and its founder.
2. Teesta Valley Tea Company Limited, 1841
Founded in 1841, Teesta Valley Tea Company Limited, has earned acclaim as a leading cultivator and exporter of India’s finest teas. Its headquarters are located in Kolkata, with Bharat Bajoria as the principal promoter. It began with the birth of its tea estates -- Teesta and Gielle -- in Darjeeling.
3. Bombay Burmah Trading Corporation, Limited, 1863
Established in 1863 by Wallace & Company, a London-based enterprise run by six Scottish siblings, it boasts a legacy spanning 160 years and serves as a principal company within the Wadia Group. Initially engaged in the commerce of Burmese teak, its operations have since expanded to encompass tea and coffee estates, automotive electrical parts, medical supplies, horticultural ventures, as well as food and dairy production.
4. Amluckie Investment Company, 1876
Dating back to 1876, yes, its name comes from 'am lucky'. It operates from its head office at Princep street, Kolkata and specialises in equity trading and non-banking financial services. The firm is steered by a collective of private individuals. It began as a tea company.
5. Kamarhatty Company Limited, 1877
The company operates some of the globe’s most historic jute factories and is situated in Kolkata on the banks of the Hooghly. It was initially founded by a British firm named Jardine Henderson and, along with its sister companies, produces 225 tonnes of jute daily, employing ~6,000 peope. Jute is used for making gunny sacks, in home furnishings, clothing, rope.
6. Bombay Dyeing Company, 1879
Founded by Nowrosjee Wadia in 1879, Bombay Dyeing began as a modest venture producing locally-spun cotton threads, hand-coloured with care. Today, it stands among India’s most esteemed and reliable labels. Its central office is in Mumbai, with ownership shared between public investors and the Nusli Wadia family.
7. Shalimar Paints, 1902
The Shalimar Paint Colour & Varnish Company started up in 1902 at Howrah, West Bengal, by two British entrepreneurs, A N Turner and A N Wright becoming the first paint company in all of southeast Asia. Today it is headquartered in Gurgaon. Rashtrapati Bhavan, Howrah Bridge, AIIMS, Indian Army fighter aircraft, Indian railway coaches have all, at one time orother, used several licks of Shalimar Paints.
8. Alembic Pharmaceuticals Ltd, 1907
One of the oldest pharmaceutical companies to be established in India, this firm began as Alembic Chemical Works, established in 1907 at Vadodara, where it commenced production of tinctures and spirits. Today it is an Indian multinational in the pharmaceutical sector, specialising in the creation of medicinal formulations.