Wadia Group is an Indian
multinational conglomerate, headquartered in
Mumbai
Mumbai (, ; also known as Bombay — the official name until 1995) is the capital city of the Indian state of Maharashtra and the ''de facto'' financial centre of India. According to the United Nations, as of 2018, Mumbai is the second- ...
. It was founded by
Lovji Nusserwanjee Wadia
Lovji Nusserwanjee Wadia (1702–1774) was a Parsi from Surat province of Gujarat in India and was a member of the Wadia family of shipwrights and naval architects, who founded Wadia Group in 1736.
Lovji Wadia secured contracts with the British ...
in 1736 and is the
oldest company in India, with its subsidiary
The Bombay Burmah Trading Corporation Limited, established in 1863, being the oldest
publicly traded
A public company is a company whose ownership is organized via shares of stock which are intended to be freely traded on a stock exchange or in over-the-counter markets. A public (publicly traded) company can be listed on a stock exchange (list ...
Indian company. Other notabale companies of the group are
Bombay Dyeing
Bombay Dyeing & Manufacturing Company Limited is the flagship company of the Wadia Group, engaged primarily in the business of Textiles. Bombay Dyeing is one of India's largest producers of textiles.
Its current chairman is Nusli Wadia.
In M ...
, a textile company established in 1879, and
Britannia Industries
Britannia Industries Limited is an Indian company specialised in food industry, part of the Wadia Group headed by Nusli Wadia. Founded in 1892 and headquartered in Kolkata, it is one of India's oldest existing companies and best known for it ...
, a food and beverage company established in 1918.
Lovji Wadia secured contracts with the
British East India Company
The East India Company (EIC) was an English, and later British, joint-stock company founded in 1600 and dissolved in 1874. It was formed to trade in the Indian Ocean region, initially with the East Indies (the Indian subcontinent and Southea ...
to build ships and docks in Bombay in 1736.
This, and subsequent efforts, would result in Bombay becoming a strategic port for the British colonial undertakings in Asia. The
Bombay
Mumbai (, ; also known as Bombay — the official name until 1995) is the capital city of the Indian state of Maharashtra and the ''de facto'' financial centre of India. According to the United Nations, as of 2018, Mumbai is the second- ...
dry dock, the first dry dock in Asia, was built by Lovji and his brother Sorabji in 1750. Among the historical ships built by the Wadia Group are , , and .
Companies
The Wadia group consists of several companies, four of which are listed on Indian stock exchanges.
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Bombay Dyeing
Bombay Dyeing & Manufacturing Company Limited is the flagship company of the Wadia Group, engaged primarily in the business of Textiles. Bombay Dyeing is one of India's largest producers of textiles.
Its current chairman is Nusli Wadia.
In M ...
- Established in 1879.
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Bombay Burmah Trading Corporation
The Bombay Burmah Trading Corporation Limited (BBTC) is an Indian trading company based in Mumbai which is owned by the Wadia Group. It was formed in 1863 by the Wallace Brothers of Scotland. It is India's oldest publicly traded company, and wa ...
- Established in 1863.
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Britannia Industries
Britannia Industries Limited is an Indian company specialised in food industry, part of the Wadia Group headed by Nusli Wadia. Founded in 1892 and headquartered in Kolkata, it is one of India's oldest existing companies and best known for it ...
- Established in 1918.
* National Peroxide Limited - Established in 1999.
Apart from the listed companies, Wadias own several other firms, including:
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Gladrags
''Gladrags'' is an Indian magazine, published biweekly featuring modeling and related events.
History and profile
Gladrags was established in 1959. The first issue appeared in July 1959. The magazine is owned by Maureen Wadia. It is primaril ...
- a
fashion magazine
Fashion journalism is a component of fashion media, with a focus on writing and photojournalism. Fashion journalists write about fashion events, trends and have to cultivate and maintain a relationship with stylists and designers. A fashion jour ...
which is the particular interest of Maureen Wadia, a former air hostess. Established in 1959.
*Wadia Techno-Engineering Services Limited (WTESL) - Established in 1960.
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Go First
Go First, founded as GoAir, is an Indian ultra-low-cost airline based in Mumbai, Maharashtra. It is owned by the Indian business conglomerate Wadia Group. In October 2017, it was the fifth largest airline in India with an 8.4% passenger mar ...
- Established in 2005.
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Punjab Kings
Punjab Kings (PBKS) are a franchise cricket team based in Mohali, Punjab, that plays in the Indian Premier League (IPL). Established in 2008 as the Kings XI Punjab (KXIP), the franchise is jointly owned by Mohit Burman, Ness Wadia, Preity ...
- a cricket team, one of the ten franchisees playing in the
Indian Premier League
The Indian Premier League (IPL), also known as TATA IPL for sponsorship reasons, is a men's T20 franchise cricket league of India. It is annually contested by ten teams based out of seven Indian cities and three Indian states. The leagu ...
. Established in 2008.
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Bombay Realty
Wadia Group is an Indian multinational conglomerate, headquartered in Mumbai. It was founded by Lovji Nusserwanjee Wadia in 1736 and is the oldest company in India, with its subsidiary The Bombay Burmah Trading Corporation Limited, establi ...
- Established in 2011.
See also
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Wadia family
The Wadia family is a Parsi family from Surat, India currently based in Mumbai, India. The family rose to wealth in the mid-1700s as ship-builders serving the British East India Company as the latter established its sway over India. During th ...
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List of oldest companies in India
This list of oldest companies in India includes brands and companies, excluding associations and educational, governmental, or religious organisations. To be listed, a brand or company name must remain, either in whole or in part, since inception ...
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List of oldest companies
This list of the oldest companies in the world includes brands and companies, excluding associations and educational, government, or religious organizations. To be listed, a brand or company name must remain operating, either in whole or in part, ...
References
External links
Wadia Group website
{{Wadia Group
Companies based in Mumbai
Indian companies established in 1736
Indian brands
Wadia Group