Скачать или смотреть An Indian Business Older Than the USA – The Wadia Group Story

Founded in 1736—40 years before America was born—the Wadia Group is one of the world’s oldest surviving business dynasties. From building ships for the British Empire to running global food brands like Britannia and launching airlines like Go First, their legacy spans centuries. Dive into this unbelievable Indian origin story that quietly shaped the world.

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In 1736, a quiet but remarkable chapter began in Bombay. Long before the United States declared independence, an Indian enterprise took root—destined to outlast empires and adapt across centuries. This was the beginning of the Wadia Group, founded by Lovji Nusserwanjee Wadia, a master shipbuilder.

Commissioned by the British East India Company, Wadia’s ships became instrumental to the Empire’s maritime ambitions. But it wasn’t just the ships that left a mark—it was the way they were built. In 1750, Lovji Wadia constructed Asia’s first dry dock, enabling large vessels to be serviced and repaired out of water. It was a game-changing innovation. Europe hadn’t achieved this yet. That very dry dock, built in colonial India, is still functional today—nearly 275 years later.

By 1817, the Wadias had constructed over 300 ships, including the HMS Trincomalee, a frigate that now stands as a preserved naval museum in the United Kingdom. The irony of an Indian-built warship from the colonial era now being maintained in Britain isn’t lost on history.

But shipbuilding was just the first act.

In 1879, the Wadias turned to textiles, launching Bombay Dyeing, which would go on to become one of India's most iconic consumer brands. The name became synonymous with quality fabrics and modern retail in post-independence India.

Then came their most surprising and strategic shift—food.

Britannia Industries, originally founded by British merchants in 1892, was once a modest biscuit supplier in Kolkata. During World War I, it provided rations to British troops. But by the 1970s, Nusli Wadia executed a low-profile takeover, quietly bringing the company into Indian ownership without corporate drama or public spectacle.

Today, Britannia is a ₹1.2 lakh crore FMCG giant, with products distributed in over 70 countries. Its legacy has grown from colonial rations to household staples across the globe.

In 2005, the Wadias ventured into aviation with GoAir (now Go First), proving once again that a 280-year-old business could still think like a startup.

What makes the Wadia Group extraordinary isn’t just its age—it’s the ability to adapt. It has evolved from shipyards to fashion, from biscuits to airlines, across three centuries, without ever losing control of its narrative.

While the United States has seen 46 presidents, the Wadia Group has remained a family-run enterprise since 1736—a rare example of intergenerational continuity and transformation.

In a time when corporate giants rise fast and fall faster, the story of Wadia is not just about legacy. It is about design thinking before it had a name. About sustainability before it became a trend. About Indian enterprise that has quietly shaped the global story.

This is not nostalgia. It is endurance, executed with vision.

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