11 Of The Oldest Indian Companies That Have Been In Business For Over A Century

Today, India is proud of being one of the biggest generators of new unicorns. Many companies sprung up in recent years and all thanks to India’s natural mindset of gravitating toward businesses instead of jobs.

Some of the most innovative and out-of-the-box firms, like Paytm, Zerodha, Ola, and Zomato paved their way in India in recent years but caught up the major portion of the market. While we all know that startups undoubtedly come to increase the market, do they merit the attention they get, especially given the uncertainty about how many years will they last?

Owing to intense competition and lack of knowledge, most of the startups died in their early years and only a handful of them, become unicorns. But it doesn’t mean that businesses used to be the same. On the other hand, several businesses in India have remained profitable for more than a century.

Making a business succeed and survive, even for a little while, is occasionally nothing short of an amazing job. However, keeping the company active for a long time is nothing sort of a miracle. Not so surprisingly, India also has these kinds of companies.

These companies have all triumphed through adversity, endured for more than a century, and astonishingly all of them are still in operation. So, let’s have a look at them:

1. TATA Group – 1868

Jamsetji Tata, the founder of the Tata group and frequently referred to as the “father of Indian industry,” started his business career in the 1868 with a textile factory. His ideas helped India advance into the ranks of industrialized nations, influenced the steel and power sectors, and laid the groundwork for technical education.

The firm presently oversees 31 businesses worldwide, spread across 10 different industries. Former Indian Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru described him as a “one-man planning committee” in the business sector.

Jamsetji Tata was more than simply the businessman who enabled India to join the club of developed nations. He was a humanist and a patriot whose principles and outlook helped to create an outstanding conglomeration of businesses.

2. Bombay Burmah Trading Corporation – 1863

The second-oldest publicly traded business in India before independence is the Bombay Burmah Trading Corporation (BBTL). Wallace & Company, a business owned by six Scottish brothers, was founded in 1863.

Framjee Nusserwanjee Patel, a Parsi businesswoman, helped the Wallace brothers establish their enterprise in India, claims Raman Mahadevan, a business historian based in Bengaluru. Following this, the corporation entered Rangoon after spotting promising commercial opportunities. It became a significant exporter of teak by leasing out huge portions of forest land in Burma.

As reported by Economic Times, Mahadevan adds,

The assumption that the Wadias had assumed control over BBTC as early as 1913 seems to be misplaced. Even as late as the 1940s, the managing agents and secretaries of BBTC, as listed on the Bombay Stock Exchange, is that of Wallace & Co.

BBTCL was first established as a public corporation to promote the teak industry by assuming William Wallace’s properties and interests in Burma (now Myanmar). The corporation was first focused on meeting home demands before expanding its trade to other Asian countries. The Company didn’t start investing in good South Indian locations for tea plants until 1913.

The oldest company is currently involved in enterprises related to weighing items, auto electric components, healthcare, and tea and coffee plantations.

3. Bombay Dyeing Company – 1879

Established in 1879 by Nowrosjee Wadia as a small business producing hand-dip dyed Indian spun cotton yarn, the company suffered a significant loss in the dyeing sector in the early 1900s when Indian textile companies ceased exporting goods from Chinese manufacturers.

The company then refocused on the textile industry and has since become one of the most reputable and well-known names in the nation.

With a market share of around 15%, Bombay Dyeing and Manufacturing Company is one of the six producers of polyester staple fiber in the nation. Despite the competition, fierce price battles, and the advent of low-cost upcountry manufacturing hubs all across the nation, the firm has remained solvent for more than 140 years.

4. Teesta Valley Tea Company – 1841

With its top tea plantations in Assam, Darjeeling, and the Dooars in India, Teesta Valley Exports Limited, which was founded in 1841, is one of the major producers and exporters of the best Indian teas.

Four North Indian tea gardens make up the company, which presently supplies to consumers in Japan, Russia, Germany, Holland, France, the United Kingdom, the United States, Singapore, Hawaii, and other East European nations. After 180 years, the corporation is continually expanding, both in terms of size and stature, and establishing itself in additional regions.

5. Parry & Co (Now Eid-Parry Ltd) – 1788

Thomas Parry, a British merchant, founded the House of Parry in 1788 and began trading in pieces of merchandise and banking. The firm established its first sugar factory in Nellikuppam in Tamilnadu in 1842, making it one of the first sugar producers in the world. The company still forges ahead in each of its operations today.

The company operates 9 sugar plants across South India, with facilities at Nellikuppam, Pugalur, Pudukottai, Pettavathalai, and Sivaganga in Tamil Nadu, Ariyur in Puducherry, Sankili in Andhra Pradesh, and Bagalkot, Haliyal, and Ramdurg in Karnataka. The firm’s total sugarcane crushing capacity is 43,400 TCD.

The two businesses were combined in 1962 by Parry & Co to become EID Parry, which the Murugappa group purchased in 1981.

6. Aditya Birla Group – 1857

Seth Shiv Narayan Birla established the group in 1857 as a cotton trading firm, and it quickly grew. Later, Mr. Ghanshyam Das Birla, who was actively involved in the Indian liberation war, established companies in vital fields including textiles and fiber, aluminum, cement, and chemicals.

At present, the Kumar Mangalam Birla Group’s businesses abroad, which cover 36 nations in North and South America, Africa, Asia, and Europe, generate over 50% of the Group’s sales.

7. Shapoorji Pallonji Group – 1865

It was established in 1865 as a building firm called Littlewood Pallonji. One of the oldest enterprises in India and a top conglomerate, Shapoorji Pallonji Group has diverse operations in engineering and construction, infrastructure, energy, real estate, water recycling, and financial services.

The company has clients in more than 60 countries, works in 6 key business sectors, has 13 group businesses, and has a substantial employment base of over 60,000 individuals from over 40 different nationalities.

As an example, Shapoorji Pallonji created and constructed the Reserve Bank of India in Mumbai in 1939, the Brabourne Stadium in Mumbai in 1937, the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, the Mumbai Central Railway Station, and other notable landmarks in the fields of civil and structural engineering that are used by millions of people worldwide.

8. Kamarhatty Company Ltd. – 1877

One of the oldest jute mills in the world, Kamarhatty Company Ltd. was founded in Kolkata in 1877 and is managed by the British company Jardine Henderson Ltd.

Even though many jute mills closed at the time, Kamarhatty continued to operate, which helped the firm survive the 1980s plastic’s increased acceptance in the packaging sector, which ultimately led to its demise. The need for jute is gradually increasing as more and more nations throughout the world have entirely abandoned plastic.

Utilizing about 75% of its installed capacity, the company produces close to 30,000 tonnes of jute annually while reducing labour costs and improving production efficiency.

9. Dabur – 1884

One of India’s top FMCG companies, founded in 1884 as an Ayurvedic medicine company by Dr. S.K. Burman, operates in key consumer product categories like Hair Care, Oral Care, Health Care, Skin Care, Home Care, and Foods, with 6.7 million retail outlets and significant market share in both urban and rural markets in more than 120 nations worldwide.

Currently, nearly 27% of Dabur’s total income comes from outside India, according to the company’s official website. Dabur has been able to effectively transition from a family-run business to a professionally managed company.

10. Godrej Group – 1897

Godrej was established in 1897 as a lock firm by Ardeshir Godrej and Pirojsha Burjorji Godrej. It was the first business in India to develop locks utilizing lever technology. In 1902, Godrej was the first firm to manufacture both the country’s first indigenous typewriter and safe.

After 125 years, Godrej is constantly expanding and is involved in industries such as agriculture, consumer goods, aerospace, furniture, and home appliances.

11. Shalimar Paints – 1902

Shalimar Paints Ltd., one of the oldest and most renowned paints manufacturing firms in India, was founded in 1902. The nation’s top paint brand was quickly established by two Britishers, A N Turner and A N Wright, in Howrah, West Bengal.

After being purchased by UK-based Pinchin Johnson & Associates in 1928, the business changed its legal status to a public limited company in 1961. The O.P. Jindal Group and the Jhunjhunwalas purchased the firm. In 1989, they both co-managed the business.

Its lengthy list of devoted customers includes several government organizations, including the Central Public Works Department, NTPC, Indian Railways, BPCL, and IOC. Iconic buildings including Rashtrapati Bhavan, Howrah Bridge, Vidyasagar Setu, and Salt Lake Stadium continue to utilize Shalimar Paints.