Future based on its past

East India Company. The mere mention of this name, for almost all Indians brings to mind the British rule. That’s what this company stands for.

But an Indian entrepreneur based in London is trying to change that. He has bought out the very same company, founded way back in 1857, later dissolved in 1874 and now made it into a company selling luxury goods.

He bought the company from a bunch of 30-40 people owners and now he sells rare teas, gourmet coffees, chocolates, jams, and other luxurious food gifts through an online website and has stores across UK, Middle East, Europe, Asia and Oceania. What was the motivation behind buying this company? Mehta says that it was to experience a feeling of redemption – own a company that once owned us!

Indeed the clock has turned and we have come a really long way from those days of British rule. Indians have made a mark in Britain – the latest “rich” list shows that the top 3 amongst the top four richest British are Indians. It is another irony of life that Persons of Indian Origin are doing extremely well outside India, as in India only the people that are very well-connected to the politicians can succeed. It is truly an irony of fate.