Top 10 Oldest Companies In India

In this article, you will find ten of the oldest companies in India. These companies have been operating for more than 100 years. The data comes from the Hurun Research Institute, 2021 Burgundy Private Hurun India 500.

1. Forbes & Company
   The company’s operation started in 1767 in India by John Forbes of Aberdeenshire, Scotland. The company steadily engaged in manufacturing, trading, and shipping. Nowadays, Forbes & Company has a presence in more than 26 countries. Forbes & Company Limited is listed on the Bombay Stock Exchange with a standalone turnover of Rs. 300cr and a consolidated turnover of Rs. 2900cr. The total standalone income for the fiscal year 20-21 was 57,573 Lakhs, while the consolidated total income for the fiscal year 20-21 was 2,93,703 Lakhs. Shapoor P. Mistry is the Chairman of the company.

2. E.I.D-Parry
   The company was founded in 1788. Its main business activity is the production of sugar and nutraceuticals. The headquarters are in “Dare House” in Chennai. Also, the company is a part of the INR 369 Billion Murugappa Group, one of India’sIndia’s largest businesses. The company became widely known for establishing India’s first sugar plant at Nellikuppam in 1842. Nowadays, it continues to drive new initiatives in its production field.
   Furthermore, E.I.D. Parry is a global leader in organic spirulina and microalgal products. The total income for the quarter that ended on September 30th, 2021, was 555,14 Crore.

3. Bennett Coleman
   It all started in 1838 when the iconic brand The Times of India was published as a bi-weekly, The Bombay Times and Journal of Commerce. Since then, it has made significant progress through its presence in new markets and the launch of new titles. The media company has expanded with multiple brands in different publishing sectors. It still holds its family character. Sahu Jain’sJain’s family owns a majority stake in The Times Group. It has more than 8.000 employees, and its net income for 2019 was 20 million dollars.

4. Bombay Burmah Trading Corporation
   The company was founded in 1863. It is a leader of the Wadia Group, a well-known Indian business with interests in plantations, foods, textiles, chemicals, electronics and light engineering, health care, and real estate. Nowadays, BBTCL is one of the few oldest companies that belong to the pre-independence era. It is the second oldest publicly quoted company. The BBTCL Group has an annual turnover of 1.2 billion dollars. The Chairman of the company is Mr. Nusli N. Wadia.

5. B.S.E. (Bombay Stock Exchange)
   The B.S.E. holds 9th place in the list of the largest stock exchanges. It was founded in 1875 by Premchand Roychand, a cotton trader. In Asia, It is considered the oldest stock exchange. Also, it is the 10th oldest globally. It is located on Dalal Street in Mumbai. Its whole market capitalization is more than 255.003 trillion Indian rupees.

6. Dabur India
   In 1884, Dr. S. K. Burman started producing in small quantities health care products in Calcutta. Two years later, he decided to expand his business by founding a factory for larger production. Four years later, he specialized in Ayurvedic products. It was 2005 when Dabur purchased Balsara Group. Two years later, in 2007, the company completed ten years of running the juice brand Real. Another worth mentioning year was 2008, when the company made another purchase, Fem Care Pharma. In 2016 Dabur Gulabari and Dabur Lal Dant Manjan reported a turnover of Rs. 100 Crore, respectively. The CEO of Dabur India is Mr. Mohit Malhotra.

7. Godfrey Phillips India
   It includes many well-known cigarette brands, such as Four Square, Red & White, and Cavandersis. Expect from cigarettes and tobacco, the company steadily obtained many other brands, such as confectionery products. Pan Vilas pan masala, Pan Vilas Silver Dewz, and Funda Goli candies are some of the company’s products. The company’s turnover is almost 6400 Crs, with over 800 distributors and 6000 salesmen.

8. KRBL
   It all started in 1889. It is the first company in India of its kind and one of the leaders in the Indian rice industry. Of course, nowadays, KRBL offers its products in India and worldwide. Three people lead the company. Mr. Anil Kumar Mittal (Chairman & Managing Director), Mr. Arun Kumar Gupta, and Mr. Anoop Kumar Gupta (both Joint Managing Directors). The company sold 6.24 lacs tonnes of rice during FY21, a little more than the previous financial year. The annual income reached 4,015 crores compared to 4,522 crores in FY20, while the net worth reached 3,693 crores compared to 3,128 crores the previous year.

9. Britannia Industries
   It has a 100-year operation, while its annual revenue exceeds Rs. 9000 Cr. Britannia’sBritannia’s products vary from biscuits and bread to dairy products. Britannia Bread is the most known brand in the country, with a significant turnover of over 1 lac tons in volume and Rs.450 crores in value annually. The company has 13 factories and four franchisees selling almost one million loaves daily in more than 100 regions of India. Also, the company has a presence in more than 60 countries across the globe.

10. Century Textiles & Industries
    The company started as a textile production factory and steadily gained power with connections in multiple industries. Nowadays, the company is a leader in cotton textiles and also has a large commitment to the Pulp, Paper, and Real Estate sectors.

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