Wadia Group
Encyclopedia
The Wadia Group is one of the oldest conglomerates of corporate India
. It was founded by Sir Lovji Nusserwanjee Wadia
in 1736. Lovji Wadia secured contracts with the British East India Company
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 one ship that the Wadias built and of most historic significance for Parsis is the HMS Minden
. The Bombay Courier, June 23, 1810 wrote:
“On Tuesday last His Majesty’s Ship, the Minden built in the new docks (Bombay) by Jamshedji Bomanji Wadia was floated into the stream at high water, after the usual ceremony of breaking the bottle had been performed by the Honorable Governor Jonathan Duncan.
In having produced theMinden, Bombay is entitled to the distinguished praise of providing the first and only British ship of the line built out of the limits of the Mother Country; and in the opinion of very competent judges, the Minden, for beauty of construction and strength of frame, may stand in competition with any man-o-war that has come out of the most celebrated Dockyards of Great Britain
. For the skill of its architects, for the superiority of its timber, and for the excellence of its docks, Bombay may now claim a distinguished place among naval arsenals”.
A young American lawyer, Francis Scott Key
was sent on board the British ship Minden, in Chesapeake Bay
to negotiate the release of a friend who had been captured after the defeat of the US forces in Maryland
. Key was detained on the ship overnight while the British attacked Baltimore
. “At the dawn’s early light” amidst the “rockets’ red glare”, he saw the American flag still flying high over Fort McHenry which inspired him to hurriedly scribble on an envelope a poem, that was to become the Star Spangled Banner, national anthem of United States of America!
The Bombay dry-dock, the first dry-dock in Asia, was built by Lovji and his brother Sorabji in 1750. Sir Neville was married to Dina, the only daughter of Muhammad Ali Jinnah
, the founder of Pakistan
. Jinnah and his wife Rattanbai Petit
- Ruttee had separated soon after their daughter, Dina Wadia
was born. Nusli Wadia
is Neville & Dina Wadia's son and he is currently heading the group. The Wadia group now consists of three independently listed companies on the Bombay Stock Exchange
(BSE). These include
The Wadia Group also edits the Fashion Magazine Gladrags and conducts the annual Gladrags Megamodel hunt in Mumbai.
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. It was founded by Sir Lovji Nusserwanjee Wadia
Lovji Nusserwanjee Wadia
Lovji Nusserwanjee Wadia was a Parsi from Surat, India and was a member of the Wadia family of shipwrights and naval architects.Known for his high standards of workmanship, Lovji Wadia secured contracts with the British East India Company to build ships and docks in Bombay in 1736...
in 1736. Lovji Wadia secured contracts with the British East India Company
British East India Company
The East India Company was an early English joint-stock company that was formed initially for pursuing trade with the East Indies, but that ended up trading mainly with the Indian subcontinent and China...
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
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
. The one ship that the Wadias built and of most historic significance for Parsis is the HMS Minden
HMS Minden
HMS Minden was a Royal Navy 74-gun Ganges-class third-rate ship of the line, launched on 19 June 1810. She was named after the German town Minden and the Battle of Minden of 1759, a decisive victory of British and Prussian forces over France in the Seven Years' War...
. The Bombay Courier, June 23, 1810 wrote:
“On Tuesday last His Majesty’s Ship, the Minden built in the new docks (Bombay) by Jamshedji Bomanji Wadia was floated into the stream at high water, after the usual ceremony of breaking the bottle had been performed by the Honorable Governor Jonathan Duncan.
In having produced theMinden, Bombay is entitled to the distinguished praise of providing the first and only British ship of the line built out of the limits of the Mother Country; and in the opinion of very competent judges, the Minden, for beauty of construction and strength of frame, may stand in competition with any man-o-war that has come out of the most celebrated Dockyards of Great Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
. For the skill of its architects, for the superiority of its timber, and for the excellence of its docks, Bombay may now claim a distinguished place among naval arsenals”.
A young American lawyer, Francis Scott Key
Francis Scott Key
Francis Scott Key was an American lawyer, author, and amateur poet, from Georgetown, who wrote the lyrics to the United States' national anthem, "The Star-Spangled Banner".-Life:...
was sent on board the British ship Minden, in Chesapeake Bay
Chesapeake Bay
The Chesapeake Bay is the largest estuary in the United States. It lies off the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by Maryland and Virginia. The Chesapeake Bay's drainage basin covers in the District of Columbia and parts of six states: New York, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, and West...
to negotiate the release of a friend who had been captured after the defeat of the US forces in Maryland
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
. Key was detained on the ship overnight while the British attacked Baltimore
Baltimore
Baltimore is the largest independent city in the United States and the largest city and cultural center of the US state of Maryland. The city is located in central Maryland along the tidal portion of the Patapsco River, an arm of the Chesapeake Bay. Baltimore is sometimes referred to as Baltimore...
. “At the dawn’s early light” amidst the “rockets’ red glare”, he saw the American flag still flying high over Fort McHenry which inspired him to hurriedly scribble on an envelope a poem, that was to become the Star Spangled Banner, national anthem of United States of America!
The Bombay dry-dock, the first dry-dock in Asia, was built by Lovji and his brother Sorabji in 1750. Sir Neville was married to Dina, the only daughter of Muhammad Ali Jinnah
Muhammad Ali Jinnah
Muhammad Ali Jinnah was a Muslim lawyer, politician, statesman and the founder of Pakistan. He is popularly and officially known in Pakistan as Quaid-e-Azam and Baba-e-Qaum ....
, the founder of Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
. Jinnah and his wife Rattanbai Petit
Rattanbai Petit
Maryam Jinnah , was the second wife of Muhammad Ali Jinnah - an important figure in the Indian Independence Movement and later founder of Pakistan....
- Ruttee had separated soon after their daughter, Dina Wadia
Dina Wadia
Dina Wadia is the daughter of Muhammad Ali Jinnah, the founding father of Pakistan, and Rattanbai Petit.-Early life:Dina was born in London shortly after midnight on the morning of August 15, 1919...
was born. Nusli Wadia
Nusli Wadia
Nusli Wadia is an Indian Parsi entrepreneur, a textile magnate and an important person in the real-estate business. He is the son of Neville and Dina Wadia. His mother Dina Wadia is the daughter of Muhammad Ali Jinnah....
is Neville & Dina Wadia's son and he is currently heading the group. The Wadia group now consists of three independently listed companies on the Bombay Stock Exchange
Bombay Stock Exchange
The Bombay Stock Exchange is a stock exchange located on Dalal Street, Mumbai and is the oldest stock exchange in Asia. The equity market capitalization of the companies listed on the BSE was 1.63 trillion as of December 2010, making it the 4th largest stock exchange in Asia and the 8th largest...
(BSE). These include
- Bombay DyeingBombay DyeingBombay Dyeing is the flagship company of the Wadia Group, engaged mainly into the business of Textiles...
-- The textile flagship of India. - Britannia Industries -- A company that makes biscuits and snacks.
- Go AirGo AirGoAir is an Indian low-cost airline based in Mumbai, Maharashtra. It operates domestic passenger services to 18 cities with 131 daily flights and approximately 917 weekly flights...
-- A new low cost airline operating from MumbaiMumbaiMumbai , formerly known as Bombay in English, is the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the most populous city in India, and the fourth most populous city in the world, with a total metropolitan area population of approximately 20.5 million...
. - National PeroxideNational PeroxideNational Peroxide , based in Mumbai, India, is India's largest manufacturer of hydrogen peroxide. It operates in a single business segment, manufacturing of peroxygens. The company's products include hydrogen peroxide and sodium perborate....
is Hydrogen Peroxide manufacturer in IndiaIndiaIndia , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
.
The Wadia Group also edits the Fashion Magazine Gladrags and conducts the annual Gladrags Megamodel hunt in Mumbai.