COMPANIES THAT HAVE SURVIVED 100 YEARS IN INDIA

COMPANIES THAT HAVE SURVIVED 100 YEARS IN INDIA

Two World Wars, the Great Depression, India's independence struggle, the Hindu rate of growth, the licence-permit raj, controls on foreign exchange and expansion, and the reforms of the 1990s: a handful of Indian companies have seen it all, and adapted along the way to do well. India has around three dozen century-old companies that are listed and still actively traded. Of these we have selected a dozen that have done especially well at responding to change. "Response to change is the first condition for survival in business," says Dwijendra Tripathi, a former IIM professor who authored The Oxford History of Indian Business. A hundred years is a long period. Dive into the exciting journey of these intrepid survivors.

1788: Breen & Co founded; to become Jessop in 1820
 
1838: The Times of India launched

1898: Calcutta becomes first city in India to get electricity

1902: Shalimar Paints sets up first paint factory in SE Asia

1902: Tatas open first hotel, Taj Mahal Palace

1910: Advent of electricity helps Britannia biscuits mechanise operations

1911: Shift of India's capital to Delhi announced; ITC gets stalls to advertise at Durbar 

1919: Birlas defy Yule and other Scots to get into jute manufacture, WWI fuels boom 

1926: Kirloskar makes first diesel engine in India

1929: TVS bags General Motors' dealership

1931: CESC builds tunnel under river Hoogly 

1940: For the first time, The Times of India publishes news items 

1945: Britannia sales surge, fuelled by contract to supply biscuits to Allied troops

1951: R.D. Birla acquires control of Century Textiles

1953: Bengal Chamber of Commerce completes a 100 years

1958: Godrej & Boyce makes the fi rst Indian refrigerator, in collaboration with GE

1969: Managing Agency system abolished

1975: ITC makes first diversification, into hotels 

1988: Jessop celebrates 200 years of existence 

1998: Burman family hands over Dabur management to professionals 

2007: Tata Steel acquires Corus