What does Wadia Group do?
The Wadia Group is one of India’s oldest business houses. Its story begins in 1736, when Lovji Nusserwanjee Wadia won contracts from the East India Company to build ships and docks in Bombay 6. Today the group is run from Mumbai and its best-known company is the biscuit maker Britannia Industries 16. It is chaired by Nusli Wadia 1.
What does the Wadia Group own?
The main listed companies are Britannia Industries (biscuits, bread, cake and dairy), Bombay Dyeing (polyester and real estate), The Bombay Burmah Trading Corporation (tea, auto electrical parts and dental products) and National Peroxide (hydrogen peroxide) 682023. The group also founded the budget airline Go First, and Ness Wadia is a co-owner of the IPL cricket team Punjab Kings 16.
| Company | Founded | Main business |
|---|---|---|
| Bombay Burmah Trading Corporation | 1863 | Tea, auto electricals, dental and healthcare; holding company for Britannia 68 |
| Bombay Dyeing | 1879 | Polyester and real estate 623 |
| Britannia Industries | Controlled since 1993 | Biscuits, bread, cake, dairy 21 |
| National Peroxide | n/a | Hydrogen peroxide and sodium perborate 20 |
| Go First | 2005 | Airline; ordered into liquidation in January 2025 46 |
Who owns the Wadia Group?
The Wadia family controls the group through a chain of holding companies. Bombay Burmah holds about 51% of Britannia indirectly through subsidiaries, and CRISIL describes Bombay Burmah and Bombay Dyeing as Britannia’s ultimate holding companies 89. Promoters held 50.55% of Britannia in the September 2026 quarter and 74.05% of Bombay Burmah in the June 2026 quarter 712. See who owns the Wadia Group.
How big is it?
Britannia is by far the largest business. In FY26 it reported consolidated sales of ₹18,858 crore, up 7.5%, and net profit of ₹2,537 crore, up 16.5% 25. In the April-June 2026 quarter its revenue rose 8.2% to about ₹5,000 crore and profit rose 14% to ₹593 crore 19. CRISIL says Britannia holds more than a third of India’s biscuit market by value 9. Bombay Dyeing’s FY26 revenue was about ₹1,460 crore 23.
Recent history
Nusli Wadia became chairman of Bombay Dyeing in 1977, after his father Neville 2. In 2009 the group bought out Danone’s interest in Britannia’s holding structure, taking its indirect stake from 24.48% to 50.96% 10. In September 2023 Bombay Dyeing agreed to sell 22 acres in Worli to a Sumitomo Realty subsidiary for ₹5,200 crore 5. Go First filed for insolvency in May 2023 and was ordered into liquidation in January 2025 4. See the history of the Wadia Group.
Scrutiny
In October 2022 SEBI accused Bombay Dyeing of misrepresenting its financial statements and barred the promoters from the market for two years. In January 2026 the Securities Appellate Tribunal set the order aside by a majority, criticising SEBI’s delay 17. See Wadia Group leadership.
See also conglomerates and all companies.
