History of Wadia Group: from founding to today

1736: shipbuilders to the Company

The group's history starts in 1736, when Lovji Nusserwanjee Wadia won East India Company contracts to build ships and docks in Bombay 6. The family remained shipbuilders for generations before moving into trade and textiles.

1863-1879: trading and textiles

The Bombay Burmah Trading Corporation was founded in 1863, originally in the timber trade, and Bombay Dyeing followed in 1879 6. Bombay Dyeing became one of India's best-known textile brands.

1960s-1970s: Nusli Wadia takes over

Wadia Techno-Engineering was set up in 1960 6. Nusli Wadia joined Bombay Dyeing as a trainee in 1962, became joint managing director in 1970 and succeeded his father, Neville Wadia, as chairman in 1977 2.

1993-2009: Britannia

In 1993 the Wadias bought into Associated Biscuits International, became equal partners with France's Danone and took control of Britannia 21. A long dispute with Danone over the Tiger biscuit trademark was settled in 2009, and that year the group bought out Danone's stake in Britannia's holding companies 1021.

2005-2025: Go First

The group launched the budget airline GoAir, later Go First, in 2005 6. It filed for voluntary insolvency on 2 May 2023 and the NCLT ordered its liquidation on 20 January 2025, after lenders saw no prospect of revival 4.

2016-2020: the Tata dispute

After he was voted off the boards of some Tata companies in 2016, Nusli Wadia sued Ratan Tata for defamation. He withdrew the cases on 13 January 2020 after Tata told the Supreme Court there had been no intention to defame him 16.

2023-2026

Bombay Dyeing agreed in September 2023 to sell 22 acres of Worli land for ₹5,200 crore 5. In January 2026 a tribunal set aside a 2022 SEBI order against Bombay Dyeing and its promoters 17.