Once the world’s most powerful trading empire, the East India Company has shut down for the second time in London — this time as a luxury retail brand.

The original company, which began its rule in India in 1757, reshaped global trade but also left behind a deeply controversial legacy marked by exploitation and colonial violence. It was dissolved more than 150 years ago.

In 2010, British-Indian businessman Sanjiv Mehta acquired the rights to the historic name and revived it as a premium retail venture. The rebranded firm has now gone bankrupt, closing another chapter in the company’s long and complex history.

East India Company Shuts Down Again After 170 Years- What Went Wrong? 

There are&nbsp;only 22 countries in the world&nbsp;the British have not invaded.&nbsp;India too&nbsp;was a British colony between 1858 and 1947.

In 2021,&nbsp;the world is staring at another colonial threat, this time&nbsp;it's from big tech. Many lawmakers in recent years have called for laws and regulations to rein in dominant&nbsp;tech&nbsp;companies such as Facebook Inc, Twitter Inc, Alphabet Inc's Google, Amazon.com Inc and Apple Inc.

The big tech&nbsp;has become the&nbsp;new East India Company as it&nbsp;colonising the world.

The East India Company began establishing trading posts in India in the year 1600.

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&nbsp;

In 1612, it defeated the Portuguese. Soon it went after local traders&nbsp;and killed their business.

Amazon launched its operations in India in 2013. It began killing brick and mortar businesses due to which some of them moved online but they were quashed by predatory pricing and prefered sellers.

When India announced an investigation into Amazon in January 2020, the company challenged the probe.

Back in the 17th century- the British East India Company had established a monopoly in India. Today, companies like Amazon are doing the same.

Facebook follows the same strategy to kill competitors, establish a monopoly. It&nbsp;has made at least 81 acquisitions since 2005.

When Instagram threatened Facebook's popularity,&nbsp;it was acquired in 2012. Then Facebook started copying&nbsp;Snapchat's features.&nbsp;It did everything to ensure Instagram does not have any major competitor.

Similarly, when&nbsp;WhatsApp&nbsp;posed a challenge,&nbsp;Facebook bought it as well&nbsp;in 2014.

Tech giants regularly acquire start-ups to kill innovation and&nbsp;drain small players by hiring or&nbsp;poaching their talent. Many acquisitions never even make it to the headlines as&nbsp;Google has colonised the online search space.

As per the East India company's playbook, it&nbsp;went after policies after establishing a monopoly.

By the 18th century, the trading company became involved in politics. Its aim was to maintain its trading privilege and expand its wings.

Today, tech giants are doing the same. In the US&nbsp;Amazon is trying to lobby against all its competitors by&nbsp;bidding for billions of dollars worth of government contracts.

Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos has embedded himself in Washington. His $23 million mansion sits not too far from the White House.

In 2019, Amazon spent over $8.1 million on lobbying. This is more than any tech company.

A Bloomberg report claims- amazon has increased its spending on lobbying by over 460 per cent since 2012.

Amazon reportedly paid zero federal tax on its profits in the US&nbsp;In 2018. This was for the second year in a row.

Amazon&nbsp;has been facing increasing scrutiny by Indian regulators, and the latest report provided an inside look at the cat-and-mouse game&nbsp;Amazon&nbsp;has played with India's government, adjusting its corporate structures each time the government imposed new restrictions aimed at protecting small traders.

After the 1757 battle of Plassey- the East India company became very powerful.&nbsp;In 1764, it won the battle of Buxar.&nbsp;Soon it was granted the Diwani of Bengal.&nbsp;

Facebook&nbsp;wiped out pages from Australian state governments and charities as well as from domestic and international news organisations, three days before the launch of a nationwide COVID-19 vaccination programme.

It's dictating terms and bullying and blackmailing elected lawmakers. The company has blocked news and&nbsp;is controlling the reach of the press. Big tech has become that powerful!

Facebook has a history of abusing legal gaps. It came under limelight for the privacy concerns of WhatsApp policies recently.

The only way to ensure that big tech&nbsp;does not re-inflict the damage done by the East India Company is to legislate.

India must regulate big tech, protect home companies and the country's&nbsp;interests offline.

India must learn from its history and ensure that the country isn't left vulnerable to digital colonisation by big tech as it was to British colonisation- by the East India Company.

If in the 1600s India had the spices and raw materials. Today,&nbsp;India has the world's largest online market outside China.

In the 1600s- the Portuguese and the British East India company were betting on India. Today- it's the silicon valley giants.

India must ensure that this time that it emerges as the only winner.

There are only 22 countries in the world the British have not invaded. India too was a British colony between 1858 and 1947. In 2021, the world is staring at another colonial threat, this time it's from big tech.

There are only 22 countries in the world the British have not invaded. India too was a British colony between 1858 and 1947. In 2021, the world is staring at another colonial threat, this time it's from big tech. Many lawmakers in recent years have called for laws and regulations to rein in dominant tech companies such as Facebook Inc, Twitter Inc, Alphabet Inc's Google, Amazon.com Inc and Apple Inc. The big tech has become the new East India Company as it colonising the world. The East India Company began establishing trading posts in India in the year 1600. × In 1612, it defeated the Portuguese. Soon it went after local traders and killed their business. Amazon launched its operations in India in 2013. It began killing brick and mortar businesses due to which some of them moved online but they were quashed by predatory pricing and prefered sellers. When India announced an investigation into Amazon in January 2020, the company challenged the probe. Back in the 17th century- the British East India Company had established a monopoly in India. Today, companies like Amazon are doing the same. Facebook follows the same strategy to kill competitors, establish a monopoly. It has made at least 81 acquisitions since 2005. When Instagram threatened Facebook's popularity, it was acquired in 2012. Then Facebook started copying Snapchat's features. It did everything to ensure Instagram does not have any major competitor. Similarly, when WhatsApp posed a challenge, Facebook bought it as well in 2014. Tech giants regularly acquire start-ups to kill innovation and drain small players by hiring or poaching their talent. Many acquisitions never even make it to the headlines as Google has colonised the online search space. As per the East India company's playbook, it went after policies after establishing a monopoly. By the 18th century, the trading company became involved in politics. Its aim was to maintain its trading privilege and expand its wings. Today, tech giants are doing the same. In the US Amazon is trying to lobby against all its competitors by bidding for billions of dollars worth of government contracts. Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos has embedded himself in Washington. His $23 million mansion sits not too far from the White House. In 2019, Amazon spent over $8.1 million on lobbying. This is more than any tech company. A Bloomberg report claims- amazon has increased its spending on lobbying by over 460 per cent since 2012. Amazon reportedly paid zero federal tax on its profits in the US In 2018. This was for the second year in a row. Amazon has been facing increasing scrutiny by Indian regulators, and the latest report provided an inside look at the cat-and-mouse game Amazon has played with India's government, adjusting its corporate structures each time the government imposed new restrictions aimed at protecting small traders. After the 1757 battle of Plassey- the East India company became very powerful. In 1764, it won the battle of Buxar. Soon it was granted the Diwani of Bengal. Facebook wiped out pages from Australian state governments and charities as well as from domestic and international news organisations, three days before the launch of a nationwide COVID-19 vaccination programme. It's dictating terms and bullying and blackmailing elected lawmakers. The company has blocked news and is controlling the reach of the press. Big tech has become that powerful! Facebook has a history of abusing legal gaps. It came under limelight for the privacy concerns of WhatsApp policies recently. The only way to ensure that big tech does not re-inflict the damage done by the East India Company is to legislate. India must regulate big tech, protect home companies and the country's interests offline. India must learn from its history and ensure that the country isn't left vulnerable to digital colonisation by big tech as it was to British colonisation- by the East India Company. If in the 1600s India had the spices and raw materials. Today, India has the world's largest online market outside China. In the 1600s- the Portuguese and the British East India company were betting on India. Today- it's the silicon valley giants. India must ensure that this time that it emerges as the only winner.

'Digital colonialism': Has big tech become the new East India Company

The British directly ruled India for nearly 200 years. Now there is another colonial threat staring at India. WION's Palki Sharma tells you about the New East India Company.

Gravitas: Is Big Tech the New East India Company?

The&nbsp;East India Company, which once owned India,&nbsp; in&nbsp;one of the great ironies of history,&nbsp;is now owned by an Indian&nbsp;entrepreneur named&nbsp;Sanjiv Mehta.

The company was founded in 1600 to&nbsp;import spices, tea and exotic items to Europe from India.

After the 1857 revolt, the East India Company was disbanded after its soldiers rose in rebellion against the British

For years the company remained dormant, stuck in memories and history books.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/china-has-grabbed-more-land-than-the-east-india-company-ex-maldives-president-nasheed-32690">China has grabbed more land than the East India Company: ex-Maldives president Nasheed</a>

In India, the historic East India Company is a symbol of oppression and humiliation.

In 2003, a group of shareholders who owned the East India Company were attempting to revive it as a business selling tea and coffee.&nbsp;

Indian entrepreneur Sanjiv Mehta procured the company name in&nbsp;2005&nbsp;and transmuted it into a customer brand focused on luxury teas, coffees, and food.

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“A company which once owned India is now owned by an Indian ... a feeling of the empire striking back,” says&nbsp;Mehta, who opened his first store in 2010 in London’s affluent Mayfair area.

“The historic East India Company built itself on aggression, but today’s East India Company is about compassion,” he says.&nbsp;

On September 8, Sanjiv Mehta has earned the permit to trade under the cost of arms and seal of the notable company. He additionally has the options to mint coins, including a Mohur gold coin that was last minted in 1918 in British India.

Purchasing the shares meant emotional closure for Mehta, who as an Indian is acquainted with the historical backdrop of the company's forceful trade policies and misuse of the Indian subcontinent.

The East India Company, which once owned India, in one of the great ironies of history, is now owned by an Indian entrepreneur named Sanjiv Mehta. The company was founded in 1600 to import spices, tea and exotic items to Europe from India.

The East India Company, which once owned India, in one of the great ironies of history, is now owned by an Indian entrepreneur named Sanjiv Mehta. The company was founded in 1600 to import spices, tea and exotic items to Europe from India. After the 1857 revolt, the East India Company was disbanded after its soldiers rose in rebellion against the British For years the company remained dormant, stuck in memories and history books. Also read: China has grabbed more land than the East India Company: ex-Maldives president Nasheed In India, the historic East India Company is a symbol of oppression and humiliation. In 2003, a group of shareholders who owned the East India Company were attempting to revive it as a business selling tea and coffee. Indian entrepreneur Sanjiv Mehta procured the company name in 2005 and transmuted it into a customer brand focused on luxury teas, coffees, and food. × “A company which once owned India is now owned by an Indian ... a feeling of the empire striking back,” says Mehta, who opened his first store in 2010 in London’s affluent Mayfair area. “The historic East India Company built itself on aggression, but today’s East India Company is about compassion,” he says. On September 8, Sanjiv Mehta has earned the permit to trade under the cost of arms and seal of the notable company. He additionally has the options to mint coins, including a Mohur gold coin that was last minted in 1918 in British India. Purchasing the shares meant emotional closure for Mehta, who as an Indian is acquainted with the historical backdrop of the company's forceful trade policies and misuse of the Indian subcontinent.

Now, East India Company is owned by an Indian entrepreneur

Heard of the biggest colonial irony? The British East India Company that ruled and plundered India for 250 years is now owned by an Indian. Watch the report

The company that once owned India is now owned by an Indian

Heard of the biggest colonial irony? The British East India Company that ruled and plundered India for 250 years is now owned by an Indian. Palki Sharma Upadhyay brings you a report.

Gravitas: An Indian now owns the East India Company

The US has hit out at China's aggressive posturing in the South China Sea. A senior official at the US state department has compared China's state enterprises to Britain's Colonial East India Company. Watch report.

US hit out at Chinese companies | Comapres china to colonial powers

27 March in history: Twenty-two years ago today, Viagra was approved for commercial use

February 11 in history: East India Co's occupation of Awadh, Nelson Mandela's prison release and lots more!

Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi not only led India to its independence but also influenced several other movements across the globe. Today, let's know more about that Mahatma. #GandhiAt150 #MohandasKaramchandGandhi #MahatmaGandhi

Gandhi at 150: One man who manged to inspire the 'whole world'

Karnataka Chief Minister <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/jds-congress-karnataka-ministry-expanded-8-congress-ministers-inducted-185884">HD Kumaraswamy</a> on Saturday wrote a letter to Union Civil Aviation Minister Suresh Prabhu requesting him to rename Belagavi Airport as Kittur Rani Chennamma Airport and Hubballi Airport as Sangolli Rayanna Airport.

The Chief Minister has said that the renaming would be a befitting tribute to the well-known freedom fighters.

Kittur Rani Chennamma led an armed rebellion against the British East India Company in 1824 in defiance of the Doctrine of Lapse in an attempt to maintain Indian control over the region.

While Sangolli Rayanna was the army chief of the Kingdom of Kittur which was then ruled by Rani Chennamma.

Karnataka Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy on Saturday wrote a letter to Union Civil Aviation Minister Suresh Prabhu requesting him to rename Belagavi Airport as Kittur Rani Chennamma Airport and Hubballi Airport as Sangolli Rayanna Airport.

Karnataka Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy on Saturday wrote a letter to Union Civil Aviation Minister Suresh Prabhu requesting him to rename Belagavi Airport as Kittur Rani Chennamma Airport and Hubballi Airport as Sangolli Rayanna Airport. The Chief Minister has said that the renaming would be a befitting tribute to the well-known freedom fighters. Kittur Rani Chennamma led an armed rebellion against the British East India Company in 1824 in defiance of the Doctrine of Lapse in an attempt to maintain Indian control over the region. While Sangolli Rayanna was the army chief of the Kingdom of Kittur which was then ruled by Rani Chennamma.

Karnataka CM asks Centre to rename Belagavi, Hubballi airports

Dalits in Maharashtra are up in arms after violence at an event to mark the 200th anniversary of the Bhima-Koregoan battle. The violence brought to fore <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/live-updates-maharastra-tense-after-pune-violence-28382">simmering caste tensions</a> after a statewide bandh call given by Dalit outfits.

But what is the Bhima-Koregaon battle? We take a look.

The battle was fought on January 1, 1818 - 200 years ago - between the British East India Company and the army of Peshawa Bajirao II along the banks of Bhima river, which passes through Koregaon-Bhima town in Maharashtra. The Peshawas had planned to attack Pune, but were intercepted by the British forces. The Company army, though less in numbers, held against the Peshawas long enough for the reinforcements to arrive.

The Peshawas ultimately withdrew and the British won the Anglo-Maratha war. It is widely believed that the Mahar community - then considered untouchable - played a key role in East India Company&#39;s win.

Many Dalit thinkers consider this battle as significant in the history of the community which faced oppression at the hands of the Peshawas, who were Brahmins.

So, to mark the 200th anniversary of the battle of Koregaon, many Dalits on January 1 gathered around the victory pillar erected by the British at Koregaon-Bhima - 40 kilometres from Pune - to commemorate their victory. Soon, violence broke out and many vehicles were torched. One youth was also killed.

Incidents of violence were reported from many parts of Maharashtra, including Ahmednagar, Jalgaon, Nagpur, Dhule, Beed, Akola, Nashik, Pune, Solapur, Thane and Palghar as Dalits protested against Monday&#39;s incidents in Koregaon-Bhima.

Many prominent Dalit outfits, including Bharipa Bahujan Mahasangh, a party headed by BR Ambedkar&#39;s grandson Prakash Ambedkar, called for a &#39;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/maharashtra-tense-after-pune-violence-28374">Maharashtra bandh</a> (shutdown)&#39; on Wednesday to express anger over violence.

Many Dalit thinkers consider this battle as significant in the history of the community which faced oppression at the hands of the Peshawas, who were Brahmins.

Dalits in Maharashtra are up in arms after violence at an event to mark the 200th anniversary of the Bhima-Koregoan battle. The violence brought to fore simmering caste tensions after a statewide bandh call given by Dalit outfits. But what is the Bhima-Koregaon battle? We take a look. The battle was fought on January 1, 1818 - 200 years ago - between the British East India Company and the army of Peshawa Bajirao II along the banks of Bhima river, which passes through Koregaon-Bhima town in Maharashtra. The Peshawas had planned to attack Pune, but were intercepted by the British forces. The Company army, though less in numbers, held against the Peshawas long enough for the reinforcements to arrive. The Peshawas ultimately withdrew and the British won the Anglo-Maratha war. It is widely believed that the Mahar community - then considered untouchable - played a key role in East India Company's win. Many Dalit thinkers consider this battle as significant in the history of the community which faced oppression at the hands of the Peshawas, who were Brahmins. So, to mark the 200th anniversary of the battle of Koregaon, many Dalits on January 1 gathered around the victory pillar erected by the British at Koregaon-Bhima - 40 kilometres from Pune - to commemorate their victory. Soon, violence broke out and many vehicles were torched. One youth was also killed. Incidents of violence were reported from many parts of Maharashtra, including Ahmednagar, Jalgaon, Nagpur, Dhule, Beed, Akola, Nashik, Pune, Solapur, Thane and Palghar as Dalits protested against Monday's incidents in Koregaon-Bhima. Many prominent Dalit outfits, including Bharipa Bahujan Mahasangh, a party headed by BR Ambedkar's grandson Prakash Ambedkar, called for a 'Maharashtra bandh (shutdown)' on Wednesday to express anger over violence.

The battle of Bhima-Koregaon and its significance