Published: Feb 27, 2026, 18:30 IST | Updated: Feb 27, 2026, 18:30 IST
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.