In Second Collapse Since 1857, East India Company Wound Up Again

The storied East India Company, once central to British colonisation of India, has entered liquidation again, bringing an end to its most recent avatar as a London-based luxury retailer. The development, revealed by The Sunday Times, follows Companies House filings confirming that East India Company Limited appointed liquidators last October, effectively closing a brief revival launched in 2010.

The company, revived as a premium food and drink brand, had attempted to reposition its controversial legacy into a heritage-driven retail venture. That second life has now formally come to a close.

From Empire To Retail

The East India Company was originally dismantled in the aftermath of the 1857 Indian rebellion, when the British Crown absorbed its powers and disbanded its private army. Historians have described it as one of the world’s earliest multinational corporations, wielding enormous economic and political influence before its first dissolution.

More than a century later, Indian entrepreneur Sanjiv Mehta acquired rights to the historic name in the early 2000s. Backed by shareholders seeking a wholesale relaunch, Mehta reopened the brand in 2010 with a 2,000 sq ft store in Mayfair.

The outlet at 97 New Bond Street sold teas, confectionery and other premium goods, drawing comparisons with heritage retailers such as Fortnum and Mason. Mehta framed the revival as symbolic, describing it as an Indian reclaiming ownership of a company once associated with colonial rule.

In a 2010 interview, he said the acquisition carried both commercial promise and emotional resonance, calling it a moment of “redemption”.

Mounting Debts And Liquidation

Companies House records show the firm owed more than GBP 600,000 to its parent, East India Company Group, registered in the British Virgin Islands. It also faced tax liabilities of GBP 193,789 and owed GBP 163,105 to employees.

Several affiliated entities bearing the East India name have been dissolved. The company’s website is no longer operational, and its former flagship store now stands vacant, being marketed by property agency CBRE.

Another related entity, East India Company Collections Limited, was served with a winding-up petition last week, a legal measure typically initiated by creditors as a final step to recover dues.

At the time of reporting, only a single East India Company tea gift box remained listed for sale on the website of Selfridges.

A Contested Legacy

The liquidation draws the curtain on an unusual corporate afterlife. The original East India Company once controlled vast swathes of territory in India and maintained a private army estimated at around 250,000 personnel by the early nineteenth century.

While it reshaped global trade networks, historians have long linked the company to systemic exploitation, involvement in the slave trade, and policies blamed for worsening famines that led to millions of deaths. Its rule ended when Indian soldiers revolted in 1857, prompting direct Crown control over India.

With the latest liquidation, a third revival of the East India Company name appears improbable, closing another chapter in the long and contentious history of a brand that once held extraordinary power.

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