Empires are carving up the world and its natural resources, revanchism and territorial warfare are on the rise, the superiority of Western civilisation is being asserted, and the East India Company is shutting shop. The East India Company in question was launched in London in 2010 by an Indian, Sanjiv Mehta, after he had bought the rights to the name. He opened a shop in Mayfair, the heart of affluent London, and traded in luxury food and drink items — including, inevitably, tea. Now, The Sunday Times of London has reported that the company has been placed into liquidation. After starting his company, Mehta was quoted as saying that he had reclaimed a symbol of colonial oppression for Indians and that “today’s East India Company is about compassion”.

Source: Indian Express February 24, 2026 04:38 UTC