India is set to celebrate its 79th Independence Day on August 15, 2025, a momentous occasion that will honor the sacrifices of countless individuals and organizations in the nation’s struggle for freedom. While we often rightly focus on the political leaders, revolutionaries, and movements that led the charge, the role of Indian businesses and industrialists is a chapter often overlooked. These companies were more than just economic entities; they were integral participants in the nationalist movement, providing crucial financial support, challenging British monopolies, and creating a sense of economic self-reliance that was fundamental to the vision of a free India. Their contributions ranged from funding Congress sessions and nationalistic publications to establishing industries that directly competed with British goods, thereby embodying the spirit of Swadeshi and inspiring a generation to fight for their economic as well as political independence.
This report highlights top 10 companies that played key roles in Bharat’s freedom struggle and the Swadeshi movement. The Swadeshi movement, which promoted self-reliance and the boycott of foreign goods, was a powerful tool against colonial rule. The companies were founded with a strong sense of nationalism and played a key role in building an indigenous industrial base, proving that Indian enterprise could compete with and even surpass foreign products.
Boroline: A Swadeshi icon born from the fight for self-reliance
GD Pharmaceuticals, founded in 1929 by Gour Mohan Dutta, was a direct result of the Swadeshi movement’s call for self-sufficiency. Dutta, who had previously been an importer of foreign goods, was inspired to create high-quality, indigenous products so that Indians would not have to rely on foreign imports. He started his company from his home, and his most famous creation, Boroline antiseptic cream, became a household name. Boroline symbolised the idea that Indian companies could produce goods of the same quality as their foreign counterparts, and its success was a testament to the power of the Swadeshi ideal.
Margo Soap: A Swadeshi symbol to reduce India’s dependence on foreign goods
In 1916, Khagendra Chandra Das, a member of a nationalist family, founded the Calcutta Chemical Company with a clear goal: to reduce India’s dependence on foreign goods. Inspired by the Swadeshi movement and the partition of Bengal, he created Margo soap using neem, a traditional Indian ingredient. Margo became a popular household product and a powerful symbol of Indian ingenuity and self-reliance, demonstrating that Indian companies could create high-quality products that were rooted in the country’s own traditions and resources.
Arvind Mills: A Swadeshi effort to reduce dependence on imported cloth
The call for Swadeshi resonated deeply with the Lalbhai brothers of Ahmedabad, who founded Arvind Mills in 1931. Inspired by Mahatma Gandhi’s push for self-sufficiency in textiles, their mission was to create world-class fabrics in India to reduce the country’s dependence on imported cloth. The company’s success was immediate and impressive; by the mid-1930s, their fine butta voiles were being exported to Switzerland and the UK, proving that the Swadeshi movement was not just about domestic consumption but also about global competitiveness.
Sulekha Ink: A Swadeshi alternative to end dependence on foreign inks
The story of Sulekha Ink is a direct link to Mahatma Gandhi’s vision for a self-reliant India. In 1932, Gandhi challenged a chemist to create an indigenous ink. The resulting formula, ‘Krishnadhara,’ was passed on to the Maitra brothers, who founded Sulekha Works in 1934. The brand became a powerful symbol of Swadeshi, with its bottles proudly featuring Gandhiji’s photo. Sulekha’s success in dominating the ink market in eastern India showed that even in small, everyday items, the Swadeshi movement could bring about significant change and foster a sense of national pride.
Godrej’s Vatni soap: A Swadeshi product that carried the map of undivided India
Godrej, founded in 1897 by Ardeshir Godrej, was a pioneer in the Swadeshi movement. After starting with locks, the company ventured into soaps in 1918. Inspired by Bal Gangadhar Tilak, Godrej launched the iconic “Vatni” soap in 1926. The soap’s name, derived from ‘Vatan’ (motherland), and its packaging, which featured a map of undivided India, were powerful nationalist symbols. Godrej’s advertisements boldly promoted indigenous ingredients like sandalwood and neem while critiquing foreign soaps. The brand’s success, which included endorsements from nationalist leaders like Tagore, Annie Besant, and Rajagopalachari, and used nationalist symbols like the lotus and patriotic slogans like “Skin, Beauty, and Cleanliness are India’s Heritage”. Also Rs 30 lakh contribution to the Tilak-Swaraj Fund, solidified its place as a key player in the economic struggle for freedom.
Parle: A Swadeshi alternative to expensive British biscuits
Parle Products, founded by Mohanlal Dayal Chauhan in 1929, was a direct result of the Swadeshi movement. He established his factory in Vile Parle, Mumbai, with the goal of creating affordable, high-quality Indian biscuits and sweets to compete with expensive British imports. With a small team of 12 members and German machinery, Parle’s products, most famously Parle-G, became a beloved taste across generations, successfully proving that Indian companies could provide a quality alternative to foreign goods.
Luxmi Tea: A Swadeshi challenge to British control of India’s tea trade
In 1912, freedom fighter Paresh Chandra Chatterjee founded Luxmi Tea to challenge the British monopoly over India’s tea trade. At a time when tea estates were run by the British and exports were sent directly to England, Chatterjee’s company found ways to sell tea to Indian buyers. This act of economic defiance inspired others to grow and sell tea locally. Today, Luxmi Tea is a global brand, but its origins are rooted in a powerful act of self-reliance and resistance.
Swadeshi Steam Navigation Company: Breaking British control over sea trade
The Swadeshi Steam Navigation Company (SSNC), founded in 1906 by freedom fighter V. O. Chidambaram Pillai, was a courageous effort to break the British monopoly on sea trade and passenger transport. Funded entirely by Indians, the company bought two ships, Gallia and Lowoe to operate between Thoothukudi and Ceylon, directly challenging the powerful British Indian Steam Navigation Company. Despite facing heavy repression from the British, SSNC became a source of national pride and inspired the nationalist spirit, proving that Indians could compete in global trade.
Cipla: A Swadeshi effort to make Bharat self-reliant in medicines
Cipla, founded in 1935 by Khwaja Abdul Hamied, was built on the Swadeshi principle of making India self-reliant in medicine. Hamied, inspired by Mahatma Gandhi, aimed to provide affordable Indian-made alternatives to expensive European drugs. The company rose to prominence during World War II by filling the supply gaps left by reduced British imports. Cipla’s advertisements actively promoted Indian women and used nationalist slogans, tying the act of buying its products to the patriotic struggle for Swaraj. On the eve of independence, it ran ads with the tricolor and slogans like “Cipla Keeps the Flag Flying” and “Equal World Status,” framing buying Cipla as a patriotic act tied to the struggle for Swaraj.
Tata Oil Mills Company: Promoting Swadeshi through soaps
Tata Oil Mills Company (TOMCO), founded by Dorabji Tata in 1917, was an early champion of the Swadeshi movement. Through its popular soaps like Hamam and 501, TOMCO offered Indian alternatives to British brands like Lever’s Sunlight. The company’s advertisements were rich with nationalist symbols such as the charkha (spinning wheel) and traditional Indian attire, explicitly linking its products to the Khadi movement and national pride. By doing so, TOMCO turned a simple act of buying soap into a quiet but powerful act of resistance against colonial rule.
The stories of these ten companies reveal a powerful and often overlooked aspect of India’s freedom struggle: the strategic use of economic resistance. These businesses were not just commercial ventures; they were patriotic enterprises founded on the principles of Swadeshi and self-reliance. By creating high-quality, affordable alternatives to British goods, they directly challenged the colonial economic system and fostered a sense of national pride. From soaps and biscuits to medicines and shipping, these companies turned everyday consumption into an act of defiance. Their success demonstrated to the world and to Bhartiya themselves that the nation was capable of building its own industrial and commercial future, laying the groundwork for the modern, independent Bharat we know today.
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