The Rise of Business Corporations in India, 1851-1900

This book traces the rise of modem businesses in India by looking at the growth of joint stock companies. Apart from discussing the growth of cotton mills, and the tea, jute, coal, iron and steel industries, insurance and other trading companies, it analyses developments in transport (railways, shipping, road), banking, and agriculture and their role in the industrial growth of the country. The development of the Bombay and the Calcutta stock exchanges and the growth of company law in India are examined. The book considers government policy on industrial development and discusses the problem of the labour supply for industry. The changes in the capital structure and financial policies of companies and the way they were managed is examined. In particular the book traces the origin of the managing agency system and assesses its contribution to India's industrial development.