A student of business history faces one big problem: lack of information on the growth of business houses. This problem is a function of the secrecy surrounding the growth of business houses in India, a sec¬recy deliberately nurtured and propagated by the business houses themselves. The publi-cation of this book is thus an important event. For the first time, we are provided with data on the origin, growth and expansion of Gujarat’s premier business house, that of Lal¬bhai.
The Lalbhai group started with interests in one textile unit in Ahmedabad. By 1947, they had control over seven textile mills in the city as well as a starch company. After Independence, the group ex¬panded into engineering, dyes, pharmaceuticals, drugs, pesti¬cides and resins. This book attempts not only a history of each of these companies but also a detailed sketch of the family history of the Lalbhai group.