The Grand Old Men of Dalal Street: Top stocks that survived the Raj

India Independence Day 2026: India’s oldest listed companies offer a rare window into the evolution of Indian business, markets and capitalism. From Bombay Burmah Trading Corporation, founded in 1863, to Balmer Lawrie, Bombay Dyeing, Britannia, ITC, Tata Steel, Kirloskar Brothers and Century Textiles, these vintage stocks survived colonial rule, Independence, liberalisation and the digital era by adapting, diversifying and redeploying capital.