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Company Directory - British East India Company

Company Details - British East India Company

British East India Company Logo

British East India Company

A chartered monopoly company established in the early 17th century, the British East India Company played a central role in trade across the Indian Ocean and was heavily armed to enforce its commercial dominance. It operated under a royal charter, influencing global trade and colonial expansion.

CCI Score

CCI Score: British East India Company

-35.84

0.02%

Latest Event

Revival and Rebranding of British East India Company

The modern revival of the British East India Company as a luxury tea and coffee brand under Sanjiv Mehta has reignited debates about reconciling a legacy of colonial exploitation with contemporary business practices. Although the current operations emphasize compassion and nostalgia, the historical record of political domination and economic exploitation remains deeply problematic.

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TOADIE

British East India Company is currently rated as a Toadie.

-30 to -44 CCI Score
Companies scoring in this range actively seek to please authoritarian regimes. They offer proactive support and assistance in exchange for preferential treatment, compromising ethical standards for business gains and political favor.

Latest Events

  • Revival and Rebranding of British East India Company Logo
    MAY
    18
    2023

    The modern revival of the British East India Company as a luxury tea and coffee brand under Sanjiv Mehta has reignited debates about reconciling a legacy of colonial exploitation with contemporary business practices. Although the current operations emphasize compassion and nostalgia, the historical record of political domination and economic exploitation remains deeply problematic.

  • -60

    Public and Political Behavior

    March 25

    The revived brand co-opts the legacy of the British East India Company, an institution with a well-documented history of enforcing colonial and authoritarian practices. Despite attempts to present a narrative of compassion and nostalgia, the use of imperial symbols reminds stakeholders of its oppressive political and ideological past.

    British East India Company: Who Owns It Now And What Is Their Business?

  • -20

    Business Practices and Ethical Responsibility

    March 25

    While the current incarnation of the company focuses on luxury products without clear evidence of exploitative modern business practices, its deliberate use of historical imperial imagery raises ethical questions about glorifying a past marked by exploitation and oppression.

    British East India Company: Who Owns It Now And What Is Their Business?

  • -50

    Economic and Structural Influence

    March 25

    Historically, the British East India Company wielded significant economic and structural influence that underpinned colonial domination and exploitation. Although its modern incarnation no longer holds comparable power, the enduring legacy of economic control continues to evoke concerns over past authoritarian practices.

    British East India Company: Who Owns It Now And What Is Their Business?

  • Unethical Supply Chains and Exploitative Practices Exposed Logo
    FEB
    20
    2017

    The article details significant gaps in supply chain transparency that heighten the risk of forced labor and modern slavery. Given the British East India Company's historical record of exploitative practices in its supply networks, this analysis is relevant and casts a negative light on its legacy in relation to modern ethical standards.

  • -80

    Supply Chain Ethics

    March 25

    The report on unethical supply chains exposes severe shortcomings in supply chain ethics, particularly regarding transparency and the prevention of forced labor. The British East India Company, known for its exploitative colonial practices and coercive labor systems, aligns with these negative attributes. This rating reflects a marked failure in upholding labor rights and ethical business practices, thereby contributing to broader structures of oppression.

    Unethical supply chains: What’s the problem and how to deal with it

  • Historical Legacy of Corporate Oligarchy: British East India Company Logo
    JAN
    01
    1757

    An analysis of the British East India Company’s historical role in colonial exploitation, political manipulation, and economic domination that laid the foundation for contemporary oligarchic practices.

  • -80

    Public and Political Behavior

    March 25

    The company’s historical practices involved direct manipulation of political power, with its shareholders occupying seats in Parliament and influencing policy. Such actions undermined democratic processes and contributed to oligarchic governance.

    The Deep Roots of Oligarchy

  • -90

    Business Practices and Ethical Responsibility

    March 25

    The British East India Company engaged in rampant exploitation, including forceful seizure of territories, plundering wealth, and unethical business practices that resulted in severe human rights abuses.

    The Deep Roots of Oligarchy

  • -70

    Technology and Services Impact

    March 25

    By leveraging advanced military technology and armaments to enforce its trade policies, the company set precedents for using repressive technologies to stifle local resistance and maintain monopolistic control.

    The Deep Roots of Oligarchy

  • -85

    Economic and Structural Influence

    March 25

    The company’s economic practices were deeply entwined with state power. Its monopoly not only reshaped market dynamics but also manipulated government structures, reinforcing an oligarchic system that prioritized private wealth over public welfare.

    The Deep Roots of Oligarchy

  • Historical Political Bribery Influencing British Politics Logo
    JAN
    01
    1750

    The British East India Company historically used donations, bribes, and financial power to secure undue influence in Parliament during the 18th century, thereby subverting democratic processes and enabling exploitative colonial policies.

  • -80

    Political Contributions and Lobbying Efforts

    March 25

    Historical accounts reveal that the British East India Company engaged in extensive political donations and bribery to influence parliamentary decisions. This manipulation of the political process subverted democratic norms and facilitated policies that bolstered colonial exploitation, aligning with practices that undermine responsible governance.

    Cash for Influence: The Decay of British Politics

  • Colonial Corporate Immunity and Unaccountability by the British East India Company Logo
    DEC
    31
    1600

    An analysis of the British East India Company's use of royal charters and legal immunities to evade accountability for widespread exploitation, human rights abuses, and systemic injustice during its colonial operations. The company’s actions created a framework of impunity that mirrored modern forms of corporate complicity in authoritarian power structures.

  • -80

    Public and Political Behavior

    March 25

    The East India Company employed royal charters to establish quasi-sovereign powers, placing itself above the law and democratic oversight. This strategy of leveraging legal and political mechanisms reflects a deeply problematic public and political behavior that enabled systemic oppression and exploitation.

    Corporate (Un)Accountability in the Colonial Era: The Case of the East India Company

  • -85

    Business Practices and Ethical Responsibility

    March 25

    The article highlights how the Company systematically evaded accountability for human rights abuses, including labor exploitation and acts of violence against colonized peoples. This evasion underscores a deeply unethical business practice that prioritized profit and imperial power over justice and human dignity.

    Corporate (Un)Accountability in the Colonial Era: The Case of the East India Company

  • -75

    Economic and Structural Influence

    March 25

    The company's strategic use of legal immunities to construct institutional frameworks that buttressed its economic dominance illustrates a profound exercise of economic and structural influence. These actions not only secured wealth accumulation but also systematically marginalized colonized peoples through oppressive economic policies.

    Corporate (Un)Accountability in the Colonial Era: The Case of the East India Company

Industries

481112
Scheduled Freight Air Transportation
488510
Freight Transportation Arrangement
531120
Lessors of Nonresidential Buildings (except Miniwarehouses)