Lakshmi Naraynal Mehra

A pioneering 19th-century Indian entrepreneur who revolutionized textile manufacturing and became one of India's wealthiest women

Lakshmi Naraynal Mehra (1850-1915) was a visionary businesswoman who defied societal norms in British India to establish the first large-scale cotton textile mill owned and managed by a woman. Her Jamshedpur Textile Mills employed over 5,000 workers and modernized India's textile industry through innovative machinery imported from Manchester. As a widow challenging patriarchal norms, she fought legal battles to retain control of her husband's empire, eventually expanding operations into banking and infrastructure. Her leadership inspired later generations of Indian women entrepreneurs while maintaining fair labor practices decades ahead of her time. The British Library archives document her correspondence with Queen Victoria regarding trade policies, highlighting her unique international influence.