Lakshmibai Ba

Visionary 19th-century Indian entrepreneur who transformed Mumbai's textile industry

Lakshmibai Ba (1811-1890) was a pioneering Parsi businesswoman who founded the first steam-powered cotton mill in India. Her Bombay Mills Company employed over 2000 workers at its peak, breaking gender norms in 1854. She developed innovative financing models combining traditional hundi systems with modern share trading. Her philanthropy included building Mumbai's first maternity hospital and pioneering girls' education initiatives. Lakshmibai's business acumen laid foundations for India's textile boom, yet her name remains overshadowed by male industrialists. Discover her leadership style here, which blended traditional merchant networks with Victorian-era management practices.