Archives: Legacy

As they say, no story of achievement is ever formed without an act of courage and self-belief. The storied legacy of the Bangur family is no exception to this. With a clear vision in his eyes and determination as his biggest possession, the Late Mugneeram Bangur embarked on the long trip from Didwana, Rajasthan to Kolkata, West Bengal in the late 1880s. It was a remarkable journey, one without which the Bangur Empire would not have been formed.

Seeped in heritage and witness to the travails of time, the ancestral home of the Bangur’s at Kalakar Street, Bara Bazaar served as the first abode of the family in the City of Joy. Once settled, the family ventured into trading activities – with sugar and grain trading being in early focus. Buoyed by encouraging results, the Bangur family started expanding its horizons, and stepped into the real estate sector soon after. More success ensued.

The Late Mugneeram Bangur was never one to rest upon his laurels. After careful assessment of opportunities, he entered the share market soon. A keen sense for business, sheer tactical acumen, and a surging will to build a strong family legacy saw him excel in this field as well.

When a vision has goodness and sincerity as its biggest virtues, the visionary is never alone. The formative years of the Bangur family is a classic example of this. The Late Mugneeram Bangur struck up a partnership with his brother Ram Coowar Bangur and together the duo scaled newer heights for decades. The partnership lasted for more than a century, no mean feat by any standards.

Following India’s independence, the economy started becoming more and more industrialised. From textiles, synthetics, electric & power cables, cement and graphite to rubber, tea & coffee, petrochemicals, jute, banking and shipping – multiple industrial sectors started growing at a rapid clip. The Bangur Group also consistently stood out during this period of industrial evolution for all the above sectors, ranking among the top-three industry houses in India during 1960-65.

While the group was growing steadily, the family decided to have an amicable internal partition to ensure better business control and diversification prospects. Following this, the ‘S.K. Bangur Group’ emerged as one of the biggest diversified conglomerates in India. Starting from West Coast Paper, Jayshree Chemicals and Andhra Paper to Kilkotagiri and Thirumbadi Plantations, Gloster Cables Limited and West Coast Optilinks — the list of companies are the part of S.K. Bangur Group today.