Cowaszee Nanabhoy Davar
Cowasjee Nanabhai Davar | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1815 |
| Died | 1873 |
| Occupation(s) | Industrialist, Entrepreneur |
| Known for | Establishing the cotton textile industry in India; founding Bombay Spinning and Weaving Company and Bombay Throstle Mill Company |
Cowasjee Nanabhai Davar (1815–1873) is acknowledged as a trailblazer in establishing the cotton textile sector within India. He launched multiple cotton manufacturing units, notably the Bombay Spinning and Weaving Company and the Bombay Throstle Mill Company situated in Bombay, playing a crucial role in enhancing cotton mill production nationwide.
Banking
Belonging to an influential Parsi entrepreneurial family, Cowasjee entered the family brokerage enterprise at the age of sixteen. Often likened to the Tata Group, he made significant contributions to banking starting in 1853 and was connected with financial organizations such as Commercial Bank and Orient.
Bombay Spinning and Weaving Company
Cowasjee inaugurated his inaugural mill in 1854 at Tardeo, located near South Bombay. The construction commenced on 7 July 1854 and concluded by January 1856, with operations beginning a month later utilizing 17,000 spindles. Edwin Heycock played an instrumental role in this initiative.
This establishment was the second cotton mill in India, following James London's Broach Cotton Mills, which initiated production in October 1855 at Umzad Bhag, Bharuch.
Bombay Throstle Mill Company
Shortly after launching his first mill, Cowasjee founded the Bombay Throstle Mill Company in 1856, which boasted a greater spindle count of 20,000. By late 1859, this company was rebranded as Alliance Spinning and Weaving Mill.
Throughout this era, Cowasjee maintained strong connections with J Galloway.
Although the throstle spinning technique was eventually supplanted by more advanced ring spinning methods, it represented a vital phase in the development of cotton manufacturing technology.
- The ring frame originated from the throstle frame, which itself was derived from Arkwright's water frame.