Titan at 40: How JRD Tata's Vision Made an Indian Watch Brand Global A small village, a vision of Make in India, and a belief that ordinary Indians deserved a watch they could wear with pride helped shape India's own watch brand. It was a watch that gave the common man a sense of identity. JRD Tata was the man behind the idea, while Xerxes Desai, the company's first CEO, turned that vision into reality. You must have worn a Titan watch on your wrist at some point in your life. For many Indians, it was their first watch. The feeling it brought is difficult to express, yet almost everyone who owned one carries a memory attached to it. My first watch was a Titan too. From a small, simple dial to some of the most recognised designs in the market, and from Indian homes to store shelves across Europe, Titan has travelled a long distance. But Titan's legacy was not built merely on watches. It was built on a vision. A vision that JRD Tata carried for India, a desire to create products that could be made in India and sold to the world with confidence. Every object has a beginning. Some begin as inventions. Others begin as business opportunities. Titan began as an idea from a small village in Tamil Nadu about national capability. The story takes us back to the early 1980s. India was still a controlled economy. Imported watches were rare. Inside the Tata Group, a question was being discussed. Could India build a modern watch company that matched international standards? Could an Indian-made watch compete with products coming from Switzerland, Japan and Europe? JUNE 1984 THAT CHANGED THE INDIAN WATCH MARKET When Titan came into existence in 1984 as a joint venture between Tata Industries and the Tamil Nadu Industrial Development Corporation (TIDCO), India was not known for consumer brands that could challenge international markets.#tamil_nadu #titan #tata_group #xerxes_desai #jrd_tata
Made in India: A Titan Story Reimagines 1970s Bombay with Humanistic Depth The streaming series Made in India: A Titan Story, adapted from Vinay Kamath’s book Titan: Inside India’s Most Successful Consumer Brand, offers a nostalgic yet grounded portrayal of 1970s Bombay through the lens of Xerxes Desai’s journey to build the Titan watch brand. Director Robbie Grewal avoids the pitfalls of algorithmic storytelling by prioritizing authenticity over spectacle, crafting a narrative that balances historical context with emotional resonance. The show’s deliberate pacing and focus on character development contrast sharply with the fast-paced, hook-driven formats of modern media, positioning it as a calming counterpoint to the digital age’s fragmented attention spans. The story centers on Xerxes Desai (Jim Sarbh), a returning employee at Tata’s head office who seeks challenges after five years of desk work. His introduction in the opening scene—negotiating with protesting workers—establishes his empathetic yet shrewd nature, hinting at the underdog tenacity that defines his journey. Desai’s interactions with JRD Tata (Naseeruddin Shah) and his younger friend Akash (Vaibhav Tatwawadi) form the emotional core of the series. Their dynamic, marked by camaraderie and mutual ambition, underscores the show’s humanistic approach. Desai’s eventual creation of the Titan brand is framed not as a triumph of capitalism but as a collaborative effort rooted in perseverance and creativity. Grewal’s visual style plays a crucial role in immersing viewers in the era. Rather than relying on exaggerated retro aesthetics, the director employs grainy 4:3 stock footage to evoke the 1970s before transitioning to widescreen for scenes.#naseeruddin_shah #xerxes_desai #jrd_tata #amazon_mx_player #vaibhav_tatwawadi
Made In India - A Titan Story Review: Naseeruddin Shah and Jim Sarbh Deliver a Captivating Tale of Innovation Robby Grewal’s six-episode series Made in India: A Titan Story offers a compelling chronicle of the rise of Titan Watches, inspired by journalist Vinay Kamath’s bestselling book Titan: Inside India’s Most Successful Consumer Brand. The series centers on the visionary journey of Xerxes Desai, portrayed by Jim Sarbh, and his mentorship under JRD Tata, played by Naseeruddin Shah. Their collaboration to establish India’s first indigenous watch brand, Made in India, is depicted as a blend of perseverance, innovation, and cultural pride. The narrative begins with a pivotal moment: a Swiss watchmaker challenges JRD Tata’s belief in India’s capability to produce high-quality timepieces. This provocation sparks Xerxes Desai’s determination to build a domestic watch industry, driven by a desire to prove India’s craftsmanship. JRD Tata, a legendary leader, becomes Desai’s guiding force, envisioning a brand that embodies Tata’s legacy of excellence. The series meticulously traces the challenges they face, from bureaucratic hurdles and government rejections to the complexities of launching a new industry. Jim Sarbh’s portrayal of Xerxes Desai is standout, capturing the character’s emotional depth and relentless ambition. His arc—from a loyal employee at the state-owned NBIDC to a pioneer of the watchmaking industry—is portrayed with nuance, balancing personal sacrifices, such as abandoning a teaching career, with professional triumphs. Naseeruddin Shah’s JRD Tata is equally compelling, embodying the wisdom and unwavering faith of a leader who sees potential in Desai’s vision. The chemistry between the two actors underscores the symbiotic relationship that propels Titan’s creation.#naseeruddin_shah #jim_sarbh #xerxes_desai #jrd_tata #titan_watches
