Long before Titan watches became a household name, there was Xerxes Desai — the visionary businessman who believed India could create world-class consumer brands.
His inspiring journey is now being retold in Made In India – A Titan Story, the Prime Video series that explores how Titan was built from scratch and became one of India's most successful companies.
What Is Made In India – A Titan Story About?
Inspired by Vinay Kamath's book Titan: Inside India's Most Successful Consumer Brand, the Prime Video series traces Titan's early years and Xerxes Desai's mission to build a world-class Indian brand.
Directed by Robbie Grewal, it stars Jim Sarbh as Desai and Naseeruddin Shah as J.R.D. Tata, highlighting the key role played by the Tata Group and the Tamil Nadu government in bringing the project to life.
Xerxes Desai's Early Journey
Born in 1937, Xerxes Desai studied at Elphinstone College and Oxford University before joining the Tata Group in 1961.
In the 1970s, while leading Tata Press, Desai came up with an idea that would eventually change the Indian watch industry. At a time when HMT dominated the market, he believed India could build its own world-class watch brand. He shared the idea with J.R.D. Tata, who supported the vision, although it took years to overcome government approvals and licensing hurdles.
How Titan Was Built?
Titan was launched in 1986 as a joint venture between the Tata Group and the Tamil Nadu Industrial Development Corporation (TIDCO), with its manufacturing facility in Hosur, Tamil Nadu.
Under Desai's leadership, Titan introduced quartz watches to Indian consumers and quickly became a household name. He later helped launch Tanishq, which went on to revolutionise India's organised jewellery market.
His passion for innovation also led to the creation of Titan Edge, which emerged from his challenge to engineers to build the world's thinnest watch.
His Lasting Legacy
Desai retired in 2002 and was succeeded by Bhaskar Bhat. Today, Titan has grown into one of the Tata Group's most valuable companies, with businesses spanning watches, jewellery, eyewear and fashion accessories. Xerxes Desai passed away in Bengaluru on 2016, at the age of 79.
As Made In India – A Titan Story reaches viewers across the country on Amazon MX Player, Xerxes Desai's inspiring journey is once again finding a place in the spotlight.
Watch The Trailer Here:
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