Ness Wadia
Encyclopedia
Ness Wadia is an Indian businessman belonging to the Wadia family
. He is currently the Managing Director of the Bombay Burmah Trading Corporation
, a company which has holdings in most of the Wadia Group
subsidiaries, including an indirect majority stake in Britannia Industries. He was the Joint Managing Director of Bombay Dyeing
, the flagship company of the Wadia Group
, till March 2011 when he stepped down from the post. Wadia is a co-owner of the Indian Premier League
cricket team Kings XI Punjab
along with his ex-girlfriend, actress Preity Zinta
.
to Nusli Wadia
and Maureen Wadia. He is the grandson of Neville Wadia
and Dina Wadia
, and the great grandson of Mohammad Ali Jinnah, the founder of Pakistan
. Ness has a younger brother Jehangir Wadia
, the Managing Director of group companies Bombay Dyeing
and GoAir.
After completing his education at the Lawrence School, Sanawar, India, and in England at Millfield School, Ness studied International Relations at Tufts University
located near Boston, Massachusetts.
in 1993 as a Management Trainee. During his earlier period he was closely involved in marketing and retail distribution of the textile division of the company and was active in various organisations such as the Cotton Textiles Export Promotion Council (TEXPROCIL) (a council he once chaired), Millowners’ Association (MOA), Associated Chambers of Commerce & Industry, etc.
In 1998, he took a leave of absence to complete his master's degree in Science of Engineering Business Management
from the University of Warwick
with a thesis titled "Leading to Success in India". After receiving his master's degree in 2001, he returned as Deputy Managing Director of Bombay Dyeing and was later promoted to Joint Managing Director. He was appointed to this position on August 1, 2001 and stayed till March 2011, when he stepped down, and younger brother Jeh
was made managing director. Ness was appointed Managing Director of Bombay Burmah Trading Corporation
.
In 1998, 1999 and 2000 he was appointed on the Prime Minister’s Council on Trade & Industry and in September 1998 was appointed the Convenor of the Special Group Task Force on Food and Agro Industries Management Policy in September, 1998.
Wadia also serves as director on the boards of group companies- Britannia Industries Ltd., Wadia BSN Ltd., and Nowrosjee Wadia & Sons Ltd. He is also a director of Gherzi Eastern Ltd., Tata Iron & Steel Co. Ltd., Tata Chemicals Ltd., and other companies and is also a member of the Managing Committee of the Nehru Centre
in Mumbai
.
In 2008, along with his ex-girlfriend, Preity Zinta, Wadia acquired ownership rights for the Mohali-based Twenty20
cricket team of the Indian Premier League
(IPL). The group paid $76 million to acquire the franchise, and the team was named Kings XI Punjab
.
since February 2005 until 2009. Their relationship was the subject
of frequent media interest, and there were often speculations of either a possible engagement or breakup.
Wadia family
The Wadia family is a Parsi family originally based in Surat.Lovji Nusserwanjee Wadia began the Wadia shipbuilding dynasty in 1736, when he obtained a contract from the British East India Company for building docks and ships in Bombay...
. He is currently the Managing Director of the Bombay Burmah Trading Corporation
Bombay Burmah Trading Corporation
The Bombay Burmah Trading Corporation Limited was formed in 1863 by the Wallace Brothers. The Corporation was originally formed as a public company to engage in the Burmese tea business by taking over the assets in Burma of William Wallace...
, a company which has holdings in most of the Wadia Group
Wadia Group
The Wadia Group is one of the oldest conglomerates of corporate India. It was founded by Sir Lovji Nusserwanjee Wadia in 1736. Lovji Wadia secured contracts with the British East India Company to build ships and docks in Bombay in 1736. This, and subsequent efforts, would result in Bombay becoming...
subsidiaries, including an indirect majority stake in Britannia Industries. He was the Joint Managing Director of Bombay Dyeing
Bombay Dyeing
Bombay Dyeing is the flagship company of the Wadia Group, engaged mainly into the business of Textiles...
, the flagship company of the Wadia Group
Wadia Group
The Wadia Group is one of the oldest conglomerates of corporate India. It was founded by Sir Lovji Nusserwanjee Wadia in 1736. Lovji Wadia secured contracts with the British East India Company to build ships and docks in Bombay in 1736. This, and subsequent efforts, would result in Bombay becoming...
, till March 2011 when he stepped down from the post. Wadia is a co-owner of the Indian Premier League
Indian Premier League
The Indian Premier League is a professional league for Twenty20 cricket competition in India. It was initiated by the Board of Control for Cricket in India , headquartered in Mumbai, and is supervised by BCCI Vice President Rajeev Shukla, who serves as the league's Chairman and Commissioner...
cricket team Kings XI Punjab
Kings XI Punjab
Kings XI Punjab is a cricket franchise based in Mohali, Punjab in the Indian Premier League. For the IPL3, an additional venue has been chosen at Dharamsala.-Franchise History:...
along with his ex-girlfriend, actress Preity Zinta
Preity Zinta
Preity Zinta is an Indian film actress. She has appeared in Hindi films of Bollywood, as well as Telugu, Punjabi and English language films. After graduating with a degree in criminal psychology, Zinta made her acting debut in Dil Se in 1998 followed by a role in Soldier the same year...
.
Early life
He was born into the Parsi Wadia familyWadia family
The Wadia family is a Parsi family originally based in Surat.Lovji Nusserwanjee Wadia began the Wadia shipbuilding dynasty in 1736, when he obtained a contract from the British East India Company for building docks and ships in Bombay...
to Nusli Wadia
Nusli Wadia
Nusli Wadia is an Indian Parsi entrepreneur, a textile magnate and an important person in the real-estate business. He is the son of Neville and Dina Wadia. His mother Dina Wadia is the daughter of Muhammad Ali Jinnah....
and Maureen Wadia. He is the grandson of Neville Wadia
Neville Wadia
Neville Ness Wadia was an English businessman, philanthropist and a member of the Wadia family, an old Parsi family which, by the 1840s, was one of the leading forces in the Indian shipbuilding industry, having built over a hundred warships for the British and having established trading networks...
and Dina Wadia
Dina Wadia
Dina Wadia is the daughter of Muhammad Ali Jinnah, the founding father of Pakistan, and Rattanbai Petit.-Early life:Dina was born in London shortly after midnight on the morning of August 15, 1919...
, and the great grandson of Mohammad Ali Jinnah, the founder of Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
. Ness has a younger brother Jehangir Wadia
Jehangir Wadia
Jehangir Wadia , also known as Jeh Wadia, is an Indian businessman belonging to the Wadia family. He is currently the managing director of GoAir, a budget airline which he founded, as well as, Bombay Dyeing, a flagship textile company...
, the Managing Director of group companies Bombay Dyeing
Bombay Dyeing
Bombay Dyeing is the flagship company of the Wadia Group, engaged mainly into the business of Textiles...
and GoAir.
After completing his education at the Lawrence School, Sanawar, India, and in England at Millfield School, Ness studied International Relations at Tufts University
Tufts University
Tufts University is a private research university located in Medford/Somerville, near Boston, Massachusetts. It is organized into ten schools, including two undergraduate programs and eight graduate divisions, on four campuses in Massachusetts and on the eastern border of France...
located near Boston, Massachusetts.
Career
Wadia initially joined Bombay DyeingBombay Dyeing
Bombay Dyeing is the flagship company of the Wadia Group, engaged mainly into the business of Textiles...
in 1993 as a Management Trainee. During his earlier period he was closely involved in marketing and retail distribution of the textile division of the company and was active in various organisations such as the Cotton Textiles Export Promotion Council (TEXPROCIL) (a council he once chaired), Millowners’ Association (MOA), Associated Chambers of Commerce & Industry, etc.
In 1998, he took a leave of absence to complete his master's degree in Science of Engineering Business Management
Master of Engineering Management
The Master of Engineering Management degree, often abbreviated MEM, can be either an academic or professional master's degree that bridges the gap between the field of engineering and the field of business. A variation is the Master of Science in Engineering *and* Management...
from the University of Warwick
University of Warwick
The University of Warwick is a public research university located in Coventry, United Kingdom...
with a thesis titled "Leading to Success in India". After receiving his master's degree in 2001, he returned as Deputy Managing Director of Bombay Dyeing and was later promoted to Joint Managing Director. He was appointed to this position on August 1, 2001 and stayed till March 2011, when he stepped down, and younger brother Jeh
Jehangir Wadia
Jehangir Wadia , also known as Jeh Wadia, is an Indian businessman belonging to the Wadia family. He is currently the managing director of GoAir, a budget airline which he founded, as well as, Bombay Dyeing, a flagship textile company...
was made managing director. Ness was appointed Managing Director of Bombay Burmah Trading Corporation
Bombay Burmah Trading Corporation
The Bombay Burmah Trading Corporation Limited was formed in 1863 by the Wallace Brothers. The Corporation was originally formed as a public company to engage in the Burmese tea business by taking over the assets in Burma of William Wallace...
.
In 1998, 1999 and 2000 he was appointed on the Prime Minister’s Council on Trade & Industry and in September 1998 was appointed the Convenor of the Special Group Task Force on Food and Agro Industries Management Policy in September, 1998.
Wadia also serves as director on the boards of group companies- Britannia Industries Ltd., Wadia BSN Ltd., and Nowrosjee Wadia & Sons Ltd. He is also a director of Gherzi Eastern Ltd., Tata Iron & Steel Co. Ltd., Tata Chemicals Ltd., and other companies and is also a member of the Managing Committee of the Nehru Centre
Nehru Centre
Nehru Centre was conceived in 1972 in Bombay, India. It includes the Nehru Planetarium: A centre for scientific study of astronomy and for meeting of scientists and scholars for discussions and lectures-External links:*...
in Mumbai
Mumbai
Mumbai , formerly known as Bombay in English, is the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the most populous city in India, and the fourth most populous city in the world, with a total metropolitan area population of approximately 20.5 million...
.
In 2008, along with his ex-girlfriend, Preity Zinta, Wadia acquired ownership rights for the Mohali-based Twenty20
Twenty20
Twenty20 is a form of cricket, originally introduced in England for professional inter-county competition by the England and Wales Cricket Board , in 2003. A Twenty20 game involves two teams, each has a single innings, batting for a maximum of 20 overs. Twenty20 cricket is also known as T20 cricket...
cricket team of the Indian Premier League
Indian Premier League
The Indian Premier League is a professional league for Twenty20 cricket competition in India. It was initiated by the Board of Control for Cricket in India , headquartered in Mumbai, and is supervised by BCCI Vice President Rajeev Shukla, who serves as the league's Chairman and Commissioner...
(IPL). The group paid $76 million to acquire the franchise, and the team was named Kings XI Punjab
Kings XI Punjab
Kings XI Punjab is a cricket franchise based in Mohali, Punjab in the Indian Premier League. For the IPL3, an additional venue has been chosen at Dharamsala.-Franchise History:...
.
Personal life
Wadia was dating Bollywood actress, Preity ZintaPreity Zinta
Preity Zinta is an Indian film actress. She has appeared in Hindi films of Bollywood, as well as Telugu, Punjabi and English language films. After graduating with a degree in criminal psychology, Zinta made her acting debut in Dil Se in 1998 followed by a role in Soldier the same year...
since February 2005 until 2009. Their relationship was the subject
of frequent media interest, and there were often speculations of either a possible engagement or breakup.