 he Firm of B. A. & Bros. was established by
Shri Bhavanishanker Atmaram Oza in the year of 1912 in Mumbai. He came in Mumbai from his
native village in Saurashtra with nothing and received elementary education at Northcot
Orphanage. He worked for some years with a Chemist shop and in 1912 established his own
Chemist Shop at Princess Street on which at that time only two other Chemist shops were
there. Another gentleman Mr. Vamanbhai Kapadia joined and in 1922 Mr. Kapadia shifted to
Calcutta and started a branch there. B. A. Bros. also started branches in Dacca and
Rangoon. However these branches were closed after these cities fell into different
countries. In the meanwhile, keeping in mind the total development of the community, Shri
B. A. Oza along with others, founded an organization called
"Shree Nathalia Uneval Sevak Mandal" in the year 1915 in
Bombay.
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 ith hard work Mr. B. A. Oza established the business of
dispensing chemists and also took active part in India's Freedom Movement. He went to jail
on many occasions and in one such incarceration in 1928, during the Swadeshi Movement, he
was asked to start a product to replace a foreign brand. Dr. Jivraj Mehta gave him the
formula to replace Woodward Gripe Water, a British brand. The challenge was accepted and
thus another famous brand in the name of BABULINE GRIPE WATER was born.
 ecause of Mr. B. A. Oza's nationalist leaning, he became the
contact point for German and Swiss companies, trying to make a foothold in India. As a
result, B. A. Bros. became a pioneer in importing medicines of Bayer, Roche, etc. into
India.
 uring the World War because of the alliance with German
companies, the branch at Calcutta was sealed and goods of Bayer were impounded. The
Company weathered all the ups and downs and saw the emergence of India's Independence.
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 n 1942, the Company started distribution of Geigy & Anglo
French Drugs at Mumbai and Ciba & Anglo French at Calcutta, which also opened branches
at Patna, Cuttack, and Gowahati. In 1951, in a tragic accident, B. A. Bros. lost its
founder in a train mishap. The reins of business, then fell into the hands of the eldest
son Navnitrai B. Oza, who had convent education and had to abandon his college education
to look after the family's business and educate and look after his brothers and two
sisters. He expanded the business and slowly transformed it into wholeselling and
distribution business. After his tour to Europe, in 1956 the exposure gained with Ciba in
Switzerland, Bayer in Germany and Anglo French Drugs in England, made him modernise the
business. Later, his younger brother Prataprai B. Oza also joined in the business. |
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n the year 1962, the
partnership firms of B. A. Bros. at Mumbai and Calcutta were converted into Pvt.
Ltd. Companies to give it improved status and more permanency. Two companies,
namely B. A. & Brothers (Bombay) Pvt. Ltd. and B. A. & Brothers Eastern Ltd.
were formed. In the year 1980, B. A. Bros. Eastern Pvt. Ltd. was converted into
a Public Company quoted on Calcutta Stock Exchange mainly to take advantage of
lower rate of taxation for public companies.
. A. & Bros. (Bombay) Pvt.
Ltd. also started another manufacturing venture, apart from its Babuline Gripe
Water, manufacturing of Lake Colour in Partnership with a German National in the
year 1966 and the firm was ergo named as Indo German Laboratories.
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n the year 1969, Bharat, son of Navnitrai, joined the business
after completing his B. Com. and acquiring Professional Degree of Chartered Accountant to
look after finance, administration and expansion of business of the group.
ith expansion in activity, Indo German was made into an
independent firm and started occupying pioneering position in the field of Lake Colour
Manufacturing & Tablet coating process. |
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n the year 1976, the second son of Navnitrai, Bhadresh, after
completing his Pharmacy Degree, joined the business as Technical Expert to oversee
Production and operations of Babuline and Indo German Laboratories.
n the year 1979, another firm M/s. B. A. Distributors was
formed to handle distribution of Suhrid Geigy Products of ASE. In the year 1981, the Delhi
branch was opened to distribute products of Ambalal Sarabhai Enterprise Ltd. Vadodara of
Geigy and Squibb divisions.The firm was dissolved on 31-03-98 after it stopped operation
with effect from 30-9-97 at Bombay as well as Delhi.This was done to remove duplication
and get better efficiency. Business of the firm was transferred to Babuline Pharma Pvt.
Ltd.
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n September 1981, M/s. Bab Pharma Pvt. Ltd. was formed to
start manufacturing operation of Babuline, etc. products at the newly acquired plot at
Kandivali Industrial Estate, Charkop, Mumbai. A branch was opened at Delhi for taking up
Bayer Diagnostic Distribution in the year 1984. Bab Pharma Pvt. Ltd. was renamed in 1996
as Babuline Pharma Pvt. Ltd. to identify with its product Babuline which is a Registered
Trade Mark as well as Copyright.
 amlesh, son of Prataprai, joined the business in the year
1986. After taking his Pharmacy Degree and Ph.D. in Pharmaceutics from the University of
Ohio State in the U.S.A.
ndo German Laboratories entered into a joint venture with
Colorcon Ltd. U.S.A , a multinational in the year 1994. The joint venture company was
named Colorcon Asia Pvt. Ltd. and is a leading manufacturer and supplier of Pharmaceutical
excipients to the Pharma Industry. Indo German laboratories partners Ozas divested their
holdong in the joint venture in March 2000, making it a wholly owned subsidiary of
Colorcon USA. Indo German laboratories stop business
activity with effect from 1st April 2005 to eliminate duplication
and to consolidate business in Babuline Pharma Pvt.Ltd.
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