Xerxes Desai's quartz pitch to JRD birthed Titan in 1986 — and rewired Indian retail
A new streaming series revisits how Xerxes Desai sold JRD Tata on quartz, set up Titan in Hosur in 1986, shipped the 3.5mm Titan Edge with a 1.15mm movement, and seeded Tanishq — the template for Tata's branded consumer push.
What happened
Profile of Titan founder Xerxes Desai, tied to new streaming series 'Made In India: A Titan Story', recounting how he pitched JRD Tata on quartz watches,
Key facts
- 1986
- 1.15 mm
- 3.5 mm
- 2002
Why this matters
Revisiting Titan's 1986 founding logic — JV structuring, greenfield manufacturing in Hosur, and category creation in jewellery via Tanishq — offers a replicable template for evaluating new branded consumer bets or carve-outs within diversified holdcos.