Nithin Kamath links today’s trillion-dollar firms to East India Company; says, 'What if they turn evil, too?'

Zerodha co-founder Nithin Kamath has drawn a striking parallel between modern trillion-dollar companies and the East India Company, raising concerns about the unchecked influence of today’s global giants.

Advertisment

In a post on X (formerly Twitter)), Kamath reflected on William Dalrymple’s The Anarchy, which narrates how the East India Company entered India as a trading entity but eventually amassed vast wealth and power, becoming ruthless in its pursuit of control.

It tells the story of how the East India Company came to India to trade, became immensely wealthy, and, in their pursuit of more, became ruthless.

“It makes me wonder: today, as trillion-dollar companies rise, what happens if they turn evil, too?” Kamath wrote.

He also pointed to historical insights, noting that regions as far as Muscat, Oman, the UAE, and Burma were once part of the British Indian Empire, expanding his perspective on India’s colonial past.

“I didn't realise that lands from Muscat and Oman, the UAE, all the way to Burma were once part of the British Indian Empire. I'd always thought of India's partition as only involving India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh,” he wrote.

I didn't realise that lands from Muscat and Oman, the UAE, all the way to Burma were once part of the British Indian Empire. I'd always thought of India's partition as only involving India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh.

Shattered Lands by @SamDalrymple123 is a must-read for history… pic.twitter.com/GFfXFpK8Pj

— Nithin Kamath (@Nithin0dha) August 24, 2025

Netizens reaction

Kamath's post quickly went viral, amassing over 220,000 views and sparking widespread debate online about the growing clout of modern companies, particularly in technology and finance.

technically Oman, UAE etc werent colonies but trucial states. The british did not interfere with the local administration which continued the older tribal customs but only controlled to coastline to prevent piracy on trade routes.

— Office of Bhagwaan Uvacha (@BhagwaanUvacha) August 24, 2025

“Companies are neither evil nor good. They're in the business of making money. They're amoral actors,” another expressed.

The East India Company shows how wealth, once concentrated, naturally seeks power.

If today's companies turn ruthless, they could dominate through algorithms, data, and influence.

— Life Thru Book (@LifeThruBook) August 24, 2025

"The British Indian Army was responsible for defence of Hongkong,Malaya,Today's Indonesia and Burma.That is why there are so many Indians there as they managed the trade. The Middle East came under the British after the collapse of the Ottoman Empire in World War I. Burma was part of India and split as a separated country in 1937 as first step of a dismemberment of India strategy. The next step was Pakistan," a fourth added.