East India Company, the trading company with a 400-year-history whose highlight was ruling India - the 'Jewel of the Crown' - will soon open outlets to sell tea, coffee, spices and fabrics.

Bought in 2004 by Indian-origin businessman Sanjiv Mehta, 48, the company will now seek to conquer the retail market by opening its flagship store in Mayfair, Central London, this year, with more outlets planned in India, the Middle East and later in Japan, Russia and the US. 

Items to be stocked include furniture, chocolates, leather goods, fruit pickles and sushi, but Mehta is clear that each outlet will have a contemporary feel and but 'tell of the connection to its past'.

The company was established in 1600 by Queen Elizabeth I, but on 1 January 1874, it was dissolved after the Government of India Act transferred its powers to the Crown. 

In 1874, The Times wrote: "It accomplished a work such as in the whole history of the human race no other company ever attempted and as such is likely to attempt in the years to come." 

In 2004, Mehta bought all the shares of the company and invested £20 million along with other investors to develop the company. It continues to be one of the most recognised brands in the world.

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