Raymond
Company History
Raymond History: Founding, Growth & Key Milestones
Founded 1925 in Thane, Maharashtra, India
When was Raymond founded?
Raymond was founded in 1925 in Thane, Maharashtra, India by Albert James Raymond and Kailashpat Singhania, making it 101 years old.
- Founded
- 1925
- Founding place
- Thane, Maharashtra, India
- Founders
- Albert James Raymond and Kailashpat Singhania
- Headquarters today
- Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
- Milestones documented
- 10 (1925–2026)
- Current CEO
- Gautam Singhania
- Acquisitions
- 3
| Year | Event |
|---|---|
| 1925 | Raymond Woollen Mill Established |
| 1944 | Singhania Family Acquires the Mill |
| 1958 | First Retail Showroom Opens |
| 1986 | Park Avenue Brand Launches |
| 2000 | Gautam Singhania Becomes Chairman |
| 2002 | Acquired ColorPlus |
| 2023 | Sells FMCG business to Godrej Consumer Products for ~$328 million (₹2,825 crore); agrees to buy 59.25% ... |
| 2024 | Raymond Lifestyle Limited, holding the apparel and textile business, lists separately i... |
| 2025 | Raymond Realty demerger takes effect on April 30; the real estate company lists on NSE ... |
| 2026 | Q1 FY27 total income rises 13% to ~$72.8 million (₹628 crore); shares rally more than 230% in six months... |
- Where was Raymond founded?
- Raymond was founded in Thane, Maharashtra, India in 1925.
- Who founded Raymond?
- Raymond was founded by Albert James Raymond and Kailashpat Singhania.
- When did Raymond start?
- Raymond was founded in 1925.
- How old is Raymond?
- Raymond is 101 years old as of 2026.
Founding Story
The company began in 1925 as the Raymond Woollen Mill in Thane, making coarse woollen cloth and blankets. Lala Kailashpat Singhania of the J.K. Organisation bought it in 1944 and turned it toward worsted suiting. Raymond opened its first retail showroom in Mumbai in 1958, and over the following decades its fabrics, Park Avenue and ColorPlus labels, and the 'The Complete Man' campaign made it a household name. Its engineering arm, JK Files, grew alongside the textile business and became the base for the aerospace pivot.
Founders
Albert James Raymond
Albert James Raymond founded the Raymond Woollen Mill in 1925 in Thane, India. Operating during the British Raj, he established the early infrastructure for a small mill producing cheap blankets and woolen fabrics. The struggling mill was eventually sold to the massive Singhania family in 1944, who transformed the name into a global empire. (Exact birth year remains publicly undisclosed).
Kailashpat Singhania
Kailashpat Singhania acquired the Raymond Woollen Mill in 1944. As a massive patriarch of the powerful JK Organization (a sprawling Indian conglomerate), he completely revolutionized the mill. He ruthlessly upgraded the machinery, pivoting away from cheap blankets to focus absolutely entirely on manufacturing premium, high-quality worsted suiting fabrics for the Indian elite. (Exact birth year remains publicly undisclosed).
Key Milestones
Raymond Woollen Mill Established
Raymond Woollen Mill is established in Thane, near Bombay.
Source: en.wikipedia.orgSinghania Family Acquires the Mill
Lala Kailashpat Singhania of the J.K. Organisation acquires the mill.
Source: en.wikipedia.orgFirst Retail Showroom Opens
Raymond opens its first retail showroom in Mumbai.
Source: en.wikipedia.orgGautam Singhania Becomes Chairman
Gautam Singhania takes over leadership as Chairman and Managing Director.
Source: en.wikipedia.orgAcquired ColorPlus
Raymond acquired ColorPlus. Raymond acquired the ColorPlus casualwear brand.
Source: en.wikipedia.orgSells FMCG business to Godrej Consumer Products for ~$328 million (₹2,825 crore); agrees to buy 59.25% ...
Sells FMCG business to Godrej Consumer Products for ~$328 million (₹2,825 crore); agrees to buy 59.25% of Maini Precision Products for ~$79.1 million (₹682 crore).
Source: thehindu.comRaymond Lifestyle Limited, holding the apparel and textile business, lists separately i...
Raymond Lifestyle Limited, holding the apparel and textile business, lists separately in September.
Source: investing.comRaymond Realty demerger takes effect on April 30; the real estate company lists on NSE ...
Raymond Realty demerger takes effect on April 30; the real estate company lists on NSE and BSE on July 1.
Source: indiainfoline.comQ1 FY27 total income rises 13% to ~$72.8 million (₹628 crore); shares rally more than 230% in six months...
Q1 FY27 total income rises 13% to ~$72.8 million (₹628 crore); shares rally more than 230% in six months on aerospace growth.
Source: ndtvprofit.comMajor Acquisitions
ColorPlus
2002Raymond acquired the ColorPlus casualwear brand.
Maini Precision Products (MPPL)
2023Acquired a 59.25% stake for ~$79.1 million (₹682 crore) through Ring Plus Aqua, a JK Files subsidiary, to enter aerospace, defence and EV components.
Maini Precision Products Limited (MPPL)
2023Strengthen engineering business in EV, aerospace, and defense.
Keep researching Raymond
Raymond Company History FAQ
What are the major milestones in Raymond's history?
Founding as the Raymond Woollen Mill in Thane (1925), acquisition by Kailashpat Singhania (1944), first showroom (1958), Park Avenue launch (1986), Gautam Singhania taking charge (2000), the FMCG sale and Maini Precision deal (2023), the Lifestyle demerger (2024) and the Realty listing (2025).
When was Raymond founded?
Raymond was founded in 1925 as the Raymond Woollen Mill in Thane, near Mumbai.
How did Raymond become an aerospace company?
Its engineering arm (JK Files) bought a 59.25% stake in Maini Precision Products in 2023, and after the apparel and real estate demergers, aerospace and precision engineering became Raymond Limited's only business.
When and where was Raymond founded?
Raymond was founded in 1925 in Thane, Maharashtra (near Mumbai), India, originally established by British businessman Albert James Read as The Raymond Woollen Mill to manufacture coarse woollen blankets.
When did the Singhania family acquire Raymond?
In 1944, Lala Kailashpat Singhania acquired The Raymond Woollen Mill from the original British owners, modernizing the factory into an indigenous, state-of-the-art textile manufacturing enterprise.
When was the iconic retail network "The Raymond Shop" launched?
In 1958, Raymond opened its very first exclusive retail showroom at King’s Corner in Ballard Estate, Mumbai, pioneering exclusive brand outlets (EBOs) in India and expanding into a network of over 1,500 stores nationwide.
What is the origin of the legendary "The Complete Man" campaign?
Launched in 1992, "The Complete Man" advertising campaign revolutionized Indian marketing by shifting focus away from macho posturing to empathy, family warmth, caring fatherhood, and understated gentlemanly elegance.
How did Raymond expand into ready-to-wear branded apparel?
In the 1980s and 1990s, Raymond launched Park Avenue (formal menswear in 1986), Parx (casual wear in 1999), and acquired premium casualwear pioneer ColorPlus in 2003, dominating diverse fashion price tiers.
What is Raymond Realty and when was it launched?
In 2019, Raymond monetized its historic 125-acre manufacturing land bank in Thane, Maharashtra, by launching Raymond Realty, quickly becoming one of the top residential real estate developers in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region.
What was the landmark corporate restructuring completed in 2023–2024?
In 2023, Raymond sold its consumer apparel and FMCG business to Godrej Consumer Products for ₹2,825 crore, and subsequently approved a major corporate demerger to separate its core lifestyle textile business, real estate division, and engineering business into distinct listed entities.
What international export presence has Raymond achieved in suiting fabrics?
Raymond is one of the world’s largest integrated producers of worsted suiting fabric (producing over 30 million meters annually), exporting fine wool and blends to over 55 countries including the US, Europe, and Japan.
Related Strategic History
Compare founding milestones and corporate evolution
Explore Raymond
Core profile pages, founders and related research hubs for this company.