The Times Group - A Brief History of The Times

A Brief History of The Times

1838: The first edition appears on 3 November 1838, known as The Bombay Times and Journal of Commerce. The newspaper was published twice a week under editor J.E. Brennan. It is basically a city paper reflecting the interest of Bombay's business community.

1846-1857: The newspaper changes hands and George Buist, LL.D, F.R.S., becomes the editor of the Times from 1840 to 1857.

1850: Shareholders decide to increase the share capital and the paper is converted into a daily.

1859: Bombay Standard and Chronicle of Western India merges into The Bombay Times and Journal of Commerce to form Bombay Times & Standard

1861: Editor Robert Knight amalgamates The Bombay Times & Standard and Bombay Telegraph & Courier to form The Times of India and gives it a national character.

1880: The Times of India Weekly Edition is launched name later changed to The Times of India Illustrated Weekly and finally to The Illustrated Weekly of India in 1923.

1890: Editor Henry Curwen buys The Times of India in partnership with Charles Kane.

1892: Following Curwen's death, Thomas Jewell Bennett becomes the editor and enters into a partnership with F.M. Coleman to form a joint stock company - Bennett, Coleman & Co. Ltd. (BCCL).

1907: In the newspaper's first price war under editor Stanley Reed, the price is cut from 4 annas to 1 anna, and circulation rises 5 times.

1946: For the first time, the paper transfers to Indian ownership. Ram Kishan Dalmia buys out Bennett, Coleman & Co. Ltd for Rs. 2 crores.

1948: Sahu Jain Group become the owners of the company after Dalmia sells the firm to recover 2.5 crores he needs to pay back to an insurance company. Sahu Shanti Prasad Jain, son-in-law of Ram Kishan Dalmia, becomes the first chairman of the group.

1950: Delhi edition is launched with K. Gopalswami as the first Indian editor.

1952: Filmfare launched and started by J.C. Jain, the first Indian to be the GM of TOI.

1959: Femina is launched.

1960: Sahu Ramesh Chandra Jain joins BCCL

1961: The Economic Times is launched.

1982: Samir Jain join BCCL.

1984: Times of India, Bombay set up modernised newsroom (including new look classified pages)

1985: Times of India, Delhi set up modernised newsroom (including new look classified pages)

1985: Nandita Jain join BCCL and started Saturday Times (in color)

1986: Vineet Jain join BCCL after came back to Delhi (finishing his education).

1986: Times of India and Navbharat Times, Patna edition started.

1987: Printing of The Times of India from Kandivili Press.

1990: The Times School of Marketing is established as an in-house training school to feed the group

1991: BBC features The Times of India among the world's six great newspapers.

1993: BCCL starts production of television software.

1996: The Times of India crosses 1 million mark in circulation.

1998: BCCL enters into music market with Times Music.

1999: Indiatimes webportal launched; BCCL enters music retailing business with Planet M.

2000: The Times of India crosses the 2 million mark in circulation.

2000: Timesofmoney - JV with Citibank.

2001: Radio Mirchi - Nationwide Private FM Broadcasting.

2001: 360 Degrees - Event Management Arm launched.

2002: Times Outdoor - Outdoor Advertising & Billboard Marketing.

2003: Times Classifieds - Classifieds site catering to web audiences, the group publications and also publications from other countries like Sri Lanka.

2004:

• Launch of the Jobs portal Times Jobs.
• Television Business launched with the launch of a lifestyle and entertainment channel called z00m.

2005: Launch of a Matrimonials website TimesMatri

Launch of compact newspaper Mumbai Mirror

2006:

• Launch of a television News Channel called Times Now in collaboration with Reuters.
• Radio Mirchi holding company ENIL (Entertainment Network India Limited) lists on the Indian stock markets. It is the first Times Group company to List on the bourses.
• Launch of a Property services Portal Magic Bricks
• TimesMatri is rebranded as Simply Marry
• A new holding company by the name of TBSL is created. This company controls the brands TimesJobs SimplyMarry (earlier called TimesMatri) and MagicBricks
• TimesofMoney launches Remit2Home, to cater to Global Remittance Market

2007:

• Launch of The Times of India - Kannada
• Launch of Bangalore Mirror
• Launch of Ahmedabad Mirror
• Planet M Retail taken over by Videocon Group

2008:

• Launch of SimplyMarryZine.com
• Launch of The Times of India, Chennai Edition
• Launch of Pune Mirror
• Acquisition of Virgin Radio (now known as Absolute Radio) in the UK
• Launch of Times of India - Goa, along with Goa Mirror. However, the Goa edition has relatively less coverage of happenings in Goa.

2009:

• Launch of ET Now - A business news channel

2010

• Launch of Vijayanext Kannada Weekly magazine

2011

• Launch of The Times of India, Coimbatore and Madurai/Trichy Editions

2012

• Launch of The Times of India, Kerala and Raipur(Chhattisgarh) Edition