Over a Century of Care, Innovation, and Indian Heritage
Our History
Our History
Foundation
Mr. Bhavanishankar Atmaram Oza founded the firm B. A. & Brothers in Bombay and
established a chemist shop at Princess Street. At the time, there were only two other chemist shops in the
area.
1912
1915
Mr. B. A. Oza, along with others, founded an organization called Shree Nathalia
Uneval Sevak Mandal, a community education and service trust.
Mr. B. A. Oza's partner, Mr. Vamanbhai Kapadia, moved to Calcutta to start a
branch of B. A. & Brothers.
1922
Birth of Gripe Water
1928
Mr. B. A. Oza was an active participant in India's Freedom Movement and went to jail several times for the
cause. During the Swadeshi Movement, Dr. Jivraj Mehta gave him the formula for gripe water and asked him to
start an Indian brand to replace a foreign brand available. Babuline Gripe Water was thus born.
B. A. & Brothers started distribution of Geigy & Anglo French Drugs at Bombay and Ciba & Anglo French Drugs at
Calcutta. New branches were also opened at Patna, Cuttack, and Guwahati.
1942
1951
Mr. B. A. Oza passed away in an accident,
and his eldest son, Mr. Navnitrai B. Oza, took over the business.
Expansion of Distribution Operation
Mr. N. B. Oza expanded the business and transformed it into a wholesale and distribution business. His tour in Europe
and the exposure he gained with Ciba in Switzerland, Bayer in Germany and Anglo French Drugs in England, made him
modernize the business.
1956
1962
The firms B. A. & Brothers. at Bombay and Calcutta were converted into two private limited companies, B. A. & Brothers
(Bombay) Pvt. Ltd. and B. A. & Brothers Eastern Ltd., to give them improved status and permanency.
Further Expansion
In addition to manufacturing gripe water, B. A. & Brothers (Bombay) Pvt. Ltd.
started manufacturing lake colours and tablet coating colours in collaboration with a German national, and
a new firm was started named Indo German Laboratories.
1966
1979
Another firm, B. A. Distributors, was formed to handle distribution of several pharma companies such as Ambalal
Sarabhai Enterprise Ltd., Suhrid Geigy, Squibb, etc.
B. A. & Brothers Eastern Ltd. was converted into a public company listed on Calcutta Stock Exchange.
1980
1981
The Delhi branch of B. A. Distributors was opened to distribute products of pharma companies in Northern India.
Bab Pharma Pvt. Ltd. was formed to start manufacturing operations of Babuline Gripe Water and other products at
the newly constructed production facility at Kandivali Industrial Estate - Charkop, Mumbai.
A branch of Bab Pharma Pvt. Ltd. was opened at Delhi for taking up distribution of
companies such as Bayer Diagnostic, amongst others.
1984
1994
Indo German Laboratories entered into a joint venture with Colorcon Ltd. USA, and
the JV company was named Colorcon Asia Pvt. Ltd., which is a leading manufacturer and supplier of pharmaceutical
excipients to the pharma industry.
Bab Pharma Pvt. Ltd. was renamed as Babuline Pharma Pvt. Ltd. to identify with its brand
name "Babuline", which is a Registered Trade Mark and Copyright.
1996
1998
B. A. Distributors was dissolved and the business of the firm was transferred to Babuline Pharma Pvt. Ltd.
The Oza family, who were partners of Indo German Laboratories, divested their holdings in Colorcon Asia Pvt. Ltd.
, making it a wholly owned subsidiary of Colorcon Ltd. USA
2000
Consolidation & Transition
2005
Indo German Laboratories stopped business activities, and the business was
consolidated into Babuline Pharma Pvt. Ltd.
B. A. & Brothers (Bombay) Pvt. Ltd. discontinued its distribution business
and ceased trading operation.