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Xerxes Sapur Desai (1937–2016) was the first Managing Director of Titan Company, the Tata Group’s main watch and jewellery brand. He is known for bringing India’s first quartz watch and making Titan the country’s top watchmaker and jeweller. Desai also started Titan’s jewellery brand Tanishq and left behind a legacy of creativity, great design, and responsible business in the Indian industry.
Early Life & Professional Career
Xerxes Desai was born in 1937 into a Parsi family in Bangalore, India. After graduating from Oxford, Desai joined the Tata Administrative Service in 1961. After joining TAS, Desai held several leadership roles within the Tata Group. In the 1960s and 70s he worked with Tata Press, Tata Chemicals, and the Taj Hotels (Indian Hotels Company). In 1979, he proposed creating an Indian watch company, and J.R.D. Tata endorsed the idea.
Turning the idea into reality was difficult under the strict government controls known as the License Raj. Desai spent years negotiating technology deals and securing approvals, finally forming a joint venture with the Tamil Nadu Industrial Development Corporation. In 1984,, Titan was officially set up as a joint venture (Tata-TIDCO), and by 1986, Titan Company began operations with a factory in Hosur (near Bangalore).
Under Desai’s leadership, Titan grew quickly after it started. It launched India’s first quartz wristwatch in the late 1980s, ending the time when Hindustan Machine Tools (HMT) was the only player in the market. Titan worked hard to build its brand: by the early 1990s, Titan was the top watchmaker in India, beating the state-owned HMT. In 1994, Desai grew Titan’s business by starting the Tanishq jewellery brand. At first, it was a risky step in a market made up of many small players, but Tanishq eventually became Titan’s fastest-growing business. Desai retired from Titan in 2002.
Career Summary
| Organization (Role) | Years | Impact |
|---|---|---|
| Tata Group (TAS) – various roles at Tata Press, Chemicals, Hotels | 1961–1985 | Gained broad management experience; conceptualized an Indian watchmaking venture. |
| Titan Company – Founder & MD | 1986–2002 | Launched Titan (India’s largest watchmaker); introduced first quartz watches; built Tanishq jewellery brand. |
| Titan Township (Hosur) – Community Developer | 1995–2016 | Developed the Titan employee township and founded a school, promoting worker welfare. |
| IIHS (Urban Development) – Advisor/Board Member | 2006–2016 | Advised on sustainable urban planning; bridged corporate strategy with city infrastructure (e.g. Vashi project). |
Legacy
Desai was recognised for his achievements. In 2006, the National Institute of Design (NID) presented him with its Lifetime Achievement Award at the Design Excellence Awards. After he passed away, Titan released a “Xerxes Desai Special Edition” watch and called him “the Titan behind Titan”. Titan Company, now a ₹75,000+ crore group as of 2026, continues to grow on the foundation he built. Xerxes Desai was married to Rajni Desai.
He loved Western Classical Music. He also had two pet dogs. Desai passed away on June 27, 2016 in Bengaluru due to acute gastroenteritis. He was 79 at the time of his death.
