Opening Doorz
“Celebrating Life”
By Moody Marty | Opening Doorz Editorial | February 04, 2026 In nearly four decades of journalism, I thought I had seen every titan of Indian industry and every corporate […]
By Moody Marty | Opening Doorz Editorial | February 04, 2026
In nearly four decades of journalism, I thought I had seen every titan of Indian industry and every corporate comeback story. But recently, I stumbled onto one of the most remarkable corporate stories hiding in plain sight.
In an era of Tata, Birla, Ambani, and the burgeoning footprints of the Adani Group, one company has quietly withstood the sands of time.
Quietly, purposefully, and impactfully, guided by integrity and a ship load (no pun intended) of humility, Jeena & Company has achieved a feat few can claim: 125 years as India’s pioneering global logistics house. Maintained through four generations of family leadership, this milestone marks them as a rare sentinel of Indian trade. A story of this magnitude, rooted in transparency and humble beginnings, deserves a place in the global chronicles of business excellence, and perhaps, maybe the Guinness Book of World Records.
To be honest, I have never heard of this organisation. Being a journalist for over 38 years, that must be a first. But that may also have to be with the fact that the Katgaras believed in keeping their feet grounded and their focus on the task ahead, instead of media madness, which, sometimes, is just an aberration. This organisation has believed in marching on with purpose, committing to deadlines and delivering on promises.
So how did I hear about Jeena & Company? I stumbled on a documentary on LinkedIn posted by my friend and former colleague Sheetal Paknikar, Director of Seven Twenty Ten Network.
I was engrossed, nay, drawn into the narrative of this organisation that stayed true to its promise of naming the company after the benefactor who loaned them $75 in 1900.
A hundred and twenty-five years later, Jeena will surely be smiling from above, perhaps humming the tune from the Bollywood Blockbuster of yesteryear Mera Naam Joker, Jeena yahan…
Pallonji Katgara, the founder of Jeena & Company, could have easily rebranded the organisation after tasting success with the $75 loaned to him by his friend, Jeena Bhai, as he is fondly remembered even today. But no, for Katgara, a word meant something. A word meant it was a word, and it would never be broken. No amount of wealth would do that. Whilst loaning the money, Jeena Bhai had requested that the company be named after him.
Built on that level of integrity and humanity, Jeena & Company has sailed through two World Wars and the Indo-Pak war to now onboard its Fifth Generation of entrepreneurs, who the Fourth Generation say (endearingly though), are “teaching” them.
To understand what the company does and why it needs to be celebrated, this documentary is a must-watch. It is as meticulous in its research as Sheetal is in his approach.
I often say that Glenn Maxwell’s ‘out-of-this-world’ knock in the last World Cup was a ‘72010’ performance (360-degree skill and temperament multiplied by two). Jeena & Company has delivered the corporate equivalent. They are the Glenn Maxwell of global logistics: a rare display of skill and stamina that takes full-circle industry expertise and doubles it with a century-plus of human values. They don’t just move cargo; they move with a conscience.
Jeena & Company isn’t just about moving boxes; it’s about moving hearts. Who else travels all the way to Spain just to look a client in the eye and apologise? Who else treats a lunch table as a sacrosanct boardroom where family ties and business strategy break bread together? This is an organisation that understands how to scale a global conglomerate without losing its soul, an entity that knows how to move an elephant, literally and figuratively.
What makes Jeena & Company’s journey worthy of the global stage, is not just its longevity, but the manner in which it has endured. In a sector as volatile and complex as global logistics, the company has thrived by blending a fierce commitment to ethics with humility. While many of its contemporaries were swallowed by multinational conglomerates or faded into the archives of history, Jeena & Company has remained a fiercely independent, Indian-owned pioneer.
This documentary hits the ball out of the park. It belongs in business schools to show students that the real world doesn’t have to be ruthless. It belongs in marketing institutes as a masterclass: proving that while branding is good, humanity is better. Jeena & Company has side-stepped the race for vanity and won by simply staying true to their word.
From its humble roots as a clearing and forwarding agent at the turn of the 20th century, the firm has evolved into a global powerhouse without losing the human touch that defines its culture. As it onboards the fifth generation, a group bustling with new ideas yet with their foundations intact, the company continues to thrive.“
A recommendation to the production team of Seven Twenty Ten Network: Considering the intriguing value and the pull of the viewer into the vortex of Jeena & Company, those credit lines deserve to linger a little longer.
[Moody Marty: Sometimes funny, sometimes informative, always downright forthright!]
Also Read:
Glenn Maxwell’s 72010 Performance: A Cricketing Masterpiece!
Henkel Comes ‘Out of The Closet’: CEO Carsten’s Knobel Mission!
Incredible & Moving. No pun here. More power to you Martin Sir for being one of those rare journalists who lives ( Jeena ) while writing purely with heart. Who writes such good things for the love of a story that deserves to be told? Opening Doorz is my go to publication for stories that have been featured on attributes like… merit? Merit that deserves mention, without being “commissioned”. Congratulations to the Documentary Team as well for attracting & sustaining Martin’s attention 😀
We are glad you have loved the story. This is a story that deserves to be told… nay, taught in Business schools and schools where they teach you ‘in-your-face’ marketing. The Jeena story is lovely, simply because it is laced with humility and honesty.