Did you know that the iconic shoe brand Bata, which almost every Indian has worn at some point, has deep roots in Bengal?
This is the untold story of how a European entrepreneur changed the way an entire nation walked—starting from Bengal!
In today’s video, we explore the fascinating, forgotten history of Bata’s rise in colonial India, and how it became the go-to footwear for the common man.
This is not just about shoes—it’s about how one brand revolutionized fashion, accessibility, and industry in Bengal and beyond. This is a motivational story of Tomas Bata's of how Tomas Bata's vision changed Indian shoe industry forever.
How Bata came to India in the early 1900s and chose Bengal as its manufacturing hub
✅ The true story of Tomáš Baťa, the visionary Czech entrepreneur behind the empire
✅ Why Batanagar near Kolkata became one of the first shoe manufacturing towns in India
✅ How Bata brought affordable, durable shoes to the Indian masses
✅ How the British Raj, Indian independence, and Bengali culture all shaped Bata’s story
✅ Lesser-known facts about how Bata shoes became a symbol of the working class
✅ Did Bata actually make the first modern Indian shoe in Bengal? The truth revealed!
Why Bengal? Why Bata?
Back in the 1930s, when shoes were still considered a luxury for many Indians, Bata dared to do the unthinkable—they set up a modern factory in Bengal, employed thousands of Indians, and made shoes that every Indian could afford.
From school uniforms to factory workers, Bata became part of our daily lives. But few know the real story of its rise—how Bengal played a key role in building India’s most iconic footwear brand.
Interesting Facts Covered:
Bata established Batanagar in 1931, a self-sustained industrial town in Bengal
Bata shoes became the most worn footwear in India by the 1950s
The brand survived colonial rule, independence, and modern competition
Today, Bata is still a household name across Indian cities and rural towns alike