BEYOND THE TITLE COWAS JEHANGIR

THE FIFTH-GENERATION HEIR TO A BARONETCY SPEAKS EXCLUSIVELY TO HELLO! FOR THE FIRST TIME, DELVING INTO HIS FAMILY’S LEGACY DATING BACK TO THE 1700S, HIS PIVOTAL ROLE IN THE PRESENT-DAY BUSINESS AND HIS PASSION FOR MUSIC

Walking into Cowas Jehangir’s office building in the historic part of the city instantly transports you back in time. Old Bombay, in its golden age, would best describe it. A lift of a bygone era slowly takes us up to an office, the walls of which bear portraits and photographs of members of the Jehangir family over the decades. The Jehangirs are a prominent Parsi family of India that contributed generously to the developmental landscape of Bombay (now Mumbai) via a varied array of businesses and philanthropy from the first half of the 1700s.

It all began with Hirji Jeevanji, who came from Navsari (Gujarat) to Bombay, and was the first Indian to open trade with China along the sea route in the 1720s. Since then, succeeding generations have diversified into various fields including art, finance, trade, education, textiles, chemicals, healthcare, and prime real estate, with notable contributions such as the Sir Cowasji Jehangir Public Hall (now NGMA), Crawford Market, Mumbai University, and the Jehangir Hospital, among others. Fast forward to today and it’s Cowas and his family that are the current gatekeepers of this centuries-old legacy.

Cutting a dapper figure, Cowas welcomes us into his work sanctuary. He possesses an easy-going demeanour, is down-to-earth and charming, and, as we soon find out, has a brilliant sense of humour. Born and brought up in Mumbai, he moved to Pune to finish high school. Armed with degrees in business administration, real estate, and finance from San Diego, California, his career began in the USA at a real estate fund. “I moved back to Mumbai in 2013 to work full-time with a real estate development management company, and by late 2019, I pivoted to take a more active role in the family business and management — particularly our hospital and healthcare group, the Jehangir Hospital in Pune,” he shares as we sit down for the interview to learn more.