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A global firm in a small town: Harrisons and Crosfield’s Quilon Operations between the wars

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  • Roy, Tirthankar

Abstract

This paper examines Harrisons and Crosfield’s Quilon operations in interwar South India to highlight the role of site-specificity in shaping global firms. Unlike most British companies headquartered in major colonial port cities, Harrisons and Crosfield established its Indian base in Quilon, a small town with strategic access to estates and backwaters but limited infrastructure. Situating the case within debates on multinational enterprise and colonial business, the paper argues that geography and foreignness were central to the firm’s longevity, shaping both opportunities and limits to expansion.

Suggested Citation

  • Roy, Tirthankar, 2026. "A global firm in a small town: Harrisons and Crosfield’s Quilon Operations between the wars," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 137960, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    • Handle: RePEc:ehl:lserod:137960
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    File URL: https://researchonline.lse.ac.uk/id/eprint/137960/
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    JEL classification:

    • N0 - Economic History - - General

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