New Delhi, Aug. 23 -- Long before the Tatas and Birlas became synonymous with Indian industry and philanthropy, a young orphan in Bombay was laying the foundations for modern Indian commerce and charity.

Sir Jamsetjee Jeejeebhoy-born in 1783, the son of a poor Parsi weaver-rose from collecting discarded bottles on the streets to becoming a global trader, shipping magnate, and India's first baronet. His life was a tale of storms, captures, and fortunes, but also of vision and generosity that reshaped Bombay's future.

Jeejeebhoy was a Parsi trader who turned rags to riches, and then gave much of his wealth away. Starting as an opium trader-a common enterprise in the early 19th century-he gradually expanded into more respectable businesses...