Xerxes Desai
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2022}}
{{Use Indian English|date=July 2022}}
{{short description|Indian businessman}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Xerxes Desai
| birth_date = 1937
| death_date = {{death date|2016|6|27|df=y}}
(aged 78–79)
| death_place = Bengaluru, Karnataka, India
| alma_mater = Elphinstone College
Oxford University
| known_for = First managing director of Titan Company
}}
Xerxes Desai (1937 – 27 June 2016) was the first managing director of Titan Company, an Indian watchmaking company, and played an instrumental role in laying the foundation of the company.{{Cite web|url=http://www.livemint.com/Companies/WFxqxvGSp7YIsqK2LecftJ/Xerxes-Desai-The-timekeeper.html|title=Xerxes Desai: The timekeeper|last=Tandon|first=Suneera|date=2016-06-09|website=Live Mint|access-date=2016-07-03}}
Biography
Desai was a graduate of Elphinstone College (Mumbai University) and Oxford University.
Desai joined Tata Administrative Services in 1961 after graduation, working at several of their companies.{{Cite web|title=Titan's founding MD Xerxes Desai passes away at 79|url=https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/people/titans-founding-md-xerxes-desai-passes-away-at-79/he-worked-with-tata-press-tata-chemicals-and-taj-hotels/slideshow/52953263.cms|website=The Economic Times|access-date=2020-05-26}} He founded Titan as a joint venture with J. R. D. Tata in 1986, with support from the Tamil Nadu Industrial Development Corporation.{{Cite news|url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/business/Titans-founding-MD-Xerxes-Desai-dies-at-79/articleshow/52947577.cms|title=Titan's founding MD Xerxes Desai dies at 79 - Times of India|website=Times of India|date=28 June 2016 |access-date=2016-07-03}} He had suggested the idea of a watchmaking company to Tata in the 1970s, who liked it, but bureaucratic hassles took time till the company was opened in 1986 in Hosur.{{Cite web|url=http://www.rediff.com/business/report/xerxes-desai-the-man-behind-titans-success/20160628.htm|title=Xerxes Desai: The man behind Titan's success|website=Rediff|access-date=2016-07-03}}{{Cite web|url=http://www.financialexpress.com/article/fe-columnist/end-of-a-titan/300226/|title=Xerxes Desai, the Titan who changed the way Indians kept time dies|date=2016-06-29|website=The Financial Express|language=en-US|access-date=2016-07-03}}{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ZawvddLxmMwC|title=World Class In India|last=Ghoshal|first=S.|date=2002-03-04|publisher=Penguin Books Limited|isbn=9789351180272|language=en|chapter=The Indian Watch Industry: Titanic Changes}}
In 1994, Desai challenged engineers at Titan to design the world's thinnest watch, with a movement 1.15mm thick inside a 3.5mm case.{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=OE37CgAAQBAJ|title=Innovation Strategy for Enterprises in Emerging Economies: Case Studies for the Digital Age|last1=Satpathy|first1=Anurag|last2=Agrawal|first2=Arjun|last3=Mohapatra|first3=Sanjay|date=2015-11-16|publisher=Emerald Group Publishing|isbn=9781785604805|pages=115–117|language=en}} The watch, called the Titan Edge was introduced in 2002.{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=KdVZAgAAQBAJ|title=Orbit-Shifting Innovation: The Dynamics of Ideas that Create History|last1=Narang|first1=Rajiv|last2=Devaiah|first2=Devika|date=2014-01-03|publisher=Kogan Page Publishers|isbn=9780749468767|pages=165–166|language=en}}
After Titan's success, Desai founded Tanishq, a jewelry brand. He had innovative ideas like asking people in Bangalore to get their jewelry appraised in 1999. The jewelry business grew over time, after a slow start.{{Cite web|url=http://www.business-standard.com/article/companies/xerxes-desai-the-titan-behind-the-timekeeper-116062700808_1.html|title=Xerxes Desai: The titan behind the timekeeper|last=Krishnan|first=Raghu|website=Business Standard|access-date=2016-07-03}}
Desai retired in 2002, and was succeeded by his protégé Bhaskar Bhat.{{Cite web|url=http://archives.digitaltoday.in/businesstoday/20020414/people.html|title=A Titan Departs|last=|first=|date=2002-04-14|website=|publisher=Business Today Archives|access-date=2016-07-03}}
= Post retirement =
Desai was awarded a Lifetime Achievement award by the National Institute of Design during its 4th Design Excellence Awards in 2006.{{Cite web|url=http://www.indiatodayimages.com/buyimage-xerxes-desai-200107-sm1-2719481.html|title=Xerxes at NID Awards, 2006|website=www.indiatodayimages.com|access-date=2016-07-03}}
Post retirement, Desai was a part of the Indian Institute for Human Settlements (IIHS) initiative by Nandan Nilekani.{{Cite web|url=http://archive.indianexpress.com/news/nandan-rohini-nilekani-gift-iihs-rs-50-cr/809445/|title=Nandan, Rohini Nilekani gift IIHS Rs 50 cr - Indian Express|website=archive.indianexpress.com|access-date=2016-07-03}}
Death
Desai died from illness in Bangalore, where he had lived for 30 years, on 27 June 2016, at the age of 79.{{Cite web|url=http://www.livemint.com/Companies/YU0lGZxi8vGW383NazxsOK/Xerxes-Desai-founder-of-Titan-dies.html|title=Xerxes Desai, founder of Titan, dies|last=Skariachan|first=Dhanya|date=2016-06-27|website=Live Mint|access-date=2016-07-03}}