The House of Habib traces its history all the way back to 1841; the year a family-run business by the name of Khoja Mithabhai Nathoo was established to trade in metals and other commodities. The venture had clients both in India and overseas.
In 1891, a teenage boy named Habib Esmail joined Khoja Mithabhai Nathoo. He brought with him a reputation for honesty, trustworthiness and fair dealing. As he leveraged these values into the workings of Khoja Mithabhai Nathoo, Habib Esmail eventually transformed the company completely.
Soon, upcountry traders returning home began depositing the surplus cash with Habib Esmail for safekeeping and investment at his discretion. As their numbers grew, merchant banking started seeming like a natural progression for Khoja Mithabhai Nathoo, and the company eventually began providing trade financing services to its many customers.
Habib Esmail became so successful by the age of 18 that he was not only made a partner in the business, but also nominated as the president of the ‘Tamba Kanta Market’ (metal market). His commercial skills, reputation, and an ever-growing clientele helped mold Khoja Mithabhai Nathoo into a major trading firm.
After his four sons joined him in the business, Habib Esmail established Habib & Sons in 1921 and changed the name of his family to Habib. Habib & Sons went on to become the flagship venture of the family, and the parent to Habib Bank Limited.
Each of Habib Esmail’s sons was an exemplar of the qualities their father was known for; but one in particular showed exceptional leadership and vision. This was Mohammed Ali Habib, who was eventually handed the mantle by Habib Esmail, and who grew and expanded the House of Habib into what was to become a new country in the subcontinent – Pakistan.
Through the decades thence, the descendants of the House of Habib have built on the hard work of their forefathers. Today, the House of Habib has business interests across multiple industries.
