The British East India Company came to India as traders in spices, a very important commodity in Europe back then as it was used to preserve meat. Apart from that, they primarily traded in silk, cotton, indigo dye, tea and opium. They landed in the Indian subcontinent on August 24, 1608, at the port of Surat.

Why did East India Company came to India?

The East India Company was initially created in 1600 to serve as a trading body for English merchants, specifically to participate in the East Indian spice trade. It later added such items as cotton, silk, indigo, saltpeter, tea, and opium to its wares and also participated in the slave trade.

Why did Great Britain came to India?

At first, the British enter in Indian sub-continent as traders seeking spices. Spices were the primary way of preserving meat in Europe prior to the modern age. ... Gradually the British eclipsed the other European trading company and over the years they saw a massive expansion of their trading operations in India.