'Made in India: A Titan Story' turns a corporate success into a deeply human tale

Highlights

• The six-part series traces the creation of Titan Watches through the people who built it.
• Jim Sarbh and Naseeruddin Shah deliver standout performances as Xerxes Desai and J.R.D. Tata.
• Rather than celebrating a brand, the show focuses on ambition, setbacks and perseverance.

The people behind the brand take center stage

A series about one of India's most successful companies could easily slip into corporate storytelling. Made in India: A Titan Story, however, largely avoids that trap by placing its focus on the individuals who transformed an ambitious idea into a household name.

Streaming on Amazon MX Player, the six-episode drama is based on journalist Vinay Kamath’s book Titan: Inside India’s Most Successful Consumer Brand. Directed by Robby Grewal, the series follows the journey of Titan Watches and the visionaries who believed India could build a premium watch brand at a time when imported products were viewed as superior.

Instead of presenting Titan’s rise as inevitable, the show explores the uncertainty, conviction and persistence that shaped its beginnings.

Building Titan one challenge at a time

The story begins with Xerxes Desai’s early years within the Tata Group before charting the birth of Titan Watches. Several factors drive the idea forward, including the growing demand for imported watches, widespread smuggling and skepticism from Swiss manufacturers about India’s ability to produce high-quality timepieces.

The series shines in its portrayal of the long and often frustrating process of building a business. Bureaucratic obstacles, financing difficulties, licensing issues, production setbacks and weak sales all threaten progress along the way.

Rather than rushing through these hurdles, the narrative emphasizes how every milestone is earned. Meetings, strategy sessions and product discussions are presented with enough tension and purpose to remain engaging, turning business decisions into key dramatic moments.

Time becomes more than a product

One of the show's most effective themes is its use of time as both a product and a metaphor.

While Xerxes becomes increasingly consumed by his mission, others around him face personal struggles shaped by the passage of time. Akash, one of Titan’s key contributors, grows more cautious as he watches his father's memory deteriorate. Megha, the company’s marketing head, navigates growing pressure from family expectations while pursuing her professional ambitions.

These personal storylines add emotional depth to the series and ensure it never feels like a straightforward account of corporate growth. The balance between business and personal stakes gives the show much of its appeal.

Jim Sarbh and Naseeruddin Shah anchor the series

Jim Sarbh delivers a nuanced performance as Xerxes Desai, portraying a man whose determination and confidence often place him at odds with those around him. Rather than presenting him as a flawless visionary, the series allows viewers to see both his strengths and shortcomings.

Naseeruddin Shah brings quiet authority to his role as J.R.D. Tata. Through subtle gestures and understated moments, he captures the influence and presence of one of India's most respected business leaders. His relationship with Xerxes becomes one of the drama’s strongest threads.

The series also recreates an India in transition. Through archival footage, period imagery and classic Bollywood music, it captures a country beginning to embrace consumer aspirations and modern lifestyles.

In the end, Made in India: A Titan Story succeeds because it is less interested in promoting a famous brand than in exploring the people, risks and decisions that helped create it.