During the period when the East India Company had a monopoly on the Indian trade, many British merchants used to come to India as free merchants. This case describes the business activities of one such free merchant. In many respects, the trials and tribulations experienced by Tomas parry represented those of other free merchants as well. The case was used in the class to symbolise the aggressiveness and business initiative of the British businessman in India in the 18th century. It also was used to establish a link between the business environment in the 18th century with that in the early part of 19th century. The case illustrates how the rudimentary beginnings made by more free merchants resulted into large scale operations.