Uploaded August 2026 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago

---

Started in 1961, HMT watches carried the unmistakable whiff of Made in India. It was inexpensive, reliable and everywhere — a choice of the masses, a favourite among politicians, and quite literally “the nation’s timekeeper”.

And its story began in Nehru’s India – a tale of self-reliance, post-Independence patriotism and a fateful partnership across the Pacific.

But as India changed, HMT failed to keep pace. Quartz, Titan, changing consumer tastes and a bureaucratic state enterprise gradually turned the national icon into a cautionary tale.

This is the story of HMT: how a machine-maker became a watchmaker, and how the timekeeper couldn’t keep up with the times.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Read full article here: theprint.in/past-forward/indias-endless-nostalgia-for-hmt-nehrus-dream-to-desh-ki-dhadkan-downfall/3025194
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Exclusive content, special privileges & more – Subscribe to ThePrint for Special benefits: tinyurl.com/4ymm9wh5
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Connect with ThePrint
» Subscribe to ThePrint: tinyurl.com/4ymm9wh5
» Subscribe to our YouTube Channel: bit.ly/3nCMpht
» Like us on Facebook: facebook.com/theprintindia
» Tweet us on Twitter: twitter.com/theprintindia
» Follow us on Instagram: instagram.com/theprintindia
» Find us on LinkedIn : linkedin.com/company/theprint
» Subscribe to ThePrint on Telegram: https://t.me/ThePrintIndia
» Find us on Spotify: spoti.fi/2NMVlnB
» Find us on Apple Podcasts: apple.co/3pEOta8