The history of Ness Wadia College of Commerce can be traced back to June 1969 when the first Pre-degree Commerce classes had started under the auspices of the Modern Education Society.

Back then the classes were held in the adjacent building of the Nowrosjee Wadia College of Arts and Science.

In 1969, the Commerce wing, thus, came to be established as an independent college of commerce, named after Sir Ness Wadia, (1873-1952), the renowned industrialist and philanthropist of his times. The Modern Education Society is deeply indebted to Sir Ness as well as his brother Sir Cusrow for their unstinting support for this endeavour. The College moved into its present premises with a building of its own in 1971. The College was inaugurated on 16th July 1969, by Dr. H. V. Pataskar,the then Vice- chancellor of the University of Pune.

It came to be headed by the late Dr. B. S. Bhanage, one of the leading scholars of his time who later became the Vice-chancellor of Shivaji University. He was followed in 1972 by Professor V. K. Nulkar who retired in 1991. Professor Dr. H. M. Shaikh took over charge of the College from Principal Nulkar and remained Principal of the College till February 2000 when he retired. Dr. Ms. V. S. Devdhar took over as Principal in February 2000 on Principal Shaikh’s retirement. After her retirement in June 2009, Dr. H. V. Deosthali worked as Incharge Principal. Dr. M. M. Andar took over as Principal in January 2010. After the retirement of Dr. M.M. Andar, Professor Dr. Girija Shankar worked as In charge Principal from 1st May 2017 to 31 st March 2021, followed by Dr. Asha.D.Jadhav who worked as In-charge Principal from 1 st April 2021 to 30 th June 2021. Since 1 st July 2021 Professor Dr. Vrishali S Randhir is working as In-Charge Principal.

About the College

About Ness Wadia College of Commerce, Pune – 411 001 The Modern Education Society, the parent body of the Ness Wadia College of Commerce, was established in 1932 with the motto ‘FOR THE SPREAD OF LIGHT’. The Modern Education Society set forth to create institutions to cater to the educational needs of the contemporary world in the field of Arts, Science, Commerce, Engineering, Polytechnic, Management, and Law etc.
The Ness Wadia College of Commerce, named after Sir Ness Wadia, (1873-1952), the renowned industrialist and philanthropist of his times, and one of the staunch supporters of the Modern Education Society and a leading light of India’s’ industry in the early 19th century, was established on 16th July, 1969. In the field of commerce education, the college has emerged as one of the leading institutions imparting business education in Western India."

Accredited and Re-accredited with the ‘A’ Grade by NAAC in 2004 and 2014 respectively, and honoured with the Best College Award by Savitribai Phule Pune University, the College has more than 5000 students on its rolls. It imparts commerce and business education from Std. XI to Ph.D. Moreover, around 30 Ph.D. Research Scholars are associated with its Research Centre. The College takes pride in having students from various social strata across the country.
The College with its cosmopolitan, secular culture and pragmatic approach is moving further with a dream to progress ahead, with a mission to serve India and the world at large, by providing business education of high academic excellence, professional and ethical standards to the youth of this country. The college is well equipped with ultra-modern facilities with a recently constructed annexe building to cater to the requirements of the newly launched BBA courses with specializations in International Business, Computer Applications, HR, Finance and Marketing, Bachelor of Vocation (B.Voc.) in Banking ,Finance & Insurance with Actuarial Studies. and Diploma course having specialisations in taxation Law, International Business and Banking and Fiancé"

Sir Ness Wadia (1873-1952) was the second son of Bai Jerbai and Nowrosjee Ness Wadia. Sir Ness Wadia assisted his brother Sir Cusrow Wadia to carry forward their father’s legacy in business and philanthropic initiatives. Their efforts helped to scale up the operations of the Bombay Dyeing and Manufacturing Company and it became the largest textile operation in India.

After Sir Cusrow Wadia passed away, Sir Ness Wadia led the company’s growth, expansion, and modernization of the company. He was the first Indian to be awarded Knighthood of the British Empire in 1919.

His business success earned him the unofficial title of ‘The Cotton King’. In the 1920’s a wireless service between India and Britain for the first time,, Sir Ness Wadia played an instrumental role in this endeavor.

Sir Ness Wadia and his brother Cusrow became benefactors of the Modern Education Society at the behest of Prin. V. K. Joag (1888-1963), educator, reformist and founder life-member of the Society.

The Nowrosjee Wadia College of Arts and Science in memory of the father of Sir Ness and Sir Cusrow and the Cusrow Wadia Institute of Technology in the honour of Sir Cusrow came to be established respectively in 1932 and 1938. The Ness Wadia College of Commerce was established in 1969 and the Neville Wadia Institute of Management Studies & Research in honour of the illustrious son of Sir Ness in 1991. Over the years the Wadia campus has earned a distinct place of pride world over as a center of higher learning in Pune, particularly in the eastern parts of the city.

The inner passion of the staff of the college has always been to make the best use of its resources to promote a congenial learning environment for its students. The teachers are known for experimenting with a variety of teaching innovations, which supplement the usual lecture method. The activities of non-teachers are equally learning- centered. The college library, for instance, had set up a group of Book Lovers' way back in the 70s. The group has since been inviting authors and litterateurs to preside over reviews of their own writings by the students. Aspirations of advanced learners and those in need of remedial inputs are both a part of the core concerns of the college, and the staff gears its activities to help students meet these aspirations.

The college has sought to make the learning environment of the students further richer by supplying them with additional inputs with respect to personal development and foreign languages. These include sessions in soft skills and business etiquettes, which will enable the students to develop confidence which is much expected in today's corporate world. The short term courses in English and foreign languages (German, Chinese, French and Spanish) are organized by the Centre for English and Foreign Language (CEFL) of the college. Short-term courses such as Tally ERP 9.0, ICICI Bank University E-Learning Course and ICICI Equity Investment Course are also offered to the students during their 3-year stint in the college.