The East India Company (EIC) was an Britishjoint-stock company with headquarters in London. It was started for trading with the East Indies, but most trade was with India and China. It was given a charter, permission to exist, in 1600 and traded many things in India.
In the mid-18th century, the company built up its own presidency armies and won the Battle of Plassey, which brought it from only trading with India to actually ruling India.