He established a monopoly over certain imports in Surat, and dealt with a wide range of commodities including spices, bullion, coral, ivory, lead, and opium.
[6] The records of the East India Company frequently mention the business activities of Virji Vora, but little is known about his origins or family background.
He was deeply involved in religious affairs, and held the title of Samghapati/Sanghavi, which is given to a lay leader who makes a major contribution, such as building a temple or organizing a mass pilgrimage.
[2] The earliest mention of Virji appears in an East India Company record dated 22 March 1619, which recommends that his servant, "Hacka Parrache" (probably Hak Parekh[1]) should be given "courteous usage" of all English ships at the Swally (Suvali) harbour of Surat.
[8] This meant that Virji's agent was given a permit authorizing him to visit English ships for making commercial transactions, indicating that he was already a well-established merchant by 1619.
[1] The business house of Virji Vora had branches at several places in India, as well as the port cities of the Persian Gulf, the Red Sea, and South-East Asia.
Some of his deals mentioned in historical records include [1][9] Virji Vora also bought opium and cotton from the local merchants and exchanged them for pepper in South India or in the Spice islands.
"[9] Virji Vora competed with the British East India Company (EIC) at times, but he was also their biggest creditor and customer in Surat.
[1] The Dutch and the English often used his facilities for transmitting large amounts of money from Surat to Agra through hundis (similar to demand drafts or traveler's cheques).
On 7 January 1664, Maratha soldiers demolished his residence and warehouses, and looted a large amount of money, along with pearls, rubies, emeralds, and diamonds.
[5] Volquard Iverson, a Dutch eye-witness, states that Shivaji got, "six barrels of gold, money, pearls, gems and other precious wares" from Virji.
The French traveler Jean de Thévenot, who visited Surat in the 1660s and developed a friendship with Virji, also wrote about the huge monetary loss suffered by him during the Shivaji's raid.
François Martin, who served as the head of the French operations in Surat during 1681-1686, wrote about a set of banker-cum-merchants whom he always referred to as "the brothers Boras."