Andrew and George moved from Scotland to Manchester around 1855. Three years later, in 1858, they formed a partnership as warehousemen. The same year, encouraged by profits to be made in colonial trade, Andrew moved to India. One of the first businesses he established there was the Hoolungpooree Tea company. In 1866, he formed
Andrew Yule and Co and established operations in Calcutta (now
Kolkata). The company was one of the pioneers of the extension of the cotton spinning industry to
Bengal.
Hand spinning had been
widespread in Bengal in previous centuries, but
cotton mills (factories)
had previously been
confined to the city of
Bombay. He also acted as trade representative for several companies. By 1875, he had established interests in jute, cotton and coal as well as in tea. That year, his brother George and
their nephew David left England to settle in India. ==Later life and legacy==