In late October 1851, the British Indian Association (BIA) was established in Calcutta (now Kolkata) through the merger of the Landholders’ Society and the Bengal British India Society.

Led by Raja Radhakanta Deb as President and Debendranath Tagore as Secretary, the BIA was among the first Indian-only political associations of its time. Its members included prominent Bengal figures such as Ramgopal Ghosh, Peary Chand Mitra and Krishnadas Pal.

The association aimed to voice Indian grievances - petitioning for reforms like separation of executive and judicial powers, abolition of salt and stamp duties, support for Indian industry, and access to higher administrative posts.
While its membership remained elite-centric and geographically limited, the BIA signalled a shift from ad-hoc protest to structured advocacy. It laid one of the early foundations for later national organisations by mobilising Indian opinion through constitutional means rather than violence.