Final answer:
The British, Dutch, and French all had significant trade involvement, but British dominance later led to colonization.
Step-by-step explanation:
The early European leader in trade with India was Portugal, which initially controlled the trade routes to India before losing them to England.
The English East India Company, established in 1600 and granted a monopoly on trade in the Indian Ocean by Queen Elizabeth I, became a major force in trade with India.
They introduced the concept of bulk trade and established multiple trade partners to obtain enough silver for transactions, as the Indian government insisted on silver as payment.
The Dutch and the French also established their own East India companies, focusing on different regions and commodities.
Eventually, through a combination of trade, conflicts, and treaties, the British emerged as the dominant European power in India, leading to their control and colonization of the subcontinent in the early 1800s.