Womesh Chandra Bonnerjee was the first President of the Indian National Congress (INC), which was founded in 1885 by educated Indian elites. The inaugural session of the INC took place in Bombay in December 1885. Retired British ICS officer A.O. Hume played a significant role in its formation. Initially, the British government supported the establishment of the INC as a platform for dialogue.

The British saw the INC as a 'safety valve' to channel the growing resentment of Indians against colonial rule. The creation of the INC marked the political awakening of the educated middle class in India. It transformed the political landscape by introducing new voices and ideas into the struggle for Indian rights and self-governance. This laid the foundation for the later freedom movement.