Gopichand P Hinduja, head of Britain’s richest family and chairman of the Hinduja Group, has died in London at the age of 85. Known as ‘GP’, he had been unwell for several weeks and passed away at a London hospital, according to family sources
Gopichand Hinduja. PIC/X
Gopichand P Hinduja, the head of Britain’s richest family and a key figure in building the global Hinduja Group, died in London at the age of 85, news agency PTI reported.
Fondly known as ‘GP’ in business circles, he had been unwell for the past few weeks and passed away at a London hospital, sources close to the family told PTI.
Born in 1940, Gopichand was the second of the four Hinduja brothers who transformed their father’s trading business into a global conglomerate spanning automotive, energy, banking, and infrastructure. After the death of his elder brother Srichand Hinduja in 2023, he took over as chairman of the 35 billion pound Hinduja Group.
Gopichand Hinduja is survived by his wife, Sunita, sons Sanjay and Dheeraj, and daughter, Rita.
A graduate of Mumbai’s Jai Hind College (1959), Gopichand Hinduja began his career in the family’s trading business in Tehran before expanding its footprint across continents.
Under his leadership, the Hinduja Group made landmark acquisitions — including Gulf Oil in 1984 and the then-struggling Indian automaker Ashok Leyland in 1987 — marking the first major non-resident Indian (NRI) investment in India. Today, Ashok Leyland is regarded as one of the most remarkable turnaround stories in Indian corporate history.
He also spearheaded the Group’s entry into the power and infrastructure sectors, shaping plans for multi-gigawatt energy generation capacity in India.
Known for his understated leadership and deep commitment to family values, Gopichand Hinduja was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Law by the University of Westminster and an Honorary Doctorate of Economics by Richmond College, London, according to the Group’s website.
He and his brothers — Srichand and Prakash — were once accused in the Bofors scandal of receiving Rs 64 crore in illegal commissions to help Swedish gunmaker AB Bofors secure an Indian contract. However, the Delhi High Court exonerated all three in 2005.
According to The Sunday Times Rich List, the Hinduja family remains Britain’s wealthiest, with an estimated net worth of £35.3 billion, despite a dip from £37.2 billion the previous year. Their UK assets include the historic Carlton House Terrace near Buckingham Palace and the Old War Office building in Whitehall, now the Raffles London hotel, which opened in 2023.
The family, however, has faced internal disputes over control of its vast wealth. After Srichand’s death, it was revealed that Gopichand and his younger brothers — Prakash, 79, and Ashok, 74 — had been locked in a legal battle with Srichand and his daughter, Vinoo, over a 2014 letter stating that assets held by one belonged to all. Though the family announced a truce, reports suggest private negotiations are ongoing.
The Hinduja Group traces its origins to 1914 when founder Parmanand Hinduja established a trading business in the Sindh region of British India, dealing in carpets, tea, and spices. He later expanded operations to Iran, where his sons joined and diversified into new ventures, including distributing Bollywood films overseas.
Parmanand, who died in 1971, left his sons a guiding principle — “Everything belongs to everyone and nothing belongs to anyone.” While the brothers upheld this philosophy for decades, the recent disputes have raised questions over the unity of the empire.
The Group’s global interests include the Geneva-based SP Hinduja Banque Privée, Mumbai’s IndusInd Bank Ltd, and extensive property holdings, with over 250 acres of land in key Indian cities.
(With PTI inputs)
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