Gopichand Hinduja: The Journey of a Business Titan Who Led UK's Richest Family

Gopichand P Hinduja, affectionately known as 'GP' in corporate circles, who led Britain's wealthiest family, has passed away in London at 85 years of age.

The business tycoon had been in poor health for several weeks and died in a London hospital, according to sources close to the family.

Born in 1940, Gopichand was the second of four Hinduja brothers who transformed their business into a global conglomerate spanning automotive, energy, banking, and infrastructure sectors. Following the passing of his elder brother Srichand in 2023, he assumed leadership as chairman of the Hinduja Group, valued at 35 billion pounds.

He leaves behind his wife Sunita, sons Sanjay and Dheeraj, and daughter Rita.

A graduate of Mumbai's Jai Hind College in 1959, Gopichand began his professional journey in the family's trading enterprise in Tehran before expanding operations across continents.

Under his stewardship, the group acquired Gulf Oil in 1984, followed shortly by the purchase of struggling Indian automotive manufacturer Ashok Leyland in 1987, marking the first significant NRI investment in India.

Today, Ashok Leyland stands as one of the most remarkable turnaround success stories in Indian corporate history.

Gopichand was also the visionary who led the Group's expansion into power and infrastructure, spearheading plans to build multi-gigawatt energy generation capacity in India.

Recognized for his understated demeanor and strong family values, he received honorary doctorates from both the University of Westminster (Law) and Richmond College, London (Economics), according to the group's website.

He and his brothers Srichand and Prakash faced accusations of receiving Rs 64 crore in illegal commissions to help Swedish gunmaker AB Bofors secure an Indian contract. However, all three were exonerated by the Delhi High Court in 2005.

The Hinduja family maintained their position as Britain's wealthiest according to the latest Sunday Times Rich List, despite their fortune declining to 35.3 billion pounds from 37.2 billion pounds the previous year.

Their UK property portfolio includes the magnificent 67,000 square feet 18th-century Carlton House Terrace near Buckingham Palace and the historic Old War Office building in Whitehall, now home to the Raffles London hotel which opened in September 2023.

The family has experienced internal conflict over their vast wealth. Following eldest brother Srichand's death in 2023, it emerged that Gopichand and younger brothers Prakash (79) and Ashok (74) had been engaged in a three-year dispute with the patriarch and his daughter Vinoo regarding a 2014 letter, signed by all four siblings, stating that assets held by one belonged to all.

Though the family publicly declared a truce in their power struggle, reports suggest they continue to privately negotiate related matters.

Their father, Parmanand, established their namesake business in 1914 in British India's Sindh region, trading in carpets, tea, and spices. In 1919, he relocated from Sindh (now in Pakistan) to Iran, where his sons later joined as the group rapidly diversified investments, achieving early success distributing Bollywood films internationally.

Parmanand, who died in 1971, instilled in his sons a guiding principle: "Everything belongs to everyone and nothing belongs to anyone." However, the siblings eventually feuded over control of their vast business empire and have reportedly agreed to effectively abandon this letter, potentially leading to a breakup of their conglomerate.

The Hinduja empire included the only Indian-owned Swiss bank, SP Hinduja Banquee Privee, headquartered in Geneva. Their assets also comprised Mumbai-based lender IndusInd Bank Ltd and a property investment firm that has acquired over 250 acres of land across major Indian cities.