How Gopichand Hinduja was a permanent fixture on the UK's richest list

Hinduja Group chairman Gopichand P Hinduja has died at the age of 85 today (November 4). Gopichand, known as GP, became a British citizen and frequently topped the nation’s rich list. Gopichand took over as chairman of the Hinduja Group after his brother Srichand Hinduja died in 2023 at age 87.

The Hinduja family hit the headlines a few years ago over a dispute over money and control. Gopichand leaves behind his wife Sunita, sons Sanjay and Dheeraj, and daughter Rita.

But who was Gopichand? How was he a permanent feature on the UK rich list?

Let’s take a closer look:

Who was he?

Gopichand was born on January 29, 1940. His father, Parmanand Deepchand Hinduja, founded the Hinduja Group in 1914. Parmanand, who originally hailed from the Sindh province in undivided India, had two other sons, Prakash and Ashok. Parmanand opened the company’s first international office in Iran in 1919. He initially imported carpets, dried fruits and saffron from Iran and exported textiles, tea and other spices to the West.

Gopichand graduated from Jai Hind College in Mumbai and joined the family business in 1959. Like his brothers, Gopichand joined the Hinduja Group in his teens. “We entered the business in our teens, and learnt it from the grass-root level,” Gopichand told The National in an interview. “We’ve grown up with a hands-on experience at every level and each of us are responsible for different geographies and different sectors.”

More from Explainers

'Fawlty Towers' actress Prunella Scales passes away at 93 Cold War reversed: How Russia’s superweapons are challenging Nato

In 1971, Srichand took over as chairman of the Hinduja Group after his father’s death. The company remained headquartered in Iran until the 1979 revolution, after which it shifted base to Britain. The four brothers, known as the ‘Fab Four’, then embarked on a spate of expansion and acquisitions that turned the family business into an empire. In 1984, t he Hinduja Group acquired Gulf Oil, which was followed by the purchase of Ashok Leyland in 1987.

Gopichand was said to be the brains behind these moves, which transformed the Hinduja Group from a business that was predominantly in India and West Asia to a global behemoth.

Editor’s Picks

1

Hinduja Group chairperson Gopichand P Hinduja passes away at 85 2

Why Mehli Mistry took Tata Trusts case to Charity Commissioner instead of courts

Today, the group spans businesses in nearly a dozen sectors including automotive and transport, banking and finance, information technology, oil, real estate, media and entertainment. It is said to employ over 200,000 workers all across the world.

Gopichand and Srichand, meanwhile, moved to the UK and settled in Mayfair, while Prakash first settled in Geneva and then Monaco. Ashok, on the other hand, remained in Mumbai and managed the domestic affairs of the Hinduja Group.

Gopichand, who became a citizen of the UK, ran both the Hinduja Group and Hinduja Automotive Ltd. Though the family motto went, “Everything belongs to everyone and nothing belongs to anyone,” that would lead to problems later.

In the meantime, Gopichand earned the reputation of a savvy businessman hailed for his vision and common sense. He was also accorded a number of honours, including honorary doctorates in law from the University of Westminster and in economics from Richmond College, London.

However, it wasn’t always smooth sailing. In 1989, the brothers were accused in the infamous Bofors scandal. They were charged with taking millions of dollars to convince the Indian government to buy field guns. The charges were ultimately dismissed by the Delhi High Court.

“You have to handle it with wisdom and also be more humble when you have more achievements,” Gopichand told The National. “No big business is without controversy. And as far as controversy is concerned, we try to deal with it, but there are instances where controversy is picked up by your success and growth of business. We try to avoid any legal litigation and find ways to resolve it amicably.”

Getting on the UK rich list, legal troubles

The family first hit Britain’s Sunday Times Rich List in the 1990s.

Srichand and Gopichand in 2014 beat out steel tycoon Lakshmi Mittal to top the rich list. It was a position they either retained or fell to number two over the next decade.

In 2024, the Hinduja family topped the list yet again with an estimated net worth of £37 billion ahead of figures such as James Dyson, the founder of the tech firm, Manchester United owner Jim Ratcliffe and Mittal. By May 2025, the Hinduja family’s fortune had shrunk slightly to £35 billion but they remained atop the lofty list.

However, the Hinduja Group, like other conglomerates, witnessed the family at the heart of the business engage in power struggles.

It all came back to the agreement “Everything belongs to everyone and nothing belongs to anyone” the brothers had made. In 2021, the daughters of Srichand, who had been struggling with dementia, accused their uncles of essentially cutting them out of the family business.

The case, which ended up in a London court, saw wild allegations being made including misappropriation of funds and back and forth over the care of Srichand. It ended with the family doing away with the agreement they had made in the way the conglomerate was governed.

Gopichand took over the Hinduja Group in May 2023 after Srichand passed away at his home in London. His elder brother succumbed after a long battle with dementia. Over 2,500 people attended a prayer meet for Srichand who was hailed by politicians and people in the industry. Now, Gopichand too has passed on, and with it another chapter in the Hinduja Group has come to an end.

With inputs from agencies