Gopichand Hinduja, head of Britain’s richest family and Hinduja Group, dies at 85

Gopichand Hinduja, chairman of the Hinduja Group and patriarch of one of the world’s most prominent business dynasties, has died at the age of 85.

The billionaire industrialist passed away on Tuesday in London after a long illness, according to a family spokesperson.

In a statement, the Hinduja family described him as a “formidable leader” and said, “He will leave a deep hole at the heart of our family. We will all miss you deeply but remember you happily forever.”

A global business empire spanning decades

Known in business circles as “GP,” Gopichand Hinduja was the second-eldest of four brothers who together built the Hinduja Group into a global conglomerate with interests across automotive manufacturing, banking, oil, real estate, healthcare, and media.

The group employs more than 200,000 people in 38 countries, with major holdings including Indian automaker Ashok Leyland Ltd. and IndusInd Bank Ltd.

Born in 1940, Gopichand joined the family enterprise in 1959, helping to expand the business founded by his father, Parmanand Deepchand Hinduja, who began trading carpets, tea, and spices in 1914 in what was then British India.

Over the following decades, Gopichand oversaw the Hinduja Group’s diversification into new sectors, spearheading key acquisitions such as Gulf Oil International and Ashok Leyland during the 1980s.

Under his leadership, the group continued to expand globally, particularly after the Hinduja brothers relocated to London in the 1970s.

The move helped solidify the family’s position as one of the most influential business dynasties in the UK.

Britain’s richest family and their expanding portfolio

The Hinduja family topped the Sunday Times Rich List this year with a collective fortune of £35.3 billion (approximately $46 billion), placing them firmly among Britain’s wealthiest families.

Their portfolio includes significant holdings in finance, energy, and property development.

In London, the family owns multiple properties near St James’s Park, including an 18th-century mansion on Carlton House Terrace, as well as the historic Old War Office (OWO) building in Whitehall.

The OWO was transformed into a luxury development featuring apartments priced as high as £40 million.

Despite controversy surrounding the lack of affordable housing in the OWO project, Westminster City Council allowed the Hindujas to proceed without including such units.

Legacy and family continuity

Gopichand Hinduja co-chaired the Hinduja Group with his elder brother, Srichand, who died in 2023 after a prolonged illness.

His surviving brothers, Prakash and Ashok, continue to lead the group’s European and Indian operations, respectively.

The Hinduja family’s approach to business has long been guided by the philosophy that “everything belongs to everyone and nothing belongs to anyone,” a principle that shaped both its structure and governance.

However, that principle was tested in recent years by a legal dispute over control of family assets, which was ultimately resolved in late 2022.

Gopichand is survived by his wife, Sunita, their two sons, Sanjay and Dheeraj, and their daughter, Rita.

Through decades of leadership and expansion, Gopichand Hinduja helped transform his family’s trading enterprise into a global industrial powerhouse.