SP Hinduja, the patriarch of one of Britain’s wealthiest families, has passed away at the age of 87. Hinduja led a business empire that originated from his father’s jute shop in Mumbai, which has since grown into a multinational powerhouse. The Hinduja Group operates as a closely-run family network without any outside shareholders and manages a business portfolio worth more than $15 billion.
Hinduja stayed out of public life for years due to health conditions related to dementia. However, he made several public appearances, including the construction of a religious temple, the opening of a Hindu temple in 1999 and the funding of the “Spirit Zone” at the Millennium Dome in Greenwich.
Despite the carefully crafted public image, Hinduja has also faced investigations into alleged influence-spreading allegations. Hinduja and his brothers were under close scrutiny by Indian authorities after reports of bribes being paid in connection with a $1.3 billion arms sale by Swedish arms maker Bofors in 1986.
With an estimated fortune of £28.4 billion (about $35 billion), the Hinduja family topped the UK’s 2022 ‘richest list’. Their biggest trophy is their London stronghold, a four-story building at 13-16 Carlton House Terrace.
Srichand Parmanand Hinduja was born in what is now Karachi in 1935 and joined his father’s business in Iran after graduating from RD National University in 1952. Hinduja emigrated to Britain in 1979 after the Islamic Revolution that overthrew the Shah of Iran. His wife, Madhu Sichand Hinduja, passed away in January, and he is survived by his three brothers, daughters Vinu and Shanu, and son Durham, who died by self-immolation in 1992.