G P Hinduja's death marks end of an era, says a close associate

London, Nov 4 (PTI) G P Hinduja, chairman of the Hinduja Group, was truly a well-wisher of the community and a guiding force, and his death marks the end of an era, a close associate of the British Indian industrialist said on Tuesday.

Gopichand Parmanand Hinduja died in London on Tuesday after a long illness. He was 85.

"With a heavy heart, I share with you the tragic loss of our beloved friend, Mr GP Hinduja, who has departed for his heavenly abode,” said Lord Rami Ranger, a close associate of the British Indian industrialist.

“He was one of the most gracious, humble, and loyal friends. His passing marks the end of an era, as he was truly a well-wisher of the community and a guiding force,” he said.

G P Hinduja had been a regular feature in the annual ‘Sunday Times Rich List’, with the Hinduja Group topping this year's tally for the fourth consecutive year with an estimated fortune of GBP 35.3 billion.

He oversaw the multinational conglomerate with cross-sector interests, most recently adding the Old War Office (OWO) luxury hotel complex in central London to its varied business interests.

G P Hinduja was known as a very vocal champion of closer India-UK economic ties and often addressed gatherings in London to exhort businesses to invest in the booming Indian market.

He was the recipient of a string of awards over the years, most recently a Lifetime Achievement Award for his contributions to business and industry at the Lokmat Global Economic Convention here in August.

“We have always been working to see what best we can do between India and the UK because we believe our responsibility is to act as a bridge between the host country and the motherland,” he had said recently at a business gathering.

His elder brother and the group's co-chairman, S P Hinduja, had passed away in May 2023. Together, the Hinduja brothers, including Prakash and Ashok, were among the most well-known Indian-origin business families in Britain.

The family's group of companies operates across 48 countries across automotive, oil and speciality chemicals, banking and finance, IT, cybersecurity, healthcare, trading, infrastructure project development, media and entertainment, power, and real estate. PTI AK ZH ZH