Gopichand Hinduja facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Gopichand Hinduja
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Hinduja in 2019
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| Born |
Gopichand Parmanand Hinduja
29 January 1940 |
| Died | 4 November 2025 (aged 85) London, England
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| Nationality | Indian, British |
| Alma mater | Jai Hind College |
| Occupation | Former Co-Chairman, Hinduja Group |
| Spouse(s) | Sunita Hinduja |
| Children | 3, including Dheeraj Hinduja |
| Parent(s) | Parmanand Deepchand Hinduja Jamuna Parmanand Hinduja |
| Relatives | S. P. Hinduja and Prakash Hinduja (brothers) |
Gopichand Parmanand Hinduja (29 January 1940 – 4 November 2025) was an Indian-British businessman. He led the Hinduja Group, a very large company with many different businesses. For many years, he was co-chairman with his brother Srichand "S. P." Hinduja, who passed away in May 2023.
Gopichand and his brother were often named among the richest people in the UK and Asia. In 2024, he was ranked as the wealthiest person in the UK. His family's fortune was estimated at £37 billion.
Contents
A Life in Business
Starting Out
Gopichand and his brothers started their careers in their father's businesses. These included selling textiles and trading goods in Mumbai, India, and Tehran, Iran. Early successes involved selling food like onions and potatoes, and iron ore from India to Iran.
Growing the Business
In the 1980s, the Hinduja Group grew by buying important companies. They acquired Ashok Leyland, a vehicle manufacturer, and Gulf Oil, an energy company. In the 1990s, they opened banks in Switzerland and India. This made the Hinduja Group one of India's most famous companies. It stood alongside others like Tata and Birla. In 2012, the Group bought a big American company called Houghton International. This company makes special fluids for metals. The deal was worth over $1 billion.
Amazing Wealth
By May 2024, Gopichand Hinduja was considered the richest person in the UK. Since the 1990s, he was consistently listed among the wealthiest individuals in both the UK and Asia. In 2017, he topped the Sunday Times Rich List. His estimated wealth was £16.2 billion (about $21 billion) at that time.
In 2018, Forbes magazine ranked him and his brother as the world's 55th richest family. Their estimated wealth was $19.5 billion. The Hinduja brothers, Gopichand and Srichand, were again named the UK's wealthiest people in 2019 by The Times UK. His estimated wealth continued to grow. It reached about £35 billion in 2023 and £37.2 billion in 2024.
His Early Years
Gopichand Parmanand Hinduja was born on January 29, 1940. His father was Parmanand Hinduja. Gopichand studied at Jai Hind College in Mumbai.
Family Life
Gopichand was married to Sunita Hinduja. They had three children: two sons, Sanjay Hinduja and Dheeraj Hinduja, and one daughter, Rita Hinduja. The Hinduja family has Sindhi roots. Gopichand and his three brothers were all teetotal, meaning they did not drink alcohol. They were also vegetarian.
In 2015, his son Sanjay Hinduja married designer Anu Mahtani in Udaipur, India. The wedding was a grand event, costing £15 million. Famous performers like Jennifer Lopez, Nicole Scherzinger, and actor Arjun Kapoor entertained the guests.
Becoming a British Citizen
Gopichand became a British citizen in 1997. In 2001, there was a public discussion about donations he made to the Millennium Dome project. This happened around the time he applied for British citizenship.
His Final Years
In 2021, there were some public family disagreements involving the Hinduja family. At that time, Gopichand's elder brother, Srichand, was suffering from dementia. Srichand passed away in 2023.
Gopichand Hinduja passed away today, on November 4, 2025, at the age of 85. He died at a hospital in London.
