TRIBUTES have started flowing in for Gopi Parmanand Hinduja, head of the Hinduja empire, who passed away around 8am on Tuesday morning in a London hospital. He was 85.
Gopichand Ahuja during the Asian Rich List awards ceremony of 2017.
He was known affectionately and universally as either “GP” or Gopi.
Although he had been ill for some weeks, he was described by a member of his staff as “still full of life”. Even towards the end “his mind was sharp”.
King Charles meets Gopichand Hinduja during a reception by charity Combat Stress to launch The At Ease Appeal at St James Palace on May 13, 2019 in London. (Photo: Getty Images)
Gopi and his elder brother, Srichand Parmanand Hinduja (“SP”), who were based in London, worked closely together. Gopi took over the leadership of the Hinduja empire when SP died, aged 87, in London on May 17, 2023.
Asian Media Group founder Ramniklal Solanki CBE with Gopi Hinduja.
They lived in adjoining flats in Carlton House Terrace in London and would begin each day with a brisk walk in nearby St James’s Park where it was their practice to feed hundreds, possibly thousands, of birds and squirrels.
“SP and Gopi were like my gurus really,” commented another member of staff.
Gopi Hinduja with photograph of his father P D Hinduja October 8, 2023.
Lord Rami Ranger was eloquent in being one of the first to pay tribute to Gopi: “He was a pillar of the community. He will be greatly missed. Not many billionaires have time for ordinary people but he was always accessible. Any good cause he would support. He would attend every community meeting to which he was invited. He was committed to doing good for the community. He was always gracious and humble. His passing leaves a big void.”
Ramniklal Solanki CBE, Gopi Hinduja and Sir Rhodes Boyson.
There was nothing in his demeanour which suggested that the Hindujas were the wealthiest family in the land. The last Eastern Eye Asian Rich List put the Hindujas at number one with a net value of £34.5bn.
Hinduja bothers seated Srichand left to right Gopi, Prakash, Ashok May 15, 2019.
The family firm was founded by Parmanand Deepchand Hinduja, who was born in Shikarpur in Sind (now in Pakistan) on 25 November 1901, and set up a business when he moved to Bombay (now Mumbai) in 1914.
Gopi once said the Hindujas have at least “12 verticals”, ranging from oil to automobiles, property, power, finance and banking. They did business in 100 countries and employed 120,000 people (it was a matter of pride no one was fired during the pandemic).
Boris Johnson with Gopi Hinduja on October 28, 2024.
Gopi, who was born in India on 29 January 1940, and SP saw their role as uniting the British Indian community, and also strengthening relations between the UK and India. Although they were devout Hindus, who remained vegetarian all their lives, they were able to maintain friendly relations with other faiths.
Gopi Hinduja speaks during Asian Business Awards.
Gopi never really recovered emotionally from SP’s death.
“He had respect for me,” Gopi said after SP’s passing, “and I had double that respect for him. We used to eat together. Even now that family tradition continues.”
Gopi Hinduja with SP's picture in background on October 8, 2023.
SP and Gopi worked in coordination with their younger brothers, Prakash, 80, who has moved from Geneva to Monaco, and Ashok, 75, who lives in Mumbai.
Among the next generation, Gopi has two sons, Sanjay, 60, and Dheeraj, 52; Prakash also has two, Ajay, 56, and Ramkrishan (“Remy”), 53; and Ashok one, Shom, 31.
In February this year, Gopi called Eastern Eye and admitted: “I am in Dubai.”
Hinduja Diwali party: From left - Lord Jitesh Gadhia, Sir Clive Alderton and Gopi Hinduja on November 9, 2022.
He sounded a little like a naughty schoolboy who had been caught like Krishna stealing butter.
This was because he didn’t want it to appear that, like other British Asian entrepreneurs, he had also fled to Dubai to escape the harsh tax regime imposed by the Labour chancellor, Rachel Reeves.
“It’s much cleaner than Bombay, it has much better infrastructure than Bombay, everything works,” asserted Gopi.
But he added: “The weather here is nice but I will soon be going back home to London.”
Oliver Dowden and Gopi Hinduja on April 17, 2024.
And he did.
Gopi made sure the reins of power began shifting to the next generation while he was alive. This consists of Gopi’s sons, Sanjay, 61, and Dheeraj, 53; Prakash’s sons, Ajay, 56, and Ramkrishan (Remy), 53; and Ashok’s son, Shom, 32.
Sanjay, who is probably the first among equals, is chairman of Gulf Oil International, while Dheeraj is chairman of Ashok Leyland, which Gopi described as the family’s “flagship”.
One way and another, with Gulf Oil and Ashok Leyland to look after, as well as the superluxury Raffles at OWO hotel in London, Hinduja Global Solutions and Hinduja Tech, the recently acquired Reliance Capital and IndusInd Bank, business is as prosperous as ever.
Gopi and his wife Sunita also have a daughter, Rita Chhabria, who has been involved in a charity in India called the Mukul Madhav Foundation. But in recent years, she moved from Mumbai to London to be with her father.
On one occasion last year, Gopi was sitting in the grand drawing room of the Hinduja mansion in Carlton House Terrace. He was flanked by Rita, and also Satya Hinduja, who is Ashok’s youngest daughter. Satya lives mainly in America where she uses the power of music to tackle mental health problems. She is also writing a book about the family’s philosophy.
Joginder Sanger with Gopi Hinduja on March 3, 2025
At the core of Gopi’s philosophy was his belief in the strength of the joint family. The experience of many prominent Indian business dynasties, such as the Ambanis, has not been encouraging. Dhirubhai Ambani founded the family business, only for his sons, Mukesh and Anil, to part in acrimony after their father’s death. At one stage, Ambani senior had apparently asked SP for advice.
“I love the parivar,” said Gopi, using the Indian word for family.
Gopi and Ashok Hinduja (left) with Sadiq Khan (centre) during their 2022 Diwali party.
He went on: “I love the joint family. I would love all members of the family to stay united. I want to create a legacy in the world which recognises that the joint family is the real strength of human beings. Look, everyone is born and then finally they are gone. There is nobody who is permanent. But there is strength in the joint family. This is not easy because people have their own minds. So one should have the spirit of acceptance when things go wrong, to have silence and forgive and forget. Because if you don’t forgive and forget, it becomes a big war and that does not help anyone.”
“Even Sanjay’s son, who is five years old, begins every morning with his prayers to the world,” said his proud grandfather.
Pramukhswami Shrichand & Gopichand Hinduja.
He said SP was the one who had spotted the potential of the Old War Office when he had walked past the building in Whitehall.
In September 2023, Raffles at The OWO in Whitehall was opened by Princess Anne, The Princess Royal. The opening was the culmination of an eight-year, £1.2 billion project to transform the Old War Office into the 120-room Raffles Hotel, nine restaurants and 85 luxury apartments serviced by Raffles. The Hinduja group acquired the building from the UK government in 2016 for £350m. Now complete, the group is keen to explore other similar real estate opportunities.
Shailesh and Kalpesh Solanki launch the Asian Rich List with GP Hinduja.
In April 2024, the Hindujas signed a “momentous” agreement with leading hospitals and academic institutions in the UK which will allow the latest advances in medical science to be shared with India. In addition, there will be scholarships for Indian PhD and Masters students to come to London to pursue research in healthcare engineering.
The last Eastern Eye Asian Rich List put the Hindujas at number one with a net value of £34.5bn.
Gopi attended the signing ceremony at the relatively new Institute of Healthcare Engineering at 100 Lambeth Palace Road, adjacent to St Thomas’ Hospital. He was accompanied by his children, Sanjay, Dheeraj, and Rita. Sanjay’s and Dheeraj’s wives, Anusuya and Shalini, respectively, also accompanied their father-in-law. Oliver Dowden, then deputy prime minister, also came to the ceremony to indicate the British government’s support for the agreement.
Srichand and Gopi Hinduja.
The institute is part of King’s College London.
Last year, Gopi published a book called I Am?, which assembled his views on spirituality and the universal fraternity espoused by world religions. It also reflected the Hinduja family’s way of doing business in multicultural geographies. He pointed out that ancient Indians had a saying in Sanskrit, Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam, meaning “The world is one family”.
Hinduja Family at the Mahakumbh.
The Hindujas are always discreet about their royal connections. Gopi’s book carries an endorsement by King Charles, who sent his private secretary, Sir Clive Alderton, to the Hinduja Diwali party in October 2022. At one stage, when Prince Harry “was having difficulties with his family, the Queen sent him to have a chat with me,” Gopi once revealed.
