The Hindujas were a power not just in Britain and in India but across the globe when Srichand Parmanand Hinduja and his younger brother, Gopichand Parmanand Hinduja, were alive. Their annual Diwali parties at their mansion in Carlton House Terrace drew the great and the good.
But now the old ways could change.
Srichand (affectionately known as SP) died, aged 87, in London on 17 May 2023.
And Gopi passed away, aged 84, also in London, on 4 November 2025.
SP’s funeral was held at Golders Green Crematorium in North London. Gopi’s took place at Chiltern Crematorium in Buckinghamshire. The Milton Chapel could accommodate no more than 400, seated and standing, so that an overflow tent for another 100 was required. Despite the 9am start, family and friends came at short notice from all over the world.
The family firm was founded by Parmanand Deepchand Hinduja, who was born in Shikarpur in Sind (now in Pakistan) on November 25, 1901, and set up a small business when he moved to Bombay (now Mumbai) in 1914.
After the Iranian revolution of 1979, SP and Gopi moved their headquarters from Tehran to London. It could be said, as it was once of the British, that the sun never set on the Hinduja empire.
They do business in 100 countries, employ 120,000 people (it was a matter of pride not to make anyone redundant during Covid) and “exist in 48 countries in 12 verticals”. The latter includes everything from banking to oil, finance, IT, real estate, health, energy, defence, and the automotive sector.
SP and Gopi are survived by their younger brothers, Prakash Hinduja, who is 80 and lives in Monaco, and Ashok Hinduja, 75, who is based in Mumbai.
The family motto was quintessentially Indian: “Four brothers, one soul.”
On the face of it, there has been a smooth transition to the third generation. Even while SP and Gopi were alive, the torch was being passed to Gopi’s sons, Sanjay, 62, and Dheeraj, 54; Prakash’s sons, Ajay, 57, and Ramkrishan (Remy), 54; and Ashok’s son, Shom, 33.
Sanjay, probably the first among equals, is chairman of Gulf Oil International, while Dheeraj is chairman of Ashok Leyland, which Gopi considered 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 has remained as prosperous as ever.
But without SP and Gopi, there is bound to be a subtle change in the standing of the Hinduja family. SP made a point of cultivating presidents and prime ministers, usually offering suggestions on how they should improve relations with India. SP once helped the Shah of Iran when Mohammad Reza Pahlavi ran short of onions and potatoes. He also urged Mrs Indira Gandhi to gift a box of mangoes to the Iranian monarch. “As a result, the Shah sold oil to India at a discounted price”.
SP said he persuaded President Clinton to take a softer line with India. When SP travelled to America by Concorde, his Jeeves manservant took along extra portions of vegetarian food to share with chairmen and CEOs of various companies. Apparently the latter would tell air hostesses: “I don’t want lobster thermidor, I want what he’s having.”
SP would end up exchanging business cards with those who gratefully accepted his hospitality at Mach 2 at 60,000ft. And when the Queen invited the brothers to lunch at Buckingham Palace, SP said they would love to come providing they could bring their own vegetarian food. Of course, said the Queen. As Prince Harry began to quarrel with his family, the Queen sent him to see Gopi in case Indian family values could rub off on William’s younger brother.
“I love the parivar,” Gopi once said, using the Indian word for family.
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 as SP and Gopi became frail, it was business as usual for Sanjay and Dheeraj and their first cousins.
At the Raffles Hotel at OWO, which Gopi considered to be the Hinduja legacy, there was a £300 “celebration of caviar” dinner last September, with collaboration by acclaimed chefs Leonel Aguirre of Mauro Colagreco and Bertrand Noeureuil of Le Gabriel.
Ashok Hinduja met the Philippines president Ferdinand Marcos Jr. in New Delhi last November to discuss expanding investments in the country’s defence and digital technology sectors.
On 4 February 2026, Ashok Leyland signed a MOU with PT Pindad, Indonesia’s premier state-owned defence and industrial equipment manufacturer. The MoU outlined a strategic collaboration for the joint development and manufacturing of Electric Buses (EVs) and defence vehicles tailored to Indonesia’s growing mobility and national security requirements.
Dheeraj Hinduja commented: “The Philippines is an exciting market, with an energetic workforce, a strategic geographic location, and forward-thinking national leadership. Our capabilities across the automotive, energy, and digital technology sectors put us in a unique position to help facilitate the economic transformation of the country. We learned from our experience in African countries including Chad, Nigeria, South Sudan and many more, that it is possible to create business in new geographies and create a sustainable model.”
Gulf Oil has entered into sporting partnerships with Williams, McClaren and the Chennai Super Kings.
The Hinduja Foundation UK’s collaboration with King’s College London – this was inaugurated by Gopi – continues and in 2025, the first Indian Hinduja PhD and MSc scholars started their studies at the London Institute of Healthcare Engineering at King’s College London.
In India, the Hinduja Foundation has recharged 265 springs and planted 145,000 saplings in the state of Uttarakhand to combat environmental degradation.
The foundation has also started screening 10,000 poor women for cervical and breast cancer. Those diagnosed with cancer will receive free treatment.
There was a certain charm in the way that SP and Gopi dealt with their business contacts. There was nothing in their 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.
They invited a wide range of guests home for dinner. They included Princess Diana and Michael Jackson. Boris Johnson was happy to leave a Hinduja Diwali party with a goodie bag and a silver statue of the Goddess Lakshmi (the Hindujas kept a plentiful supply of these statues). For one Diwali party, King Charles sent his private secretary, Sir Clive Alderton, who walked back to Buckingham Palace clutching a silver Lakshmi for the monarch.
Maybe those now in charge have learnt how to win friends and influence people from SP and Gopi.
Sanjay spoke of his legacy at the memorial for Gopi in the packed ballroom of the Raffles ballroom.
“Over the past four days, we have received thousands of letters, emails, WhatsApp messages describing dad’s business acumen, calling him a titan of industry, and he truly was. But those who knew him closely knew that dad’s greatness went far beyond just business. He was, above all, a man of family, heart and music.
“Reading through the messages, I have come to realise how deeply he touched lives in the Indian community. Many have called him a bridge between India and the United Kingdom. Dad tirelessly helped build genuine respect for India in the UK.
“You have heard (his saying), ‘Next to impossible is possible.’ ”
Ashok set out how “together with SP, he took the reins of our family business and nurtured it into what it is today. GP was a visionary thinking beyond convention, building enduring foundations for growth. He firmly believed that lasting relationships are the true pillars of success. Banking and finance may run in our family’s DNA, but GP gave it most exceptional expression, though he never attended a business school. He was unquestionably the finest student at the ‘University of Life’.”
Significantly, SP’s daughter, Shanu Hinduja, who came with her younger sister, Vinoo, addressed the question of family unity.
Differences between Shanu and Vinoo on one hand and their cousins and uncles on the other rose from the interpretation of the family creed – “Everything belongs to everyone and nothing belongs to anyone”.
“Families are made of many colours, moments of joy and warmth, but also different perspectives,” remarked Shanu. “Uncle GP taught me that those differences are not divisions. They are part of what makes a family (strong). Expressing our thoughts, understanding each other and respecting each other’s views is not what you call division. It’s what you call acceptance of togetherness, and this was the greatness of both SP and GP that allowed each of us as family members to express our views and be accepted for who we are.”
Shanu pledged: “I want to assure all of you that the era of SP and GP may have come to an end but we have all learned from them and will continue to practise what they have taught us, and always remember that togetherness and love also come by understanding each other’s thoughts. Life is a lesson, and we’re here learning from each other.”
Some spoken at Gopi’s funeral.
Dheeraj said: “Family unity for him was paramount. We are deeply aware of the void dad leaves behind. His absence will be felt every day, but his spirit, his teachings and his example will continue to guide and inspire us.”
SP and Gopi tried to pass on the principles that they had inherited from their father – and which gave the Hindujas their influence.
These were:
“Work to Give: The group believes that wealth creation is a means to serve society through philanthropy and social responsibility.
“Word is a Bond: Trust, integrity, and commitment are viewed as the foundation of all business dealings.
“Act Local, Think Global: The group maintains a global vision and presence while deeply understanding and adapting to local markets, cultures, and contexts.
“Partnership for Growth: A focus on building long-term, collaborative relationships with partners, employees, and stakeholders.
“Advance Fearlessly: A commitment to embracing innovation and new opportunities while staying true to core values.”
ENDS
