The global business community is reflecting on the legacy of Gopichand Hinduja, who has died at the age of 85, leaving behind a far-reaching empire and a family widely regarded as the richest in the United Kingdom.
The billionaire leader of the Hinduja family, known simply as GP, spent decades shaping the group into one of the most influential business dynasties in both Britain and India.
In a tribute confirming his passing, the family said he will “leave a deep hole at the heart of our family,” noting that he would always be “remembered for his formidable work.” GP played a central role in transforming his father’s humble textile and trading operation into a multinational business spanning banking, energy, media, manufacturing and other sectors.
Today, the Hinduja Group employs about 200,000 people and maintains a footprint in 48 countries.
GP was the second-born of four brothers who jointly guided the family enterprise for many years. His eldest brother, Srichand, passed away last year at the age of 87.
With GP’s death, attention is now shifting to the future leadership of the group. It remains unclear who will take the helm, but the youngest of the brothers, Ashok, currently manages the conglomerate’s operations across India, which includes truck manufacturer Ashok Leyland.
Tributes from business and community leaders have been pouring in. Lord Karan Bilimoria, the founder of Cobra Beer, highlighted GP’s influence in strengthening ties between the United Kingdom and India.
“Whether it was in banking, whether it was in manufacturing, whether it was in property, they were always putting the UK and India together,” he said. He added that GP “personified” the relationship between the two nations and was “not only a famous and respected individual in the UK and India but a great champion for our two countries. We shall miss him greatly.”
The Hinduja family topped the latest Sunday Times Rich List with an estimated wealth of £35.3 billion, and they were ranked 11th on Forbes’ 2024 list of India’s wealthiest business figures.
Their assets include large properties in central London, among them several homes near St James’s Park and the redevelopment of Winston Churchill’s Old War Office into a luxury hotel.
Although GP preferred to keep a low profile, he was thrust into the public spotlight in 2001 during what became known as the “Hinduja affair.”
His support letter regarding his brother Prakash’s citizenship application came at a time when the family foundation had donated £1 million to the Millennium Dome. That episode led to the resignation of Peter Mandelson, though he was later cleared of any wrongdoing.
Last year, Prakash, his wife, his son and daughter-in-law were convicted in Switzerland for exploiting domestic workers at their property in Geneva.
With two of the original four brothers now gone, the Hinduja family faces another moment of transition. GP’s leadership helped shape a global corporation and cemented the family’s standing in international business and diplomacy.
His legacy remains firmly attached to the rise of a modest trading firm into a worldwide giant.
