Desh Bandhu Gupta
Desh Bandhu Gupta | |
|---|---|
| Born | Template:Birth date Rajgarh, Alwar, Rajasthan, India |
| Died | June 26, 2017 (aged 79) Mumbai, Maharashtra, India |
| Occupation(s) | Entrepreneur, philanthropist |
| Known for | Founder of Lupin Limited |
Desh Bandhu Gupta (8 February 1938 – 26 June 2017) was a prominent Indian entrepreneur, philanthropist, billionaire, and the visionary behind Lupin Limited, a global pharmaceutical corporation. At the time of his passing, his wealth was approximated at US$3.6 billion.
Early life
Born on 8 February 1938 in Rajgarh, Alwar, Rajasthan, Gupta was the oldest among five siblings. He completed his postgraduate studies in chemistry at Bombay University.
Career
Initially, Gupta served as an associate professor at BITS Pilani but soon transitioned from academia to entrepreneurship to apply his concepts practically. Relocating to Bombay (now Mumbai), he gained experience working at a small British pharmaceutical company.
In 1968, with an initial investment of 5,000 borrowed from his wife, he established Lupin. The company’s first premises were a rented office in Central Mumbai dedicated to medicine distribution. Utilizing an 8 lakh loan from Central Bank of India, Gupta set up a manufacturing unit specializing in iron and folic acid tablets aimed at government health initiatives. Under his guidance, Lupin grew into an international enterprise, expanding into markets such as the United States and Japan.
In 1988, he launched the Lupin Human Welfare & Research Foundation (LHWRF) to foster sustainable development in rural areas and improve the lives of impoverished families. LHWRF currently benefits around 2.8 million individuals across roughly 3,500 villages spanning nine Indian states.
Gupta was honored with the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award in healthcare in 2011 and received the Frost & Sullivan Lifetime Achievement Award in 2013. After his death, he was inducted into the CNBC TV18 India Business Leader Awards Hall of Fame in 2018.
In 2015, Forbes listed him as the world’s 254th wealthiest individual, estimating his net worth at $7.2 billion.
Personal life
Gupta resided in Mumbai with his wife Manju. He is survived by her and their five children—four daughters and one son. Their daughter Vinita D. Gupta holds the position of Group President & CEO based in the United States, while their son Nilesh Gupta serves as Managing Director in India.
Gupta passed away on 26 June 2017 in Mumbai at the age of 79.