S. P. Hinduja

Srichand Parmanand Hinduja
Born	(1935-11-28) November 28, 1935 Karachi, Sindh, British India
Died	May 17, 2023(2023-05-17) (aged 87) London, United Kingdom
Occupation	Businessman
Years active	1950s–2023
Known for	Principal shareholder and chairman of the Hinduja Group

Srichand Parmanand Hinduja (28 November 1935 – 17 May 2023) was a British billionaire businessman of Indian origin, serving as the principal shareholder and chairman of the Hinduja Group alongside his brother Gopichand.

Early life

Hinduja was born in Karachi, located in the Sindh region of British India, as the second son to Parmanand Deepchand Hinduja and Jamuna Parmanand Hinduja. His education took place at Davar's College of Commerce and R. D. National College in Mumbai.

Business career

His professional journey commenced within his father’s textile and trading enterprises in Bombay and Tehran, where he effectively managed the trade of food commodities and iron ore between India and Iran.

During the 1980s, the Group grew through acquisitions such as Ashok Leyland (purchased from British Leyland) and Gulf Oil (acquired from Chevron). The following decade marked further diversification with the establishment of banking operations in Switzerland and India, elevating Hinduja to a prominent position among India’s top industrialists alongside families like Tata, Birla, and Ambani.

In 2012, the Group expanded its portfolio by acquiring Houghton International, a leading US-based manufacturer of metal fluids, for $1.045 billion. This transaction was executed through a consortium that included JP Morgan's private equity director Ghouse Mohammed Asif and former US Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson.

Hinduja adopted a prudent yet opportunistic approach, focusing on a broad range of industries including oil and gas, finance and banking, information technology, real estate, energy and chemicals, power generation, as well as media and entertainment sectors.

Wealth

From the 1990s onward, Hinduja consistently appeared among the wealthiest individuals in both the UK and Asia. According to the October 2013 edition of Forbes Life, the Hinduja family residence on London's Carlton House Terrace was valued at $500 million, ranking it as the third most valuable private home worldwide.

By March 2019, Forbes placed SP and GP Hinduja as the 65th richest persons globally with an estimated net worth of $16.9 billion. Meanwhile, Forbes India assessed their fortune at $18 billion, positioning him as the fourth richest Indian-origin business leader. In 2022, he was recognized as the wealthiest individual in the UK with an estimated fortune of £28.5 billion according to the Sunday Times Rich List. Asian Media & Marketing Group estimated his net worth at £25.2 billion (US$31.7 billion).

Personal life

Known along with his younger brothers Gopichand, Prakash, and Ashok as the heads of India's "fab four," Hinduja was married to Madhu Srichand Hinduja and had two daughters. He practiced Sindhi Hinduism. One of his daughters, Vinoo Srichand Hinduja, holds a position on the board of management at the P. D. Hinduja National Hospital and Medical Research Centre in Mumbai.

Tragically, his youngest son Dharam Hinduja died in 1992 following a suicide pact with his wife Ninotchka Sargon, whom he had secretly married earlier that year.

In 2001, Hinduja was linked to the UK's "cash-for-passports" controversy after making a donation to the Millennium Dome during his application for British citizenship; this event led to the resignation of Peter Mandelson.

Hinduja was known for abstaining from alcohol and maintaining a strict vegetarian diet; he was reputed to bring his own meals to royal events at Buckingham Palace.

His wife Madhu passed away in January 2023. Hinduja died on 17 May 2023 in London due to complications related to Lewy body dementia at age 87.