UK (Commonwealth Union)_ Gopichand Hinduja, the Indian-born industrialist and chairman of the Hinduja Group, has once again secured the top spot on The Sunday Times Rich List 2025, reaffirming his family’s status as the wealthiest in the United Kingdom. Despite a slight dip in total assets this year, the Hinduja family remains a dominant financial force with an estimated net worth of £35.3 billion, down from £37.2 billion the previous year. Often referred to as “GP” in business circles, Gopichand Hinduja took over as chairman of the multinational conglomerate following the death of his elder brother, Srichand Hinduja, in May 2023. This change marked a new chapter in the leadership of the family empire, which has its origins dating back over a century.
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Born into a business-savvy family, the Indian business tycoon Gopichand Hinduja is part of the second generation of the Hinduja dynasty. He began his career in 1959 in Mumbai after graduating from Jai Hind College. Later, he earned honorary doctorates in law and economics from Westminster University and Richmond College in London, respectively. Over the decades, his vision and leadership helped transform the family’s modest trading operation into a sprawling global enterprise. Under Gopichand’s stewardship, the Hinduja Group expanded aggressively into diverse sectors including banking, finance, energy, automotive, lubricants, media, and cable television. A major milestone came in 1984 with the acquisition of Gulf Oil, followed by the purchase of Ashok Leyland in 1987, a landmark move that marked one of the earliest large-scale investments in India by a Non-Resident Indian (NRI)-led group.
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Today, the Hinduja Group employs nearly 200,000 people worldwide and is headquartered in Mumbai, with significant operations in London and across the globe. Gopichand Hinduja resides in London, from where he oversees the conglomerate’s international operations. His younger brother Prakash Hinduja lives in Monaco, while Ashok Hinduja, the youngest of the siblings, manages the group’s Indian interests from Mumbai. The family’s wealth now surpasses even that of the British monarchy. Their presence is felt not only in boardrooms but also in real estate, particularly in London, where they own several high-profile properties including the iconic Raffles London Hotel, housed in the historic Old War Office building in Whitehall.
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The Hinduja legacy began in 1919 when Parmanand Deepchand Hinduja, Gopichand’s father, founded the business in Sindh, then part of British India. Seeking greater opportunities, he later moved the base of operations to Iran, before the family ultimately settled in London in 1979. Since then, the Hinduja name has become synonymous with success, resilience, and global ambition. In this year’s Sunday Times Rich List, the Hinduja family leads with assets amounting to approximately ₹33.67 lakh crore, significantly ahead of the Reuben brothers, David and Simon, who are in second place by a margin of ₹8,000 crore. The list highlights how an Indian-origin family has cemented its legacy at the top of Britain’s elite financial hierarchy.
Despite global economic fluctuations and evolving market conditions, Gopichand Hinduja’s strategic foresight and ability to diversify operations have ensured that the group not only sustains but also thrives. His leadership style, rooted in long-term vision and calculated expansion, continues to be a case study in global business excellence. As Gopichand Hinduja and his family celebrate yet another year at the pinnacle of British wealth, their journey stands as a powerful testament to the enduring success of immigrant entrepreneurship. From a small trading post in pre-independence India to becoming Britain’s wealthiest family, the Hinduja story remains a shining example of global business acumen and legacy building.
