(MENAFN) Gopichand P. Hinduja, leader of Britain’s wealthiest family, passed away on Tuesday at the age of 85 after a prolonged illness.

Known widely as GP, he served as chairman of Hinduja Group, a diversified Indian conglomerate with holdings in sectors such as finance, media, entertainment, and oil. His family said in a statement, “He will leave a deep hole at the heart of our family.”

Hinduja is credited with expanding his father’s modest textile and trading ventures into a global conglomerate encompassing more than 25 companies across a dozen industries. Under his leadership, the group evolved from a Middle East-focused trading business into a diversified enterprise, including the acquisition of Gulf Oil in 1984.

In 1987, the Hinduja Group made a major investment in Ashok Leyland, India’s second-largest commercial vehicle manufacturer, by acquiring Land Rover Leyland International Holdings (LRLIH) from a British car manufacturer.

Gopichand was the second of four brothers who oversaw the family business for decades. He assumed the role of chairman following the death of his elder brother, Srichand, in May 2023. The Hinduja siblings—Gopichand, Srichand, Prakash, and Ashok—were among Britain’s most prominent ethnically Indian business families.

The family also owns extensive real estate in London, including several large homes near St. James’s Park and the recently refurbished Old War Office in Whitehall, now partly converted into a hotel.

GP and his family topped the most recent Sunday Times Rich List with an estimated net worth of £35.3 billion and were ranked 11th on the Forbes list of India’s 100 richest businesspeople in 2024, according to reports.

MENAFN06112025000045017281ID1110303717