Gopichand Hinduja, the Indian-British billionaire businessman, has once again been named the UK's richest individual, according to the Sunday Times Rich List 2025. With a staggering fortune of £35.3 billion (approximately Rs 33.68 Lakh Crore), the 85-year-old tycoon and his family, who control the Hinduja Group, have maintained their position at the top for the fourth consecutive year.
Despite their continued reign as the wealthiest in the UK, the Hinduja family has experienced a decrease in their overall fortune. Their net worth has fallen from £37.2 billion in the previous year, representing a loss of nearly £2 billion. This translates to a staggering loss of approximately £5.2 million per day over the past 12 months. While the reason for this decrease is not explicitly stated, it highlights the dynamic nature of wealth and the impact of economic factors on even the most affluent individuals and families.
Gopichand Parmanand Hinduja was born on January 29, 1940, in Bombay (now Mumbai), India, to Parmanand Deepchand Hinduja, a successful businessman. He received his education at Jai Hind College in Bombay. In 1997, Gopi became a British citizen. He began his career in his father's textile and trading business in India, working alongside his brother Srichand, who passed away in May 2023. Together, the brothers expanded their business interests, acquiring companies such as Ashok Leyland from British Leyland and Gulf Oil in the 1980s. They further established banks in Switzerland and India in the 1990s, solidifying the Hinduja Group's position as a major player in the global market.
The Hinduja Group is a multinational conglomerate with a diverse portfolio spanning eleven sectors, including automotive, oil and specialty chemicals, banking and finance, IT and ITeS, cybersecurity, healthcare, trading, infrastructure project development, media and entertainment, power, and real estate. Some of the Group's key companies include Ashok Leyland, IndusInd Bank, Hinduja Bank (Switzerland), and Gulf Oil International. The Group employs around 200,000 people across the globe.
Under Gopichand Hinduja's leadership, the Hinduja Group has transformed from a traditional Indo-Middle East trading enterprise into a global, multi-billion-dollar conglomerate. He played a crucial role in the Group's acquisition of Gulf Oil in 1984 and the takeover of Indian automotive company Ashok Leyland three years later. In 2012, the Group acquired Houghton International, the world's largest metal fluids manufacturer, for over $1 billion.
Gopichand Hinduja is married to Sunita Hinduja, and they have three children: Sanjay, Dheeraj, and Rita. The Hinduja family is of Sindhi heritage. Gopichand and his brothers are known to be teetotal and vegetarian.
The family's vast portfolio includes prized real estate, notably the historic Old War Office building in Whitehall, now home to the Raffles London hotel, which opened in September 2023. They also own Carlton House Terrace, a prestigious address near Buckingham Palace. While Gopichand resides in London, his younger brother Prakash lives in Monaco, and the youngest sibling, Ashok, oversees operations in India from Mumbai.
Despite a slight dip in their fortune, Gopichand Hinduja and his family continue to hold the top spot on the Sunday Times Rich List, reaffirming their status as one of the UK's most successful and influential business dynasties. Their global reach and diverse business interests ensure their continued presence on the world stage for years to come.
