NEW DELHI: Gopichand Hinduja and his family have once again secured the top spot on the Sunday Times Rich List , with a net worth of £37.2 billion, up from £35 billion the previous year.Gopi, along with his brother Srichand out of the four, managed the UK interests of the family's global business empire, the Hinduja Group .Srichand passed away last year at the age of 87 due to dementia.Both of them first reached the top of the Sunday Times Rich List in 2014, when their wealth stood at £11.9 billion.The Hinduja Group, founded by their father Parmanand Deepchand Hinduja, operates in 48 countries across various sectors, including automotive, oil and specialty chemicals, banking and finance, IT, cyber security, healthcare, trading, infrastructure project development, media and entertainment, power, and real estate.The brothers expanded the business globally after their father's death in 1971.One of the Hinduja Group's most important acquisitions was Gulf Oil in 1984, and the company's shareholders are set to receive their highest dividend payout this year.
The group also acquired Ashok Leyland, now India's largest vehicle manufacturer, in 1987.
Their main British company, Hinduja Automotives, chaired by Gopi, reported a turnover of £2 billion in 2021.Recently, the group developed Winston Churchill's base during World War Two into a fives star hotel at a price of £350million.
It includes a ballroom for 600 guests, an 82ft swimming pool, a spa, two wine cellars, a rooftop bar.
Additionally, 85 two-bedroom apartments were also constructed, priced at around £5.8million.