Who Was Keshub Mahindra, India’s Oldest Billionaire Who Passed Away At Age 99?

Apr 12, 2023, 21:12 IST

India laments the loss of Keshub Mahindra, the former Mahindra & Mahindra chairman and the country’s oldest billionaire, who recently passed away at the age of 99.

Who Was Keshub Mahindra?
Who Was Keshub Mahindra?

It’s a sad day as Keshub Mahindra, renowned Indian businessman and former chairman of the multinational conglomerate Mahindra Group, passed away on April 12, 2023. Keshub Mahindra was 99 years old and just a few months away from celebrating his 100th birthday.

He was recently declared India’s oldest billionaire by Forbes and had a net worth of $1.2 billion. Tributes are pouring from all over the world for Keshub Mahindra, a huge figure in India and abroad. Find out all the details about Keshub Mahindra, from his early life, and career, to his influence.

Who was Keshub Mahindra? Early Life

  • Keshub Mahindra was born on 9 October 1923 in Shimla, then British India.
  • He was the son of Kailash Chandra Mahindra, the co-founder of the Mahindra group.
  • He joined Mahindra in 1947 at the age of 26, became the chairman in 1963 and headed the company till 2012.
  • Keshub Mahindra graduated from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.

Keshub Mahindra Career and Later Life

  • Keshub Mahindra ran the Mahindra group for five decades and achieved remarkable success.
  • He took the steel and car manufacturer company, and transformed it into one of India’s biggest and most profitable conglomerates.
  • Keshub was also known for his philanthropy and contributions towards helpful causes.
  • He was also the Founder Chairman of HUDCO (Housing and Urban Development Corporation Limited) and Director of Bombay Dyeing & Manufacturing Co. and Bombay Burmah Trading Corporation.
  • He also served on several Boards and Councils in both the private and public domain, including SAIL, Tata Steel, Tata Chemicals, Indian Hotels, IFC and ICICI.
  • From 2004 to 2010, he served as a member of the Prime Minister’s Council on Trade & Industry.
  • Keshub Mahindra retired in 2012 and handed over the control of the Mahindra group to his nephew Anand Mahindra.

Keshub Mahindra Controversies

  • Keshub Mahindra’s legacy isn’t without blemishes. He was serving as the non-executive chairman of Union Carbide India Limited when the Bhopal Gas Tragedy took place in 1984. Over 3000 people died in the gas leak and thousands of others were adversely affected but the real culprits were never punished.
  • In 2010, Keshub Mahindra, along with six other former Union Carbide employees were convicted and sentenced to two years imprisonment. Most were over the age of 70 and Indian Nationals and granted bail after the verdict.
Mudit Chhikara
Mudit Chhikara

Executive Content Writer

    Mudit is a content writer at Jagran Josh and mainly works in the GK and school section.Mudit graduated in science but being interested in writing from an early age, he permanently shifted base to the media and communications industry. He is a fond lover of cinema and likes to watch MMA and boxing in his spare time.
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