Vijaypat Singhania, the former Managing Director (MD) of the Raymond Group, died at 87 on Saturday, his son Gautam Singhania confirmed.
Gautam took to X and said, “With profound grief and deep sorrow, we inform the passing of Padma Bhushan Dr Vijaypat Kailashpat Singhania.”
He described his father as a “visionary leader, philanthropist, and an inspiring personality, whose legacy will continue to guide and inspire generations”.
Vijaypat Singhania on visiting son’s home amid family dispute
In March 2024, Vijaypat Singhania issued a clarification following claims that he had reconciled with his son, Gautam Singhania. Earlier that month, Gautam had sparked speculation by posting a photo on social media “welcoming his father to JK House.” The developments coincided with a contentious divorce battle with Nawaz Modi, during which the senior Singhania publicly expressed strong support for his daughter-in-law.
Vijaypat Singhania explained that he was on his way to the airport on March 20 when his son’s assistant requested a visit to JK House. Gautam Singhania intervened as he initially refused, insisting that “he will take only five minutes of my time over a cup of coffee.” He added that this was the first time in 10 years he had entered JK House and that another visit was unlikely.
“I went most reluctantly, not realising that it was for an ulterior motive of taking my photograph with Gautam to send a wrong message to the media. A few minutes later, I came down and left for the airport. Soon after, I started receiving messages over my photo with Gautam on the Internet, claiming we had made up, which was totally false…I don’t know what his real motive was, but it was certainly not for coffee, nor to resolve our differences,” Business Today quoted him as saying.
Who was Vijaypat Singhania?
Vijaypat Singhania, born in 1938, was an Indian entrepreneur and aviator. Belonging to the influential Singhania family, he gained prominence as a textile industry leader, serving as chairman and managing director of the Raymond Group from 1980 to 2000. In the field of aviation, he set a world record for reaching the highest altitude in a hot air balloon and established a microlight endurance record in 1988 by completing a 23-day flight from London to Delhi. He also wrote several books, including a detailed account of his microlight journey and his autobiography.
The Government of India honoured Vijaypat Singhania with two major awards: the Tenzing Norgay National Adventure Award in 2001 for his achievements in aviation, and the Padma Bhushan in 2006 for his overall contributions. In addition, the Indian Air Force appointed him as an Honorary Air Commodore in 1994, and he was named Sheriff of Mumbai in 2006.
In 2015, Singhania transferred his entire 37% stake in the Raymond Group to his younger son and then-chairman, Gautam Singhania. This move sparked a highly publicised and long-running family dispute over various issues arising from the transfer.
