Vijaypat Singhania Wiki, Age, Wife, Children, Family, Biography & More

Dr. Vijaypat Singhania is an Indian businessman and aviator. He is the former chairman and managing director of the textile company Raymond Limited. In 2005, at the age of 67, he set a new world record by flying a hot air balloon at the highest altitude.

Wiki/Biography

Vijaypat Singhania was born on Tuesday, 4 October 1938 (age 85 years; as of 2023) in Cawnpore, United Provinces, British India (now Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh, India). His zodiac sign is Libra. He completed his matriculation at G. N. K. High School, Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh. He joined Sydenham College of Commerce and Economics, Mumbai in 1954, where he graduated with a degree in B.Com in 1959. He worked as a professor of postgraduate management at Jamnalal Bajaj Institute of Management Studies, Mumbai for a while.

Physical Appearance

Height (approx.): 5′ 9″

Hair Colour: Salt & Pepper (semi-bald)

Eye Colour: Black

Family

Vijaypat Singhania belongs to a Marwari industrialist family.

Parents & Siblings

Vijaypat Singhania’s father’s name is Lala Kailashpat Singhania. He was a businessman and managed the Raymond Group business in Mumbai. His brother’s name is Ajaypat Singhania.

Wife & Children

Vijaypat Singhania’s wife’s name is Asha Devi Singhania.

He has two sons Madhupati Singhania and Gautam Singhania and a daughter Shefali Singhania Ruia. Madhupati Singhania works at a consultancy firm and Gautam Singhania is the chairman and managing director of Raymond Limited. Shefali Singhania works as a director at A.B. Color Private Limited. In 1998, Madhupati Singhania separated from his family and moved to Singapore with his wife and children.

Other Relatives

Vijaypat Singhania’s grandfather was Lala Kamlapat Singhania (1884-1937), who was the founder of the J. K. Organisation.

Religion

Vijaypat Singhania follows Hinduism. He is a devotee of Lord Tirupati Balaji.

Address

He resides at 59, Bhulabhai Desai Road, Mumbai, Maharashtra, 400026.

Career

Business

After teaching at Jamnalal Bajaj Institute of Management Studies (JBIMS), Mumbai, he worked as a manager at J. K. Chemicals owned by J. K. Organisation.

In 1980, he became the managing director and chairman of Raymond Ltd. During his tenure at the company he made Raymond one of the best clothing brands in India. The company used to only produce woollen textiles before Vijaypat became the managing director. Later, Vijaypat started selling synthetic fabrics and denim clothes in addition to woollen textiles. The company expanded when Vijaypat introduced steel, fly ash, and cement into the business.

During 1996-1997, the company suffered financial losses due to the recession which affected the steel and cement company’s profit. In 2000, he made Gautam Singhania, his younger son, the chairman of Raymond Ltd while Vijaypat stayed with the company as a Chairman-Emeritus, in a non-executive role before moving out from the company in 2015.

Aviation

In 1988, he flew the microlight aircraft solo from London Biggin Hill Airport to Safdarjung Airport in New Delhi over 23 days, which made him the new record holder in the speed-over-time endurance category of Guinness World Records. In 1994, he won a gold medal in an international around-the-world air race held by Fédération Aéronautique Internationale, where he flew from and returned to Montreal covering 56 hours and 4 minutes and passing over 9 countries in 23 days.

Vijaypat Singhania gained a flying experience of more than 5000 hours by 2003. In 2005, at the age of 67, he set a world record by flying a hot air balloon at an altitude of 69,000 ft.

This goes to show to the world that we are not bullock cart drivers, but we can compete against the best of the world.”

Controversy

Family Fight

In 2015, Vijaypat Singhania handed over his business to his younger son Gautam Singhania. After transferring all his shares worth Rs. 1000 crores to Gautam, Vijaypat got sued by his elder son Madhupati Singhania’s grandchildren in the Bombay High Court. According to sources, they claimed as per the 1988 agreement that Madhupati and his wife should get equal shares of the Raymond company which was not given to them. In 2017, Vijaypat was not allowed to stay at the J. K. House, which he was expecting to stay in as it was a part of his deal with Gautam. Thereafter, he filed a complaint against Gautam Singhania claiming his rights to the J.K. House property.

Awards & Honours

• PhD from the London Institute of Technology & Research, Mumbai

• Tenzing Norgay National Adventure Award (2001)

• Padma Bhushan (2006)

  Vijaypat Singhania receiving the Padma Bhushan from Dr. A. P. J. Abdul Kalam

Favourites

• Food: Pomfret, Caviar, Gushtaba

Facts/Trivia

• In 1994, he was appointed as an Honorary Air Commodore by the Indian Air Force.

• He was appointed as the Sheriff of Mumbai on 19 December 2005.

• In 2005, he published the book “An Angel in the Cockpit: The True Story of a Death-defying Flight Across 5000 Miles of Land and Sea” where he described his journey from the UK to India on microlight aircraft in 23 days.

• In 2013, he built a school named Dr.Vijaypat Singhania School in Pardi, Valsad District, Gujrat, India.

• In 2021, he published an autobiography titled “An Incomplete Life: The Autobiography.”

• He had a net worth of Rs. 12,000 crores which was lost once he handed over his business and properties to his younger son Gautam Singhania.

• He got the inspiration to fly an aircraft from Howard Hughes and J. R. D. Tata.

• He served as the chairman of the Governing Council of the Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad (IIMA) from 1991 to 2002.

• He follows a non-vegetarian diet.

• He has flown aircraft for more than 5000 hours as of 2023.