Vijaypat Singhania, the former chairman of the Raymond Group, died peacefully at the age of 87 in Mumbai. His son, Gautam Singhania, announced the news on social media.
Former Raymond chairman Vijaypat Singhania died here on Saturday evening, his family said. He was 87. His son Gautam Singhania, the group’s current chairman and managing director, announced the death on the microblogging platform ‘X’. Singhania passed away “peacefully” in Mumbai, and the last rites will be performed on Sunday, a Raymond Group spokesperson said.
Vijaypat Singhania, a recipient of the Padma Bhushan, was also a keen aviator and held a world record for the highest altitude gained in a hot air balloon.
He led Raymond as chairman for two decades till 2000. After handing over the reins of the company to Gautam, Vijaypat also transferred his entire 37 per cent stake in the company to his son.
Vijaypat Singhania and his son were embroiled in legal disputes some years ago, but later they settled the issues.
Singhania started leading Raymond Group as chairman and managing director since 1980s. Over the years, under his leadership, Raymond expanded company’s business beyond textiles into other sectors such as denim, synthetic fabric, steel, industrial files and cement.
Raymond’s former chairman success in business and life adventure earned him a Padma Bhushan and the Tenzing Norgay National Adventure Award.
When Singhania Set World Record At 67
When Singhania was 67 in 2005, he set a world record by ascending to nearly 69,000 feet in a hot air balloon. Back in 1988, the former Raymond chief completed a London-New Delhi solo microlight flight over 23 days.
Vijaypat Singhania also earned an honorary rank of Air Commodore in 1994 after he completed over 5,000 flying hours. In 2006, Singhania was also appointed as Mumbai’s Sheriff.
