21 Facts About Walchand Hirachand

Walchand Hirachand Doshi was an Indian industrialist and the founder of the Walchand group.

Walchand Hirachand established India's first modern shipyard, first aircraft factory and first car factory; he established construction companies, sugarcane plantations, sugar factories, confectioneries, engineering companies and many other businesses.

Walchand Hirachand was born in Solapur, to Seth Hirachand Nemchand Doshi and his first wife Raju.

Walchand Hirachand matriculated in 1899 from Solapur Government High School and later attended St Xaviers College, Mumbai, and earned a BA degree from the University of Mumbai.

Walchand Hirachand became a railway contractor for constructions in partnership with a former railway clerk, Laxmanrao Balwant Phatak; the partnership later became Phatak-Walchand private limited.

Walchand Hirachand proved to be a successful railway contractor but was open to other business ideas as well.

Walchand Hirachand was able to maintain a fine line between these opposite forces.

Walchand Hirachand was among the early and active supporters of Indian National Congress along with other stalwarts of Indian industry and funded many of its activities.

Again, in 1933, Walchand Hirachand sent a deputation on behalf of the Indian Merchants' Chamber to Gandhi to persuade him to call off the Civil Disobedience Movement in the interest of trade and commerce.

Walchand Hirachand was a signatory to the Bombay Manifesto dated 26 May 1936, which opposed the socialist and Marxist ideas of Jawaharlal Nehru.

Walchand Hirachand made Gulabchand its chairman to look after its day-to-day affairs.

Walchand Hirachand's underlying assumption was that the post-war years would spell massive growth for the shipping industry just as the war years had done.

Walchand Hirachand named his company The Scindia Steam Navigation Company Ltd.

However, Walchand Hirachand still supported new indigenous shipping ventures, as he believed that a strong domestic shipping industry was the need of the hour.

Walchand Hirachand believed that there was a strong need for a shipyard in the country and started work on it in 1940 at Visakhapatnam.

Walchand Hirachand was the founder of the Indian National Shipowners' Association, which was founded in 1929, and served as its president for 19 consecutive years from 1929 to 1948.

Walchand Hirachand helped launch the Indian Sugar Mills Association and the Indian Sugar Syndicate.

Also, Walchand Hirachand founded the Deccan Sugar Factories Association and the Deccan Sugar Technologists Association, and made hs younger brother, Lalchand, its first President, and he was the force behind institutions like the Association of Indian Automobile Manufacturers and the Automotive Research Association of India.

Walchand Hirachand was looked after by his wife, Kasturbai, in his last years, who took him away to natural surroundings and the religious town of Siddhpur in Gujarat, away from Mumbai, so that he could recover his health.

Walchand Hirachand was survived by his wife Kastur and daughter Chatur, who was from his first marriage.

For Walchand Hirachand, industry was probably not just a place to make money but to have adventure.