Keshub Mahindra, a prominent figure in Indian industry and Chairman Emeritus of Mahindra & Mahindra, passed away at the age of 99 on April 12. Mahindra & Mahindra confirmed his passing in a statement, noting that he had peacefully passed away. Mahindra was born on October 9, 1923, in Shimla, and he graduated from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania in the United States. After joining Mahindra & Mahindra in 1947, Keshub Mahindra rose through the ranks and assumed the position of Chairman in 1963. Mahindra played a significant role in elevating the Mahindra Group to a top-tier position in the automobile industry in the 1990s and 2000s. During his tenure, the company grew from a steel trading company to a diverse group of companies.
After his retirement in August 2012, his nephew Anand Mahindra became Chairman of the board and Managing Director of the Mahindra group, while Keshub Mahindra continued as Chairman Emeritus of Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd. Anand Mahindra described his uncle as a man of principles who set an example for the entire Mahindra Group, stressing that he was a source of inspiration for the company, and that his people-centric approach made him a globally respected business icon.
Keshub Mahindra was a renowned philanthropist who played a significant role in reshaping corporate governance in India. Keshub Mahindra was appointed by the Government of India to serve on several committees, including the Sachar Commission on Company Law and MRTP, the Central Advisory Council of Industries, and the Prime Minister's Council on Trade & Industry, on which he served from 2004 to 2010. Additionally, he served on numerous boards and councils, including SAIL, Tata Steel, Tata Chemicals, Indian Hotels, IFC, and ICICI, in both public and private domains.
In 1984, when the Bhopal gas tragedy occurred, killing over 15,000 people and causing permanent disability to many others, Mahindra was the non-executive Chairman of Union Carbide India Ltd. He and seven others were convicted in the gas leakage case in 2010.
Many in the Indian corporate world paid tribute to Keshub Mahindra, with former colleagues describing him as a towering figure in industry and one of the nicest people they had the privilege of knowing.
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