Kamal Ghorui
Former Raymond chairman Vijaypat Singhania, a corporate titan and record-setting aviator who embodied his brand’s famous tagline, ‘The Complete Man’, died in Mumbai on Saturday evening. He was 87. He was admitted on Friday following a decline in his health due to age-related illness. He will be cremated on Sunday at Chandanwadi crematorium. Hailing from a prominent business family, Singhania served as Raymond CMD for over two decades.At 67, set world record by flying in hot air balloonA former Mumbai sheriff, Singhania was also an avid aviator.Vijaypat Singhania’s family had acquired the company from ED Sassoon & Co in 1944, when it was primarily a manufacturer of woollen blankets. Under his leadership, Raymond evolved into a diversified conglomerate, expanding into synthetic fabrics, denim, steel, industrial files and cement, while also becoming one of India’s most recognised clothing brands.During the later years of his chairmanship tenure, the company faced financial strain as a recession affected its steel and cement businesses, which were eventually sold. He subsequently handed over leadership to his son, Gautam Singhania, and remained chairman emeritus for a period.He is survived by his wife Ashadevi and children Gautam, Madhupati and Shephali Ruia. His relationship with Madhupati had been strained over business divisions, and in later years he also had disagreements with Gautam regarding certain assets.In Nov 2005, at age of 67, he set a world record by ascending to 69,000 feet in a hot air balloon, taking off from the Mumbai racecourse in a pressurised capsule and landing near Nashik after a flight of about five hours.
