Vijaypat Singhania, ‘The Complete Man’, passes away | India News
the former Raymond Chairman Vijaypat SinghaniaA 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 years old. He was admitted on Friday as his condition deteriorated due to age-related ailments. He will be cremated at Chandanwadi crematorium on Sunday. Hailing from a prominent business family, Singhania served as Raymond’s CMD for over two decades.At the age of 67, set a world record for flying in a hot air balloonA former sheriff of Mumbai, Singhania was also an avid aviator.Vijaypat Singhania’s family acquired the company from ED Sassoon & Co in 1944, when it was initially a woolen blanket manufacturer. Under his leadership, Raymond evolved into a diversified conglomerate, spanning synthetic fabrics, denim, steel, industrial files and cement, as well as becoming one of India’s most recognized apparel brands.In the years following his chairmanship, the company faced financial pressure as the recession affected its steel and cement businesses, which were eventually sold. He later handed over the leadership to his son Gautam Singhania and was chairman emeritus for some time.He is survived by wife Ashadevi and children Gautam, Madhupathi and Shefali Ruia. His relationship with Madhupati was strained due to a business split, and he also had disagreements with Gautama over some property in later years.In November 2005, at the age of 67, he set a world record by ascending to 69,000 feet in a hot air balloon, taking off from Mumbai Racecourse in a pressurized capsule and landing near Nashik after a flight of about five hours.
