Stamp Released on Jain Industrialist

Walchand Hirachand

Dear Sadharmi Bandhu,
Sadar Jai Jinendra.

To mark the 121st birth anniversary of visionary Jain industrialist Walchand Hirachand, Prime Minister Shri Manmohan Singh released a Rs.5 postage stamp On 23rd Nov. 2004 at New Delhi. Prime Minister described him as a pioneer of India's automobile, shipping and aircraft manufacturing sectors. Industrialists like Hirachand were "no cronies, fixers or lobbyists" nor did they seek subsidies or favours, Manmohan Singh said, adding that they became business leaders because of their great adventurism, entrepreneurship and hard work. He said that Walchand Hirachand was a dreamer, a visionary, a great builder, a great leader of industry. Above all, he was a patriot, and in his own way, he was an inspiring leader of our struggle for freedom. I salute his memory.

Among those present at the event were former prime minister Chandra Shekhar, Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar, Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel, IT Minister of State Shakeel Ahmed and former ministers Arun Shourie and Pramod Mahajan.

The seeds of his entrepreneurship were sown in 1919 when he acquired a ship, S.S. Loyalty, from the Maharaja of Gwalior and set up Scindia Steam Ship. The founding day of the company is celebrated as National Maritime Day. Hirachand started building his empire with a small project for the railways in 1920. He also established companies like Hindustan Shipyard Ltd and Hindustan Aircraft in 1940 to make aircraft, which was acquired later by the government and renamed Hindustan Aeronautics Limited.

The group's flagship, Hindustan Construction Company, was set up in 1926, while in the year India got its independence, the first set of indigenously built cars rolled out from Hirachand's Premier Automobiles. He was also among the first to venture into food processing and set up Ravalgoan Sugar Farm Ltd and used modern techniques to produce sugar.

Hirachand, who died on 8th April 1953, was also instrumental in setting up industry lobbies such as the Indian Merchants Chamber, the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry and the Maharashtra Chambers of Commerce. He had established many religious, Educational and charitable institutions, Jain Boarding, Hostels etc.

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