UK industrialist Swaraj Paul passes away

LONDON: Lord Swaraj Paul (94), founder of the Caparo Group, member of the British House of Lords, and philanthropist, has passed away in London. He was honoured with the Padma Bhushan by India in 1983.

Caparo Engineering, which started in 1968 in London as a small steel company, grew into a major player in the automotive sector under Swaraj Paul, making him an industrialist with assets worth £200 crore. The company has business operations in 40 countries. Swaraj Paul has been a member of the House of Lords since 1996 and served as Chancellor of the University of Wolverhampton for over 26 years. In 1978, he was knighted by Queen Elizabeth.

Originally from Jalandhar, Swaraj Paul came to the UK in the 1960s for his daughter Ambika’s cancer treatment. In memory of his daughter, who passed away at the age of four, he established the Ambika Paul Foundation to support children’s welfare and education, and the Ambika Paul Children’s Zoo in London. His son Angad Paul passed away in 2015, and his wife Aruna in 2022; their memories are also honoured through philanthropic activities. His other children are Akash Paul (Chairman of Caparo India), Amber, and Anjali. Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed condolences on the passing of Swaraj Paul.