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The Textile Magazine
SEPTEMBER 2011
gressed, the JV partners separated
amicably and these companies
exist in India today as full-fledged
representatives of these global gi-
ants.
With the retirement of Kasturbhai
and his younger brother Narot-
tambhai from active business, the
role of the patriarch fell on the
shoulders of Arvindbhai. He, along
with his brother Niranjanbhai, and
his cousins Ashokbhai, Ajaybhai,
Chinubhai and Vijaysinhbhai han-
dled the management of the textile
mills, Siddharthbhai headed Atul
Products, and Shrenikbhai man-
aged Anil Starch.
The group took over a sick com-
pany called Ahmedabad Laxmi
Cotton Mills Co. Ltd. and merged
it with Arvind Ltd., and the unit was
renamed as Ankur Textiles. The
unit currently under Arvind Prod-
ucts Ltd. is the country’s largest or-
ganized player in the voiles market
today.
The group also invested in Anup
Engineering Ltd. engaged in fab-
rication and set up Amol Dicalite
in collaboration with General Re-
fractories Ltd. of the US for man-
ufacturing filter aids and perlite
products. With the third generation
of Lalbhais retiring from business
Sanjay, Sunil and Samveg Lalbhai,
the fourth generation of Lalbhais,
now oversee all the businesses.
Though Corporate Social Re-
sponsibility (CSR) is a new term,
for generations, the Lalbhais have
contributed to education, social
and religious causes. Their contri-
bution to education started from
Gujarat Vernacular Society in the
late 1800s and now led to the
formation of Ahmedabad Educa-
tion Society (1936), which governs
11 leading colleges, six schools
and four other educational pro-
grammes. Kasturbhai Lalbhai
played a key role in establishing
the Physical Research Labora-
tory (1948), ATIRA (1947) and the
famed IIM-Ahmedabad (1961).
The Lalbhai family has been
closely associated with the Jain
trust called Anandji Kalyanji Trust,
which is involved in propagating
and maintaining Jain temples in
western India. Shri Kasturbhai Lal-
bhai headed the trust for 50 years,
followed by Shrenik Lalbhai for 30
years, and now Samveg Lalbhai
heads the trust.
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history