Walchand Hirachand

Walchand Hirachand Doshi (23 November 1882 – 8 April 1953) was an Indian industrialist and the founder of the Walchand group. He established India's first modern shipyard, first aircraft factory and first car factory; he also established construction companies, sugarcane plantations, sugar factories, confectioneries, engineering companies and many other businesses. Early life Walchand Hirachand was from Digambar Jain family hailing from Wankaner in Gujarat, who had settled in Solapur in the erstwhile Bombay Presidency. He was born in Solapur, (now in Maharashtra) to Seth Hirachand Nemchand Doshi by his first wife Raju. Hirachand was engaged in cotton trading and money lending. Walchand's mother died a few days after his birth. Hirachand married later to Sakhubai to whom his half-brothers Gulabchand, Ratanchand and Lalchand were born. Education Walchand matriculated in 1899 from Solapur Government High School and later attended St. Xaviers College;Mumbai and earned a BA degree from University of Mumbai. Later he attended Deccan College in Pune but left his studies incomplete to join his family business. Marriage While he was still studying, in 1900 he married Jiu Kilachand, daughter of a Solapur banker. From this marriage, he had a daughter named Chatur, but his wife died in childbirth. Later in 1913, under family pressure, he married Kastur Mehta. From his second marriage, he had a boy and girl child but both died in infancy.