Keeping up with the Hindujas: the UK’s richest family has just been convicted of exploitation and it’s not their first scandal – they’ve also been accused of human trafficking, unpaid taxes and bribes

Jul 7 , 2024

Ajay Hinduja and his wife Namrata have been on trial for human trafficking in Geneva, Switzerland. Photo: EPA-EFE

A Swiss court just convicted four members of Britain’s richest family – Prakash and Kamal Hinduja, their son Ajay and his wife Namrata – of exploiting their Indian staff

Founded by patriarch Parmanand, who began trading commodities in India before moving its HQ to Iran and eventually London, the Hinduja Group has brought its family members enormous wealth

Four members of the UK’s richest family are in hot water in Switzerland over charges they mistreated their domestic staff.

Per the BBC, workers at the Hindujas’ Lake Geneva residence brought over from India alleged that they were overworked and underpaid. They also claimed that their passports were confiscated, they slept in a windowless basement room, and that they could not leave the villa without permission.

Namrata Hinduja (left) and Ajay Hinduja (second right) at a Geneva courthouse on the opening day of their trial for human trafficking on January 15. Photo: AFP

Swiss prosecutor Yves Bertossa said the family spent more on their dog than on their servants during the trial at a Swiss court that ultimately convicted the Hindujas of exploitation, per the BBC.

The Hindujas were acquitted of human trafficking, reportedly because the workers knew what they were getting into. The wealthy family, Swiss-based members of which include Prakash and Kamal Hinduja, their son Ajay and his wife Namrata Hinduja, are now facing jail terms, but they intend to appeal their sentences. A spokesperson claimed after the hearing that the complainants had been “led into signing statements that they didn’t understand”, per Business Standard.

So, who are the Hindujas, and how did they accumulate their wealth? Here’s what we know:

How did the Hindujas get so rich?

Srichand Hinduja, one of the four brothers of the Hinduja clan, died last year at the age of 87. Photo: Getty Images

The Hinduja family runs the multinational conglomerate Hinduja Group and is currently the wealthiest family in the UK with a fortune of US$47.5 billion, according to the recently updated Sunday Times Rich List.

According to newspaper, the Hinduja Group operates in 48 countries across sectors including automotive manufacturing, oil, IT, finance, real estate, media and more. The business was founded by Parmanand Hinduja, who began commodities trading in India’s Sindh region (now Pakistan) before moving its headquarters to Iran and eventually London. His sons expanded the business globally after his death in 1971.

The Hinduja brothers: Gopichand, Prakash, Ashok and Srichand. Photo: @EasternEye/X

Hinduja Group is now owned by his sons Gopichand Hinduja (UK-based), Prakash Hinduja (Switzerland-based), and Ashok Hinduja (India-based) after the death of Srichand Hinduja from dementia last year, per ABC. Speaking about his phenomenal wealth, Gopichand once said, “If you consider one to be rich because of his money, you are wrong. I consider someone to be rich if he has good friends, good contacts, good relationships.”