Walchand group is a business organization that came into existence in the 20th century, founded by industrialist Walchand Hirachand Doshi.Progressive Jains of India – Satish Kumar Jain – Google Books
/ref>Business Legends – Gita Piramal – Google Books
/ref> Walchand Hirachand founded several companies, some of which were among the firsts in India in their fields.

Industry

*Premier Construction Limited - founded as Walchand-Phatak Co in year 1903. for some time known as Tata Construction - after exit of

Tatas The Tata Group () is an Indian multinational conglomerate headquartered in Mumbai. Established in 1868, it is India's largest conglomerate, with products and services in over 150 countries, and operations in 100 countries across six continents ...

name changed to Premier - doing contract and construction business. * Walchandnagar Industries Limited - founded in 1908 as sugar factory diversified into defence and strategic equipments, now headed by Chakor L. Doshi, son of Lalchand Hirachand *

The Scindia Steam Navigation Company Ltd. The Scindia Steam Navigation Company, founded in 1919, is the second oldest shipping company of India. The first being the Swadeshi Steam Navigation Company of VOC Pillai in today's Tamilnadu that was founded in 1906. History Foundation an ...

- founded 1919. After Walchand's death run by Narottam Morarjee - now almost defunct. *

Hindustan Shipyard Limited Hindustan Shipyard Limited (HSL) is a shipyard located in Visakhapatnam on the east coast of India. History Founded as the ''Scindia Shipyard'', it was built by industrialist Walchand Hirachand as a part of The Scindia Steam Navigation Company ...

- founded in 1940 nationalized by

Government of India The Government of India (ISO: ; often abbreviated as GoI), known as the Union Government or Central Government but often simply as the Centre, is the national government of the Republic of India, a federal democracy located in South Asia, c ...

in 1961. *

Hindustan Aeronautics Limited Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) is an Indian state-owned aerospace and defence (military), defence company, headquartered in Bangalore, India. Established on 23 December 1940, HAL is one of the oldest and largest aerospace and defence manuf ...

- founded in 1940 nationalized by

British India The provinces of India, earlier presidencies of British India and still earlier, presidency towns, were the administrative divisions of British governance on the Indian subcontinent. Collectively, they have been called British India. In one ...

in 1942. *

Hindustan Construction Company Hindustan Construction Company Limited (HCC) is an Indian Engineering, Procurement, Construction, and Project Management companies. It is headquartered in Mumbai. HCC was founded by Industrialist Seth Walchand Hirachand in 1926. HCC has exe ...

- founded in 1926, civil & engineering construction giant now headed by

Ajit Gulabchand Ajit Gulabchand (born 1948) is an Indian industrialist. Gulabchand is the chairman and managing director of Hindustan Construction Company. Gulabchand serves as chairman of the board of governance at National Institute of Construction Managem ...

faction. *

Premier Automobiles Limited Premier Ltd. (formerly known as The Premier Automobiles Limited) was an Indian automotive manufacturer company, based in Mumbai, India. The company is owned by the Walchand Group. Walchand Hirachand established the Premier Automobiles Ltd.(PAL) ...

who manufactures car like

Premier Padmini The Premier Padmini was a four-seat saloon manufactured in India from 1964 to 2001 by Premier Automobiles Limited, a division of the Walchand Group, under license from Fiat and marketed initially as the ''Fiat 1100 Delight'' — and from 197 ...

and others - founded in 1944.
Ravalgaon Sugar Farms Limited
- sugar & confectionery giant founded in 1933. * Oriental Insurance Co. - founded in 1947 later nationalized.
Mysore Petrochemicals Limited
- founded on 9 June 1969 at

Bangalore Bangalore (), officially Bengaluru (), is the capital and largest city of the Indian state of Karnataka. It has a population of more than and a metropolitan population of around , making it the third most populous city and fifth most ...

Karnataka Karnataka (; ISO: , , also known as Karunāḍu) is a state in the southwestern region of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, with the passage of the States Reorganisation Act. Originally known as Mysore State , it was renamed ''Karnat ...

.
Indian Hume Pipe Co Limited
- founded in 1926.
Cooper Engineering Limited
- an engineering products company founded in 1940.
Acrow India Limited
- founded in 1960. *Studio Walchand - a film studio at

Bombay Mumbai (, ; also known as Bombay — the official name until 1995) is the capital city of the Indian state of Maharashtra and the ''de facto'' financial centre of India. According to the United Nations, as of 2018, Mumbai is the second- ...

founded by

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 con ...

Institutes

Walchand Institute of Technology Walchand Institute of Technology (WIT), established in 1983, is the oldest engineering college in Solapur, India. Now it is first autonomous Engineering institute of Solapur. WIT is managed by Shri Aillak Pannalal Digambar Jain Pathashala Trust ...

Walchand Hirachand was assisted by his brothers, when they grew up. As Walchand died without any direct male descendants, the group was divided amongst sons of his brothers

Gulabchand Hirachand Gulabchand Hirachand Doshi (1896–1967) was scion of Walchand group, noted industrialist, philanthropist and a Nationalist. Background Gulabchand was a son of Hirachand Doshi from his second marriage and was half-brother of Walchand Hirachand, w ...

Lalchand Hirachand Lalchand Hirachand Doshi (24 October 1904 – 1993) was a scion of Walchand group, noted industrialist, philanthropist and Jain social leader.Ratanchand Hirachand Ratanchand Hirachand Doshi (1902–1981) was a scion of Walchand group, an industrialist, philanthropist, freedom fighter, and Jain social leader. Biography He was son of Hirachand Doshi from his second marriage and was half-brother of Walchand H ...

, who operated together till they were alive. The group, however, in general is referred to as Walchand group in media. Walchand group is now largely bifurcated between two factions - one headed by

son of Gulabchand Hirachand and other faction by sons of Lalchand and Ratanchand. Walchand College of Engineering is an autonomous engineering education institute in the city of Sangli, Maharashtra, India. The WCE campus is situated on nearly 90 acres of land in Vishrambag, roughly midway between the twin cities of Sangli and Miraj. *

Walchand College of Engineering, Sangli Walchand College of Engineering is a college in the city of Sangli, Maharashtra, India. The WCE campus is situated on nearly 90 acres of land in Vishrambag, roughly midway between the twin cities of Sangli and Miraj. The college was establis ...

The college was established in 1947 by the Hon. (Late) Dhondumama Sathe and began with an undergraduate course in Civil Engineering with a capacity of 60 students. It was affiliated with Bombay University in 1947. After Pune University was set up in 1948, the college became affiliated with Pune University. In 1955, the college was renamed after Walchand Hirachand, an industrialist. Since the establishment of Shivaji University, at Kolhapur in 1962, Walchand College of Engineering, Sangli has been affiliated with Shivaji University. Since 2007, it has been an autonomous college offering the B.Tech. degree (vs the B.E degree) along with Veermata Jijabai Technological Institute, Mumbai (VJTI), College of Engineering, Pune (CoEP), Shri Guru Gobind Singhji Institute of Engineering and Technology (SGGS) and Sardar Patel College of Engineering (SPCE) in Maharashtra with 'financial and academic autonomy'

References

{{Walchand Group Walchand Group