Kasturbhai Lalbhai

Kasturbhai Lalbhai (19 December 1894 – 20 January 1980) was an Indian industrialist and philanthropist. He co-founded the Arvind Mills along with his brothers and several other institutes. He was a cofounder of the Ahmadabad Education Society which initiated Ahmedabad University and the Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad. He served as the chairman of historic and influential Anandji Kalyanji Trust that manages Shatrunjaya and several other Jain pilgrimage centers, for 50 years. Kasturbhai belonged to the Jain family of Nagarsheths (city chief) of Ahmedabad, recognized by the Mughals, Marathas and the English during different times. He was the descendant of Shantidas Jhaveri, a royal jeweler of Akbar and an Oswal Jain from the Marwar region. Khushalchand (1680–1748), the grandson of Shantidas paid ransom to the Marathas to save Ahmedabad from plunder in 1725. Khushalchand's son Vakhatchand (1740–1814) was also a noted businessman. His grandson Dalpatbhai Bhagubhai was also in cotton trading business in the 1870s. His son Lalbhai Dalpatbhai (1863–1912), Kasturbhai's father, established Saraspur cotton mill in 1896 addition to the traditional business of precious gems. It became a part of the swadeshi movement in India. Kasturbhai was born to Mohini and Lalbhai Dalpatbhai, a preeminent Jain family, in 1894 in Jhaveriwad, Ahmedabad, Gujarat. He studied at Municipal School Number Eight near Teen Darwaja, Ahmedabad up to fifth grade. He later joined Ranchhodlal Chhotalal Government High School. He matriculated in 1911 with second class. In 1912, when he was a 17-year-old studying in Gujarati College, his father died and being the second son, he was asked to discontinue his studies so as to help in the family business. His father Lalbhai had divided property among his brothers only in the recent past; as his and his sons' share, Lalbhai had received Raipur mills, a new establishment. He was married to Sharda Chimanlal Jhaveri in May 1915 and had two sons, Shrenik and Siddharth. He joined Raipur Mill as a chairman in 1912.