India's 35th richest billionaire

Born in 1950, Mr Hiranandani completed his schooling from Campion School, Mumbai. He graduated with a Bachelor of Commerce Degree (Hons) from Sydhenham College, with a distinction of standing second in the Mumbai University. Adding to his professional qualification, he completed his F.C.A. from the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India.

From his early beginnings of teaching chartered accountancy, Mr Hiranandani started his business in textiles with a weaving unit at Charkop in Kandiv ali. Since then, the Hiranandani Group has come a long way and is very well known for their modern and state of the art property development projects in Powai and Thane. Mr Hiranandani is actively associated with and holds key positions in various Government bodies, private and social institutions, schools and colleges. He is the Convener of the Key Group representing Business Community in the United Nations Conference on Human Settlements (HABITAT II); Member of the Working Group on the Urban Housing for the Ninth Five Year Plan; Member of Task Force for reforms in Housing & Urban Development of Government of Maharashtra and also the Ex-Director of Housing and Urban Development Corporation Limited (HUDCO).

The Hiranandani Group was founded in the early eighties by Dr. L. H. Hiranandani, President and his two dynamic entrepreneur sons Mr. Niranjan L Hiranandani, MD and Mr. Surendra L Hiranandani, MD with a mission to create superior value in all their endeavors.

Through their incredible foresight, determination and meticulous planning, over the years, they spun gold out of a haystack. The success story of the Hiranandanis today, has evolved from a difficult ordeal, not born with a silver spoon. 

In fact, Dr. L. H. Hiranandani was born in a poor trading family, in the then Sindh province. Even through troubled times and long hardships, he realised his vision to emerge as one of the country's most eminent ENT specialist.

Fifteen years ago, like their father, the two sons dared to venture into yet another terra incognita - Construction, that was then a really unstructured industry.

The group took over many small housing projects but was never contented. People ridiculed them. But they moved on. They learnt newer techniques and standards of modern construction from the west and implemented them here. They immediately saw incredible result with their small project in Versova, Western Mumbai.

With this ray of hope, they dared Powai, which was then a rocky quarry land with barren hills, devoid of any infrastructure. It had just one single lane road and Powai Lake was a picnic spot, among the woods, with IIT as the only landmark. Today it is "The Hiranandani Gardens, Powai" known worldwide. And the story continues, repeating history.

A History of Firsts

The company has always been aggressive in pushing the boundaries in property development and has several firsts to its name. These include:

• The mixed-use communities at Powai (Mumbai) and Thane (near Mumbai)
• Introduction of copper plumbing in India
• Introduction of the use of Fly Ash in concrete in India
• 100% sewage recycling and rain water harvesting in all properties as early as 1989
• Pioneered the introduction of indigenous species of trees and shrubs into the fabis of urban communities
• Hiranandani is the main developer for 23 Marina, Dubai - the world’s tallest residential building, boasting some 57 swimming pools throughout its 380 meter height.
• Hiranandani is developing the Western Mall in Mumbai, the nation’s first flyover mall.
   

Fulfilling Responsibility to Community

Mr. Niranjan Hiranandani and Mr. Surendra Hiranandani, the company’s co-founders, have always understood that the Hiranandani Group has an important role to play in the community it serves and have personally assumed a leadership role in many community, government and industry organizations. Some of these include:

• Drafting the State Policy for slum rehabilitation in Mumbai designed to improve the well being of over 6 million slum inhabitants.
• Acting as trustees for the creation of Nathdwara Township as a heritage destination.
• Serving on the board of the Housing and Urban Development Corporation (HUDCO), an organization which distributes $3 billion per annum to help fund the building of housing for low income families.
• Acting as an advisor to the government of India on housing and habitat policy for over a decade.
• Chairman, Development and Environment Committee of the Indian Merchants Chamber.
  President, Real Estate of the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI).
• Honoured by the Concrete Institute of America