S. P. Hinduja is an Indian-born British billionaire businessman and investor, who together with his brother Gopichand Hinduja, is the second richest man in the United Kingdom. Since the 1990s, S. P. Hinduja has been a part of the UK and Asias wealthiest people.S. P. Hinduja was born in an affluent business family in Karachi, British India. In 1914, his father Parmanand Deepchand Hinduja traveled to Bombay (now Mumbai) to learn the basics of business and market, and in 1919, their business journey took off as they started their first international office in Iran. They operated in Iran till 1979 and then moved to Europe due to increasing tensions within the Iran government and religious leaders. An old picture of the Hinduja brothers.After completing his education, S. P. Hinduja joined his father in his textile and trading businesses in Bombay, India, and in Tehran, Iran. One of the biggest wins for the Hinduja group was when S. P. Hinduja acquired the overseas distribution rights for the Indian blockbuster movie Sangam (1964). Hinduja distributed the movie in the Middle-Eastern markets which helped him earn millions of dollars. Poster of the movie Sangam (1964).In the 1960s, Indira Gandhi argued with the Shah of Iran over the high cost of Iranian oil to which Shah responded by saying that India should increase their goods exports to Iran to cover the costs. Amid this, the Hindujas took advantage of the opportunity as they bagged one of the biggest deals of that time- the iron ore project of Kudremukh for almost $10 million in commission. They also had two other trading companies- Sangam and Ashok Trading that were responsible for the importing of cars from a well-known German brand, an American aircraft company, several computer businesses, a trading company, an American airline, and many other products.Other successful ventures initiated by the Hindujas were the sales of food commodities such as onion and potatoes and iron ore from India to Iran.In the 1980s, the Hinduja group acquired a high stake in the Indian truck and bus manufacturer Ashok Leyland. Further, they also acquired the Gulf Oil International company from Chevron to supply oils and lubricants across different countries including India. By the 1990s, they managed to establish banks in Switzerland and India, which helped them become one of the best business tycoons in India alongside Tata, Birla, and Ambani. Old picture of Hinduja brothers (standing with the car) after their deal with Ashok Leyland.In May 1992, S. P. Hindujas son, Dharam Hinduja set himself and his wife on fire in a hotel room in Mauritius as a part of a suicide pact that he had made with his wife. However, he was taken to a hospital with 70% burns on his body, and later, he died because of the injuries. On the other hand, his wife survived the fire. It was reported that Dharam had married a Roman Catholic Australian, Ninotchka Sargon in January that year.In 1993, the Hinduja Group entered the banking sector with the formation of IndusInd Bank, and they started the media house IndusInd Media and Communications Ltd in 1994. For the inauguration ceremony, they invited the then Minister of Finance Manmohan Singh. S. P. Hinduja (right) at the inauguration of IndusInd Bank with the then Minister of Finance Manmohan Singh in 1994.In 1994, he founded the S. P. Hinduja Banque Privee, the only Indian-owned Swiss bank with its headquarters in Geneva. Over the years, the bank has expanded its branches to Switzerland, India, United Arab Emirates (UAE), and the United Kingdom (UK). The bank offers wealth management and investment advisory services to several big businessmen and entrepreneurial clients.In 2012, the Hinduja Group acquired the largest metal fluids manufacturer, the US-based firm Houghton International, for $1.045 billion with the director of Private Equity of JP Morgan, Ghouse Mohammed Asif, and Hank Paulson, who was a former United States Secretary of the Treasury.