Birla Corp Chairman R S Lodha no more

Rajendra Singh Lodha, the man who came into the M P Birla estate after the demise of Priyamvada Birla amidst intense legal challenge from the Birla family, died today in London owing to sudden cardiac arrest.

The owner of Lodha & Co, the major audit firm, Lodha was travelling with his younger son Harsh in London but was alone when he died, his elder son Aditya told Business Standard in Kolkata.

A widower, Lodha was survived by his two sons.

After he came to control the M P Birla group, the will of Priyamvada Birla which bequeathed the group to him, was challenged through multiple litigation by the different factions of the Birla family.

The issue was still before Calcutta High Court and pending judgements on the different cases, both civil and criminal, filed by the Birla factions against him.

Some of the major group companies managed by him are Birla Corporation, Universal Cables, Vindhya Telelinks and Birla Ericsson Optical.