Founder and chairman of Ajanta Group of Industries, Odhavaji Raghavji Patel died on Thursday due to liver complications. He was 79. He was popularly known as O R Patel, after whom Ajanta Group's another brand 'Orpat' is named.
Patel was on ventilator since two months after being hospitalised due to liver complications. His cortege will proceed from his house in Morbi at 10 am on Friday.
Patel founded Ajanta Quartz in 1971 which started with manufacturing transistor and clocks under the brand Ajanta, now the world's largest clock manufacturing company. However, the company later diversified into calculators through the Orpat brand, lighting and Ceramic products under the brand Oreva. The company has a large integrated manufacturing facility in Samakhayali (Kutch) and Morbi (Rajkot). Patel is survived by four sons who now run the group companies.
Apart from being a businessman, Patel was also known as an educationist and was connected with several educational activities.
