Release and Discussion on the book by Dr. Aparna Basu

 

Padmashri Smt. Vidyaben Shah, formerly President, NDMC and Indian Council of Child Welfare, will release the book

 

Speaker: Dr. Nasir Tyabji, Director and Professor, Centre for Jawaharlal Nehru Studies, Jamia Milia Islamia

 

Chair: Ambassador C.R. Gharekhan, Chairman,  Indira Gandhi National Centre of the Arts

 

Lallubhai Samaldas (1863-1936) belonged to the distinguished Diwan family of Bhavnagar state.  The ideals of economic nationalism inspired him and he wanted to setup enterprises owned and managed by Indians. Banking and insurance were then entirely British owned. Lallubhai with a group of like minded citizens of Bombay set up the Bank of India in 1906. He helped to setup the Bank of Baroda and was its Chairman for many years. He was founder Director and Chairman of the Bombay Life Assurance Corporation. He was a pioneer of the cement industry and established one of India's earliest cement factories in Porbunder in 1913. He setup a sugar mill in Baramati and started the Bhavnagar Electric Supply Corporation which even today supplies electricity to the state. Lallubhai was one of the founders of the Scindia Steam Naviagation Company, the first Indian shipping company. The lasting contribution of Lallubhai was in the field of the Co-operative movement in India and at his initiative the Bombay Provincial Cooperative Bank and Land Mortgage Bank were set up. Lallubhai's interests were not confined to business and commerce