You are never too old to learn something new – this motto enabled matriarch Savitri Jindal to don the mantle of chairperson of the multi-billion dollar OP Jindal group at age 55, and carve her own path as a politician and philanthropist.
By Nichola Marie
India’s richest woman with a net worth of $39.5 billion, the 74-year-old Savitri Jindal made news recently when she filed her nomination as an independent candidate from the Hisar seat to contest the Haryana polls. Wife of noted industrialist, the late OP Jindal, she said, after filing her nomination, “I have pledged to serve Hisar for its development and transformation. The people of Hisar are my family and Om Prakash Jindal had established my relationship with this family.”
Savitri Jindal had entered politics following the demise of her husband (in a helicopter crash in 2005), who had also served in the government as a minister at the time of his death. Since then, she has been elected as an MLA from the Hisar seat twice; for the first time in 2005 as a Congress MLA, followed by her re-election in 2009. Made a minister in the Singh Hooda government in 2013, she lost in 2014. A decade later, she quit the Congress in March this year when her son Naveen Jindal also left the party and joined the BJP. Naveen also won the Kurukshetra seat on a BJP ticket in the 2024 general elections.
Interestingly, she doesn’t view her contesting the seat against the ruling party-fielded Kamal Gupta from the Hisar assembly segment, as an act of rebellion. “It won’t be considered so,” she maintains, “I had only campaigned for my son (Naveen Jindal in the Lok Sabha polls). I have not taken any membership (of the BJP).” She also added, “I have been in the public for the past 20 years to serve them. I should be given one chance to serve the public. Otherwise too, this is my last election. I want to complete unfinished works of Hisar’s public.”
Rising To The Moment
Here is a woman of — literally — steel, being the Chairperson Emeritus of the Jindal Group, whose interests include not just steel but power, cement, and infrastructure. The New Delhi-based company had been founded by her late husband, Om Prakash Jindal, in 1979. He got his humble start making buckets and went on to found a pipe unit named Jindal India. It was the beginning of a journey that saw him become a legend in the history of industrial India. The sprawling $25 billion empire he grew included successful business enterprises such as Jindal Steel and Power, JSW Group and Jindal Stainless Limited under the flagship of the Jindal Organisation, of which he was the Chairman.
It was after her husband’s passing that Savitri Jindal, who self-confessedly had no real idea of the magnitude of the family’s wealth and business, rose to take her place as the matriarch and the Chairperson of the OP Jindal group. Playing diverse roles, she has dedicatedly carved a legacy of myriad responsibilities, simultaneously becoming a role model for women of the modern era.
As the ‘Economic Times’ notes, “Her success story exemplifies not just personal achievement but also a broader trend of women’s empowerment in India’s business world,” adding, “today, she stands as not only India’s richest woman but also a prominent figure on the global stage.”
Staggering Net Worth
Born on 20 March 1950, in Tinsukia, Assam, her humble beginnings were far removed from the world of business and politics. Reports indicate that she completed her schooling in Assam and received a diploma from Assam University. Change came in the 1970s, with her marriage to OP Jindal, founder of the Jindal Group and a minister in the Haryana government. The couple would have nine children, including four sons — Prithviraj, Sajjan, Ratan, and Naveen Jindal.
As Chairperson of the OP Jindal group, she has overseen its immense growth as the group has quadrupled its turnover. Known to be compassionate yet firm, her approach has also earned her widespread admiration.
Savitri Jindal’s vast experience and astute decision-making are credited with playing a key role in ensuring a seamless transition of leadership within the family empire. Even before the loss of the patriarch, Om Prakash Jindal had wisely established a ‘division of business’ framework, wherein each son received equal shares of the existing OP Jindal Group, ensuring a fair distribution of wealth and responsibility. After Jindal’s demise, the Jindal group’s companies were divided among the couple’s four sons, who now run them independently. The family’s journey to success is attributable to not just individual endeavours but to unity and collaboration fostered by the parents.
Balancing Act
Speaking in an interview about balancing her various roles of Chairperson Emeritus of the OP Jindal group, homemaker, politician, and social worker, Savitri Jindal credited the same to dedication and honesty. There is no shortcut to honesty and hard work, she believes. “I approach every task with complete dedication and honesty, whether it’s at home or the office. This is why finding harmony and balance in these diverse roles has been a fulfilling experience for me.” She also credits the progressive success and achievement of the Jindal Group to the foundation of family unity and its collective hard work and dedication.
Naming her late husband as her role model, she also revealed that she feels “an immense sense of pride bearing witness to this remarkable journey” of the OP Jindal group. She is also deeply appreciative of the fact that “the work initiated by Jindal sahab has been carried forward splendidly by my children.”
Savitri Jindal is also a classic example of the power of the desire to learn. It’s a quality she values immensely, believing it can prove extremely supportive for women to achieve success at the personal, familial and professional levels. “There is no age limit for learning; learning remains continuous throughout one’s life. A person who is always eager to learn is successful at every stage of life. Even in the face of mistakes, we should learn from them and move forward – that is the mantra,” she vouches.
Her message to women in society is to always ensure balance in various aspects of life. “Move forward and march towards success by balancing your role in multiple fronts of family, work, and personal endeavours,” she exhorts.
Savitri Jindal also contributes to public works started by her husband for the Jindal group’s charitable foundation, the Jindal Foundation which focuses on education, healthcare, and community development. The foundation has established schools, hospitals, and vocational training centres, positively impacting thousands of lives across India. She was awarded the Acharya Tulsi Kartavya Award by the All India Terapanth Mahila Mandal in 2008.
Religious by belief, she enjoys spiritual books and devotional and patriotic songs. Her preferred travel destinations are any place with her family and children, though Haridwar occupies a special space in her heart. She also has a soft spot for South Indian food, especially dosa, and loves walking. Simple living and high thinking are at the core of India’s richest woman, Savitri Jindal.
Meet The Scions
Ratan Jindal – A commerce graduate and alumnus of the Wharton School of Management, Ratan Jindal is the Chairman and Managing Director of Jindal Stainless Limited and Chairman of Jindal Stainless (Hisar) Limited, part of the OP Jindal Group. Known for his technical proficiency and intimate knowledge of customers and markets, his focus has not only been on producing world-class stainless steel products but also on promoting the usage of stainless steel in myriad applications. Social commitments remain central to his beliefs, while true to his sportsman spirit, he is a keen golfer and takes an avid interest in tennis and cricket. Married to art entrepreneur Deepika Jindal, in 2023, his son Abhyuday Jindal was reappointed managing director of JSL.
Sajjan Jindal – One of India’s most successful entrepreneurs, with interests spanning steel, power, cement, infrastructure, and even software development, Sajjan Jindal’s journey to success started in 1982 when he joined the OP Jindal Group as a freshly graduated mechanical engineer. Showcasing his mettle as a capable leader, he ventured into various industries and promoted several companies, including Jindal Iron and Steel Company Limited (JISCO), Jindal Vijaynagar Steel Limited (JVSL), JSW Energy Limited (JSWEL), and more. These efforts culminated in the formation of JSW Steel, the crown jewel of the Jindal Group, in 2005, which he runs. In 2023, he took the ports arm, JSW Infrastructure, public. He is married to Sangita Jindal, chairperson of JSW Foundation. They have two daughters, Tarini and Tanvi, and a son, Parth.
Naveen Jindal – Youngest son of Savitri and OP Jindal, industrialist, philanthropist and politician, Naveen Jindal is a member of Parliament from Kurukshetra, Haryana, the chairman of Jindal Steel and Power Limited, and chancellor of the OP Jindal Global University. An MBA from the University of Texas, Dallas, in 2011 he made a very substantial donation to the same institution, following which the School of Management was renamed the Naveen Jindal School of Management. His notable contributions include moving a private member bill for a comprehensive food and nutrition security scheme which became the basis for the Food Security Act. Also, it was his persistent efforts that secured Indian citizens the right to fly the national flag on all days. A national record holder in India for skeet shooting and an adept polo player, he is married to classical dancer Shallu Jindal; the couple are parents to son Venkatesh and daughter Yashasvini.
Prithvi Raj Jindal – Currently, Prithvi Raj Jindal holds the position of non-executive chairman at Jindal SAW Ltd. He is also on the board of 17 other companies.
