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Manohar Rajaram Chhabria (Manu), the Dubai-based
Indian business tycoon died

Mumbai April 6, 2002

Manohar Rajaram Chhabria (Manu), the Dubai-based Indian business tycoon and head of the $ 1.5 billion transnational conglomerate Jumbo Group, died in the city hospital here today following a heart attack. He was 56 and survived by his wife and three daughters, including Komal Chhabria Wazir, an executive director in his firm, Shaw Wallace and Company.

A Harvard University business graduate, Chhabria established the Jumbo Group in Dubai in 1974. At present, the Jumbo Group, a transnational conglomerate with presence in 50 countries and employing over 20,000 people, claims to be the largest distributor of Sony products in the world besides being the largest distributor of consumer and professional electronics in the Arabian Gulf.

Chhabria also headed many Indian companies including liquor major Shaw Wallace. Besides Shaw Wallace, the Rs 75-billion Jumbo Group has a controlling stake in Indian entities such as, Dunlop India, Mather & Platt, Hindustan Dorr Oliver, Falcon Tyres, and Gordon Woodroffe. Of these, tyre-maker Dunlop is currently fighting a battle for survival.

Having risen from humble beginning in Mumbai selling radio parts, Chhabria migrated to Dubai from Mumbai 28 years ago. He raised a huge business empire, named Jumbo Group of Companies, and ran it from Al Salaam towers in Dubai. He shot to fame in the eighties and was known as a 'takeover tycoon'.

For the last few years, his companies like Dunlop and Shaw Wallace faced major liquidity credit problems. Dunlop is now a sick company and fighting for survival. He was also involved in a bruising court battle with his estranged brother Kishore Chhabria and United Breweries chairman Vijay Mallya. Later Kishore and Manu joined forces to fight Mallya.

"I will flood the country with my televisions," Manu Chhabria had said after the hostile Taliban government in Afghanistan was overthrown and a new, friendly regime installed in its place. He was referring to the Taliban diktat of banning televisions and the new government's intentions of removing all such restrictions.

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