Electoral bonds data: 15 prominent individuals from corporate world bought bonds — Rs 2 crore to Rs 35 crore 

Queries were sent to the official email addresses of all the companies these individuals are associated with.

The 15 individuals are:

Lakshmi Niwas Mittal: Rs 35 crore

Listed by Forbes as having a net worth of Rs 1, 670 crore, Mittal is the executive chairman and CEO of ArcelorMittal, one of the world’s largest steel-making companies. He lives in London

He purchased the bonds on April 18, 2019 during the Lok Sabha polls.

A spokesperson from ArcelorMittal said he had “no comments” on the subject.

Laxmidas Vallabhdas Merchant: Rs 25 crore

A chartered accountant associated with Reliance Industries Limited, Merchant is a director with Reliance Life Sciences and several other companies including Reliance Life Sciences Pvt Ltd, Reliance Infosolutions Pvt Ltd, Reliance Global Management Services Limited, and Reliance Media Transmission Pvt Ltd. He was earlier director of Reliance Ventures Ltd.

He purchased the bonds in November 2023.

Rahul Bhatia: Rs 20 crore

The promoter of India’s largest airline, Indigo, Bhatia purchased bonds valued at Rs 20 crore in his personal capacity in April 2021.

In addition, three other Indigo entities — Interglobe Aviation, InterGlobe Air Transport and Interglobe Real Estate Ventures — also bought bonds totalling Rs 36 crore.

Inder Thakurdas Jaisinghani: Rs 14 crore

A second generation businessman, Jaisinghani is the chairman and managing director (MD) of Polycab Group of Companies, a major manufacturer of electric wires and cables. Polycab expanded impressively when he set up a factory in Halol, Gujarat for manufacturing and processing PVC pipes.

He purchased the bonds in April and October 2023.

Rajesh Mannalal Agarwal: Rs 13 crore

He is the owner and co-founder of Ajanta Pharma Limited, a multinational pharmaceutical company dealing with specialised formulations. Located in Mumbai, the

company has a presence in about 20 companies, including the USA.

While Agarwal bought the bonds between January 2022 and October 2023, his firm was separately shown as a corporate purchaser of bonds worth Rs 4 crore.

A spokesperson of Ajanta Pharma responded to queries and said they had “no comments” to make.

Harmesh Rahul Joshi & Rahul Jagannath Joshi: Rs 10 crore each

Among the directors of Om Freight Group of companies headquartered in Mumbai, they are individually associated with over a dozen, mostly group, companies such as Oscar Freight Private Limited and Seven Hills Shipping Private Limited.

Mumbai-based Om Group deals mainly in international logistics and freight, delivering to 700 locations in India and abroad.

They bought the bonds in January 2022 and November 2023.

Kiran Mazumdar Shaw: Rs 6 crore

She is the chairperson and founder of Biocon, a pharma company she launched in 1978, and spearheaded its evolution from dealing with industrial enzymes to a hub of complex bio-pharmaceutical manufacturing. Biocon currently sells products in 120 countries.

After her name appeared on the ECI list, showing she had purchased bonds in April 2023, she posted on X: “All parties want funding.”

Indrani Patnaik: Rs 5 crore

She is among the highest tax payers in India. A director of nine companies, she is primarily in the mining business, with the area of operation mainly in Odisha and West Bengal.

Her son Anurag was quizzed by ED on July 20, 2015 and on January 11, 2019 Income Tax raids were conducted at locations linked to her. She purchased the bonds on May 10, 2019.

Sudhakar Kancharla: Rs 5 crore

Living abroad, Kancharla is chairman of Yoda Group and founder of Devansh Lab Werks. He purchased the bonds on April 12, 2023.

Earlier this year, when veteran actor Chiranjeevi was awarded the Padma Vibhushan, he posted on X that it was “indeed a moment of immense pride and celebration for all of us.”

Abhrajit Mitra: Rs 4.25 crore

Mitra is director of Kolkata-based Searock Infraproject Private Limited. He was earlier associated with another firm, Technophile Innovations Private Limited, which is involved in computer-related activities like maintenance of websites/ creation of multimedia presentations for other firms etc. He made the purchases in October 2023.

Sarojit Kumar Dey: Rs 3.4 crore

Dey is director in seven West Bengal-based firms, including J D Agro Development Private Limited, JRD Realty Private Limited, and Limelight Vincom Private Limited. She purchased the bonds during 2021, 2023 and in January 2024.

Dilip Ramanlal Thacker: Rs 3 crore

Thacker, who bought the bonds in April 2023, is/ was associated with 30 companies — majority in Mumbai, and two in Pune — mostly in real estate, infrastructure and hotels. Some of these companies were converted into  limited liability partnership (LLP).

Companies he is associated with include: Samudra Real Estate Private Limited; Jade Minerals & Mines Private Limited; Redstone Films Private Limited; Turner Films Private Limited; Global Kitchens (kg) LLP; and DT Multi Trade LLP.

Prakash Balwant Mengane: Rs 3 crore

Mengane is a director in Shreenath Stapatya India Private Limited, a Kolhapur (Maharashtra)-based company involved in manufacture of non-metallic mineral products. The company was incorporated on October 28, 2020. Mengane bought the bonds in November 2023.

Nirmal Kumar Bathwal: Rs 2 crore

Bathwal is director in 21 companies including Penguin Trading & Agencies Limited, which also bought bonds for Rs 27.5 crore. Most of these 21 companies — one in Mumbai and the rest in Kolkata — are either amalgamated or under strike off (process of being dissolved) . He bought the bonds in January 2022.