Noted industrialist and Arvind Mills chairman Arvind Narottam Lalbhai passed away here this morning. Born on April 3, 1918, Lalbhai had led Arvind Mills for nearly three decades. He was a vocal advocate of modernisation and induction of cutting-edge technologies, and had led several indian trade delegations to various parts of the globe. He will be specially missed in the textile industry, to which he had contributed in several capacities. Passionately interested in rural development, he adopted Laxmipura village and some other adjoining villages in Sabarkantha district, where he initiated activities like training farmers in new methods of agriculture, forestry, use of bio-gas, and stepping up education and women’s welfare. A bachelor, Lalbhai had adopted his brother Niranjan Lalbhai’s younger son Samveg. Gujarat governor Nawal Kishore Sharma, chief minister Narendra Modi, Ahmedabad mayor Amit Shah, Ahmedabad Textile Mills Association (ATMA) president Chintan Parikh, Parimal Nathwani of the Reliance Group, and textile minister Shankersinh Vaghela expressed their condolences on his demise.
