'Darkest Day Of My Life': Vedanta Group Chairman Anil Agarwal Mourns Son Agnivesh Agarwal's Death

New Delhi: Agnivesh Agarwal, the eldest son of Vedanta Group Chairman Anil Agarwal, passed away in the US. He was 49. Agnivesh, who was on the board of Vedanta group firm Talwandi Sabo Power Limited (TSPL), got injured in a skiing accident and was recovering when he died of a cardiac arrest.

“Following a skiing accident in the US, he was recovering well in Mount Sinai Hospital, New York. We believed the worst was behind us. But fate had other plans, and a sudden cardiac arrest snatched our son away from us,” the mining billionaire said in a heartfelt post on X. 

“No words can describe the pain of a parent who must bid goodbye to his child. A son is not meant to leave before his father. This loss has shattered us in ways we are still trying to comprehend,” he added.

Agnivesh Agarwal studied at Mayo College, Ajmer and went on to set up Fujeirah Gold in UAE and became the Chairman of Hindustan Zinc. "Beyond all titles and achievements, he remained simple, warm, and deeply human," his father described.

Agnivesh was born in Patna on June 3, 1976. “From a middle-class Bihari family, he grew into a man of strength, compassion, and purpose. The light of his mother’s life, a protective brother, a loyal friend, and a gentle soul who touched everyone he met,” Anil Agarwal said.

Anil Agarwal shared that his son believed deeply in building a self-reliant India questioning, “Why should we ever be behind?” The father-son duo shared a dream to ensure that ”no child sleeps hungry, no child is denied education, every woman stands on her own feet, and every young Indian has meaningful work." 

Expressing his condolences, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that the untimely passing of Agnivesh Agarwal is deeply shocking, adding that Anil Agarwal's grief is evident in his touching tribute

Anil Agarwal has two children: his late son, Agnivesh, and his daughter, Priya, who is on the board of Vedanta and chairperson of Hindustan Zinc Limited.

According to Forbes, Anil Agarwal and his family have a net worth of about 4.2 billion US dollars, which is roughly Rs 35,070 crore in Indian rupees.

Anil Agarwal began working at a young age, helping his father in the scrap business. In 1976, he took a big leap and acquired a small, struggling firm – Shamsher Sterling Cable Company. He admitted that he had no money to pay salaries or buy raw materials. In the subsequent ten years, he launched nine businesses, from magnetic wires to aluminium rods, even multiplexes with Warner Brothers.

In 2003, Vedanta became the first Indian company to be listed on the London Stock Exchange. Today, Vedanta has businesses in metals, mining, power, and oil across India and abroad. The group has also created a Rs 83,500 crore ($10 billion) fund with Centricus, a London firm, to invest in privatised Indian public sector companies.

Anil Agarwal owns a majority stake in India-listed Vedanta Ltd and has pledged to donate 75% of his wealth to charity under the Giving Pledge.

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