Founder Of BPL Group TP Gopalan Nambiar Passes Away

TP Gopalan Nambiar, the founder of BPL Group and a prominent figure in India's consumer electronics industry, passed away on Thursday at the age of 94 at his residence in Bengaluru. Known as TPG, he was the father-in-law of BJP leader and former Union Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar. Chandrasekhar confirmed the news on X (formerly Twitter), saying, “It is with great sadness that I inform you all about the passing away of my father-in-law TPG Nambiar, Chairman BPL Group. Om Shanti. He was a true visionary and built one of India's most trusted consumer brands that remains popular to this day. I am pausing my Election campaign work and returning to Bengaluru to be with my family.”

Under Nambiar's leadership, BPL emerged as a major player in the consumer electronics sector, expanding its reach into batteries, telecommunication equipment, packaging, electronic devices, and medical equipment. At its peak, the company’s television segment alone held a significant market share of over 15 per cent, making BPL a household name.

However, internal family conflicts, missteps in strategic direction, and fierce competition from multinational brands like LG and Samsung hindered BPL's continued success. The company’s attempts to diversify into unrelated areas, coupled with financial setbacks, were seen as contributing factors to its eventual decline.