Founder of the Maini Group, Dr Sudharshan Kumar Maini has passed away said his family sources on Monday. According to the family members, the patriarch breathed his last on December 26, in his Bengaluru residence, at the age of 87. He reportedly died of prolonged illness; is survived by wife Reva and three sons, Chetan, Gautam and Sandeep.

Dr Maini, who encouraged his son Chetan Maini to commercialise India’s first electric car Reva, hailed from Punjab and established his company Maini Group in the year 1973 with a devoted team of ten. Under his leadership, his firm grew into a multi-unit group of six companies now employing over 1,500 people across 14 locations. Before launching his firm Maini Group, Dr Sudarshan was the general production manager for MICO-Bosch in Bengaluru. He began working there in 1967.

The Maini Group is a well-known design and manufacturing entities of India. The company because of their creative brilliance and expertise in the management of materials and logistics solutions became the first firm to design and manufacture an eco-friendly and electric car in India. He promoted India’s first electric car Reva, named after his wife.

Maini had done his degree in mechanical engineering from the Banaras Hindu University. He had studied industrial administration in the United Kingdom and believed that India can be a major industrial nation.

Mourning his death, Biocon chief Kiran Mazumdar Shaw tweeted, "Celebrated Industry doyen and founder of the Maini Group Sudarshan Maini passed away on 26th December after a prolonged illness. He will be remembered as a pioneering entrepreneur who supported his son Chetan to commercialise India’s first EV Reva, his wife’s name. May his soul RIP.”