BENGALURU: Electronics firm British Physical Laboratories India (BPL) group founder and chairman emeritus TPG Nambiar has passed away on Thursday.
Nearly 95, Nambiar is survived by his wife Thankam, son Ajit, daughter Anju, daughter-in-law Meena, son-in-law Rajeev Chandrasekhar, and grandchildren Shreya, Devika and Ved.
“Shri TPG Nambiar Ji was a pioneering innovator and industrialist, who was a strong votary of making India economically strong. Pained by his passing away. Condolences to his family and admirers,” prime minister Narendra Modi posted on X.
Founded in 1963, during Licence Raj, by Nambiar in Palakkad, Kerala. The company’s initial products included precision measuring instruments such as hermetic sealed panel meters for Bharat Electronics as a subcontract for the Indian Army.
“He implemented Make in India way back in the 80s. The factories that produced BPL products were state of the art as good as the factories in Japan. BPL was exporting its products to western countries under its own brand… A truly visionary and a patriotic business leader,” a close associate of the family told TOI.
Over the years, BPL turned into a household name in areas of electronic products in the consumer and medical equipment sectors. The Asian Games of 1982 motivated Nambiar to expand the business from the medical equipment sector to consumer electronics.
“I am deeply saddened to hear the passing of T.P. Gopalan Nambiar, the visionary founder of the BPL Group, whose pioneering contributions to India’s electronics industry have left an indelible mark. His legacy will continue to inspire generations,” Karnataka’s Minister for Large and Medium Industries MB Patil posted on X, while expressing condolences for the Nambiar family.
Nambiar’s son-in-law Chandrashekhar, former union minister, also took to X to announce the news. “It is with great sadness that I inform you all abt the passing away of my father-in-law TPG Nambiar… I am pausing my Election campaign work and returning to Bengaluru to be with family,” he said.