Nusli Wadia’s final duel

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Editor's note: To the outside world it looked like Nusli Wadia, who turned 77 in February, had settled the handover of the family legacy to his two sons: Ness Nusli Wadia and Jehangir Nusli Wadia.  There were two parts to the inheritance. One was the Wadia Group, which housed the family business that traced its roots back to over two centuries. Both Ness and Jehangir—or Jeh as he was referred to—were on the boards of most of the group companies. But there was a difference. While Ness had donned executive roles, including at Bombay Dyeing, it was clear that younger brother Jeh was more inclined to take on an active role in the daily operations. So Jeh, who also creditably built a small but profitable aviation business in GoAir, looked set to take over the family’s business responsibilities from his father whenever the transition happened.  Apart from business, Nusli is as passionate (or even more) about philanthropy. Unlike the Tatas, whose trusts’ charity work is feted worldwide, the Wadia family’s philanthropy is little known outside the Parsi community. Not that it mattered …