Founder Chairman
Shri Rameshwardasji Birla, in whose memory the Endowment has been set up, was a leading industrialist and philanthropist who dedicated his life to medical, social, cultural, educational and religious activities all over India. He was the pioneering spirit behind the Bombay Hospital and was the Founder Chairman of its Trust.
His humanitarian approach and untiring efforts were responsible for setting up of the Bombay Hospital in 1950 with 440 – bed capacity. Later, in 1972 a 15-storey Medical Research Centre (Now known as the R. D. Birla Tower) was added catering to all specialities in the medical field, and equipped with the most sophisticated equipment, and with a strength of over 200 beds, making a total of 640 beds. With the completion of the 15-storey New Wing of the Medical Research Centre (Now known as the M. P. Birla Tower) The bed strength of the Hospital has now gone up to 750 beds, of which 254 beds are in General Ward Categery.
As a businessman, he was well known for his integrity and wisdom. He built a masterpiece of a temple in ancient architectural style at Kalyan, open to one and all, irrespective of caste, colour or creed.
To the social and cultural life of the city of Bombay, Shri R. D. Birla gave the magnificent and spacious Birla Matushri Sabhagar in memory of his mother and the Birla Kreeda Kendra, at Chowpatty Seaface, in memory of his father. In addition, Shri Rameshwardasji Birla set up hospitals at Pilani, Calcutta and other centres, apart from several charitable dispensaries. He passed away on April 21, 1973.
The Endowment has been set up with an initial corpus of Rs. 15 million, brought in by the late Shri M. P. Birla, son of Shri Rameshwardasji Birla. One half of this corpus is held by the Medical Research Centre while the balance is held by the Bombay Hospital Trust.
The income from the corpus is being utilised by the Medical Research Centre for promoting research in medical and related fields, and by the Hospital Trust primarily for encouraging medical education and assisting other private charitable hospitals; preferably in the rural areas.
Past Chairman
Shri Madhav Prasad Birla, Vice-Chairman of the Bombay Hospital Trust was born in Bombay on the 4th July, 1918. Shri M. P. Babu, as he was universally and affectionately known, was a man of great enterprise, who set up a host of companies like Birla Corp, Universal Cables, Vindhya Telelinks, Hindustan Gum & Chemicals, Digvijay Woollen Mills, Indian Smelting, etc., all leaders in their own fields, manufacturing quality products. He also established Birla Planetorium & Belle Vue Clinic and several schools in Calcutta.
Shri M. P. Babu will be remembered as a great philanthropist rather than as a leading and eminent industrialist. Totally devoid of ego, and instinctively averse to self-advertisement, he gave profusely and generously to charitable causes spread over the length and breadth of the country, without ever expecting or allowing his name to be associated with his munificent donations. He established the M. P. Birla Foundation in fulfilment of his deep commitment to furthering progress in the fields of education and medicine. Shri M. P. Birla was also intimately associated with the famous Birla Institute of Technology & Science at Pilani.
Bombay Hospital enjoyed a very special place in his heart. He liberally gave crores of rupees to this great Institution. He took keen interest in the working of the Hospital and made frequent enquiries about the quality of treatment, more particularly to the poor and needy. He was responsible in no small measure, for the growth and development of the Hospital, set up by his illustrious father Shri Rameshwardasji Birla, into a 750 bedded Hospital, one of the largest and best equipped in the country.
In private life he was shy and self-effacing and a man of simple habits with few needs, a man who earned in order to spend it for worthy causes. Indeed, he imbibed the great message of the Upanishads that wealth should be enjoyed by giving it generously.
Shri M. P. Babu breathed his last on 30th July, 1990 at Calcutta. With his demise the nation has lost an eminent industrialist a great philanthropist, and above all, a good human being.
Smt. Priyamvada Devi Birla was a unique and unconventional person, who devoted her time, energy and wealth for the betterment of our Society. She was also a very devoted wife and did her best to maintain the legacy of her late husband Shri. M. P. Birla.
Hospitals, schools & temples form a very large and integral part of the M P Birla group which continued the tradition set by the late Shri M P Birla and his wife late Smt. Priyamvada Devi Birla.
Born on 3rd November, 1908, in the well-known public spirited Zamindar family of Najidabad in U.P., known as the Sahu Jain family, Babuji, as he was affectionately addressed, had in his youth, the advantage of seeing in operation, and coming in contact with, the cultural ethos of the period, where Hindus, Muslims, Jains and other communities, had evolved a pattern of living in amity, and peacefully following the practices of their respective religions and social codes. It was this blend of cultural actions and reactions, that had gone into the mental make-up of Babuji, resulting in the formation of an integrated Indian personality, steadfast in the inherited cultural values and adept at adjustment with best that was progressive and modern.
Babuji’s passion for social, civic and educational activities, became manifest at an early stage of his life, during which he founded numerous schools, colleges, dispensaries and charitable institutions, to foster education, and provide medical relief to the poor and the needy. He was a multi-facetted personality, covering diverse fields like education, industry, social welfare and religion. He was a Member of the First Rajya Sabha from Bombay, for six years 1952 – 1958, and was one of the most widely respected industrialist in the country, whose advice and guidance was regularly sought on all matters concerning industry and finance.
He was the leader of the Jain Community and in recognition of his services to the community, he was honoured with the titles of ”SHRIYANS ABHINAV” and ”SAMAJ SHIROMANI” and was also awarded the ”TAMRA PATRA” for his devotion and continued service, not only to Jains but to the public at large. He was conferred title of ”SHRAVAK SHIROMANI”, the highest title the community can offer to its leaders, in recognition of his services to the Jain community. In 1988, Babuji was decorated with the prestigious award of Padma Bhushan, for his manifold services to society.
He was a Trustee of the Bombay Hospital Trust, ever since its inception, and on the demise of the founder Chairman, Shri Rameshwardasji Birla in 1973, the mantle of Chairmanship of the Bombay Hospital Trust, fell on his capable shoulders. He built on the edifice raised by Shri Rameshwardasji Birla, and was in no small measures, responsible for the Hospital becoming one of the premier medical institution in the country. In his association with the affairs of the Hospital, he brought to bear his usual thoroughness and passion for detail. There was no aspect of the running of the Hospital that he was not conversant with, and amazed everyone as to how, inspite of his multifarious and diverse activities, compounded by his delicate health, he still found the time and the energy, to go deep into matters concerning the Hospital. He was always willing to lend a patient ear to doctors, officials and others connected with the Hospital, who came to him for advice and guidance, and endeared himself to everyone who came in contact with him, with his humility, gentleness and innate goodness. The demise of Shri Shriyansprasadji is indeed an irreparable loss, not only to his family but also to his friends, admirers and the business community. The country has lost a great and good man. The Bombay Hospital Trust will miss his wise counsel and guidance.
Chairman
Shri Bharat Taparia is the son of late Shri Narendra Singh Taparia (son of late Rai Bahadur Himmat Singhji Maheshwari) and late Smt. Anusuya Devi Taparia (daughter of late Shri G. D. Birla). He was born on 5th August, 1946 at Jaipur in the House of his paternal grandfather who was the revenue minister at that time in the princely state of Jaipur.
After completing his studies from Mumbai, he entered business in the year 1971 and starting from scratch has built up a business conglomerate of six privately held companies having diverse business with a combined net worth in excess of Rs. 1000 crores.
Mr. Taparia’s real passion however is managing Bombay Hospital Trust in which he was inducted as Deputy Chairman in the year 1984 by his uncle late Shri M. P. Birla. Shri Taparia believes that charity and the pursuit of excellence are the two fundamental ideals which provide the impetus to focus on the well being of the patient. His vision is to provide the best possible treatment, delivered most efficiently in the shortest span of time and at minimum cost.
Over the last twenty-five years in his capacity as Deputy / Vice Chairman and now Chairman since 1992, he has radically transformed the working of the Hospital by inducting professionalism and introducing the most modern concepts of management.
Even though Bombay Hospital Trust is sixty years old, the Hospital’s 600,000 sq. ft has been totally refurbished and is equipped with the most modern equipments numbering 1422 of which the average age is seven years. The systems are computerized enabling the management to avail all required information on a real time basis.
In the year 1988, under the supervision of Shri Bharat Taparia, a new wing, now known as the M.P. Birla Tower, having 225 beds, state-of-the-art Library, Museum & Board Room was commissioned at Bombay Hospital, Mumbai.
In the year 2003, a new hospital with capacity of 600 beds was commissioned at Indore well known as Bombay Hospital Indore. This hospital is functioning very well and has become a tertiary referral centre for the whole of Madhya Pradesh.
Project work for another Bombay Hospital with a capacity of 500 beds at Jaipur is in progress and will be commissioned at the earliest. The estimated project cost would be Rs. 200 crores.Under the able leadership of Shri Bharat Taparia, Bombay Hospital Trust is exploring the feasibility of establishing a chain of charitable hospitals through out the country which is its ultimate goal.