Raj Loomba

Business career of Raj Loomba

Raj Loomba started his business in 1964 on a market stall in Widnes, Cheshire and from these beginnings built Rinku Group PLC, one of the most highly regarded companies in the UK fashion and clothing industry.

With corporate headquarters at Loomba House, London, the Rinku Group designs and produces the Tigi-Wear, Viz-A-Viz and iZ brands which are widely distributed wholesale as well as through the Group’s own over 300 concessions around the UK. The Rinku Group also supplies major multiples with own label product. The Group employs more than 300 people in the U.K. and China and has its own factory in Delhi.

The stall in Widnes where the business began in 1964 is still one of Rinku Group’s concession outlets today.

Promoting U.K.-Indian Relations

As a longstanding supporter of business and cultural relations between India and the United Kingdom, Raj Loomba has worked with politicians and business people in both countries to create ongoing opportunities for the future.

In 1997, Raj Loomba chaired the organizing committee for the British Indian Golden Jubilee Banquet held at London’s Grosvenor House Hotel to celebrate the 50th anniversary of India’s independence. The Prince of Wales was guest of Honour at this glittering event, and other speakers and guests included Prime Minister Tony Blair, and three of his predecessors. The Banquet raised £240,000, which was donated to five leading universities in the UK

Raj Loomba, as chairman of the British Indian Golden Jubilee Banquet Fund, runs a programme of Visiting Fellowships at Cambridge, Oxford and other leading universities including Edinburgh, Hull and Wales, whereby prominent Indian academics raise awareness of India’s diverse heritage and current achievements as an emerging force in the world economy.

As the Founder Chairman Trustee of the Dr. L. M. Singhvi Foundation, which promotes the exchange of the Parliamentarians and the Members of the Judiciary between the UK and India. The Visiting Fellows include RT Hon Lord Slynn of Hadley, Late Lord Williams of Mostyn, Lord Brennen of Bibury, Baroness Jay of Paddington and the Chief Justice of India, Dr. A. S. Anand.
As chairman of India First PLC, Raj Loomba plays a key role in building closer ties between London and Delhi, and has organized events at City Hall in London and in India for business and cultural representatives, supported by Mayor Ken Livingstone and Delhi’s Chief Minister Mrs. Sheila Dikshit.

In 2002, Raj Loomba became the first Indian to be elected to the Council of the Royal Society of International Affairs, which is the leading Think-Tank in the world, widely known as Chatham House. He instigated a research project on India, which has become a part of Asia Programme that includes research on China, Japan and Korea in the region. In 2004, Raj Loomba conceptulised Chatham House Prize, which is awarded to a world statesman every year. The First Prize was won by the President of Ukraine and given away by Her Majesty, The Queen Elizabeth, who is the Patron of Chatham House.

The Loomba Trust and International Widows Day

Raj Loomba is a tireless campaigner for improving the plight of widows and their children all over the world. Raj and Veena Loomba set up the Shrimati Pushpa Wati Loomba Trust as a charitable trust in 1997 and in the ensuing ten years the Trust has concentrated on building a programme to educate the children of poor widows in India. Today the Trust educates over 3,600 children throughout India, including 500 in Tamil Nadu who lost their father or both parents in the tsunami.

In 2005, Raj launched 23 June as International Widows Day to provide a focus for building effective global action to combat the cycle of poverty, disease and injustice that is faced by millions of widows all over the world.

In 2006, the Loomba Trust organized an International Widows Conference at the Foreign Office in London, followed by the first ever Bollywood concert held in Trafalgar Square, arranged with the support of London Mayor Ken Livingstone.

The International Widows Conference was chaired by Cherie Booth QC and it received support from the Prince of Wales and Sir Richard Branson as patrons, and heard contributions by Commonwealth Secretary-General Don McKinnon, India’s cabinet minister for Women and Child Development Mrs. Renuka Chowdhury, UK cabinet minister and leader of the upper house Baroness Amos, John Lennon’s widow Yoko Ono, politician and Aids campaigner Baroness Margaret Jay and representatives of widows organizations from many countries in Africa and Asia. Senator Hillary Clinton addressed the conference via video link and messages of support were received from Conservative Leader David Cameron and Liberal-Democrat Leader Sir Menzies Campbell.

In October 2006 the Trust hosted three major events in the UK, USA and South Africa. Diwali Banquets celebrating India’s national Festival of Lights at the Mansion House in the City of London, and in the Delegates Dining Hall at the United Nations Building in New York and in Johannesburg in South Africa.

At these events, Raj Loomba has lobbied to seek support for his next target: to obtain official UN recognition of 23 June as International Widows Day, as a means for building a global campaign that will transform the outlook for disadvantaged widows and their dependents the world over.

The Loomba Trust launched its first project outside India of supporting 1500 HIV orphans in five Townships near Jo’burg. The project is in partnership with Virgin Unite, a charity belonging to Sir Richard Branson.

The Loomba Trust has also become partners with the Youth Business International, which is a charity of HRH Prince of Wales. Through this initiative, the Loomba Trust will be supporting programmes for the widows’ youths and young widows in Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Kenya. These programmes were started in March, 2007 and new programmes for Uganda and Nepal are planned to start in 2008.

Personal Raj Loomba was born on 13 November 1943 in Dhilwan in the Punjab, India. He was educated at D.A.V. College in Julllandhar (1958-1960) and State University of Iowa, U.S.A. (1960-62). He and his wife Veena have two daughters and one son. They have three granddaughters. Raj Loomba has British nationality.

Other Positions & Memberships

• Vice President of Safer London Foundation
• Chairman of Friends of Three Faiths Forum, UK
• Vice-President, Barnardo’s, the UK’s leading children’s charity
• Council Member, Royal Institute of International Affairs, widely known as Chatham House
• Member, Institute of Directors, UK
• Member, Rotary Club of London
• Freeman of the City of London
• Fellow of the RSA, UK
• Patron of the RSA in India
• Patron, Children In Need Institute
• Founding Patron, World Punjabi Organisation
• Vice-Patron, Gates
• Trustee, Maharajah Ranjit Singh Trust, India
• London First – Board Member (2000-2004) and Member of President’s Council (2004-2006)

Awards

• The Asian Who’s Who “The Charity of the Year Award –2006
• Priyadarshni Academy Global Award 2006 [Minister for Commerce, Government of India]
• Life Time Achievers Award [Chief Minister of Punjab]
• Rotary - Paul Harris Fellow
• Neville Shulman Charity Cup
• Leadership Memento for The Loomba Trust [Prime Minister of India, 2004]
• Highly Commended New Initiative, Beacon Prize [2004]
• Judges’ Special Commendation, Worldaware Business Awards [Commonwealth
• Secretary-General, 2001]
• Into Leadership Award [2000]
• Pride of India Gold Medal [British High Commissioner to India in 1998]
• Asian of the Year Award -1997
• International Excellence Award [High Commissioner for India in 1991]
• Hind Rattan Award [Presented by Dr Manmohan Singh in 1991]