Rajiv Luthra (1957-2023) was an Indian Chartered Accountant (CA), lawyer, businessman and philanthropist who co-founded Luthra and Luthra – Indian Law Offices in 1989. He died on 10 May 2023 in Delhi.
Wiki/Biography
Rajiv Krishan Luthra was born on Wednesday, 1 August 1957 (age 65 years; at death) in New Delhi, India. His zodiac sign is Leo. He attended Air Force School, Subroto Park, St. Xavier, and Methodist High School. In 1968-69, he enrolled at the Air Force Bal Bharati School (AFBBS) in Delhi, where he remained the House Captain for four years. He, however, left the school later. In an interview, he talked about changing his school and said,
In Balbharti, there are mainly female teachers, so there is a holiday in Karwa Chauth; so my father said, how can you be in a school where there is a holiday on Karwa Chauth. So he moved me away from there.”
After completing his schooling, he enrolled at The Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI), where he pursued chartered accountancy. While pursuing certified accounting, he did several articles in several places. After completing his CA, he started working with his father in his firm as an accountant; he worked at the firm for seven years before calling it quits. After that, he pursued a bachelor’s degree in law at the University of Delhi. He completed many law courses at Harvard Law School in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
Physical appearance
Height (approx): 5′ 9″
Hair Color: Salt and Pepper
Eye Color: Dark Brown
Family
Parents & Siblings
His father, Anirudhar Krishan Luthra, served in the Indian Air Force. His mother’s name is Ved Luthra.
Old photos of Rajiv Luthra’s mother and father
He has two siblings, Amit Luthra, and Rashmi Uday Singh. Amit is a professional golfer and Rashmi is a businesswoman.
Amit Luthra’s photo
Rashmi Uday Singh’s photo
Wife & Children
His wife, Gayatri Luthra, is an entrepreneur. He has two daughters, Sanaa Krishan Luthra, and Arshia Krishan Luthra.
Photo of Rajiv Luthra with his wife Gayatri Luthra
Photo of Rajiv Luthra with his daughters Sanaa and Arshia
Career
Luthra and Luthra – Law Firm
After completing his LLB, Rajiv Luthra co-founded Luthra and Luthra – Law Offices India, a law firm, in New Delhi with Mohit Saraf in 1991. The firm then began working with prominent industrialists and businessmen, looking after their taxes and financial assets and providing they legal advice. After that, his company was contracted by a US-based company to work in an advisory capacity and help them do business in China. Through his law firm, Luthra was instrumental in the merger of Coca-Cola and Parle Bisleri in 1993. His firm was instrumental in the merger of Sun Pharma and Ranbaxy, a $4 billion project, in 2015. In 2018, following a dispute over partnership interests, Luthra terminated the appointment Mohit Nerve. In an interview, Rajiv spoke about terminating Mohit’s appointment and said,
To clarify my point, on 12 October 2020, he (Mohit Saraf) sent me a notice and dismissed me from the Firm. Of course he has no such power. Immediately after this letter he also sent out an extensive email informing everyone that I had retired from the firm. That same evening he pretended to distribute the equity held by me to someone else. This left me with no choice but to fire him in order to save the firm and the fate of the clients who would suffer as a result of the firm’s liquidation.
Later, Mohit Saraf filed a suit against his dismissal in the Delhi High Court. In 2021, Justice RS Endlaw and Sanjeev Narula of the High Court delivered their judgment in favor of Saraf and asked Luthra to pay Rs. 52 Crores in addition to Rs. 25 Crores as bank guarantee. The firm received another setback in July 2022 after its litigation department quit and joined DSK Legal. As of 2023, the law firm has more than 350 employees and has branches in Mumbai and Bengaluru. He later played an important role in drafting and submitting amendments to the Copyright Act 1957.
Rajiv Luthra during an event hosted by Luthra and Luthra
Bar & Court
- Supreme Court Bar Association
Rajiv Luthra sits in his chamber in the Supreme Court
- International Bar Association
- Inter-Pacific Bar Association
- International Union des Avocats
Membership of Committees, Boards and Advisory Bodies
- Legal Education Round Table (Department of Higher Education, Ministry of Human Resource Development, Government of India initiative)
- National Executive Committee of the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI)
- National Executive Committee of Confederation of Indian Industry (CII)
- Member of the Board of Management of BML Munjal University
- International University of Legal Education and Research: nominated by the Bar Council of India
- High Level Advisory Group (HLAG): appointed by the Ministry of Commerce to formulate India’s trade policy
- High Level Committee on Corporate Social Responsibility – 2018: appointed as a member of the Ministry of Corporate Affairs
- CII Task Force on Legal Services 2019-20: entrusted with the task of conducting policy advocacy on legal services / legal reform in the country
- Convenor of the Joint Committee on Economy & Trade (JETCO), Ministry of Commerce: between India and the UK, formed to advise the Government of India on the liberalization of legal services under the General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS)
- Board of Governors of Indian University School of Law
- Competition Commission of India Advisory Board
- Competition Advocacy Steering Committee
- Advisory Board of National Law University, Jodhpur
- BML Munjal University Advisory Board, School of Law
- City of London Corporation India Advisory Council
- National Competitiveness Policy: Expert panel to formulate 11th Five Year Plan by Planning Commission of India
- High Level Committee of the Securities and Exchange Board of India
Other company
On 9 September 2000, Rajiv founded Petroleum Helicopters India Private Limited. He became a director of Afc Network India Private Limited on 24 November 2008. On 12 August 2013, he assumed the position of director of DLF Limited. On 27 November 2014, Rajiv Luthra became a director of Network18 Media & Investments Limited. He founded Mylan Laboratories Limited in Hyderabad on 30 March 2015. On 31 March 2015, he founded a law firm named Lex & Legal Services Llp in Delhi. On 12 October 2015, he assumed the position of director of TV18 Broadcast Limited. He assumed the position of director of First Source Impex Private Limited on 16 February 2023. He was appointed as a director of Kairos Edutech Private Limited on 19 February 2023.
Awards, Honors, Achievements
- Market Leader: Banking, Finance and Corporate by IFLR1000 in 2022
- Leading Practitioners for Corporate/M&A in Chambers & Partners Asia-Pacific 2022 and Chambers & Partners Global in 2022
- External Advisors Praised by the Internal Community
- Mentioned in Indian Business Law Journal A List – India’s Top Lawyers 2021
- Leader for Project Finance practice by Who’s Who Legal in 2021
- Hall of Fame for Corporate by India by The Legal 500 in 2021
- Mentioned in Top Managing Partners, Forbes India Legal Power List in 2020
- Top 35 Legal Icons of Indian Business Journal, India, in 2020
- LegalEra India Award in the category of Best Managing Partner in 2020
- ALB India Law Awards in the Best Managing Partner category in 2020
- Qadat Al Tagheer Awards 2019 under the category of Excellence in Business Transformation in the UAE
Rajiv Luthra’s photo taken when he received the Qadat Al Tagheer Award in the UAE in 2019
- Forbes India Leadership Award in 2017
- Most Promising Asian Business Leader Award by the Economic Times’ Asian Business Leaders Conclave in 2016
Rajiv Luthra’s Most Promising Asian Business Leader Award
- Best National Law Firm Award by IFLR in 2015
Rajiv K. Luthra holds the Best National Law Firm Award
- International Juris Award by the Attorney General and Chief Justice of the United Kingdom
- Lifetime Achievement Award in the International M&A sector at the 4th Annual International M&A Adviser Awards in New York
- Asian Business Leadership Forum’s Legend of Excellence Award in Indian Corporate Law and Ace Legal Eagle for Indian corporate law, specialization in tax, regulatory & compliance law honors
- National Law Day Award by Government of India in 2008
Photograph of Rajiv Luthra when he received the National Law Day Award in 2008 from Manmohan Singh
Death
On May 10, 2023, Rajiv K. Luthra breathed his last in Gurugram, Haryana, at the age of 65. According to sources, Rajiv is undergoing treatment for an illness at Medanta Hospital. He was cremated on 11 May 2023 in New Delhi.
Facts/Trivia
- Rajiv Luthra is affectionately called Thudd by his friends and family.
- Rajiv used to smoke a pipe.
Rajiv Luthra smokes his pipe
- Rajiv is a devoted follower of Sadhguru and his teachings.
Rajiv K. Luthra with Sadhguru
- Before starting his law firm in 1989, Rajiv Luthra founded a travel company in New Delhi.
- Rajiv Luthra is multilingual and is fluent in English, Hindi, Punjabi, Urdu and Japanese.
- Rajiv is an avid golfer and spends his free time playing golf.
- Rajiv Luthra was instrumental in launching the Pro Kabaddi League in India in 2014. The league was founded by Mashal Sports where Rajiv was one of the directors. Speaking about it, in an interview, Rajiv said,
The sport is huge in rural India, where the next big growth in the Indian economy will take place. It’s time we gave ourselves a new sport to breathe.”
Categories: Biography
Source: SCHOOL TRANG DAI
