The elites of SoBo (acronym for posh South Mumbai, which was known as South Bombay earlier) have witnessed their fair share of high-society family feuds, failed reconciliations, and dramatic settlements. But the Singhanias have offered a refreshing twist to the usual tale. In a surprising turn, textile baron Gautam Singhania and his estranged wife Nawaz Modi Singhania have chosen to bury the hatchet and have reunited for a new life at the family’s luxurious home, JK House, according to sources close to the family.
“Gautam Singhania and his wife Nawaz have settled their dispute, and it led to the reunion of the couple and their two daughters a month ago. They also broadly decided on wealth inheritance,” said one of the sources.
A media query sent to the Singhanias did not elicit any response.
Singhania, the chairman and MD of Raymond Ltd, announced his separation from his wife Nawaz in November 2023, after a 32-year relationship. They have two daughters, 19-year-old Niharika and 11-year-old Nisha. Nawaz was removed from the boards of three privately held companies within the Raymond Group in April last year. However, she continued as the director of Raymond Ltd, a post she resigned from a couple of weeks ago after returning to JK House, sources said.
Earlier, when she was removed from the boards of the group companies, Nawaz had stated that she was mistreated for exposing Singhania’s misdeeds. She had demanded 75% of Gautam Singhania’s net worth as part of the divorce settlement, including 25% for her daughters.
In her resignation letter to Raymond Ltd, Nawaz Modi said she was stepping down due to personal reasons. “I am thankful to the Board of Directors for the memorable association during my tenure and for supporting me throughout my term,” she wrote.
Gautam Singhania fell out with his father, Vijaypat Singhania, over property disputes. Their disagreement came to a head in 2017 when Vijaypat Singhania alleged that Raymond Ltd had denied him a promised duplex in the family-owned JK House in South Mumbai. Such disagreements over wealth and separation are not uncommon among Mumbai’s business families. Recently, the Godrej cousins amicably settled their differences and divided the business, much like the Ambani brothers did nearly two decades ago.
