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{{Short description|Industrialist and legislator in British India}}
{{morefootnotes|date=June 2024}}
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{{Use Indian English|date=June 2024}}

'''Sir Chunilal Mehta''' was an industrialist and legislator in [[British Raj|British India]]. He was the owner of the Century Mills and served as a minister in the [[Bombay Presidency]].

==Early life==
Chunilal Mehta was born to Vijbhukhandas Atmaram who belonged to the Modh Vaniya community of Surat. He was the eldest of four siblings, the others being Mangaldas, Ranchordas, and Motiben.<ref name="Krishnamurti">{{cite book |last1=Mangaldas |first1=Devyani |title=Walking with Krishnamurti - The Life and Letters of Nandini Mehta |date=2018 |isbn=9781644298855 |page=34 |url=https://www.krishnamurtis-welt.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Walking-with-Krishnamurti_E-Book.pdf}}</ref>

Vijbhukhandas Atmaram Mehta came to Bombay in the mid-1800s and rose to become the owner of Century Mills. He adopted his brother's son, [[Purshotamdas Thakurdas]] who also became an industrialist.

Chunilal inherited the Century Mills from his father. He was also a director in many Tata companies. Sir Chunilal was married to Taraben and had children Kusum, Ratan, Champavati, Bhagvandas, Lily, Jaya, and Prahlad.

Sir Chunilal's daughter Kusum married [[Sir Harilal Kania]], the first Chief Justice of India and another daughter Champavati married prominent doctor [[Shantilal Jamnadas Mehta]].

== Career ==
Sir Chunilal Mehta became a member of the Bombay Legislative Council<ref>{{Cite web |title=History |url=https://gazetteers.maharashtra.gov.in/cultural.maharashtra.gov.in/english/gazetteer/greater_bombay/history.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240514110639/https://gazetteers.maharashtra.gov.in/cultural.maharashtra.gov.in/english/gazetteer/greater_bombay/history.html |archive-date=14 May 2024 |access-date=14 May 2024}}</ref> and was appointed as a Minister of Forest, Excise & Agriculture under the system of [[Diarchy in Bombay Presidency]] in 1921. He later became a member of the Governor's Executive Council and held the portfolios of Revenue (1923–1925) and Finance (1926–1928).

Sir Chunilal was a leader of the [[Indian Merchants' Chamber]]<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.imcnet.org/our-leaders | title=Our Leaders }}</ref> and also the Chancellor of the [[SNDT Women's University]] from 1926 to 1932.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://sndt.ac.in/statutory-officers/formerchancellor | title=Former Honorable Chancellors | SNDT Women's University | access-date=14 May 2024 | archive-date=6 July 2022 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220706080114/https://www.sndt.ac.in/statutory-officers/formerchancellor | url-status=live }}</ref> He was amongst the first Indians to be given membership of the [[Willingdon Sports Club]] and the [[Cricket Club of India]].<ref name="Krishnamurti" /> He was the Vice President of the Bombay Cricket Association from 1935 to 1937.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.mumbaicricket.com/mca/past_vicepresident.php | title=MCA :: Mumbai Cricket Association}}</ref>

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Mehta, Chunilal}}
[[Category:20th-century Indian businesspeople]]

[[Category:20th-century Indian politicians]]
[[Category:Industrialists from British India]]
[[Category:Members of the Bombay Legislative Council]]
[[Category:Year of birth missing]]
[[Category:Year of death missing]]

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Chunilal Mehta - Revision history

Chardhamyatrahotels at 17:33, 6 May 2026