imported>Rohit Kesarwani at 04:57, 27 August 2021

2021-08-27T04:57:00Z

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{{Infobox person
| name = Kirtilal Manilal Mehta
| image = Stamp of India - 2018 - Colnect 808525 - Lilavati Hospital Mumbai.jpeg
| image_upright =
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| caption = Kirtilal M. Mehta on Indian postage stamp, 2018
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| birth_date = {{Birth date|1907|02|07}}
| birth_place = [[Palanpur]], India
| death_date = {{Death date and age|1993|07|21|1907|02|07}}
| death_place = [[Antwerp]], Belgium
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| other_names = Bapaji
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| organization = Beautiful Diamonds <br> Gembel Group <br> [[Lilavati Hospital and Research Centre]]
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| spouse = Lilavati Mehta<br>Esther Mehta
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| children = 7
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| awards = [[Order of Leopold (Belgium)|Order of Leopold]] from the [[King of Belgium]]
}}
'''Kirtilal Manilal Mehta''' (7 February 1907-21 July 1993) was an Indian businessman.<ref name=NYTimes/>
== Career ==
He started his career in 1918 in [[Rangoon]], Burma (now [[Myanmar]]). He established diamond manufacturing and export houses, Gembel Group of Companies, which has offices worldwide.<ref name=diamond/>

Mehta established his own diamond company in the year 1944, which is known as Beautiful Diamonds, in [[Bombay]] (now [[Mumbai]]), British India. In 1953, he started his Gembel company in [[Antwerp]], [[Belgium]], followed in 1956 by a Gembel branch in [[Hong Kong]], in 1968 by a Gembel center in [[Tel Aviv]], [[Israel]], and in 1973 by Occidental Gems in [[Manhattan]], US.<ref name=NYTimes/>

=== Philanthropy ===
He founded [[Lilavati Hospital]] in [[Mumbai]], which is named after his first wife, Lilavati Mehta, who died due to lack of medical facilities in [[Chandigarh]] while they were on a pilgrimage to [[Haridwar]], India.<ref name=palanpuronline/> He founded a new hospital and school in his birthplace, [[Palanpur]]. He had adopted 50 villages in [[Gujarat]], providing essential amenities including education, water and health facilities.<ref name=diamond/>

== Death ==
At 86, Mehta died in a hospital in [[Antwerp]], [[Belgium]], on 21 July 1993.<ref name=NYTimes>{{cite news |title=Kirtilal M. Mehta, 86; Built a Gem Company |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1993/07/23/obituaries/kirtilal-m-mehta-86-built-a-gem-company.html |publisher=[[The New York Times]] |date=July 23, 1993}}</ref>

His funeral was attended by [[Nicky Oppenheimer]], Alec Barbour, Nigel Wisden, Arjun G. Sengupde, the Indian ambassador to Belgium and several [[De Beers]] colleagues and leading members of the diamond community and representatives of Belgium, Israeli and Indian governments.<ref name=diamond>{{cite news |title=The Late Kirtilal Manilal Mehta Eulogized By Industry Leaders |url=https://www.diamonds.net/News/NewsItem.aspx?ArticleID=203&ArticleTitle=The+Late+Kirtilal+Manilal+Mehta+Eulogized+By+Industry+Leaders |publisher=Diamonds.net |date=August 5, 1993}}</ref>

== Awards and honours ==
[[File:Postal Stamp of Lilavati Hospital and Kirtilal Manilal Mehta.jpg|thumb|A commemorative postage stamp on Kirtilal Manilal Mehta, issued by [[India Post]], [[Government of India]]]]

Mehta received several awards for his outstanding contributions to the trade and economy of the countries where he established his business. He was honoured with the [[Order of Leopold (Belgium)|Order of Leopold]], the highest order of [[Belgium]] given by [[Boudewijn of Belgium]], the [[King of Belgium]].<ref>{{cite news |last1=Rajghatta |first1=Chidanand |title=The early birds in the trade |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/the-early-birds-in-the-trade/articleshow/939105.cms |publisher=[[The Times of India]] |date=November 28, 2004}}</ref> He was awarded An Outstanding Exporter's Award was conferred by the [[Government of Israel]], and the [[Palanpur State|Nawab of Palanpur]] bestowed the title of ''Azazur-E-Riazat''.

In September 2018, he was honoured posthumously for establishing [[Lilavati Hospital]] by Hirani Mata Sthanak Trust and the award was received by his son [[Prabodh Mehta]].<ref>{{cite news |title=Kirtilal Manilal Mehta honoured posthumously |url=https://www.pressreader.com/india/the-free-press-journal/20130928/282252368231921 |publisher=[[The Free Press Journal]] |date=September 28, 2013}}</ref>

On his 111th birth anniversary of Kirtilal Mehta, the [[Government of India]]'s [[India Post|Postal department]] released a commemorative postal stamp featuring him and his [[Lilavati Hospital]] in 2018.<ref name=palanpuronline>{{cite news |title=Special Indian Postal Stamp Issued to Honour Late Smt. Lilavati and Late Shri Kirtilal M. Mehta |url=https://palanpuronline.com/Shows_Content.aspx?ContentID=1147&From=Events&PageFrom=NewsEvents |publisher=Palanpur Online |date=September 27, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Postal stamp |url=https://colnect.com/en/stamps/stamp/808525-Lilavati_Hospital_Mumbai-MyStamps_2018-India |date=August 29, 2018}}</ref>

==See also==
* [[Lilavati Hospital and Research Centre]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}
== External link ==
* [https://www.indiaglobalbusiness.com/igb-archive/diamond-merchant-india-israel-bond The diamond merchant behind the India-Israel bond]
* [http://epaper.mch-group.com/baselworld/2016/selection-stones-and-pearls/page170.html Selection stones and pearls]
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Mehta, Kirtilal Manilal}}
[[Category:1907 births]]
[[Category:1993 deaths]]
[[Category:Indian billionaires]]
[[Category:Businesspeople from Gujarat]]
[[Category:Gujarati people]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Diamond dealers]]

Kirtilal Manilal Mehta - Revision history

imported>Rohit Kesarwani at 04:57, 27 August 2021