The foundation of the Hinduja Group was laid by Parmanand Deepchand Hinduja, a self-made young entrepreneur from the fabled town of Shikarpur (then in undivided India). An entrepreneur, committed philanthropist and a visionary, Parmanand Deepchand Hinduja (P. D. Hinduja) entered the international arena with an office in Iran (the first outside India) in 1919. The twin pillars of the business were Merchant Banking and Trade. The Group remained headquartered in Iran till 1979. It then moved to Europe.