Ranchhodlal Chhotalal

Ranchhodlal Chhotalal, CIE (1823–1898) was a pioneer of the textile industry in Ahmedabad, India. He was awarded the title of Rao Bahadur by the British Government.

He was born in a Nagar Brahmin family and started his career as a service man. He had a son named Madhowlal, who died in 1901 and after him and his business and philanthropic works were expanded by his adopted grandson Chinubhai Madhowlal Ranchhodlal, who became the first Hindu Indian to be made baronet by the British regime.

In 1861, he founded the first textile mill of Ahmedabad and the second Indian to start a textile mill in India. He named the mill Ahmedabad Spinning and Weaving Company Limited. He started his second textile mill in 1872. On becoming the first Indian president of the Ahmedabad Municipality in 1885, he carried out the underground drainage and water supply work, one of the pioneering works of underground drainage and water supply in British India. One of his dream projects for Ahmedabad was to build a large navigable canal to connect it to Arabian Sea and as such develop it as a port. However, his proposal was rejected by British as it involved huge capital cost.

Ranchhodlal started the first women's hospital in Ahmadabad in 1865, which is known as Victoria Jubilee Hospital. In 1879 Ranchhodlal Chhotalal was responsible for founding and restarting of Gujarat College, which was put under management of the Gujarat College Committee, headed by him He further donated money to Gujarat Vernacular Society to start a girls' high school now named RB Ranchhodlal Chhotalal Girls High School in 1892.

...
Wikipedia