Summary of this article
Vedanta's Anil Agarwal renews promise to give back 75 per cent of earnings back to society to honour late son Agnivesh.
Agnivesh Agarwal, 49, died of cardiac arrest during undergoing treatment in the post-skiing accident at Mount Sinai.
Father calls son "friend, pride, world", in an emotional message on X.
The sudden demise of Agnivesh Agarwal, son of Vedanta Resources founder and chairman, Anil Agarwal, has left the business community in mourning. Agnivesh, aged 49, passed away on January 7, 2026 due to sudden cardiac arrest while undergoing treatment in the US. This occurred while he was recovering from a recent skiing accident. He was being treated at the Mount Sinai Hospital in New York. The family initially believed that the danger had passed, but the cardiac arrest came as a shock.
In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Anil Agarwal, wrote, “We believed the worst was behind us. But fate had other plans, and a sudden cardiac arrest snatched our son away from us. No words can describe the pain of a parent who must bid goodbye to his child. A son is not meant to leave before his father.”
He described it as the “darkest” day of his life.
Business Legacy
Agnivesh was born in Patna, Bihar, on June 3, 1976. He received his education at the Mayo College in Ajmer, Rajasthan, before starting his career in the family’s business. He also served as the chairman of Hindustan Zinc, under the Vedanta Group.
However, beyond his corporate titles known to the world, his father described him as a multi-faceted individual.
Agarwal wrote: “Agnivesh was many things – a sportsman, a musician, a leader. He studied at Mayo College, Ajmer, went on to set up one of the finest companies, Fujeirah Gold, became chairman of Hindustan Zinc, and earned the respect of colleagues and friends alike. Yet, beyond all titles and achievements, he remained simple, warm, and deeply human.”
Agarwal added: “He was not just my son. He was my friend. My pride. My world.”
Agnivesh, referred to as ‘Agni’ by his father, was inclined to philanthropic mission. Agarwal wrote, “Agnivesh believed deeply in building a self-reliant India. He would often say, “Papa, we lack nothing as a nation. Why should we ever be behind?”
“We shared a dream to ensure that no child sleeps hungry, no child is denied education, every woman stands on her own feet, and every young Indian has meaningful work. I had promised Agni that more than 75 per cent of what we earn would be given back to society.”
Agarwal expressed his resolve to honour his son’s memory by keeping the promise.
Carrying The Light Forward
In the wake of losing his son, Agarwal and his wife (Kiran) have expressed their resolve to focus on thousands of young people employed by Vedanta, whom he looks at as their children.
Agarwal said in his post that he promises to carry his son’s “light forward.”
