Dyal Singh Majithia

Sardar Dyal Singh Majithia (1848–1898) was an Indian businessman, banker, philanthropist and activist. Majithia was noted for his wealth, which he had earned through his business interests. His grandfather, Desa Singh Majithia, had served Maharaja Ranjit Singh, the Sikh Emperor, as a general and later as the Governor of Mandi and Saket. Majithia was initially educated by a British governess, later attended the Christian Mission School in Amritsar, and independently studied various religions. Majithia also made a considerable fortune through his real estate interests. In his real estate business, he would design and build houses in areas occupied by senior civilians and rent the houses to senior bureaucrats. The first meeting of PNB's board of directors took place in Majithia's house. PNB was the first Indian bank to be founded with capital contributions from Indians and to be owned and managed by Indians.

Philanthropy and activism Majithia was the first president of the Indian Association of Lahore and held the position until his death. He was a founding member of the Sadharan Brahmo Samaj, a Hindu social reform movement. A prominent member of the Sadharan Brahmo Samaj, Majithia had also financially donated to the organization. Majithia was also a supporter of the Indian National Congress.

Personal life Majithia had initially intended to marry a Bengali Brahmo woman; however, this did not take place and Majithia later married Rani Bhagwan Kaur. The Tribune Trust has also published Punjabi Tribune and Dainik Tribune from 1978. Punjab National Bank, which was nationalized in 1969, is one of India's largest banks. After his death, funds from the sale of Majithia's Karachi property were used to buy land where a campus of Punjab University was later established.