Privately held for 70 years: What Kenyan industrialist Manu Chandaria is doing with the billion-dollar Comcraft Group

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At a Glance

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• Comcraft grew from Nairobi shop into diversified industrial group spanning Africa and Asia.
• Chandaria plans listing steel and aluminium units to fund expansion and modernization.
• Foundation donations exceed $100 million, backing education, healthcare and entrepreneurship across operating markets.

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Manu Chandaria, Kenyan industrialist of Indian descent who was born 96 years ago in Nairobi, continues to steer Comcraft Group, a manufacturing conglomerate he built from a small family shop into a billion-dollar enterprise operating in over 40 countries across Africa and Asia.

Now, after seven decades of private ownership, Chandaria is charting a path toward public markets to unlock capital for expansion.

From a Nairobi shop to a global industrial powerhouse
Born in Nairobi in 1929 to Indian immigrant parents, Chandaria returned to Kenya in the 1950s with engineering degrees from India and the U.S. Determined to grow the family business, he expanded into steel, aluminium, and other industrial products, aligning perfectly with Africa’s post-independence push for industrialization.

Over the decades, Comcraft evolved into a vertically integrated multinational, employing over 30,000 people across Kenya, Nigeria, Indonesia, India, and beyond.

Its product portfolio spans steel pipes, roofing sheets, aluminium, and other industrial goods, making it one of Africa’s most diversified industrial groups.

Philanthropy and ethical leadership
Chandaria’s impact extends beyond industry. A devout Jain, he has donated more than $100 million through the Chandaria Foundation to support education, healthcare, and entrepreneurship across Africa.

The foundation partners with over 25 organizations and maintains charitable trusts in every country where Comcraft operates. In 2022, he received the Carnegie Medal of Philanthropy, recognizing his use of wealth to drive meaningful change.

Honors and resilience
Chandaria has received multiple honors, including Kenya’s Elder of the Burning Spear and the Order of the British Empire.

Despite tax disputes and financial headwinds, his long-term focus and steady leadership have kept Comcraft competitive in shifting markets.

He also serves as a key advisor to the Global Peace Foundation, promoting youth empowerment and interfaith harmony.

Legacy in motion
For Chandaria, success is measured not in personal wealth, but in lasting impact. Even at 96, he chairs multiple companies and mentors the next generation of African industrialists.

As Comcraft moves toward public markets and renewed regional investment, Chandaria demonstrates how vision, perseverance, and values can transform a small family shop into a global industrial force.