Who Is Rani Kapur, Karisma Kapoor’s Ex-Mother-In-Law? A Look At Sunjay Kapur’s Rs 10,300 Crore Empire, Rs 40,000 Crore Company, Delhi–Mumbai–London...

There are moments when a corporate story quietly slips out of the business pages and into everyday conversation. The case surrounding industrialist Sunjay Kapur is one such moment. What began as news of a sudden, tragic death quickly turned into something larger—an unsettling mix of unanswered questions, boardroom decisions taken at speed, and a family dispute that refuses to stay private. As details trickled out, many of us found ourselves reading, re-reading, and then doing what people inevitably do today: opening Google. And that is when another name began to trend quietly but insistently—Rani Kapur. Not many outside India’s tightly knit business corridors had heard of her until recently. She was never a television regular, never one for

headline-grabbing interviews, and for decades preferred staying firmly behind the scenes while some of the most consequential decisions in the Indian automotive components industry unfolded around her. Yet after her son’s death in 2025, Rani Kapur stepped into public view—not by choice, many would argue—but by circumstance. Suddenly, she was no longer just a business matriarch. She was a grieving mother asking uncomfortable questions, and a shareholder questioning the future of an empire built painstakingly by her late husband.

Today, she is widely identified as Karisma Kapoor’s former mother-in-law. To India Inc, she remains the widow of Surinder Kapur, the industrialist who founded the Sona Group and helped localise automobile manufacturing in India at a time when Maruti Suzuki was still finding its feet. And to the courts, she is now a central figure in an emotionally charged dispute involving trusts, wills, corporate control and an estimated fortune that runs into tens of thousands of crores.

So, who exactly is Rani Kapur—and why is her name suddenly everywhere?

Rani Kapur and the Sona legacy

Rani Kapur’s life has long been intertwined with the Sona Group, one of India’s most respected automotive component conglomerates. Her husband, Surinder Kapur, built the group through the 1990s, earning a reputation as a quiet but formidable force in India’s auto revolution. His role in the early localisation of Maruti Suzuki parts is still cited within industry circles as a turning point. After Surinder Kapur’s death in 2015, their son Sunjay took over the reins of Sona BLW Precision Forgings, better known as Sona Comstar. Under his leadership, the company expanded globally, with manufacturing operations across India, China, Mexico, the US and Europe. While Sunjay became the public face of the group, Rani Kapur remained a powerful presence in the background. She served as Chairperson for several years and is widely regarded as one of the largest shareholders within the broader Sona Group ecosystem. Those who worked closely with the family often describe her as someone who understood the business deeply but preferred authority without visibility.

Why Rani Kapur is suddenly in the news

The calm surrounding Rani Kapur shattered after Sunjay Kapur’s untimely death in June 2025. In the weeks that followed, developments within Sona Comstar moved swiftly. On July 24, she wrote a strongly worded letter to the company’s board, urging it to postpone the Annual General Meeting. Her concerns were not procedural. They were deeply personal. In that letter, Rani Kapur described her son’s death as “highly suspicious and unexplained”. She alleged that she had been denied access to key documents, kept in the dark about major decisions, and pressured into signing papers behind closed doors—documents she now claims are being used to dilute or erase the family’s legacy. The timing of the letter, just ahead of the AGM, ensured it sent shockwaves through corporate circles. It also pushed Rani Kapur firmly into the public conversation, prompting widespread curiosity about who she was and what role she had played all these years.

What Rani Kapur said about her son’s death

In a statement to ANI, Rani Kapur spoke not as a corporate stakeholder but as a mother seeking answers. “I still don’t know what happened to my son. I am old now and need closure before I go,” she said, recalling the early days of building Sona alongside her husband. “I am here to remind the world that our family legacy must not be lost.” Her words struck a nerve, especially given how quickly the company’s leadership structure appeared to change after Sunjay’s passing.

Who controls Sona Comstar now

Following Sunjay Kapur’s death, his third wife, Priya Sachdev Kapur, was appointed Non-Executive Director of Sona Comstar. Industry veteran Mark Jeffery was named Chairman. Many observers had expected Sunjay’s sisters to take on a more visible role, making the speed and nature of these appointments a subject of intense scrutiny. Rani Kapur’s letter questions not only the appointments themselves but the urgency with which they were made, suggesting that decisions of such magnitude warranted greater transparency—particularly given her status as a senior family member and shareholder.

The legal battle and allegations

By late 2025 and into 2026, Rani Kapur approached the Delhi High Court, challenging the control and management of family assets. At the heart of the dispute lies the RK Family Trust, which holds promoter stakes in Sona Comstar through Aureus Investments. Rani Kapur alleges that the trust was created or used in a manner that diverted assets without her informed consent. She has also claimed that the true scale of the family fortune has not been fully disclosed and that crucial documents, including a disputed will, merit closer scrutiny. Sona Comstar has firmly denied these allegations, calling them baseless and legally untenable, and stating that Rani Kapur has not held any official role within the company since 2019. The matter remains sub judice.

Sunjay Kapur’s wealth, houses and assets

At the time of his death, Forbes estimated Sunjay Kapur’s net worth at approximately $1.2 billion (Rs 10,300 crore), with peaks of around $1.6 billion during 2022 and 2024. His publicly listed company was valued at close to Rs 40,000 crore. His assets reportedly included luxury properties in Delhi, Mumbai and London, overseas holdings in the UK and the US, and investments across manufacturing and technology startups. A farmhouse in Rajokri, Delhi, served as his family residence in recent years. As part of legacy planning, bonds worth Rs 14 crore were reportedly gifted to his children Samaira and Kiaan, whom he shared with Karisma Kapoor. A property once owned by his father was also transferred to Karisma following their divorce in 2016, as reported by Mid-Day.

The personal life behind the boardroom drama

Sunjay Kapur’s personal life often drew public attention. He was married three times—first to designer Nandita Mahtani, then to Karisma Kapoor, and later to Priya Sachdev. Despite a highly publicised divorce, he remained actively involved in his children’s lives. In an interview with the YouTube channel Indian Silicon Valley by Jivraj Singh Sachar, Sunjay spoke candidly about blended families, parenting coaching and the importance of keeping families united—remarks that now carry a poignant weight in light of the ongoing dispute.

Sunjay Kapur’s sudden death

Sunjay Kapur died on June 12, 2025, in London after suffering a cardiac arrest while playing polo. Media reports suggested he may have accidentally inhaled a bee, which stung his throat and possibly triggered the attack. His last rites were later performed in Delhi. His death at 53 stunned both industry and social circles—and set the stage for the turmoil that followed.