Why London’s India Club, visited by leaders like Nehru, Mountbatten and VK Menon, is closing down

Source: The post is based on the article “Why London’s India Club, visited by leaders like Nehru, Mountbatten and VK Menon, is closing down”  published in Indian Express on 18th September 2023

What is the News?

London’s India Club is set to close down permanently on September 17 after decades of operations.

What is India Club?

India club is located in the Strand Continental Hotel in London,UK.

It was started in 1951 by the India League, a British organization that started out as an advocate for Indian independence and self-rule (swaraj) and included members of the elite in British society. 

Later on, it hoped to play a role in furthering Indo-British friendship in the post-independence era.

Which famous personalities visited India Club?

VK Krishna Menon, the diplomat and former Indian Defence Minister had a role to play in the founding of the Club as one of the secretaries of the India Club. 

Dr Rajendra Prasad, the first President of independent India, Lord Mountbatten – the last Viceroy of India, former Indian Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, the first British Indian MP Dadabhai Naoroji visited this club.

Why is India Club closing down?

The India Club is shutting down due to a combination of factors.The owners have been running the establishment since 1997. In 2018, they faced a threat of partial demolition when the landlords wanted to modernize the building. They launched a “Save India Club” campaign and initially succeeded in preventing demolition.

However, the COVID-19 lockdowns in the UK severely affected restaurant businesses, and the owners also faced steep rent increases during a cost-of-living crisis.These challenges made it financially unsustainable for them to continue running the India Club.