M.G. George Muthoot, largely credited for making the Muthoot Finance a pan-India and the largest gold loan NBFC, passed away on Friday evening.

As a chairman of the company, he played a pivotal role in taking Muthoot Finance to new heights, expanding its reach across the country and even overseas especially to the Middle East.

The 71-year-old Muthoot was for long based in Delhi even though his diversified group that runs over 20 businesses from gold loans to securities, realty estate to infrastructure, hospitals to hospitality and education, has its headquarters in Kochi.