Category: Leaders

As the Chairman & Managing Director of Trivitron Healthcare Group of Companies – the largest Indian medical technology organisation in the world with over 100 years of combined manufacturing experience, 9 manufacturing facilities of international standards located in India, Turkey and Finland – Dr. Velu is efficiently working as torch bearer of ‘Make in India’ initiative in the medical devices segment.

TAKING THE ROAD LESS TRAVELLED

Always brimming with a positive bent of mind, Dr. Velu is a man who has turned every challenge that came his way into an opportunity. Describing his initial leanings, he says, “I was born in a lower middle class family. I was good in studies and I always wanted to pursue higher education in medical science. I scored well throughout my academic years however, due to certain unavoidable factors I could not afford to go a medical school. I harboured deep interests in life sciences and I completed my graduation in pharmacy (as that was something very close to medical science).”

He further adds, “After my graduation from BITS Pilani, rather than pursuing higher education I had to choose a job in a medical distribution company to support my family. I remember I was earning just Rs 2000 as salary in 1988. However, I always dreamt of being in medical field and do something worthwhile for a larger section of our society.”

Sharing his success mantra, Dr. Velu elaborates, “I transformed my dreams into passion and kept on following it, combining it with hard work and dedication. During the course of my entrepreneurial mission I experienced lot of setbacks and turbulences but my passion never waned and I never lost focus. I established Trivitron in 1997 with a vision to provide affordable healthcare solutions because I saw a few of my family members suffering due to lack of proper and affordable healthcare support system in my village. Initially, I had a bumpy ride but eventually, my hard work started to pay. I am a great believer of belief and positivity.”

OVERCOMING CHALLENGES WITH ELAN

Adversity is a fact of life. However, resilient personalities like Dr. Velu perceive every challenge as an opportunity to prove themselves. Rather than letting difficulties or failure overwhelm them and drain their resolve, they find a way to bounce back with a mightier force. As he puts it, “In my opinion, challenges are a part of life that gives you a variety of experiences, learning, and make you wiser. For me, it was quite challenging to continuously keep going.”

Describing the challenges he came across, he says, “In a volatile market dominated by western healthcare giants, sustaining a highly competitive business is not easy. The challenging environment brought the very best out of me. Life being a continuous learning opportunity, did not only teach me the value of hard work, dedication and passion, but it also developed a ‘never say die’ attitude in me. Encountering multiple setbacks, I never lost hope. I always saw the silver lining and kept on following my dreams to overcome those hurdles. For me, staying updated is highly important. We need to constantly upgrade our knowledge bank on a regular basis. There is no alternative to continuous learning.”

A REFORMIST TO THE CORE

An ardent advocate of reforms in the healthcare sector, Dr. Velu is concerned about the fact that “India spends much more on curative than on preventive healthcare, as a consequence of which, a major share of spending goes for unwanted drugs, investigations and hospitalization.” According to him, “We need to come up with policies that are focused more towards the prevention of certain maladies. Health departments must roll out nationwide screening programs for early detection of certain disease so that treatments can be initiated before the ailment can cause grave harm.”

He adds, “Both public and private sectors need to play their roles effectively. On one hand public sector should do away with red-tapism, unwanted delays and ensure effective implementation of policies, private sector must support the government in all its undertakings and shall avoid overcharging patients.”

Deeply inclined to contribute more and more for the welfare of society, he asserts, “I frankly think I am yet to reach the threshold of my contributions towards the society. All my businesses are directly or indirectly related to healthcare. With the passage of time, I have had learned new rules and tactics of the game. Day by day the industry is evolving with newer possibilities being developed every other day. I am contented with the bright future ahead. I started my business with trading of medical technology products and eventually ventured into manufacturing and R&D activities. I wish if I had the power to rewind, I would definitely like to get into the Manufacturing and R&D in the initial phase of my business as it would have helped us to penetrate the market with high end technology based products at an affordable cost which would have helped the rural population in a big way.”

MERIT RECOGNISED

Dr. Velu has received several recognitions and has been named as “parallel entrepreneur” by an international magazine and has often received the title of “first generation serial entrepreneur”. Talking about his moments of triumphs he adds, “I have been bestowed with numerous awards and recognitions, and for me, each one of them is equally important and close to my heart. Happy customers and happy employees in a true sense, make me feel triumphant, which gives me zeal to contribute more for my people and for the society. ”

LEAVING NO STONE UNTURNED FOR THE WELFARE OF HUMANITY

A man with a heart of gold, Dr. Velu is continually inclined to work for the welfare of humanity. Describing his philanthropic endeavours, he says, “Trivitron has always been working for the upliftment of the masses. Our business ventures are directed towards providing cost-effective quality healthcare services. We have always been at the forefront in giving back the society. Our CSR initiative ‘MITR’ has constantly been working to provide quality education to needy children with prime focus to girl child. We have been sponsoring Higher education for girl child. We organize health camps and eye camps for the underprivileged. We also sponsor dialysis for needy patients. Additionally, in the event of any natural calamity, we are at the forefront in providing the required assistance to the government.”

A ROLE MODEL FOR THE YOUTH

A true leader, he is bent on helping the youth. As he puts it, “Helping and empowering others is what motivates me the most. Directing young minds to do something worthwhile is what keeps me connected with millennials I make use of every opportunity I get to help people and, I feel blessed that I can be of some help to someone. The thought that I might offer a solution to someone’s problem is what motivates me to do a good job every day.” He further adds, “My message for them is that they keep following their passion and stay focused. Agreed, there may be setbacks, but I want them to realize their potential, and bounce back with more enthusiasm. My mantra of “Belief & Positivity” will help them to manage all ups and downs in their life.”

With his noble vision, determination and futuristic approach to make healthcare accessible and affordable to one and all, Dr Velu has been successfully rendering yeomen’s service to fellow humans for more than 30 years now and keeps on devising newer ways of serving humanity with each passing day.

A woman of substance, Mrs. Manju Sharma is a dynamic personality who attributes her success to her courage, confidence, commitment, and consistency. To her greatest credibility is the work she did in setting up Eternal Hospital, which is one of the most advanced healthcare centres in the state of Rajasthan from scratch. Co-Chairperson and Managing Director of the hospital, she had stepped into the healthcare market with no prior professional training a little more than a decade ago but with her grit, she today is one of the leading names in the industry.

Mrs. Sharma is revered for her selfless dedication to her work. She believes in doing her unconditional best and admits that she is completely detached from the name and fame associated with her work. Her greatest source of motivation is the smile that she sees on the faces of the patients who leave her facility healed and healthy. Her commitment to the greater good of society can serve as an inspiration for the millions of aspiring entrepreneurs and business runners working in the healthcare industry.

SURFING THROUGH THE TIDES OF LIFE

Mrs. Manju Sharma’s life was full of unexpected ups and downs. She had to face her own challenges and outgrow them since a young age, which made her the strong lady that she is today. Her belief system is rooted in a simple thought that neither the good times nor the bad times last for longer and hence one should not be bothered about the circumstances and just keep a great focus on their dreams and aspirations.

Born in Myanmar to world war 2 veteran, Mr. Nand Lal Kaul and wife Mrs. Indira Kaul, Mrs. Sharma spent her formative years there in a privileged environment. She had everything that a child could ask for, yet her parents taught her to keep her feet firmly grounded and not take anything for granted.

These lessons helped her sail through a tough time in life that shortly followed as the family had to move to Delhi and they had to face some financial difficulties. The young girl that Mrs. Sharma was back then was not demotivated by the circumstances. In fact, taking from her parents’ positive outlook, she believed that the bad time, too, shall pass soon.

She further moved to Jaipur and completed her education before getting married to renowned cardiologist Dr. Samin Sharma and moving to the USA with him.

A few years later, she once again got to step into her corporate shoes, this time as an entrepreneur, to support her husband set up a healthcare facility in the form of Eternal Hospital in Jaipur.

FIGHTING AGAINST THE ODDS

Like most women who aspire to be entrepreneurs, Mrs. Manju Sharma’s journey did not begin on an encouraging note.

The year was 2007 and her husband had got allotted a piece of land in Jaipur for a state of the art healthcare center by then Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje. However, given his prior commitment to his patients in the USA, it was not feasible for him to leave the states and get back to India. That’s when Mrs. Sharma showed her interest in taking up the project herself.

But their family did not encourage her decision as she was a woman who had lived away from India for 35 years then. They were also skeptical because of her lack of experience in the construction business. However, her mother did not leave her side. She supported Mrs. Sharma’s choice to build this facility from scratch and encouraged her to follow her dreams.

Two years into the project, the world once again came crashing down on her as she lost her beloved mother in an accident. Losing her strongest supporter made Mrs. Sharma’s feet shaky but she got back once again, and this time even stronger.

Today, she takes pride in setting up one of the best healthcare centers of the city in the most ethical way and with full honesty. JCI accredited multispeciality hospital of Rajasthan, an affiliate of Mount Sinai Hospital New York, Eternal Hospital over the years has become a boon for the community and it is one of the leading health care units and research institutions of not just the city but the state. Under her able leadership, the hospital has to its laurels the credit of performing the world’s first MyVal Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement/ Implantation, India’s first navigation guided balloon sinuplasty, and Rajasthan’s first-ever Left Bundle Branch – Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy. The hospital has also added a new tertiary care center.

STRIKING BALANCE BETWEEN DREAMS AND REALITY

Further in her mission to provide effective healthcare to people in the country, Mrs. Manju Sharma wants to reach out to people who do not have easy access to good healthcare services. Sensitive to the problems the certain section of society faces, she is planning to build a wonderful legacy for Eternal Hospital that helps economically weaker sections of the society in getting good healthcare. In return to this, Mrs. Sharma is not expecting any accolades or appreciation but a healthier tomorrow where no person is deprived of proper medical facilities and help.

Apart from dedicating herself selflessly to her work, Mrs. Manju Sharma also believes that a person should focus on personal well being as well. That’s why she makes sure that on her way to realizing her dreams, she doesn’t end up harming her own health. Despite her busy schedule, the inspirational woman makes sure she takes some time out for her hobbies including yoga, meditation, and singing. Mrs. Manju Sharma truly shows the essence of a successful person in her myriad personality.

Business runs in the blood of Bhawnani who belongs to a family of entrepreneurs. His father ran a retail business in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh (MP). A young Bhawnani often helped his father and learnt the tricks of the trade from him. Describing his success saga, he reminisces, “Hailing from a middle-class family in Mandsaur, MP, I started my career at the age of 15 in India; the group was established on 2nd December 2004 on U.A.E. National Day in Mirdiff. Since then, West Zone has emerged as a household name, and is best known as one of the UAE’s renowned retail chain, with more than 100 operational stores.” He further adds, “In a span of 15 years, we have successfully diversified and expanded West Zone Group portfolio to include Supermarkets, Hypermarkets, Logistic Facility, Malls, Real-estate, Building Material & Contracting, Technology, Hospitality and F&B. All the stores are inaugurated by my mother Mrs. Radha Bhawnani, my mentor and real strength of the group.”

Bhawnani is grateful to the dedicated efforts of his 4,000+ employees who have played a significant role in the group’s success. He declares with pride, “Today, thousands of consumers shop with us every day and trust West Zone as their first choice.”

OVERCOMING EVERY CHALLENGE LIKE A CHAMPION

It is a widely acknowledged fact that success can be a long and winding road, filled with many obstacles and challenges. Talented leaders like Bhawnani know how to convert challenges into opportunities. He forcefully asserts, “A challenge / competition to me is like oxygen – it drives me to do more. We ensure that we provide maximum benefits to our consumers, by buying directly from the manufacturer to cut additional costs and extend competitive pricing structures to provide value for money.”

Bhawnani has successfully converted every challenge that came his way to an opportunity, and is reaping the sweet fruits of success. Sharing his mantra for success, he elaborates, “I truly believe that West Zone stands out to be one of its kind in retail by looking for all the possible needs of consumers, suppliers and the real assets of the company – our employees. We work with suppliers and producers all over the world to offer great quality, healthy and sustainable products to our customers at affordable prices.”

PROPOUNDING REFORMS

Reforms are quite necessary to tackle the obstacles to the fundamental drivers of growth, and are designed to boost an economy’s competitiveness, growth potential and adjustment capacity. A strong propounder of reforms in the retail sector, Bhawnani asserts, “The Government in the UAE has so far been very supporting. Definitely, one would always want to groom things a little bit. I would prefer to create a pattern of Eco-Friendly & Bio-Diversity Policy for all the Non-Food selling entities. Selling items tagged with these important symbols would make people understand items before buying anything. This would indicate the percentage or proportional level affect sticker on all the products before getting to the End Customer/ Consumers.”

He adds, “Buying patterns of the consumers in the UAE has gone through a drastic shift, where they are expecting aggressive promotions; accordingly we design our promotional calendars and have been successful in offering great quality, healthy and sustainable products to our customers at affordable prices.”

TRIUMPHS GALORE

Bhawnani’s contribution to the retail sector in the UAE has been recognized at varied platforms. He proudly declares, “Recognizing my contribution to the advancement of the Arab region, Forbes Middle East selected me as one of the top Indian leaders of the Middle East. I have been listed in Arabian Business Magazine in their selected Power List, and have been awarded by Dubai Police for Cooperation. I have received a couple of other awards in the Asian continent.”

Expressing gratitude on being felicitated at multiple forums, Bhawnani says, “I am grateful to be recognized in India and beyond, for various achievements. I do enjoy tremendous respect from all sections of the society; I am being invited by various associations and organizations. I have been involved in a number of massive humanitarian causes that have played a pivotal role in the upliftment of the economically weaker sections in India and the UAE, which is a clear testimony of Social Responsibilities carried out by the West Zone Group.”

He can be best described as an epitome of selflessness, when he declares, “The triumphs wouldn’t have been possible to me if I would not have dedicated my time to indulge into the prayers and thanking God at every step of my success.”

WORKING HARD TO MAKE THE WORLD A BETTER PLACE

A philanthropist to the core, Bhawnani is actively involved in giving back to society through the CSR arm of West Zone Group. He elaborates, “We have established our CSR initiatives as a reflection of our mission and business core values. My agenda of working is not merely getting into business but also giving back to society by creating various job platforms. I ensure that everyone is being trained to deliver proper customer service through various mediums and channels in customer service and after sale services. This leads into customer happiness and satisfaction in the end. With strong customer support, we plan to nurture the relationship of customer and counter staffs to levels above and beyond today’s standards. Our vision is to focus on daily consumer needs at affordable prices without compromising on quality. Here we are, serving the best of today and making the tagline ‘Live Better Today’.”

According to him, “Youth is the future.” He believes that “they are those talented mechanisms of society who are changing the total ideology of working by working in an innovative way that they can!” He asserts, “For me the only message to the youth is to keep the same enthusiasm and spirit as this will lead to the making of a strong, stable society. One advice is preserving the Nature/ Biosphere in every possible way as this is what we inherited and this is only what we will pass on!”

As someone who has always been interested in the science of cooking, starting Nutrezy was a natural step for Ms. Kadaba. After the sudden demise of her father, she started thinking deeply about the lack of nutrition in our diets. This prompted her to spend many years on research, during which she gained holistic knowledge on nutrition. After in-depth research and thorough analysis, she established Nutrezy with the sole intention of making nutrition easy. The brand, which makes lip-smacking, healthy and nutritious snacks, made its foray into the market through the e-commerce space and now it is all set to capture the world of retail.

AN INFORMED AND MINDFUL ENTREPRENEUR

As someone who has always been conscious about eating right, Ms. Kadaba started experimenting in her kitchen. Determined to find solutions to unhealthy eating habits due to time constraints, she identified recipes that could easily become a part of modern living. Her daughter Ms. Komal Mahesh Kadaba, co-founder of Nutrezy, who has a Masters Degree in Healthcare, joined her in this journey.

Together, they persevered to turn Nutrezy into a popular brand among health-conscious people. Both mother and daughter, who are proponents of a healthy lifestyle, experimented with various ingredients to come up with recipes that appeal to a variety of palates. No wonder their rich knowledge in the field of nutrition and consistent and dedicated efforts have driven the organisation towards newer territories of success.

MAKING NUTRITION HER PRIORITY

Through hard work and crystal clear guidance from Ms. Kadaba, Nutrezy has introduced snack bars in numerous flavours and varieties for its customers. These bars include various nuts and seeds that provide wholesome goodness. At present, the customers can relish these three nutrition bar variants – Almond Cranberry Crunch, Blueberry Granola Bar and the Cocoa Dates Delight.

The other significant feature of Nutrezy snacking bars is that they are devoid of any preservatives or added sugar, which is great for weight-watchers as well. The products are safe and fresh, owing to a reasonably long shelf-life of 9 months. With the brand expanding its portfolio to millet cereals, protein powders and protein savoury snacks, there is something for everyone.

NURTURING HER DREAM OF HEALTHY EATING

Under the prudent guidance of someone as vigilant as Ms. Kadaba, Nutrezy has been able to go from strength to strength. By setting up a company that is focused on nutrition, this passionate entrepreneur hopes to achieve a larger goal; she wants society to come together and adopt a healthy eating habit.

Bringing taste and health together is a challenge that the mother-daughter duo has accomplished through Nutrezy. Through these products, people of all ages can relish and enjoy the best of taste and health combined. Gradually, yet continually, the brand has made it possible and convenient for the common man to derive nutrition from nutritious snacks. The firm has enjoyed a fruitful journey so far but there are still many milestones to accomplish. Through Ms. Kadaba’s efforts and continuous guidance, the brand is sure to scale greater heights.

CARRYING THE LEGACY FORWARD

With prior experience of working as a Property Consultant at JDL Strategies Queensland, Australia, Mr. Varun Bagla is now following the footprints of his father to make Saltee Group reach newer heights of success.

Upbeat and buoyant about the growth of Saltee Group in the future, Mr. Varun Bagla plans to mark its presence by expanding the project portfolio – be it restaurants, lounges, banquets, guest suites or any other residential or commercial projects – by meeting the growing need of buyers across multiple cities, investing in streamlining processes to procure quality material and recruiting qualified professionals in areas like project management, architecture and engineering.

THE DRIVING FORCE

Mr. Varun Bagla’s objective is to help buyers make informed property investment decisions in India by providing them with detailed information about projects and their future prospects, a true comparison and full documentation in order to ensure builder’s credibility; extending pre-sales, sales and post-sales support services to garner the reputation of being the most trustworthy and high-quality real estate developer among the buyers.

Mr. Varun Bagla is striving hard to establish Saltee Group as the preferred choice and the most organized and customer-centric organization in the realty sector. Building up on his experience and expertise, he finds himself in a position to soar higher with a pan-India growth strategy to deliver unique and innovative projects in the forthcoming years.

His belief that “nothing great can be achieved without energy and devotion” is ably supported by a great team of professionals and skilled personnel who are committed and willing to push the entire system to develop novel ideas and products that redefine the company itself. Admiring the worth of human resource as a vital and inseparable asset, he is highly concerned about the welfare of his people.

ADOPTING A FUTURISTIC OUTLOOK

To make Saltee Group the most valuable, innovative and admired company that creates enormous value for their buyers, stakeholders and the economy, Mr. Varun Bagla continuously plans and hones the market strategies to develop, maintain and improve performance while complying with best practices, legal and other necessities, communicating with contractors, customers, regulatory bodies, environmental experts and stakeholders.

He has played a crucial role in modernizing the business operations, expanding market reach and refining all aspects of profitably running the business by providing new-age real estate solutions across all sections of society. With a thorough understanding of the needs of the affluent class of the society, he has matched his pace with time to cater to the diverse needs of the people by developing some of the unique and majestic designs, world-class amenities, lavish and tranquil residential and commercial projects.

A man of supreme commitment, Mr. Varun Bagla’s enormity lies in the fact that he is not just another builder but a great innovator with unbelievable success in building, promoting and strengthening the Saltee Group empire.

Fighting against odds comes as second nature to Mr. Pyare Khan, the curator of a heartwarming rags-to-riches story with his transportation business, Ashmi Road Carriers Private Limited. From a dilapidated house in a slum to a multi-crore corporate office, the journey that Mr. Pyare Khan has traveled a route that could have left even the strongest of people breathless, but this man is only growing in his virtue by day. His tireless efforts to multiply his business avenues are an exemplary display of his grit and determination.

His company, Ashmi Road Carriers, is known for its matchless services and professional fleet of drivers who are passionate about their job. Mr. Pyare Khan instills a distinct sense of confidence and faith in one’s own abilities within people around him and that’s the reason his business is such a massive success. He believes in leading by example and works extra hard every day to motivate his team to outperform themselves.

FIGHTING THE DESTINY

Mr. Pyare Khan hails from a very humble background. Born to a small-time grocer, Mr. Pyare Khan used to live in slums with his family during his early years. His mother, Raisa Khatun, had to do odd jobs to feed him and his three siblings. The little boy always eager to support his mother, started selling oranges at Nagpur railway station to lend a helping hand. Seeing his family struggle with finances and living a tough life inspired him to do something big at a very young age and he experimented with a lot of jobs and businesses when he grew up, with the aim of turning their fortunes.

His first attempt at supporting his family financially was when he attained his driver’s license. Mr. Pyare Khan took up the job of a driver with a courier company but he had to quit it because of a fateful accident in Odisha when he was just eighteen-years-old. This came as a huge blow to his aspirations but his undying will to support his family helped him get back on his fast.

After a small break, with his meager savings and some support from his mother, Mr. Pyare Khan bought an auto-rickshaw and ran it on the roads of Nagpur for a while. At the same time, he was associated with the city’s ‘Melody Makers’ group as a keyboard player. He thought to upgrade his job a bit and planned to buy a bus, which will ferry the group to various program venues. He sold his instruments and some other valuables to purchase a bus but this business idea was busted soon.

However, it did not deter him from the path of success. He gained all his lost strength once again and decided to give his career another, bigger shot. He decided to buy a truck and run a business of ferrying goods to places like the North East, and Jammu and Kashmir where other transporters refused to go. Once he figured out his plan, the next step in the plan was to secure a loan to buy the vehicle. This proved out to be a difficult task for Mr. Pyare Khan.

He went to ING Vysya Bank in Nagpur to take the loan but the then branch manager Mr. Bhushan Bais wasn’t much convinced to pass the funds due to lack of substantial collateral. But Mr. Khan did not give up and with his confidence and futuristic vision impressed Mr. Bais, who agreed to give him a loan of Rs. 11 lakhs. Mr. Pyare Khan did not disappoint him and paid back the whole amount to the bank at least two years before the stipulated date. This gritty and determined nature of Mr. Pyare Khan impressed Mr. Bais so much that years later he agreed to work under him as Ashmi’s Head of Finance. Mr. Bais is very fond of Mr. Pyare Khan and is a self-admitted fan of his work ethics and commitment to his job.

FINDING HIS OWN NICHE

It was the year 2004 when Mr. Pyare Khan bought his first truck and laid the foundation of what today is one of the biggest transportation businesses in the country. Brick-by-brick, he turned his aspiration into an exemplary feat. In 2019, Mr. Pyare Khan had a fleet of 125 trucks, which he owns, and a hiring capacity of 3000 trucks a day to move steel and power infrastructure across India and abroad. His fleet of trucks includes beasts from some of the widely known brands, including Tata Motors and Ashok Leyland, ferrying steel and power infrastructure materials for some prominent organizations including KEC International, JSW Steel, Tata, and SAIL. Within India, he has ten branch offices and an employee strength of about five hundred people.

His successful venture also became a case study for IIM-A students after he won the young transport entrepreneurs competition organized jointly by the institution and Mahindra Truck and Buses. He competed with 17 other contestants, two of whom were invited from the USA. He was very apprehensive to participate in the competition because of his low educational qualifications. He had no idea what an IIM was and participated reluctantly. While the fellow participants presented their ideas using modern technology and in English, Mr. Khan spoke in Hindi. He was surprised to the core when he was announced as the winner.

Mr. Pyare Khan’s dedication to work is as such that he constantly keeps evolving his business style. He recently appeared for his class 10 examinations and successfully cleared them as he had to obtain the permission to start two fuel stations at Vihirgaon and Kalmeshwar.

Mr. Pyare Khan is now willing to expand the footprint of Ashmi’s business to newer horizons. He is planning to further increase his fleet size and also expand his branch offices to 10 more cities in the coming months. He is also very excited to add more jobs in the sector and is glad that he can create a lucrative way to tackle India’s unemployment woes.

Dr. Rameswar Rao Jupally, at present 61 has the enthusiasm of a 21 year old and he doesnít believe in mincing his words at all. His composed demeanor and calm smile is enough to put one in awe of his simplicity and humility, and a heartfelt respect is naturally developed. From a simple man to a doctor to a successful industrialist, Dr. Jupally has made a lasting impression, both on a professional and a personal note.

He was born in an agricultural family in 1955 at a small village called Kudikilla in Mahaboobnagar, Andhra Pradesh. Situated in the vicinity of Nallapura forests, the village had very few facilities and Dr. Rameswar Rao Jupally had to walk miles to attend his school.

He then later moved to Hyderabad for his higher education and graduated in homeopathy. He reminisces that this was the period when he learned to manage his life on his own, as he had to survive the month with the little money that his brother sent him. This phase made him grow as a person and helped him prioritize his tasks and aspirations.

NEW CHAPTER IN LIFE

Dr. Jupally has always been a very sensitive person believing in equal rights and facilities for every section of the society. He stood as a voice for the underprivileged and set up his homeopathy practice near Dilsukhnagar, an area where many poor and illiterate people lived. As a practicing homeopath he strived a great deal to mitigate their social and financial needs.

Dr. Jupally was slowly realizing that he was more than just a doctor and had the capability to do something different and big. The turning point came in his life when his friend who later became his partner, C. Satyanarayana advised him to invest Rs. 50,000 in a plot. After three years, Dr. Jupally sold the plot at a price of Rs. 1.50 lacs, and this made him understand the vast potential of the real estate sector. Thus, in 1981 Dr. Rao gave up his medical practice and became a whole time real-estate developer with My Home Constructions Pvt. Ltd.

He later diversified into varying businesses and added cement manufacturing and power generation into the groupís portfolio. He also ventured into the education sector in 1991 as he firmly believes that education is a must to create a healthy society.

MODEST PERSONAGE

Apart from being a successful industrialist, Dr. Rameswar Rao Jupally is also dedicated to his family. His four sons have imbibed his values, morals and spiritual knowledge. The quality time spent by him with his family has enabled them to face life boldly.

Dr. Jupally is very down to earth in nature and sees every other person in the same light. He treats everyone from the mason to the manager of his projects with the same respect. He tries to solve their problems and attends to their moments of happiness without any ego.

He has also actively been a part of many CSR activities through his establishment. His vision is exemplary and is personally involved in uplifting the poor and the down trodden. In todayís materialistic world he strives to instil confidence to the upcoming generation, to visualise their dreams and make them a tangible reality.

In an era where most of the people are competing with each other to stay ahead in the race, there are very few individuals who actually follow ethical ways to win. These individuals not only think about their own profits but also understand the need to make headway together with the community they are living in. In every industry whether it is transportation, media or real estate, one is able to notice these dynamic and true personalities that take a step forward to improve the erstwhile conditions in their respective fields.

Ignited by the passion to transform the face of Indian Real Estate sector, Mr. Praveen Kumar Nedungadi, the Managing Director and Chief Operating Officer of Incredible India Projects Private Limited, has come to the fore as an industry veteran with his extraordinary management strategies and accomplishments he has achieved in the real estate industry of India.

Mr. Nedungadi ensures that every project excels in terms of the quality and standards. This perfection seeker maintains the project documentation, and technical and progress reports along with the responsibility of managing the sales and marketing programs.

After getting a postgraduate degree in M.Com. from Agra University, Mr. Nedungadi has accumulated an experience of almost 18 years in the industry.

PROMISING BRILLIANCE

During his past years, Mr. Nedungadi realized that the customers never receive the quality products and services at the right price from the real estate firms. As he was strongly against this practice, the idea of establishing his own firm clicked in his mind. Hence, he laid down the strong foundation of Incredible India Projects in the year 2007. The company embarked on its long journey with 25 acres but today it marks its name on more than 1,600 acres of land. For achievements like these, Mr. Nedungadi has dedicatedly targeted customersí satisfaction as one of the major driving factors in his profession.

Mr. Nedungadi goes along with values such as ëBeing Brilliant Togetherí, ëChallenging Everything ñ Delivering Excellenceí and ëMaximizing Potentialí with which he is able to steer the company towards the ìRealty Revolutionî. He has a crystal clear motto of ìquality and sustainable developmentî, which is the backbone of IIPPL. He wants to lay a strong foundation of trust through his world-class quality developments.

Talking about his best strategies, Mr. Nedungadi says, ìA satisfied customer is the best strategyî. It reflects his idea of keeping his customers at the top of his priority list. His immense belief in the customer centricity is also followed at his establishment very well.

THE ETHICAL STREAK

Sharing his views, Mr. Nedungadi remarks, ìBe fearless as no one can stop your growth. Never think twice when it comes to contributing your share for the development of the society. Always be prepared with a well-thought plan, and make sure that you implement it properly and ethically.î His strong belief in the ethical and moral values has its roots in his admiration of the sacred scripture Bhagavad Gita.

As the Chairman and Managing Director of $51billion (revenue) Reliance Industries Limited (RIL), Mr Mukesh Ambani is also its largest shareholder with a stake of 44.7%.

Under his astute leadership, RIL is on an expansion-spree, is efficiently capturing new markets, and has acquired the status of India’s second-most valuable company by market value and is fairing extremely well in refining, petrochemicals and in the oil and gas sectors.

Another bright feather in his heavily embellished cap is Reliance Retail Limited, which is the largest retailer in India.

FRONTRUNNER OF A DIGITAL REVOLUTION

Vehemently asserting that “Data is the new oil” at almost every platform, Mr Mukesh Ambani has explicitly expressed his intensions of digital expansion. He further states, “Anything and everything that can go digital is going digital. India cannot afford to be left behind.” No wonder, under his quintessential leadership, Reliance has swept the communication market through the ambitious Jio project whose revolutionary impact will play a substantial role in molding the future of India and will work towards bridging the urban-rural divide by providing end-to-end digital solutions for businesses, institutions and households.

His strategy of offering free domestic voice calls, economical data services and virtually free smartphones, has catapulted Jio to the most popular telecommunications brand.

Efficiently providing wireless 4G LTE service network (without 2G/3G-based services), Jio is the only ‘VoLTEonly’ (voice over LTE) operator in the country which lacks legacy network support of 2G and 3G, with coverage across all 22 telecom circles in India. Besides acquiring 16 million subscribers, within the first month of its launch – the fastest ramp-up by any mobile network operator anywhere in the world – Jio crossed 50 million subscriber mark in 83 days since its launch and has subsequently earned more than 130 million subscribers.

CARRYING FORWARD A LEGACY OF RELIANCE

The foundation of Reliance was laid in 1957 by Mr Dhirubhai Ambani as a provider of textile yarns to textile manufacturers. Foraying into textile manufacturing in the mid 1960’s, he set up his first factory in the year 1966. The lack of a proper distribution arm, which was necessary to avoid dependence on the existing players and to keep costs low, along with a shortage of funding led Reliance to come out with an IPO in 1977, raising US$ 1.8mn and in the process starting the capital markets culture in India.

After completing his Bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering from the University of Mumbai, Mr Mukesh Ambani was pursuing his MBA from Stanford University when he dropped out to assist his father in the construction of a polyester filament yarn plant after it got a license from the Indian government in 1981 to produce polyester filament yarn, beating the likes of other well-known Indian business houses such as the Tatas and Birlas. He efficiently facilitated its backward integration from polyester into textiles and then into petrochemicals in 1986 and later on carried out its upstream integration with oil and gas exploration and production, and more recently has enabled its smooth venturing into various unrelated sectors.

EXPANDING A COLOSSAL EMPIRE

In the late nineties, Mr Mukesh Ambani spearheaded the creation of the world’s largest grassroots petroleum refinery at Jamnagar in Gujarat, with a capacity of 660,000 barrels per day (33 million tonnes a year), and integrated it with petrochemicals, power generation, port and related infrastructure. This crude oil refinery is one of the largest in the world, with 2% of global processing capacity and constitutes 15% of India’s exports, 4% of its stock market capitalization and 3% of its tax revenues and is the country’s largest private corporate investor. Further, he steered the setting up of another 580,000-barrels-per-day refinery next to the first one in Jamnagar. With an aggregate refining capacity of 1.24 million barrels of oil per day at a single location, Jamnagar has acquired the coveted title of ‘the refining hub of the world.’

He also led Reliance’s development of multiple new world-class manufacturing facilities involving diverse technologies and implementation of a pan-India organized retail network spanning multiple formats and supply chain infrastructure. Today, Reliance Industries is the world’s largest producer of polyester fiber and yarn and Reliance Retail is the largest organised retail player in India.

He has created global records in customer acquisition for Jio, Reliance’s digital services initiative. He led and established one of the world’s most expansive 4G broadband wireless network offering end-to-end solutions that address the entire value chain across various digital services in key domains of national interest, such as education, healthcare, security, financial services, government-citizen interfaces, and entertainment.

GARNERING RESPECT & RECOGNITION

Mr Mukesh Ambani is a member of the Prime Minister’s Council on Trade and Industry, Government of India, and the Board of Governors of the National Council of Applied Economic Research, India. He is the Chairman of the Board of Governors, Pandit Deendayal Petroleum University in Gujarat.

He is also a member of Indo-U.S. CEOs’ Forum, India Advisory Council of The British Asian Trust (as Chairman), International Advisory Council of The Brookings, McKinsey & Company International Advisory Council, Global Advisory Council of Bank of America, The Business Council, India Advisory Group of the London School of Economics.

Mr Mukesh Ambani is an elected Foreign Member of the prestigious United States National Academy of Engineering. Only nine other Indians have received this honour. He is the only Indian to be featured on Global Game Changers List of a leading international magazine. He has been awarded as Economic Times Business Leader of the Year, 2017 and has won Othmer Gold Medal by Chemical Heritage Foundation, USA in 2016. He was offered an honorary Doctor of Philosophy degree by the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Roorkee in and Honorary Doctor of Science by Institute of Chemical Technology, Mumbai in 2013. He was conferred the title of ‘Entrepreneur of the Decade’ by All-India Management Association in 2013.

LAYING A STRONG FOUNDATION

Always supporting him in every thick and thin of life, as his pillar of strength, his better half Ms Nita Ambani, has significantly contributed to and made measurable progress toward his vision of an inclusive India. As the Founder and Chairperson of Reliance Foundation, she contributes to a positive societal impact through diverse community engagement initiatives. Established in 2010 to provide impetus to various philanthropic initiatives of RIL, the efforts of the group have already touched the lives of more than 15 million people across India in more than 13,500 villages and 80 urban locations.

It is a proven fact that environment plays a major role in shaping one’s personality. Ms. Sohani Hossain had a rich upbringing which facilitated her all-round development and nurtured her creative streak. She is not only industrious but also a very creative person and efficiently handles the responsibility of employing around 10,000 people in her corporation – Universal Group – in the capacity of Managing Director. As she herself puts it, “I was born in a cultural family. In my house there were always the magazines, Begum and Chitrali. In my childhood, I was a class Captain and after that I became involved in politics. I protested wrong doings since an early age. When my husband became infected with cancer, my first priority was my employees and as a result of my dedication, Universal Group is where it is today.”

Talking about her Late Father-in-law and husband, who have been a constant source of inspiration for her, especially in the world of business, she says, “I am very fond of these two people in my life. I was beside my husband when he built this corporation. My father-in-law was involved in the cinema hall business. Due to his interest in the cinema hall business, my husband built 21 halls in the northern part of the country. Even I was inspired to make films and I received recognition for them. My husband was in the food industry and pharmaceuticals business. Also, my uncle-in-law was the founder of the first milk based community ‘Milkvita’ in Bangladesh.” She further states, “My husband created ‘Universal Tasty Saline’ thinking of the working class people after a long day at work. We have also worked to popularise ‘Universal Hajmi’ in Bangladesh.”

An Optimist to the Core

Despite having faced various ups and downs in life, Ms. Sohani is an eternal optimist who always sees the proverbial glass as full. Sharing her success mantra, she elaborates, “My life is divided into many parts. In my opinion working against opposition brings success. In my dictionary there is no word such as failure. I keep on persisting until I succeed. I am a cancer survivor. I see the beauty in other people and in other things, and this ability means success to me. I always kept knowledge of cultural activities and events all round the world and I was also a class captain during my school days. I am always working to never be an instrument and to always portray an institution first; this is my story to success.”

Giving her Best for the Welfare of humanity

Ms. Sohani has dealt with social problems decisively and believes that one must adopt a compassionate and humanistic approach for best solutions to world’s social problems. She feels that “by having compassion or a strong feeling of sympathy for other people’s suffering and a desire to help, humans would be able to solve these problems.”

After the demise of her husband Mr. Mobarak Hossain Ratna, despite braving cancer she kept going through her sheer will and determination, and helped every person in difficulty, including the employees of the Universal Group. She paints her own vision for the people and the society. With a view that every human being is equal and possesses the right to have a respectable living, she works for the upliftment of the marginalized people, especially the women who have been abandoned, abused and exposed to drugs, the so-called ‘untouchables’ and the third gender community in society. By including them in societal works, giving them education and by providing them with jobs in her own organisation, she has provided them with the opportunity to live life with dignity and has left no stone unturned to help them return to normal lives. She asserts, “To me everybody is equal and my battle is against the discrimination of people in this society. They are no less than any other employee in my corporation.”

Describing about her inclination towards empowering women, she further adds, “As a woman, I feel responsible for other women. They are my power, my inspiration. My battle is for them.” Talking about the predicament of a former convict whom she employed in her organisation, Ms. Sohani describes, “Due to problems, these women turn to drugs. Everybody criticizes but no one supports them. She is a talented girl and my corporation is for these victims.”

No wonder she is usually referred to as ‘Maa Durga’ at the work front. Elaborating on the reason behind this, Ms. Sohani explains, “Durga means a protector. I believe in equality and promote equality. If anyone asks for my help I try to do so as per my abilities. Perhaps this is why my Universal family knows me as Maa Durga.”

Ms. Sohani’s compassion is not limited to humans as she is an ardent pet-lover as well. Reminiscing about her childhood days, she says, “Dogs and cats were part of my family, I have seen my mother taking food out of her plate and feeding it to the dogs. My compassion started a very early age.”

Garnering numerous Awards & Accolands

An innate philanthropist and a popular author, Ms. Sohani has received numerous awards and recognitions for her contribution to the welfare of humanity and her works of art. For her social work, she received the 147th Dadasaheb Phalke Award and the 15th Mother Teresa International Award in India. She has also been awarded by South Korea International Taekwondo Federation. Her works for the 3rd gender community brought her recognition from the 3rd gender people’s shelter in Pabna.

For her contributions as a Bangla songwriter, Ms. Sohani received the Global Music Award in Dubai. She acquired the Achiever Award for the roles in the Bangla Film Industry. She was also recognized as a female film personality in the Khajuraho Film Festival.

For her part in literature, she received the Chokh Sahitya Award in Kolkata. Kolkata’s Pet Wellness Society awarded her with the title of ‘Prani Hitoishi’. She received the Nobochetona Sangskritik Sangathan recognition and was acknowledged by the Bangladesh Cultural Association.

Ms. Sohani has been awarded many times within the country and outside but she regards these recognitions as her country’s achievements. She is of the view that her biggest accomplishment is people’s love and affection for her and not these awards. Extremely passionate about art, she has been consistently writing for more than two decades despite her busy schedule and other obligations.

An inspiration

Ms. Sohani believes that the most essential ingredients for success are “Honesty, unity and dedication.” She adds, “I always dedicate some of my time to God.” Her mantra for success is “making good use of opportunities.” Her strength and resilience are apparent from her never-saydie attitude. She asserts, “I am a warrior. I can swim in deep waters.” Her advice to those who are struggling in life is “Don’t give up; if I can survive cancer then you can survive anything.”

Being extremely positive about the present socioeconomic scenario in Bangladesh, she believes that everybody should contribute at their individual level for the prosperity of the nation. Her optimism and love for her country is quite explicit from her words, “Everybody is doing their own work, the government is working hard to improve the country’s ranking and the individuals are also working hard. Even though there are limitations but there are also possibilities. If everybody works hard together our country and our people can prosper. We have to understand that we are the country, the nation who gave blood for our own language and for our own freedom. If only we have love for our country and commitment towards our country we can help it develop.”