Laljibhai Patel

Laljibhai Tulsibhai Patel
Laljibhai Patel (L.T Patel)
Born (1955-11-28) 28 November 1955 (age 69)
Ugamedi, Botad, Gujarat, India[1]
Occupations
Years active1985–present
Spouse
Nirmalaben
​
(m. 1977)​
Children2
WebsiteLaljibhai Patel

Laljibhai Patel (born 28 November 1955) is an Indian diamantaire, philanthropist, and social activist. He is the chairman of Dharmanandan Diamonds (DDPL).[2] He has led Dharmanandan Diamonds for over four and a half decades.

Patel was ranked among the top 10 wealthiest jewelers in India, with a reported personal fortune of $480 million in a 2015 Wealth-X list of India's wealthiest jewelers.[3][4]

In 2015, he received a lifetime achievement award from Retail Jewelers India for his contributions to the luxury goods industry and societal betterment in Surat and Gujarat.[5]

Career

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After relocating to Surat City from Ugamedi in 1974-1975, Laljibhai Patel began his career as a diamond trader. In 1985, with childhood friend Tulsibhai Goti, he founded Shreeji Gems, a small diamond manufacturing unit. The company grew, becoming a partnership firm in 1993 and renamed Dharmanandan Diamonds. It was formally incorporated as Dharmanandan Diamonds Pvt. Ltd on 31 August 2007. In November 2007, the company became a De Beers Sightholder.[6]

Personal life

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Patel was born in Ugamedi, Botad district, Gujarat, India, to a farming family. He moved to Rajkot for secondary school, studying at Gurukul, Rajkot where he befriended his business partner Tulsibhai Goti. He is married and has two sons.[1][7][citation needed]

Social work

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Laljibhai Patel has been involved in various philanthropic endeavors, including addressing female foeticide, water conservation, education, health, and social illiteracy.

Save the Girl Child Mega Campaign

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Under Patel's presidency, the Samast Patidar Samaj[8] launched the "Save the Girl Child Mega Campaign" (Maha Laddu Beti Bachao Abhiyan) to combat female foeticide and promote gender equality. The campaign involved collecting grain and water from 235,000 households to create a large Boondi laddu.[citation needed]

The distribution of informative booklets and a large gathering in Surat in 2006, where 1.2 million people pledged to oppose female foeticide, were part of this initiative, recognized by the Limca Book of Records.[9] The campaign's impact on Gujarat's gender ratio is claimed to have been significant.[citation needed]

River Linking & Rainwater Conservation

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Patel initiated a large-scale water conservation project in Ugamedi, creating three large artificial ponds. Initially planned to be filled by the Sonal river, water was diverted from the Keri river to supplement the supply.[citation needed]

This project is described as the first instance of river interlinking in India, inspired by Atal Bihari Vajpayee's vision.[10][11]

Clean Ganga Mission

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Patel purchased Narendra Modi's suit at auction for US$693,174, with proceeds going towards the cleaning of the Ganga river.[12] This suit is recognized by the Guinness Book of World Records.[13]

Schools in Tribal Area

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Patel has built 10 schools in the Dang and Narmada districts, each with over 500 tribal students.

Promoting Gurukul Education

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As an alumnus of Gurukul Rajkot, Patel serves as a Trustee at Shree Swaminarayan Rajkot Gurukul.

Kanya Gurukul (Girl's Gurukul)

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Patel established a girls' Gurukul in Surat, designed to accommodate 3,000 girls.

Helping Hand for Specially Abled

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Through the Shantuben T. Patel Charitable Trust, Patel initiated a campaign to provide artificial limbs to people with disabilities.

Monetary Donation to Hospitals

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Patel has donated to various hospitals.

Positions in various organizations

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  • Founder & President of Samast Patidar Samaj Trust - Surat
  • President of Traffic Education Trust - First Safe City CCTV Project - Surat
  • President of Dharmanandan Charitable Trust – Surat
  • President of Shantuben T. Patel Charitable Trust
  • President of RV Gosaliya Vidhya Mandir – Ugamedi
  • President of Katargam Police Welfare Trust – Surat
  • Vice-President of Kiran Hospital - Surat[14]
  • Chairman of Construction Planning Committee - Surat Diamond Bourse (SDB)[15]
  • Treasurer at Gujarat Hira Bourse[16]
  • Founder Trustee at Sardar Dham – Ahmedabad
  • Trustee at Saurashtra Jaldhara Trust
  • Chairman at Shree Swaminarayan Kanya Gurukul, Surat
  • Trustee at Shree Swaminaran Gurukul, Rajkot – 32 School Branches in Gujarat[17]
  • Trustee at Shree Swaminaran Gurukul, Hyderabad – 18 School Branches[17]
  • Trustee at Samast Patidar Arogya Trust - Surat[14]
  • Trustee at Prayosha Pratisthan School - Ahva, Saputara
  • Trustee at Sardar Dham Education Trust – Bhavnagar
  • Trustee at Bhavnagar District Leuva Patel Education Trust – Surat
  • Trustee at Saurashtra Patel Seva Samaj - Puna Gam, Surat
  • Trustee at Patel Social Trust – Mumbai
  • Trustee at Saurashtra Patel Kelavni Mandal - Ahmedabad
  • Trustee at Shastri Shri Dharmajivandasji Swami Rajkot Gurukul Hospital
  • Trustee at Shree Swaminarayan Multi-specialty Hospital - Vadtal
  • Trustee at Lions Cancer Detection Centre - Civil Hospital - Surat

References

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  1. ^ a b "Diamond Czar - Laljibhai Patel, Chairman, Dharmanandan Diamonds Pvt. Ltd". Diamond World News Service. 17 April 2013.
  2. ^ "Company profile". www.hoovers.com. Retrieved 14 December 2020.
  3. ^ "Laljibhai Patel tops the list of wealthiest Indian jewellers". News18.com. 1 July 2015.
  4. ^ "India's 10 wealthiest jewellers". Rediff. 1 July 2015.
  5. ^ "Nazraana Retail Jeweller India Awards 2015". India Infoline News Service. 1 August 2015.
  6. ^ "De Beers Sightholders".
  7. ^ "पढ़िए मोदी का सूट खरीदने वाले लालजी भाई का कच्चा चिट्ठा". अमर उजाला. 21 February 2015. Retrieved 7 February 2024.
  8. ^ "Samast Patidar Samaj (SPS) is a charitable organization established to support environmental, social, and economic improvement like Save Gilrl Child, Education, Health Care etc in Surat and in the State of Gujarat". Archived from the original on 17 September 2016. Retrieved 16 September 2016.
  9. ^ "Beti Bachao Abhiyan".
  10. ^ "Bhavnagar village sets example in river interlinking". The Times of India. 17 June 2014.
  11. ^ "River interlinking makes Ugamedi village drought-proof". The Times of India. 3 September 2014.
  12. ^ "PM Narendra Modi's Rs 4.31 crore suit enters Guinness Book Records". 22 August 2016.
  13. ^ "Most expensive suit (clothing) sold at auction - Guinness World Records Limited".
  14. ^ a b "Message from Founders - Kiran Hospital".
  15. ^ "Surat Diamond Bourse". www.suratdiamondbourse.in.
  16. ^ "GHB Gem & Jewellery Park | Home". www.gujarathirabourse.org.
  17. ^ a b "Shree Swaminarayan Gurukul Rajkot Sansthan".
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