Sareshwala is a mechanical engineer by training and considered an expert in Islamic banking and finance. In 2001, he organised protests in Delhi against the burning of copies of the Qur'an by Hindus. His family businesses incurred huge losses in the 2002 Gujarat riots, and he was part of a group of Indian expatriates considering filing against Modi at the International Court of Justice for his role in the violence. Sareshwala and Modi subsequently settled their differences, with Sareshwala and his brother meeting cordially with Modi on a visit to London in 2003, and developing close business and political ties since then. Sareshwala's decision to move his family back to India from London in 2005 was said to be on the urging of Modi himself, with Modi asking: "Will you continue serving the British as a slave?" Since Modi's political ascent to Prime Minister, Sareshwala claims that only by engaging with Modi and the BJP will the interests of Muslims in Gujarat be advanced, and cites multiple examples of political achievements resulting from his links with Modi. However, this position has brought intense criticism upon Sareshwala from fellow Muslims and human rights activists, with many critics accusing him of opportunism, and one commentator dubbing him "Modi's PR man in the Muslim world". Sareshwala receives much hate mail comparing him with Indians who aided the British during the colonial era.