Rajnikant Shroff

Rajnikant Devidasbhai Shroff (born 1934) popularly known as Rajju Shroff is an Indian billionaire businessman. He is the founder of United Phosphorus Limited (UPL) an chemical production company registered in India. Currently, he is chairman, managing director, and largest shareholder owning 26% of UPL limited, according to Forbes magazine he is the 87th richest man in India with net worth amounting to $1.69 Billion as of December 2019.He was the Founder-President of Vapi Industries Association and Association of Small and Medium Chemical Manufacturers.
== Early life and education ==
Rajnikant Shroff was born in the year 1934 in a small village in Kutch,Gujarat. Shroff family has been in the textile business since pre-Independence days. Following the great recession in the thirties, his father Devidasbhai and uncle Chanprajbhai started manufacturing pain balm, hair oil. Rajnikant Shroff completed his B Sc from Khalsa College, Bombay University and then joined the R & D department of his father’s factory.
== Personal life ==
Rajnikant Shroff is married to Sandra Shroff and has two married sons Jaidev Shroff and Vikram Shroff. While his elder son Jaidev (Jai) is the Global CEO of UPL Limited, Vikram takes care of the company’s system and internal management and is Executive Director of UPL Limited.
== Career ==
After his graduation from Bombay university Rajnikant Shroff joined the R & D department of his family-owned factory in the suburb area of Mumbai. There, mercuric chloride, a component used in dry cells, was manufactured. The demand of the chemical mercuric chloride was quite high in Europe as compared to India and so due to higher demand in European countries in 1956, his family decided to set up a factory in England. The company Excel was founded in London which would be operated by Rajnikant Shroff. He ran the company successfully for two years and then sold it when their British rival made a successful offer to give the profit they made in two years for 10 years. After returning to India he married Sandra Ewans and worked for 7-8 years at the Mumbai factory. He mainly looked at the R&D department of the company which is where he developed an interest in making chemicals which were more difficult to produce and the process to manufacture did not exist in India. He was determined to make chemicals in India and so he kept experimenting with various chemicals to make affordable Red phosphorus often putting himself in harm's way.
During the time he developed interest in making red phosphorus GIDC was coming up in Vapi. He decided to open a red phosphorus production unit in Vapi. Vapi in the late 60s and early 70s lacked basic critical infrastructures like water, electricity and transport such as rickshaws. It used to take about 6-7hours to reach Mumbai by road compared to 2 hours today due to the poor condition of roads back then. He successfully founded United phosphorus, now known as UPL limited. Rajnikant Shroff credits much of his success to wife Sandra shroff. Sandra Shroff has managed various responsibilities. She is one of the main reasons for the rise of UPL. Sandra Shroff currently is the vice-chairperson of the company.
== Philanthropy ==
Rajnikant Shroff and Sandra Shroff have taken numerous initiatives such as opening up schools and colleges to develop the south Gujarat tribal belt. Some institutions developed under them are,
* Smt. Sandraben Shroff Gnyan Dham School, Vapi.
* Shroff S.R. Rotary Institute of Chemical Technology, Ankleshwar.
* ROFEL Shri G.M. Bilakhia College of Pharmacy, Vapi.
* GIDC Rajju Shroff ROFEL Institute of Management Studies, Vapi.
* ROFEL Shri G.M. Bilakhia College of Applied Sciences, Vapi.
* ROFEL Smt. C.D. Jhobalia College of Arts and Smt. I.S.R. Achchhariwala College of Commerce, Vapi.
* Sandra Shroff ROFEL College of Nursing, Vapi.
* GIDC Rajju Shroff ROFEL Institute of Management Studies (BBA) Programme.
== Honorable Awards and recognition ==
Rajnikant Shroff has achieved multiple Awards throughout his life,some of the notable ones are,
* AGROW Lifetime Achievement Award in September 2015 in London.
* Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award (manufacturing) in 2013.
* Rolta Corporate Award 2010
* Indian Chemical Council’s Lifetime Achievement Award for the entrepreneur in 2010
* Lifetime Achievement Award by Chemexil in 2008
* President’s Gold Shield Award for indigenous development of technology in 1972.
== References ==
Category:1934 births
Category:Billionaires
Category:Indian billionaires
Category:Indian businesspeople
Category:Entrepreneurship in India
Category:Corporate directors