THE JOURNEY

Kenny’s primary education took place in Amreli. While studying for his graduation at Morbi College, Kenny decided to pursue engineering from prestigious M.S. University in Baroda, which came with its own challenges. It was a competitive admission process, which he secured through relentless and unbreakable will. While studying, Kenny worked several part-time jobs, including working for various banks during holidays, where his sharp financial sense rightly earned him the name “a walking calculator”.

After he completed his civil engineering degree, Kenny began as an Assistant Engineer on Gujarat’s Narmada Project. A hunger to learn and limited activity at the Narmada Project led Kenny to take a side job as a site engineer on various commercial projects, where dealing with goons and employing them on the same project simultaneously solidified his belief that his destiny lay elsewhere. His grandfather recognised this drive and encouraged him to move out of the country.

In 1983, he married Trupti, whose unwavering belief and support became his anchor. He moved to New Jersey, USA, by 1986, where his early days were far from easy. Kenny worked unpaid in construction projects, while running a small Indian vegetarian restaurant with his wife and family. He made it through all while studying at night for his master’s degree at Stevens Institute of Technology.

His entrepreneurial spirit led him to launch his own firm in 1987. He began the TAK Group, in New Jersey with US$15 in his bank account. Kenny, a firm believer in the Almighty, staked his future on his faith and determination not to give up. He believes that his faith and hard work are the reason that his firm’s fortunes surged, sending his business “up the roof”.

His firm, since then, has been part of large-scale institutional, commercial, hospitality, health care, residential, and government projects. He proudly considers building Newark International Airport’s hangars and monorail infrastructure and interiors as one of his greatest achievements. TAK Group has become a titan of US infrastructure, and has expanded to trade finance and health care. A respected business leader, Kenny is on the State of New Jersey Governor’s Advisory Council and a Commissioner on the New Jersey-India Commission, the first US state-level body of its kind.

A recipient of numerous accolades, including the Prestigious Ellis Island Medal of Honor Award, Kenny was recognised for his contributions as the Federation of India Association (FIA) President during India’s 75th Independence Day celebrations. During his tenure as FIA President, Kenny achieved the seemingly impossible — he successfully led the Association in setting two Guinness World Records in a single day: one for “most different flags flown simultaneously” and another for “the largest Damru (hourglass-shaped handheld drum) Ensemble.”