Healthcare & DNA of Entrepreneurship

Abhaya S Jain

A True Enterprise Builder

He is a multi-hyphenate: a highly successful businessman, inspiring leader and magnanimous benefactor. He is also an adept horse rider, has learnt rowing, flying airplanes is a passion, and is a singer and guitar player. In the race of life, he is the jockey everyone would like to bet on.

A quote you often quote:

I bet on a jockey, not the horse.

Ancestry:

Butati, Nagaur, Rajasthan

Birthplace & Residence:

Chennai, Tamil Nadu

Born:

December 23, 1953

President

Jain International Trade Organization

Founder & Chairman

LifeCell International Pvt Ltd

Abhaya S Jain

Someone once said, “A leader is one who knows the way, goes the way and shows the way.” Abhaya, a pioneer of entrepreneurship long before it became a buzzword, embodies this definition of a leader to its very core.

He is not just a venture capitalist and an industrialist but also a social educationist who has made it his raison d'etre in life to nurture and encourage young people by providing them with tools to succeed in an entrepreneurial ecosystem.

His own life story serves as an inspiration for success, no matter what the odds.

Abhaya S Jain

The Long Walk to Success

Sundarbai and Sankarlal Jain made the journey from their native village, Butati, to Chennai, then Madras, in 1932 to find a better life and fortune. It was here that their second son, Abhaya, was born on December 23, 1953.

Sankarlal had established himself as a businessman without any formal education. The parents understood their lack of education and wanted their three sons to be highly educated. Abhaya decided to fulfil his father’s dream and opted to pursue chemical engineering.

During holidays, the young man would work in different chemical industries. Learning the basics of trade, he also developed his skills as a communicator, interacting with different people from across the country.

Growing Up in Chennai

He lived in a house where more than 20 families stayed in different sections. There were many children in the house, and he grew up playing and learning with them.

There was no television or electricity, so children played games such as hide and seek, saat-patthar and other outdoor games. He attended Tarachand Galada Jain High School and AG Jain High School in Chennai.

A bright student, he was also good at sports like cricket, javelin throw, kho-kho and kabaddi.

Born to Be His Own Boss

Perhaps these experiences made young Abhaya realize that he was born to be his own boss. After completing his BTech in chemical engineering from AC College of Technology in Chennai in 1975, he started exploring options to set up his own chemical factory.

His father’s friend, R Thyagarajan, Founder-Chairman of the Shriram Group, advised him to get into pharmaceuticals.

Abhaya borrowed capital from his father and a friend, Nanalal Bhat, to set up a pharmaceutical factory in 1976. It grew so quickly that his brothers joined him, and together they worked to form Shasun Group, which rose to great heights.

For Abhaya S Jain, enterprise is not only commerce.

It is institution building.

Abhaya S Jain

Exploring India and the World

The growth of Shasun took him across the globe, and he found the US to be the best place to expand his wings in 1994.

Before travelling for work, he had extensively travelled for leisure as a youth. He saw India by travelling on trains, gradually exploring the country, meeting people and learning from the experience.

Life-Giving Venture

In 2002, once he decided that Shasun should not be owner-managed but family-managed, he was left jobless as the management was handed to professionals in 2004.

His daughter Kashmira had started animation work, but later in 2004 she handed it over to her father and went for higher studies. Together, they forged path-breaking innovations in visual effects. He met Barrie Osborne, producer of the superhit series, and further developed the animation business, Sony Image Works India, also known as Frame Flow India.

Later, it was sold to Sony Pictures, where he served on the board.

That year, he also visited Cryo-Cell International Inc, Tampa, the world’s first cord blood storage company. After a market survey, he was surprised to know that India was ready to adopt this technology.

Along with his son Mayur, he formed LifeCell International in collaboration with Cryo-Cell and started stem-cell technology research in India. This was a revolutionary first in India, for which Ernst & Young awarded him the Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award in 2003.

Headquartered in Chennai, LifeCell is India’s largest and most accredited stem-cell bank with over 75 centers globally.

He has also been instrumental in harnessing green nanotechnology in Ayurvedic medicine and is the Founding Chairman of Dhanvantari Nano Ayushadi Pvt Ltd, DNA, which develops nanotechnology-based Ayurvedic products.

Abhaya S Jain

Charity Beyond Money

“Philanthropy does not mean money; simply giving your time or motivating others is also great philanthropy,” he says. He has always tried to be of service to those who needed his time and support.

He held various positions in the Jain International Trade Organization and worked on various projects. Now the elected President of JITO, he is proud of the organization’s achievements.

JITO has become a formidable force with more than 30,000 members and has spread across the globe, contributing to the welfare of the nation.

He also serves as the Founder Member of the JITO Administrative Training Foundation, JATF, which intends to create a pool of young talent that will act as a catalyst for change in the world. It helps young people prepare for civil service examinations and make conscientious leaders of India’s future.

In 2004, Abhaya established the Sri Shankarlal Sundarbai, SHASUN, Jain College for Women in Chennai with just 105 students. Today, it provides holistic education to around 4500 students with a focus on sports, entrepreneurship, performing arts and mass communication.

The college is a realization of his late father’s dream to empower women to become independent and contributing members of society. It has been honored as one of the best colleges in Chennai. One of the documentaries made by the college has received more than 30 national and international awards and recognitions.

He is a member and donor of the Rajasthan Cosmo Club and helps in cleaning, beautifying and maintaining burial grounds and crematoria.

Family Ties That Bind

Abhaya understands family as one of the vital drivers of success. For him, family means loving and respecting parents, wife, children and grandchildren.

His wife, three children and five grandchildren are his biggest encouragement. They are a huge support not just to him but also to each other.

His wife Usha has been the bedrock of his life. She calmly analyzes situations before taking collectively beneficial decisions, and her guidance has also been helpful in business dealings.

She took charge of their home and ensured that the children were brought up well and achieved success in their lives, growing into positive citizens.

Children and Legacy

The three children are all settled in Chennai, highly educated and well-established.

Mayur holds a master’s in Biotechnology Management from Northwestern University in the US. He is currently the Managing Director of LifeCell and has also served in strategic and leadership roles at Shasun Pharmaceuticals, currently Solara Active Pharma. His wife Taru is a homemaker.

Deepak is the Director of Marketing Nutra Specialties, and his wife Vibha is a homemaker.

Kashmira is the proprietor of Hotel Dhans, earlier known as Velocity Hotel, Chennai, and is married to Ambrish Damani.

Abhaya S Jain

Fortune Favors the Brave

Successful businessman, inspiring leader and magnanimous benefactor, Abhaya is a passionate lover of life. He has always valued time for self and has shared the same lesson with his children and grandchildren.

He enjoys horse riding, rowing and flying airplanes. He believes hobbies and passions develop a person through better concentration, balance and sportsmanship.

In one vivid recollection, he speaks about an incident at his first horse race. He thought he was well-kitted and prepared, but during the race he realized that the mud being flung at him by the horse in front was a hurdle. He lost the race, though everyone was expecting him to win. That loss became a lesson that prepared him for future races.

Another time, on the day India’s former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi was assassinated in Tamil Nadu, Abhaya had an important appointment in Pondicherry but was advised not to travel. It was a must, so he cut out the first page of the morning newspaper and took it with him. It was a risk he had to take.

He has consistently proven that fortune favors the brave. His entire life is a lesson in self-driven motivation, passion and determination. His successes and selfless acts serve as ideal reins of inspiration for aspiring entrepreneurs who are in the race of their lives.

In offering advice, Abhaya borrows from the wisdom of Lord Mahavira, the 24th Tirthankara of Jainism, and says, “Attempt and fail, but don’t fail to attempt.”

Abhaya is a musician too.

An accomplished singer and guitar player.

Note to younger Abhaya:

No messages, I like the way I was as a youth. I did everything I wanted. And that’s the way I’d like to continue.

Note to aspiring entrepreneurs:

Get yourself a mentor but also motivate yourself to design your success your way. Build a strong character to attract the right people. Most importantly, keep working hard and keep learning new skills.

A dream you are manifesting:

I want to make sure that an all-girls team represents India and wins at the Paris 2024 Olympics. A team of four girls from our college is undergoing rigorous training in archery under the able guidance of an archery expert.

Abhaya S Jain

Gallery

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