He was born in Ludhiana on May 1, 1958, to Sunderila Rani and Ram Prakash Monga. His mother was from Rawalpindi and his father from Lahore; his parents and grandparents had relocated to Ludhiana during the 1947 partition. His father was in his early 20s and had seven siblings. The family, like every other displaced family of partition, had to face a lot to settle in at the new place.
After having established a successful textile business in India, Anil realized that the complexity of doing business in a corrupt environment posed a challenge to his principles of earning money purely on the basis of truth. He kept in mind the motto of his alma mater, SCD Government College, Dare to be True.
The Flight to Freedom
The 1984 riots set Anil on his path overseas, where after attempting to settle down in various countries such as London, Germany and Canada, he finally landed in the US in 1986, and chose to make it his permanent home based on its non-discrimination and celebration of freedom.
Being in the land of the free, however, presented many of its own challenges. Despite the daily struggle, which included working 18 hours a day without a Sunday off, he still suffered a financial loss. He didn’t have time to be disheartened – he took it as encouragement, further solidifying his faith in God. After numerous trials and tribulations, he eventually decided to pursue the industry of fragrances, where everything was upfront, allowing him to remain honest in a business world scattered with lies. Continuing fearlessly day and night and staying dedicated to the truth is what allowed him to establish his successful global fragrance empire, which today distributes fine fragrances to more than 100 countries.
Anil notes, “All the suffering, pain and heartbreak are actually gifts from the Almighty, as our challenges are opportunities given to us by Him to make us great.”
After achieving moderate financial success by his late 30s, he could have easily retired and enjoyed his wealth alongside his family, but after having seen first-hand the struggles of women, children, migrants and the elderly in marginalized areas, he empathized with their suffering and chose to establish Dream and Beauty Charitable Trust in 1996 to tackle these issues. “The spirit of giving has always been a guiding force in my life. It gives me immense joy and enhances my spiritual experience to rise by lifting up others.”
The Trust’s flagship program, Brahmbhog, was aimed at alleviating hunger in poverty-stricken communities. This was followed by Karma Health Care which provides free healthcare to the poor and needy living in impoverished areas of India. “During my visits, I realized that a large section of young people remained uneducated due to various financial and social factors. This led us to initiate Margdarshan, an educational and livelihood program that trains these young people to enhance job qualification along with women empowerment.”
The plight of the elderly led Dream and Beauty to create Heavenly Palace, an abode for senior citizens. It spans a lush 14 acres, set among the river banks and provides world-class five-star amenities to ensure that the older generation can live their final days in peace, harmony, bliss and serenity.
Heavenly Angels was created as a safe haven and loving homely environment for abandoned orphans, where they receive guidance, mentorship, education, extra-curricular training, hobbies, arts, etc.
Anil believes that India and the US can learn a lot from each other. “I think Americans can benefit from the value systems that Indian culture propagates, be it looking after the elderly or yoga or ayurveda. Indians too can learn from the way Americans work and live. Americans do everything on their own and are extremely generous. India can do better in this regard and spread its love and kindness throughout its own community.”
Firm Family Foundations
Anil realizes that all that he has achieved, be it at work or his social causes, would not have been possible without his family. He got married to Rajni Bala in 1990 and says that they found each other at the right place and at the right time. Rajni, an MA (Education), comes from a family of educators and has been his ideal companion at work and home. She helped with the company’s finances and accounts, and after a break to look after the children, she is now back again helping him run the business. “The heavenly bliss that she has created at home is a key driver behind the Heavenly Palace and the Heavenly Angels.”
Anil has, however, always fought to find his me-time. “Work never allowed me time for hobbies. I now go for nature walks – it rejuvenates me. I walk around six to eight miles a day.
I feel healed with nature upon connecting with nature and helps to provide inner strength.”
Of their three children, his two sons, Sean (31) and Kyle (30), are also following in their father’s footsteps. Both have graduated from Stern and New York University and are working at Victory. Sean is in charge of brand development and Kyle takes care of the trading division along with the Miami real-estate business. Daughter, Rasm (17), is going to college soon. “My sons are taking the lead with the business now as I feel I need to concentrate more on serving society.” His sons take inspiration from his singular focus to achieve everything he sets his mind to. “By channeling all of your energies in one direction, you conquer your mind to conquer the world,” he shares a thought.