No common man, Harshad Shah, with his business acumen and his successful manufacturing business is taking everyone by storm. Making a fortune in a foreign land and becoming a business mogul is tough but retaining the title is tougher. But that tough and rough patch of the road has been walked on by him with a subtle enigma and heart-warming smile.
He has set an example so high for the new entrants in the domain that they can only seek inspiration from such a figure. His down-to-earth jocose nature, business acumen and his kind heart speak not only about his greatness but also tell a tale on how he kissed the zenith of success.
Harshad carries Santa’s bag loaded with years of rich experience in manufacturing industry, real estate and stock market, but he wanted more!
He wanted to turn his passion for love, kindness and compassion into something fruitful that would make the world a better place.
One of the most humane humanitarians, he retired in 2011, and now works full time for his charitable foundations and concentrates on improving education and disseminating knowledge on Jain dharma, eradicating poverty and upliftment of the community. He, along with some friends, was instrumental in establishing chairs and scholars at more than 15 universities. To name a few: The University of California Irvine, University of California, Santa Barbara, University of Wisconsin–Madison, Emory University. He established the Bhagavan Kunthunath Endowed Scholar of Jain Thought Leadership at the Cerritos College Foundation. He is an active member and part of organizations like Jain Center of Southern California (JCSC), Jain Temple of Los Angeles (JTLA), Akshaya Patra, Life Organisation, SAHARA, Pratham, Shrut Ratnakar trust, etc. He provides funds to various charitable organizations.
Past Experiences Nurturing the Present!
December 20, 1946, the day Harshad was born in a Jain family of Swayamprabha and Ochhavlal in a small town of Gujarat, Mahudha. “I have very beautiful memories of my childhood with my siblings, Shubhu, Rajul, Varsha and Jaishree. Like other kids, we would play around all day, fight and then forget about it in minutes. Those were the best years of my life!” Harshad has always been a cricket player – as a child, he anyhow managed finding time for the sport. “Oh! I till date like to hit a shot or two. And I definitely do watch matches.”
His father was a highly respected man of the village. He owned a fabric business and was a President of Mahudha Jain Center for years and also the President of Nagrik Sahakari Bank. “During the 1969 communal riots in Gujarat, an IAS visited our village and asked my father to lead the village to peace. When my father did so, surprisingly, everyone listened to him. Later, when Army was deployed, no one was allowed out of their houses but only my father.”
His mother was an epitome of love. Her name, Swayamprabha means self-radiance and she stood true to it. She raised her kids with utmost care and instilled the values of Jainism in them. Taught them that the path to enlightenment is through nonviolence toward any and every living being including plants and animals.
“In 1994 during the Paryushan Parva*, she suddenly complained of extreme pain. We were taking her to the hospital but lost her to a heart attack on the way. My father didn’t know that she had passed away but as soon as he got to know that very day, within half an hour, same hospital, *Also known as Parva Dhiraj, it is an important Jain festival which includes 120-day fasting period of prayer and penance.
same floor, he also passed away. He said, ‘I have no reason to live’. Like a pair of swans, they become emblematic of true love.
Harshad enjoyed studying and did his Bachelor in Science in India and Master in Mechanical Engineering from University of Southern California.
Together We Can Win the World
Inspired by his parents, he brewed his own love story. He met the love of his life, Raksha, when she was just 16 and he 18 and they were engaged. She was only nine-month-old when her father, a businessman, passed away. Her mother gracefully raised all five kids with utmost dignity.
Raksha and Harshad got married when they came of age. Right after their engagement, Harshad moved to the US in hopes to get higher education and pursue a PhD degree. But life had other plans!
It was December 18, 1970, when Harshad landed in the US with plans of completing his studies and fly back home. Big hopes and big aspirations to achieve big success seemed like a distant dream, when he struggled with his PhD degree and couldn’t get his hands on a job. But he wasn’t the one to give up easily. In 1972, Raksha joined him in the US, and together they toiled hard to build a dream life. “Sixteen hours a day, six days a week, for a dollar a day, I worked as a laborer. Those were some tough times and something uncalled for.” The struggle didn’t end for the next eight years. During those years, their family grew. Their twin girls, Reshma and Roshni, came into their life as a blessing. Few years later, Rahul was born to them, whose name was decided when they got engaged. “RAksha and Harshad United in Love – Rahul,” they say.
Changing the World
Sun will shine again! In 1977, he was working as a chemist. His boss had a soft corner for him and would allow him to drive any of his 60 luxurious cars. He taught him the basics of business. “One Christmas, my boss’s wife gifted me a Kodak photo of money and my boss said, ‘Harshad, one day you’ll become a millionaire’. I think that was a blessing.”
In 1978, he established his own manufacturing business.
Reshma, a dentist, is married to Harsheel, an entrepreneur. They have a boy, Rahaan (5), and a girl, Raiya (2). Roshni is an endocrinologist and is married to Suchet, a psychiatrist. Together they have a boy, Sahaan (9) and two girls, Sanaa (7) and Saara (3).
Rahul has a PhD degree and has took over his father’s business. He is married to Shilpa, a doctor, and they have a girl, Sajni (13), and a boy, Sohan (9).
Fifty years in the US, he now focuses on spreading the teachings of Jain dharma all around the world.
He enjoys traveling and going out on vacations with his family. A Bollywood fan, he admires the yesteryear actor, Rekha, and the current heartthrob, Ranbir Kapoor. A Bollywood movie a night is a must for him – blockbusters Muqaddar Ka Sikandar, Teesri Kasam and Aashiq are his all-time favorites.
Harshad inspires the youngsters to take a plunge and be entrepreneurs and a benevolent philanthropist.