Swatantra Vijay Jain
Co-Founder & Chairman, Jain Vishwa Bharati Houston
Partner, Vinmar International Limited | Houston, Texas
Janam Bhumi:
Sialkot, Punjab (now in Pakistan)
Dharma Bhumi:
Delhi, India
Karma Bhumi:
Houston, Texas, USA
A Life Ledger Built on Honesty & Spirituality
The ‘Swatantra’ Factor: “True fulfilment lies beyond material success. Helping others, and serving selflessly is where life finds its deepest meaning.”
THE MAN
He was named Swatantra (Freedom) Vijay (Victory) in celebration of India’s independence and triumph over its colonisers. Born in Sialkot, Punjab (now in Pakistan) in February 1947, just as India stood at the cusp of freedom, Swatantra Vijay Jain carries India’s spirit in his name and deeds.
Swatantra was the youngest of four siblings. Partition forced the family to flee Sialkot with nothing and live as refugees. After a brief stay in Jammu, his mother Nagina Devi’s native place, they finally settled in Delhi. His father, Kharaiti Lal, once an established trader, started again as a street vendor and gradually opened a grocery store.
Growing up in an atmosphere of displacement and scarcity, Swatantra’s early lessons were in humility and hard work. He recalls, “I watched my father give a coin to every beggar who came to his shop, while others shooed them away. When I asked why, he said, ‘What we give may be small, but the blessings are great. When someone asks for help, it is a chance to grow our good karma; if we refuse, we lose it. Share your fortune. Never let anyone leave your door empty-handed.’”
Observing his father run the business with integrity and street-smart fairness was “my MBA,” he laughs. “My father taught me that creditworthiness is the greatest capital — once lost, nothing can replace it.”
Education was non-negotiable. Though Swatantra saw himself as more street-smart than book-smart, he completed his commerce degree and set his sights on becoming a Chartered Accountant. Borrowing money from his father—promising never to ask again—he excelled, qualified as a CA, and soon began dreaming of bigger horizons, which led him to the US.
THE JOURNEY
In 1978, Swatantra moved to New York, where finding a secure job was near impossible. He tried his hand at everything, from selling goods in flea markets to working in small retail shops and subway stations (metro shops). He had faith that his education would never fail him.
Fortune favours the brave. Swatantra met Vijay Goradia just as he founded Vinmar Impex Inc. and, in 1979, Swatantra became its first employee, handling every aspect of the business. In 1985 Vinmar moved to Houston and it soon became Vinmar International Limited, a global petrochemicals hub.
Swatantra’s role grew with it—becoming the financial and operational backbone, rising to Senior Vice President and Director, and later a partner, helping build a multibillion-dollar organisation with offices worldwide. He also served on the Group’s audit and ethics committees, ensuring its expansion never compromised its values of transparency and fair dealing. Swatantra is also Director-at-Large of the Indo-American Chamber of Commerce of Greater Houston (IACCGH) and works with Interfaith Ministries, supporting senior citizens and new immigrants.
THE SPIRIT WITHIN
By the late 90s, Vinmar was well established, and Swatantra had achieved reasonable success in his career. He says, “However, I started discovering that true fulfillment is in finding meaning beyond material accomplishments, helping others, and giving back to society. That’s how my philanthropic & spiritual journey started unfolding.”
Swatantra was already involved in social causes focused on education through Pratham USA, which Vijay Goradia founded in Houston in 1998, to support education for underprivileged children in India. Deeply immersed in the cause, he has served as the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of Pratham USA, followed by a stint as the Houston Chapter President, He still continues as a National Board Member. The cause is personal to him. “I have lived that life of poverty and hardship and know what it feels like when parents cannot buy a book or a meal for their children. Education is the surest way to erase that fear.”
Swatantra also donated a multi-million-dollar family gift to build the Pratham Vocational Training Center in Punjab, honouring his father’s lifelong belief in education. “I want to ensure that every child gets the education that once changed my life.” He is also a Board member of Magic Bus Houston, which helps underprivileged children in India.
In 2010, Swatantra finally retired from Vinmar’s day-to-day operations to focus on giving back to society. A practitioner of ‘Preksha Dhyan’, the meditative discipline rooted in Jain philosophy, he says, “Meditation gave me inner peace and taught me the real meaning of non-violence.”
That’s why, in 1999, guided by visiting ‘samanijis’, Swatantra co-founded the Jain Vishwa Bharati (JVB) Preksha Meditation Center Houston. Under his chairmanship, the modest hall grew into a serene campus, welcoming people of all faiths. “These values came from my spiritual mother, who lived by Jain tenets.”
He is also a Trustee of the Sukha Vipassana Meditation Center in New Ulm, Texas, and helped raise funds for its campus, opened in June 2023. He helped establish the Tirthankara Bhagwan Sumatinath Distinguished Professorship in Jain Studies at the University of Texas at Austin, followed by the Tirthankara Bhagwan Shantinath Endowed Professorship at Rice University—a US$3 million initiative co-funded by thirteen US families.
In India, he worked with JVB, Ladnu, to build Sahitya Sadanam, a 10,500 sqft library that preserves over 1,800 rare Jain manuscripts and honours Acharya Mahashraman Ji’s 60th birthday. He also built the Pragya Kendra, a 24,000 sqft spiritual centre for ‘samanis’ and ‘sadhavis’. “This is my way of giving back to Jain Vishwa Bharati for nurturing my spiritual wellbeing for over two decades.”
THE LEGACY
A dedicated philanthropist, Swatantra believes he has received abundantly, so it is his responsibility to pay it forward. “The greatest wealth is inner peace,” he says, “and that comes from selfless service.”
It is a philosophy shared by his wife, Bimla, his steady anchor through every high and low. After moving to the US, she worked to support the family and became its quiet strength, raising their two sons, Manish and Dr Ajay.
Manish, in business and finance, has inherited his father’s instinct for enterprise. Dr Ajay, a pulmonologist, is married to Audra, and they have three children. The children and grandchildren have been raised on the same lesson Swatantra learnt from his father: honesty, integrity, and kindness are the only way to live.
From doing odd jobs to steering Vinmar’s rise, integrity remained his only currency. Vinmar’s credibility became its calling card—suppliers were always paid on time and commitments always honoured. Swatantra’s word became Vinmar’s guarantee; so trusted that when a banker questioned a large cheque he wrote to himself, partner Vijay replied, “If he can sign cheques for everyone else, he can sign his own.”
Swatantra says, “We built Vinmar on trust, line by line on the ledger, as if it were a temple.” It is the same principle by which he leads his life—guided by freedom of his conscience and victory of his character.
MAPPING THE INDIA WITHIN
Bharat: Then and Now
“We lived in simpler times. People were content with little. Now, I see an abundant nation — educated, ambitious, confident, yet anchored in the values that made it special.”
Bharatiya Values that Travelled
“Honesty, integrity, and compassion are the only way to live. Success built on dishonesty won’t last. These values have guided every decision I’ve made.”
Generations Abroad: A New Bharatiya Identity
“My children were raised to stay humble, to give, and to remember our roots. India lives in our hearts. That is the identity we pass on — to belong to the world yet remain Bharatiya at the core.”
Pride, Progress, and the Spirit Of Bharat
“I am proud that we are a civilisation of thinkers and believers, not conquerors. The world respects us for our inherent peaceful ethos. That is the true spirit and progress of Bharat.”
Dreams for the Youth and Future of Bharat
“The 21st century belongs to India and I hope it leads the world not just in technology or economy, but in humanity. The Indian youth is intelligent, creative, and fearless. But I tell young people to always pair ambition with ethics, and success will follow.”
BACK TO THE FUTURE – IN FIVE MOMENTS
Food Cravings
THEN
I lived on ‘rajma-chawal’, ‘dal-roti’, and my mother’s ‘aloo gobi’.
NOW
I still find comfort in the same meals, now cooked by Bimla with love. Bimla is the best cook in town.
Sport Spirit
THEN
I spent my days flying kites, playing cricket, marbles and ‘gilli danda’ in Delhi’s by lanes.
NOW
I stay active through long walks, tennis, golf, and daily meditation.
Music Tastes
THEN
I grew up on old Bollywood tunes, sung by the greats.
NOW
I love to sing, and we even have a karaoke group, where we sing those melodies.
Holiday Life
THEN
My summers meant visits to my maternal uncle’s house at Jammu and the joy of togetherness.
NOW
We have travelled the world, from Europe and Africa to Asia, Russia, and beyond.
Leisure Habits
THEN
I helped my father at his shop and even fetched water from municipal taps on the street.
NOW
I find contentment in reading Jain literature and meditating, and Sunday discourses by our ‘samnijis’.
AKA
Jain Vishwa Bharati (JVB) Houston Co-Founder and Chairman of the Board | Director at Pusa Learning Solutions | former President of Pratham Houston Chapter | Swatantra Jain Jain Vishwa Bharati Houston | Jain Vishwa Bharati Houston Chairman | Swatantra Jain Vinmar International Limited | Vinmar International Partner Jain
