Jaiprakash Gaur (born c.1930) is an Indian entrepreneur. He founded and, until his retirement in 2010, was the chairman of Jaypee Group, a conglomerate with a heavy emphasis on engineering and construction (particularly for infrastructure and power projects), cement, and hydropower production. In 2012 he was ranked by Forbes magazine as the 70th-richest person in India, with an estimated net worth of US$855 million.[1] Gaur has been associated with the construction industry for more than five decades.[2]
Jaiprakash Gaur | |
---|---|
Born | January 1, 1931 |
Education | Indian Institute Of Technology Roorkee (1950) |
Relatives | Manoj Gaur, Rita Dixit, Sameer Gaur |
Website | jalindia |
Early life
editGaur was born in a Gaur Brahmin[3] family of the village Chitta near Bulandshahr in present Uttar Pradesh.[4] His father was an agricultural inspector in the British government and worked as a serviceman in Beej Godam, Pakki Sarai at Anupshahr. He completed his secondary education at LDAV Inter college Anupshahr. After graduating as a civil engineer from the University of Roorkee, he worked as a junior engineer in the Uttar Pradesh state irrigation department,[5][6][7]
Career
editAfter graduation, Gaur joined the state government's irrigation department as a junior engineer.[8] Subsequently he started his own venture as a civil contractor.[6][9] Two decades later, he laid the foundation for the Jaypee Group by setting up Jaiprakash Associates, a civil engineering and construction company.[9][10] To leave a secure government job and pursue contractorship in 1958, when it was considered to be most prestigious, required courage. In 1967, he led and transformed a motley group of persons into a company which took pride in its cable address "Iron Will" and went on to execute:
- Sardar Sarovar Dam – India’s largest dam with 7.2 million cu.m. of chilled concrete; larger by 75% in terms of volume than Bhakra Nangal Dam
- Tehri Dam - Asia's largest rockfill dam
- Nathpa Jhakri (powerhouse) - The largest underground powerhouse in India
In 2010 he was ranked by Forbes magazine as the 48th-richest person in India, with an estimated wealth of US$1.5 billion.[8]
Awards and honours
edit- 2005 "Distinguished Alumni Award" by Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee (erstwhile University of Roorkee), in recognition of his contribution in the field of corporate development/administration/entrepreneurship[11]
- 2005 "Lifetime Achievement Award" by Builders' Association of India, in recognition of his outstanding contribution to the Indian construction industry[12]
- 2005 "Udyog Ratna" award by the Progress Harmony Development (PHD) Chamber of Commerce & Industry, in recognition of his contribution to the economic development of Madhya Pradesh[13]
- 2008 "Entrepreneur of Year Award", by Ernst & Young, for his exceptional contribution to the infrastructure and construction sector[9]
- 2010 "Lifetime Achievement Award" by Merchants' Chamber of Uttar Pradesh, Kanpur, for creating new milestones in infrastructure development and for his achievement in corporate social responsibility[14]
References
edit- ^ "Jaiprakash Gaur". Forbes. Retrieved 12 March 2015.
- ^ "Jaiprakash Gaur: Executive Profile & Biography". Bloomburg Business. Archived from the original on 14 October 2012. Retrieved 1 July 2011.
- ^ Nayar, Baldev Raj (14 October 2014). Globalization and India's Economic Integration. Georgetown University Press. ISBN 978-1-62616-107-8.
- ^ "Jaypee University Anoopshahr". jaypeeu.ac.in. Retrieved 11 November 2020.
- ^ Karmali, Naazneen (12 April 2010). "Road to Riches". Forbes. Retrieved 12 March 2015.
- ^ a b "History". Jaypee Group. Retrieved 1 July 2011.
- ^ jin (5 September 2014). "Jaiprakash Gaur Founder of Jaypee Group". Researchpedia.
- ^ a b Karmali, Naazneen (ed.). "India's Richest: #48 - Jaiprakash Gaur". Forbes. Retrieved 29 September 2010.
- ^ a b c "Entrepreneur of the Year: Jaiprakash Gaur". Ernst & Young. Archived from the original on 12 December 2009. Retrieved 1 July 2011.
- ^ "Jaiprakash Gaur Opts Out of Company's Board". Business Standard. Press Trust of India. 1 November 2010. Retrieved 1 July 2011.
- ^ "Distinguished Alumni Awardees - 2005". Sampark. Retrieved 12 March 2015.
- ^ Hiscock, Geoff (2008). India's Global Wealth Club: The Stunning Rise of Its Billionaires and Their Secrets of Success. Wiley. ISBN 9780470822388. Retrieved 12 March 2015.
- ^ "Chief Minister felicitates the Udyog Ratnas". Hindustan Times. New Delhi. 25 April 2005. Archived from the original on 2 April 2015 – via Highbeam.
- ^ "Achievements". Jaypee Group. Retrieved 12 March 2015.