Inspiring Tales Part 7: My Interviews of First Generation Indian Entrepreneurs Who Made It Big
August 2013
Published in Business For All
From a crippled childhood, he aims to be the richest
Patel
From Deepak
Parvatiyar in Ahmedabad
Ramesh Patel
When he was just 11 months old, Ramesh
Patel got polio in his left leg. After 29 surgeries, and a crippled childhood,
he was able to walk at the age of 18. Today, as a 30-year-old, he aims at
running against the tide to realise his many dreams -- that also include flying
for which he is taking training.
Patel is the CEO of the Sankalp Group,
which he set up on September 25, 2000. A commercial artist by training, initially
he set up "Sankalp Art" and started promoting the artists (Art
Pieces) to corporate & residential high societies on commercial base. Recognition
came to him when his Sankalp Artist Association – an NGO that provides support and inspiration to the economically weak and
middle income group artists -- got an entry into the Guinness Book of World
Records for creating the world’s largest finger painting in 2005. In April 2008
"Sankalp Art" started interior designing work and the Sankalp group
gained economically by this venture. He diversified and ventured into real
estate with his real estate company Sankalp Corporation P Ltd. “Today we have
assets worth Rs. 500 crore,” he claims.
Yet, he ventured into the real estate
business with only Rs. 13 in his pocket. “I managed to convince some farmers in
Siyal village of getting a good return for their land, signed an MoU with them,
and managed to sell the plots for these farmers. This was the beginning.”
In 2010, Patel introduced the world's
largest film city project, "Sollywood -
the global filmcity" near Nalsarovar at Siyal village, about 60
kms. from Ahmedabad and a year later, in 2011, signed a Memorandum of
Understanding worth Rs. 182 Crore with the Government of Gujarat for the ambitious
project, under the banner of Sankalp Corporation.
“Today films are made on international
level. However, our set up is outdated. I had been to the Ramoji film city and
undoubtedly inspired by it. But the sets there are all fixed and about a decade
old. That gave me an idea of making a truly world class film city in India
In June 2011 for the requirement
of film city, Patel launched 3D animation studio on a commercial scale which
undertakes other projects on commercial level for the purpose.
Yet, the cause of the disabled is close
to his heart. “I realised the value of money in my childhood, when I was
unable to walk. My family wasn’t that strong financially. I saw a lot of
hardship when I was in class 9 and class 10. Had many operations and there was
nothing but pain. Now I think there should be a separate independent society
for the disabled.”
Once on his feet, Patel misses no
opportunity to provide employment to persons with disabilities in his office,
and creating opportunities for them. “At present we have 300 students in our
animation institute and we are providing free education to disabled in our
institute. In the film city too, where we require a huge manpower, we plan to
employ a large number of disabled and as this will require us to provide houses
to them, we have also worked out a ‘Viklang Awas Yojana” near the project
site,” he informs.
His dream project of film city will take
about seven years to complete, but Patel hasn’t just stopped there. “ The real
estate business is plagued by recession. So we are setting up a garment
industry in Siyal. Besides the government is supporting us to set up an apparel
industry at the SEZ,” he informs.
So what next? “I want to become the
richest Patel in the world,” he says wistfully. Yet, his goal is “to help
support disabled, economically week & orphans from the earning of
"Sankalp group of companies”. He is pained by the fact that as a disabled,
he faced discrimination at the time of marriage. “My mother in law never liked
her daughter live with a disabled, and finally prevailed upon my wife to leave
me,” he rues. “My wife still feels proud of me,” he, though, avers. He
discloses that at the bottom of his heart, he still is a commercial artist. “I
am still pursuing an advanced course in the subject. I have made many paintings
and worked with many architects. But art is not understood by a majority in our
country. Still I want to tell the world that there is a lot in the field of art
in our country. I am happy that I have set my vision right,” he says.
(The writer is
a senior journalist and filmmaker)
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