Chapter V I Significance
Of
Sample
Vaishyas Significance of Sam ple Vaishyas
Within tlie Vaishya Varna, there are a number of communities. The communities are based primarily on the place of origin. Within various Vaishya communities there are a number of castes and sub-castes. This point can be explained with the example of Agrawals. Agrawals are
originated from Agroha, which is now in Haryana. Within
Agraw'als there are 18 Gotras (sub-branches). They also have
two paths namely Dassa and Bissa. Now' Agrawals are found
all over India. While studying the business practices of
Agrawals such differences within the community are not
taken into consideration for a simple reason, the research
focus is not on the sociological or anthropological issues in
the Vaishyas but on their business practices.
India’s geographical span is w'idespread. Naturally, there are
a large number of Vaishya communities. The logic behind
selecting the sample communities for this research is
explained in ‘Research Methodolog}^'’. The following chapters
explain the details of the 10 communities included in the
research and list some of the leading businesses held by
t h e m .
73 A g r a w a l s
Origin
In old Hindu religious texts, the references of a king n a m e d
‘Agrasen’ of Hapy’ana are found. He was the ruler of the wealthy kingdom ‘Agroha’. Agrasen was a ver\' generous and brave king who was loved and worshipped by his subjects.
He is said to have introduced the concept of Samajvad
(Socialism) in India. Agrascn’s children are called as
Agrawals. (Earlier called as Agrabals).' Today Agroha is present about 150 k m from Delhi and is a town in Haryana state. Agroha is regarded as a place of family god by
Agarwals.
Beliefs and Worship
The language of Agrawals is Marw'ari or Punjabi. Agarwals have accepted the languages of the regions where they have settled. Agrawals are n o w found in Hindus and Jains. Hindu
Agraw'als follow Vaishnav path, i.e., they worship the Lord
Vishnu and Goddess Mahalaxmi. Agrawals also worship
‘Shri Agrasenji’, the promoter of Agrawals. They also worship
Naga (cobra). Agrawals have 18 Gotras (sub-branches). The>’ also have two paths namely Dassa and Bissa. The frequently
74 heard surnames of Agrawals are ‘Agarwal, Poddar, Goyal,
Bansal, Mittal, Jalan, Singhania, Jindal, Patodiya, Oarg’,
G o c n k a etc."
Customs & Traditions
Both, Hindu and Jain Agrawals follow similar customs and traditions in families. Hindu Agrawals and Jain Agrawals do arrange marriages between themselves. Agrawals are very hospitable in nature. W o m e n in their families do not work outside the house. The breadwinner in the family has to be a man. W o m e n are predominantly occupied in the household matters. Joint family system is appreciated by Agrawals.
Agrawals also make philanthropy. They have a number of charitable trusts, temples, student hostels, hospitals and educational institutes. They provide excellent support to a community member when he migrates to new place. Every
Agarwal at a nearby place provides him ‘one brick’ towards the construction of his shop and house and ‘one Rupee’ towards his capital.
B u s i n e s s
Agrawals are primarily into the textile business. M any of them also operate in the business of money lending. They
75 have migrated to all the parts of India. In the North Eastern
India, many of Agrawals are in Tea business. Some of the
/ell k n o w n A g a r w a l b u s i n e s s e s in India are:
Jet Airways : Naresh Goyal
Bharati Televenture: Sunil Mittal
Gujrat Ambuja Cement: N. S. Sekhsaria
Jindal Steel: P.R. Jindal
Indian Express; Ramnath Goenka
Ispat Indistries: P r a m o d Mittal
Jindal Power: Sajjan Jindal
Sterlite (India) Ltd.: Anil A g a r w a l
Essel Propack: Ashok Goyal
Essar Shipping: Shashi and Ravi Ruia
Motherson Sumi Systems: P. K. Mittal
Raymond: Vijaypat Singhania
Maharashtra Seamless: D.P. Jindal
Vishw'akarma Group of Institutions: Rajkumar
A g a r w a l
Mittal Steel: L a k s h m i Nivas Mittal
Vijaynagar Steel: D. P. Jindal
Sterlite Gold: Anil A g a r w a l
CE A T Tyres: R.P.Goenka
76 Foodworld / Spencer’s : R.P.Goenka
Noida Power Company: R.P.Goenka
Zensar Software; R.P.Goenka
R P G Life Sciences: R.P.Cioenka
H M V Cassettes: Harsh Goenka
Dunlop Tyres: Sanjeev Goenka
Yash Nanotech: Goyal
A g a r w a l Logistics Ltd.: D.N. A g a r w a l
Tally: B h a r a t G o e n k a
Besides these businesses, many small scale industries, grocer shops, textile shops, medical stores etc. are run by
A g a r w a l s.
ur. Liupia, Rameshwar, Vaishya Samudaya ka Itihas, Third
Edition, Jan. 96. Chapter 4, p.4.6.
Dr. Vyas, Kailashnath, Rajasthan kijatiyon ka samajik
evam aarthik jeevan. Pub. J. Gahlot Research Foundation,
Jodhpur. 1992.P 121.
' Popularly k n o w n as Roti-beti Vyavahar.
77 Arya Vaishyas
Origin
The Ar^^a Vaishya community is a prime Vaishya Community
in the Southern part of India. It is originated from
Penugonda. Today it is in Rajam.undri at Andhra Pradesh.
Arya Vaishyas are also called as ‘Komattis’. In old Hindu
religious texts there is a reference to a beautiful princess
Parameshwari at Southern India. She refused to marr>' an
old king from a neighbouring kingdom. Her 102 followers
preferred to die in the holy fire rather than supporting her
marriage with an old man. These 102 families are known as
‘Any^a Vaishyas’. Their language is Telugu. They have
migrated to all parts of India, mainly to Maharashtra in the
Vidarbha region. They are also found in Karnataka and
T a m i l n a d u .
Beliefs and Worship
The language of the Arya Vaishyas is Telugu. Those settled
in Maharashtra speak both Marathi and Telugu well. The
Ary'a Vaishyas believe in the Goddess Kanyaka Vasavi
Parameshwari. And the God is Vishnu, in a few families
Shiva. They have 102 gotras (sub branches). Ever\' family
78 h a s a family deity like Balaji, Nrisinha, V e e r e s h w a r ,
Akmmadcvi' etc. Arya Vaishyas are extremely fond of gold.
C u s t o m s 6g T r a d i t i o n s
Ar>^a Vaishyas are very strict in religious matters. The traditions in the family are meticulously followed by the next generation. The marriages are arranged within the community only. They are vegetarians. A unique characteristic of these people is that they have accepted the customs, the language and the way of life of the state where they have migrated. Arya Vaishyas in the younger generation are educating their children, both boys and girls, to a very high level. Many of them are accepting jobs outside the family business.
Unique Names and Surnames
Their surnames are Chetty, Shetty or the names ending with the word Shetty. (e.g. Gangashetty, Siddhamshetty) S o m e of them use the n a m e of their native place and the word ‘Palli’ after that. (e.g. Kottapalli, Mogadpalli) In Maharashtra they use the w'ord ‘Wa r ’ after the name. (e.g. Gangashettywar,
Mogadpalliwar)"'
79 Business
Arya Vaishyas are traditionally into the business of money lending, gold trading and grocer>\ Many of them are in construction, jewelleiy, retail s h o p s at local level a n d ver\^ large business houses all over India and abroad. The most famous South Indian restaurant makers ‘Shettys’ are from this community"'. Some of the most famous restaurants in
Pune run by Shettys are Vaishali, Rupali, Rangoli, Ganaraj,
Gandharva. Some of the famous Arya Vaishya businesses;
• ING Vysya Group : Now a multi national, Fortune 500
company (Rank 17, July 2005)
• Sri Kanyaka Urban Co-op. Bank: Dr. Aainchwar
• Zedford Bank - USA; Anant Labhshetwar
• Vijaya Bank ; Annappa Shetty
• Softplus : Mohan Utturwar
• G a n g a Fertilizers; Vijay Bellor
• Balaji Electo Smelts; Raghunath Kapartiwar
> Maharashtra Arya Vaishya Youth Club Souvenir, 2003.p.34
" Gundewar, A.V., Surname & Gotra list of Arya Vaishyas.p.3
The Indian Express, 17''’ June 2003. Article by S unanda
M e h t a titled ‘Shettying’ a good example.
80 B a n i a s Origin
T h e histor>' of B a n i a s in India is as old as the trade in hidia.
Banias are known by different names in various parts of
India. In many parts of India, especially in Gujarat,
Rajasthan they are known as Banias. In Punjab they are known as Mahajans. In The Northern states like Himachal
Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar they are known as Guptas. In the North Eastern states they are known as Bawris. In
Maharashtra they are k n o w n as Vanis’. Perhaps, this is the largest community in the Vaishyas. In fact, the WT)rd Vaishya has become synonymous with the word Bania.
They migrated from their native place to expand the business. N e w trade routes have always been key incentives for mercantile migration. The wdves and children are left at h o m e so that males can pursue trade more aggressively. The joint family provides shelter for members left at home.
Wandering traders find wherever they go support and hospitality accorded to them by their brethren guilds.
Beliefs and Worship Most Banias follow Vaishnav path, i.e., they worship the
Lord Shri Krishna. They also worship Goddess Laxmi. They have various castes and sub-castes like Lad, Modh, Soni etc.
They are further divided into two paths viz. DasaNema and
BisaNema. Some Mahajans believe in Nandikeshwar (Lord
S h a n k a r ) a n d s o m e believe in Lord S o o r y a (Sun).
Customs & Traditions
Banias are famous for forming merchant and artisan guilds in India. The guilds were headed by 'nagarsheths' (city- hcads), w h o formed a federation of guilds". They determined hours of work and wages, controlled prices, set holidays and festivals and managed educational institutions. They protected the rights and interests of their members, settled quarrels between individual members or Mahajans. The guilds also acted like unions and protected themselves against the tyranny and injustice of the State Rulers.
Generally, w o m e n in these families do not work outside the house. But they are allowed to look after the grocer shop run b y the family.
B u s i n e s s
82 Banias are primarily into grocer}^ money lending and merchandising. They are said to have introduced the
‘Mahajani’ system of single entr\^ accounting. In the early
2 0 t h century, this c o m m u n i t y established 6 6 textile mills in
A h m e d a b a d ”’, m a k i n g it the ‘Ma n c h e s t e r of India'. T h e share of Banias in market capitalization in B S E top 200 companies is 8.4‘X) as per a research. ''The best k n o w n n a m e from this c o m m u n i t y is late Mr. D h i r u b h a i A m b a n i . T o d a y s o m e of the well known businesses held by this community are:
• Lupin Labs: D.B. Gupta
• Walchand Industries: Sheth Walchand Hirachand
• Indian Hume Pipes: Sheth Walchand Hirachand
• Rawalgaon Sugar Industries: Sheth Walchand
H i r a c h a n d
• Cooper Engineering: Sheth Walchand Hirachand
• Premier Automobiles : Sheth Walchand Hirachand
• Reliance Industries: Originally set up by Dhirubhai
A m b a n i
• Indian Petrochemicals: Mukesh Ambani
• BSES: Anil Ambani
• Reliance Life Insurance: Anil A m b a n i
• Reliance Capital: Anil Ambani
83 Great Eastern Shipping Company: Vasant Shetln
Y a s h M a n a g e m e n t a n d Satellite Ltd. : Ya s h G u p t a
Escorts : Ranjan Nanda
Webaroo Software ; Sheth and Mathur
S h e t h Printograph Ltd.: H V S h e t h
' Dr. (lupta, Rameshwar, Vaishya Samudaya ka Itihas, Third
Edition, Jan. 96. p. 34.1
” Bhagat, Niranjan. Article - Gujarat - From Far And Near in
Garvi Gujarat, at gujratonline.com
Ibid., p.2
" Economic Times of India, 8vOctober 2005. ET Analysis of
community wise break-up.
84 C h e t t i a r s
I Origin *
Chettiars are the members of Hindu religion belonging to
Southern Districts of India. They originated from a place called Naganadu situated near the eastern coast of Tamil
Nadu'. Chettiars are also known as the Nagarathars. Later they selected the place "Chettinad” in Tamil Nadu and settled there. The Chettiars at Tamil N a d u are Nattu Kottai
Chettiars and those who settled in Andhra Pradesh are
Manai Telugu Chettiars. Their languages are Tamil and
T e l u g u respectively.
Beliefs and Worship
Chettiars basically Shaivas, i.e., they worship lord Shiva.
Their family deity is Pirutishwara located in Tamil Nadu.
Some of them worship Mallikarjuna at Sri Shailam in
Andhra Pradesh. Chettiars have 24 Gotras (sub branches) and the marriages are fixed within these gotras or with
M u d a l i a r s a n d A m m a y a r s . Chettiars are very' strict in the religious matters, thus the rituals are meticulously follow'ed ever}’ day. They are completely vegetarians.
85 Customs & Traditions
The Chettiars are recognized for their scrupulous honesty, trustworthiness, cleverness in trade and proficiency at money matters". Their philosophy is To earn and to Share’ at the maximum possible level. They have a number of charitable trusts, temples, hostels, zero fee hospitals, merchant chambers and educational institutes in South
India. The male members in the family own the businesses.
If there is no son to the businessman, he adopts a son or the business goes to the daughter’s husband.
Business
Chettiars are considered as the Pioneers of Modern Banking.
They introduced a new concept of " Double Entry Book keeping " commonly termed as " Pattru Varavu " in Tamil, known to all of us as Debit &, Credit respectively in English.
Chettiars also have business interests in Singapore, Burma,
Malaysia, Sri Lanka and Vietnam. Two of India’s biggest banks today, the Indian Bank and the Indian Overseas
Bank, owe their beginnings to the Nagarathar Community"'.
The Economic Times made a special feature on Chettiars,
86 mentioning that M V Subbiah, M AM Ramaswami, A C
Muthaiah and T Kannan hold large businesses in South
India, Myanmar, Malaysia, Singapore and Sri Lanka".
Some of the well-known Chettiar businesses in India are as under:
• Carborundum Universal of Madras: Murugappa
• Meltrak cassettes: Mugugappa Group, M V Subbiah
• Coromandel Fertilisers Ltd. : Muthiah
• TI Cycles (BSA & Hercules Cycles) : A Ramaswami
Mudaliar
• Cholamandalam Finance Ltd. : Algy Murugappa
• Butterfly Group of Companies: V Murugesa Chettiar
• Southern India Mills' Association, Coimbatore:
Shanmugam Chettiar
• AVM Cine : AV Meiyappan Chettiar etc.
• United India Assurance Company (Now under General
Insurance): Mutthaia Chettiar
• Cochin Textiles : Alagappa Chettiar
• Jupiter Airways : Alagappa Chettiar
• The Stansfield Group Pte Ltd. (UK) : Kannappan
87 Chettiar
Tanfac Industries Ltd. : L. Narayan Chattiar
Kumudam Magazine: A V Meiyappa
Dr. Gupta, Rameshwar, Vaishya Samudaya ka Itihas, Third
Edition, Jan. 96. Chapter 38. p.38.2
' Deshmukh, Dr.P.K., Udyojakata Vikas Sankalpana Aani
Vyawahar.Pimplapure & co. Publishers, 2002. P.220, 221
"An artick^ by Professor John L. Ward, Professor of Family
Business at IMD, Rome.
' The Economic Times, 2P> August, 2003. An Article by K P
Senthil Kumar.
88 J a i n s
Origin
Jainism Developed from Hinduism during the 500's B.C.
Jainism is the path of the Jinas, i.e., the victors'. Jains are now found in Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Gujrat in large numbers. They are also found in another states of
India. Jain is the sixth largest community of Indian population. As a wealthy religious community, Jains have had a pow^erful influence on the life and history of the Indian subcontinent.
Beliefs and Worship
Jains are very adaptable, thus speak the language of the region where they have settled. By the first century A.D., the
Jain community evolved into two main divisions; the
Digambara or "sky-clad" monks who wear no clothes, own
nothing, and collect donated food in their hands; and the
Svetambara or "white-clad" monks and nuns who wear white
robes and carr}- bowls for donated food. They do not believe in worshipping God’s image or idol. Their holy places are associated to their spiritual masters like Mahavir, Aadinath,
Bahubali, Shatrunjay etc. Their temples are remarkable
89 patterns of carving. Jains do visit Hindu temples occasionally.
Customs & Traditions
Jains are peace loving in nature. They believe in Ahimsa, i.e., non-violence. They are nimble and adaptable to the regions where they settle. Thus they accept the language of the state where they settle. They marry within the community, and at times alliances are made with Hindus. Most of the boys accept dow'ry at the time of marriage. Marriages are done extravagantly. Women generally do not work outside the home. They are closely associated with each other. They have a number of community organizations, which keep all the members knit together. Their surnames resemble Hindu surnames as Jainism is born from Hinduism. The frequently heard surnames from this community are similar to the surnames of Gujrathis and Marw'adis as many Jains originated from these regions. The famous surnames are
Jain, Shah, Doshi, Meher, Kale, Oswal, Sakla, Kansara,
Ranka, Bora, Vhora, Nahar, Bothra, Mehta etc.
90 Business
Jains are into all types of businesses, industries and professions. They are more successful in trade. The world famous Palanpuri Jains are in the business of diamonds.
Some well known Jain businesses in India are as under;
Jain Irrigations Systems: B.H. Jain
Jain Spray Pipes: B.H. Jain
Jain Tisue Culture: B.H. Jain
Polaris Software: Arun Jain
Torrent Pharmaceuticals; Sudhir Mehta
Emcure Pharmaceuticals; Suresh Mehta
IPCA Laboratories; Premchand Godha
Ahmadabad Electricity; Rohit Mehta
Webline India; Atul Mehta
Saurashtra Cement Industries ; Nnjibhai Mehta
InfoSpace ; Naveen Jain
Telcordia Technologies : Ravi Jain
Benchmark Asset Management Company Ltd. :
Sanjeev Shah
Jain Directory, Published by Poona Shw'ctambar Jain
Sabha, 2002. L i n g a y a t s
Origin
The remarkable 12th century saint and guru, Basava, is the founder of this community. Lingayats are also known as
Veer Shaivas. They are originated at Karnataka, now found in all parts of India, but predominantly in the southern states like Karnataka, Andhra and Tamilnadu.
Beliefs and Worship
The language of Lingayats is Kannada. Now they speak the language of the regions where they have settled. They believe only in lord Shiva. They wear a small black Linga (an
Ishtalinga) around the neck and pay meditational respect to it several times a day. The Lingadharanachandrika, the religious treatise of the Lingayats, makes it compulsory for all devotees to wear a lingam on their body, even in death.
The principles of Lingayats are Sada~cha~ra - attention to vocation and duty; Siva~cha~ra - acknowledging Siva as the one God and equality among members; Bhritya~cha~ra - humility towards all creatures and Ganacha"ra (defense of the community and its tenets) and Linga"cha“ra - daily worship of
92 the personal Sivalinga.' The frequently heard surnames of
Lingayats are Swami, Todkar, Gadve, Teli, Shedge, Jangam,
Honrao, Hiremath, Shete, Kalyani, Revansidhha,
Prabhulinga, Panehakshar, Hundekari, Birajdar etc.
Customs & Traditions
Lingayats were originally Hindus and followed the caste system. Therefore, in Lingayats also many sub-castes are found. Some of these sub - castes are Jangam, Pancham,
Vani, Dikshavant, Gurav etc. Most of these castes belong to the self-employed class of the society, e.g. milkman, barber, weaver, grocer etc. who were supposed to be Vaishyas in
Hindus but were against the caste system. Even after accepting the Lingayatism many of them continue to follow their ancestral occupation. Lingayats give least importance to their original castes’’. They use the word ‘Sheth’ after the first name of the person.
Business
Lingayats are mainly found in manufacturing, finance, food products and trade. The most famous business in Lingayat community is Mr. Neelkanth Kalyani and his son Baba
93 Kalyani who own the world’s largest forging business -
Bharat Forge.
Other well known businesses held by Lingayats are as under.
• Bharat Forge : Neelkanth Kalyani
• Kalyani Steels : Neelkanth Kalyani
• Kalyani Brakes: Baba Kalyani
• Hikal Chemicals : Baba Kalyani
• Automotive Axles : Baba Kalyani
• Kalyani Carpenters ; Baba Kalyani
• Samartha Twisted Polyester Textile Manufacturers (Surat):
Uddhav Honrao
• Kaka Halw^ai : Avinash Gadve
• Vishwashwar Sahakari Bank : Subhedar Vani
• Siddheshwar Sahakari Bank: Rudresh Malge
• Samata Sahakari Patasanstha: Omprakash Koyate
• Dhanlakshmi Rural co-op. Bank: Nagendra Birje
• The Pandharpur Co-op. Bank: Dadasaheb Memane
• Pandharpur Merchants Co-op. Bank: A.V.Utpat
• Basaw^eshwar Urban Patasahstha: Shrigiri Mamane
• Shri Ganesh Urban Patasanstha : Rahendra Bhalerao
94 • Rajashree Paint Manufacturers: Abhijit Kore
• Todkar Builders : Murlidhar Todkar
• Annapoorna Atta : Vijay Menkar
• Peasliwai Creations : Sanjay Hatte
• Ganesh Forge Pvt. Ltd. : Vilas Takle
Besides these businesses, a number of grocer shops, vegetable and fruit shops, oil and ghee depots, dairies, sweet marts, trade shops, repairing works etc. are run by
Lingayats.
' Siddhant Shikhamani, Edited by Shri Kashi JAgadguru Dr.
Chandrashekhar Shivacharya Mahaswamiji.
" Veershaiv (Lingayat) Khanesumari, Edition 2000. P.9
95 Maheshwaris
Origin
Maheshwaris are said to be born in a clan of a Rajpoot king called Sujat Sen. He was the ruler of the kingdom of Jaipur.
His son was a follower of lord Shiva. It is believed that the lord Shiva blessed the son of the king and advised him to leave the Kshtriya Varna and enter the field of business. So the 72 follow'ers of the king’s son became Maheshw'ari
(Mahesh Ishwari) Vaishyas.
Beliefs and Worship*
The language of Maheshwaris is Marwari. Now Maheshwaris are Vaishnav, i.e., they worship God Vishnu and the goddess
Mahalaxmi. Some of them have accepted Jainism also. Their family deities are in Rajasthan mainly near Jodhpur,
Jaisalmer, and Nagaur. Some Maheshwaris worship the goddess Bhadrakali in Gujrat. One of their traditional temples is now in Pakistan.
Customs & Traditions
Hindu Maheshwaris have 72 Gotras (Sub branches). They all have the custom of arranging marriages within these 72
96 branches and even with Jain Maheshwaris. Women in their families do not work outside the house. The breadwinner in the family has to be a man. Women are predominantly occupied in the household matters, the religious rituals etc.
However, with modern education some women have started working outside the house. Joint family system is still preferred.
Business
Maheshwaris have not restricted themselves to the native place. They have a stretch all over India. The main business of Maheshwaris has been trading and agriculture. They are now in all the fields of business right from trading to manufacturing. They have good command over retail business all over India. The major surnames of Maheshwaris are Somani, Malu, Sarda, Jaju, Ajmera, Dhoot, Bhandari,
Rathi, Birla, Bangad, Porwal, Malpani, Mantri, Bhutada, li etc”. The most famous Maheshwari industrialist is Mr.
G.D.Birla who set up his own business empire in India, created B.I.T.S. at Pilani 8s Ranchi, donated generously for building Birla Mandirs through out the country and contributed to the nation in the freedom struggle. He was a close friend of Mahatma Gandhi. Another famous personality
97 from this community is Mr. Jamnalal Bajaj who was also a freedom fighter and Mahatma Gandhi’s friend. He brought independence to the two-wheeler industry in India. Other well known Maheshwari businesses are as under:
Videocon : Nandalal Dhoot
Hindalco : Aditaya Birla Group
Indian Rayon: Aditya Birla Group
Century Textiles: Aditaya Birla Group
Grasim Industries : Aditaya Birla Group
Chambal Fertilizers : Aditaya Birla Group
Indo Gulf Fertilizers ; Aditaya Birla Group
Idea Cellular ; Aditaya Birla Group
Birla Sun Life Insurance Co.: Aditaya Birla
Group
Birla Global Finance Ltd.: Aditaya Birla Group
Mahesh Co-op. Bank : Giridhar Kale
Mahesh Urban Co-op. Patasanstha : Dhanraj
Rathi
Bajaj Auto: Jamnalal Bajaj
Bajaj Sevashram: Jamnalal Bajaj
Bajaj Electricals: Jamnalal Bajaj
Lohiya Industries: Kanhyalal Lohiya
9K Sudarshan Chemicals : Sudarshan Rathi
Shloka Infotech: Yash Birla
3M India : Yash Birla
Zenith Steel Pipes : Yash Birla
Indian Tools Manufacturers; Yash Birla
Birla Trans Asia Carpets; Yash Birla
Birla Kennametal Ltd.: Yash Birla
Tungabhadra Holdings Ltd; Yash Birla
Birla International Ltd. ; Ashok Vardhan Birla
Rathi Udyog Ltd. ; Udit Rathi
Besides these businesses, many small scale industries, grocer shops, textile shops, medical stores etc. are run by
Maheshwaris.
Dr. Gupta, Rameshwar, Vaishya Samudaya ka Itihas,
Third Edition, Jan. 96.p. 12.4
Dr. Vyas, Kailashnath, Rajasthan ki jatiyon ka samajik
evam aarthik jeevan. Pub. J. Gahlot Research
Foundation, Jodhpur. 1992.p 123.
99 P a t e l s
Origin
Patels are originally from the state of Gujrat in India. The villages in the districts of Bhuj and Kutch in Gujrat and the villages near the desert of Rajasthan are the places where this community was originally formed. The word Patel is said to have its origin in their profession ‘Patlikh’ meaning, the record keeper of the money lending or land product.
Today Patels are found in all areas of business in India as well as in African countries, Middle East, U K and U SA in very large number. - r l n '1 0 T 5 3
Beliefs and Worship
Patels use Gujrati as their first language. Patels are primarily
Hindus, but this surname is found in Muslims, Parsis and
Jains also. Hindu Patels are Vaishnavas, their family deity is
Lord Vishnu and Goddess Lakshmi. They also worship other gods. Patels have different subcastes or subcommunities like
Leva Patel, Kadva Patel, Kutchi Patel, Charotar Patel, Matiya
Patel etc. In Maharashtra they are known as Patidar. Some
Patels have changed their surnames to ‘Patil’ meaning the head of the village. Patels use the word 'Bhai’ (brother) after
10 0 the first name, that shows their flair for building relationships with people.
Customs and Traditions
Patels have 115 surnames, like Dedkiya, Ghetiya, Sawariya,
Halsaniya etc'. Fixing a marriage in the Gotra of the maternal uncle is prohibited. The Marriages betw'een Jain
Patels and Hindu Patels also take place sometimes.
This community is also known for being exceptionally daring
in taking decisions. The most famous Patel in India was
freedom fighter Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel. When crossing the
ocean was prohibited in Hinduism, Magambhai Patel showed
the courage to arrive in East Africa. He was the first Hindu
businessman, w^ho traveled abroad and expanded business
successfully. In UK and USA they are the largest found
Indian community. Michael Lyon of London who has done a
research on Patels in Britian has mentioned that ‘Patel
community is culturally diverse, yet structurally cohesive
and supportive, commercially open, economically competitive
and enterprising’*'.
101 Business
Patels were originally in the occupation of agriculture but now are found in all areas of business. They are know'n as the most shrew^d business community which hardly comes across any kind of loss. Many Patels operating in UK and
USA are in the business of Motels. In fact the word ‘Patel’ has become synonymous w^ith ‘Motel’.
Some well known Patel businesses are as under:
• Nirma; Karsanbhai Patel
• Euro Beverages Ltd.: Navin Patel
• Hindustan Bottling Co. Ltd.: Yogesh Patel
• Patel Airtemp India Ltd.: Prakash Patel
• House of Patels: Kamalesh Patel
• Patel’s Analog and Digital Measurement Co. Ltd.: Dr.
M. Patel
• Zydys Cadila pharmaceuticals Ltd.: Pankaj Patel
• Indon Healthcare Ltd.: Pankaj Patel
• Patel Engineering Ltd.: Prakash Patel
Shri Saurashtra Kadva Patel Samaj Pariwar Darshan,
Edition 2002.
' http://www.ercomer.org/new
102 Punjabi Vaishyas
Origin
Punjab is a North-Western state in India which is known for warriors, agriculture and business. Due to frequent attacks on Punjab from the Islamic rulers in the past, Punjabis have become extremely stiff in their beliefs whether they are in business or in any other profession. This mentality of
Punjabis helps them in getting success in almost every venture they enter into.
Beliefs and Worship
Punjabi Vaishyas is a large community with 1400 Gotras, i.e. sub-branches. They also have 3 major sects viz. Namdharis,
Nirankaris and Radhaswami. Some Punjabi Vaishyas have now accepted to follow Arya Samaj and Jainism. Many
Vaishyas in Punjab have also accepted Sikhism now. Most of
the Punjabi Vaishyas are Vaishnavas. Sikhs worship in a
single god - Vahiguru. Their language is Punjabi with
Gurumukhi script. Marriages between Sikh, Jain and Hindu
Vaishyas are common.
103 Customs & Traditions
Punjabi Vaishyas are strict vegetarians. Women in their families do not work outside the house. The breadwinner in the family has to be a man. The frequently heard surnames of Punjabi Vaishyas are Mahajans, Khatris, Buranwals,
Arora, Bhatia, Kapoor, Mehra, Ahuja, Khanna, Kakkar,
Khosla, Lamba, Puri, Oberoi, Tandon, Suri, Bhasin, Brar etc.
Business
Punjabis have made significant contribution to Indian business and industry. In Punjab, the businessmen are called as ‘Lala’. They are known as taskmasters within their employees. They were traditionally into trading and money lending. Now' they are found in all types of business in India and abroad. Punjabis have domination over Indian film industr\\
Some of the well known Punjabi businesses in India are:
Ranbaxy Laboratories ; D. S. Brar
Hero Honda Motors : Brijmohan Munjal
Apollo Tyres : Onkar Kanwar
Escorts : Ranjan Nanda
104 Oberoi Hotels : M. S. Oberoi
Crompton Grieves (India) : M. G. Thapar
Atlas Cycles : Jankidas Kapoor
Campbell International : Bikramjit Bemvi
RK Studio : Raj Kapoor
Indo Vacations : N. Khatri
D C M Shriram Mills ; Lala Shriram
Shriram Sugar Mills: Lala Shriram
Bengal Potteries : Lala Shriram
105 Sindhi Vaishyas
Origin
Sindhi community is originated around the valley of river
Sindu (Indus) and is one of the oldest communities on the
Earth. Sindh is a geographical area located at the North
West of India, now a part of Pakistan. As Sindhis are from the border of India, they have been facing frequent attacks from the North-West. In 1947 after independence, India was partitioned, resulting into making the Sindhi Hindus homeless. Now Sindhis have migrated to all parts of India as w'cll as abroad. This made the Sindhis tough minded. In
Sindhis there are all four Varnas in existence. However, all
Sindhis are famous for business irrespective of Varnas.
Beliefs and Worship
The language of Sindhi Vaishyas is ‘Sindhi’ which is like
Hindi. Most of them are Vaishnavas. Their prime Deity is
Zoolelal, i.e., lord Krishna. Their common surnames are
Lakhani, Chandwani, Gidwani, Pherwani, Budhani, Makhija,
Bathija, Soneja etc. Sindhis are religious in nature but due to migration during the partition they had to leave back most
106 their old rituals and traditions. The most famous saints from this community is Sadhu Waswani and Dada J.P. Wasvani.
Customs & Traditions
The community ties in Sindhi Vaishyas are extremely strong.
This is a very well knit community, where almost all Sindhis prevailing at a town know each other. They are willing to support their community people and do not hesitate in admitting that they push their community members ahead in the business matters.
Sindhis have 2 main branches - Nanikshahis and
Daryapanthis and these branches have a few other sects.
They prefer to stay in joint families and women are not allowed to work outside the house. Some modern Sindhi families are now allowing the ladies in the family to participate in the family business.
Business
As seen earlier, Sindhis had to become tough minded for their survival. This toughness is seen in their business practices also. Most of them who migrated to India had to leave apart all their wealth in Pakistan. Thus they give
107 utmost importance purchasing real estate in India and gain stability. They keep emotionality apart from business. A
Sindhi businessman is perceived as a shrewd, hard hearted and materialistic person. At times Sindhis are criticized of resorting to unfair business practices to exploit the business opportunity.
When Sindhis migrated to different parts of India, hardly any jobs were available to them. So they started selling textiles at crowded place in cities. Even today in wholesale and retail textile market, Sindhis have a large market share. They are into various businesses now. In the local markets they are in grocer}', trading, construction etc.
Some of the well known Sindhi businesses are as under:
• Lakhani Shoes ; K. C. Lakhani
• Lakhani Detergents and Soaps : P. D. Lakhani
• NavJeevan Co-op. Bank ; Hemu Kalani
• Sahany Tyres ; Krishnachand Sahany
• Business India : Ashok Advani
• Ashok Leyland : M. J. Pherwani 8& R. J. Sahaney
• Norw'est Apparels : Badlani
• Hinduja TMT : Ashok Hinduja
lOX A Si; i’l' !^t•aci!Cc^ oT The X'aish) a t ^'minu-iilics ui l'] • Adani E',xports : Gautam Adani • Indusind Bank : R. J. Sahaney • Dinesh Conctructions : K. Raheja group • Sippy Productions : G. P. Sippy • Baron Group Hotels ; Atur Sangtani • Advani Oerlikon : A T Mirchandani 109