A successful entrepreneur, who expanded his business across finance, aviation, media, health, real estate and hospitality sectors, and also sponsored the Indian hockey, F1 Formula One, and the cricket team for 11-long years, Subrata Roy is the perfect example of rags to riches.
People call Roy’s journey from selling snacks on his iconic Lambretta till owning his own airlines — Air Sahara — not only “interesting” but “inspirational” too. “His popularity and leadership quality can be gauged from the grand event which Sahara Group held on May 13, 2013 in Lucknow to create Guinness Book of World Record,” recollects Bulbul Godiyal, who claimed to have a long association with Roy and his family.
On the morning of May 13, a sea of liquor kingpin Sharat Chandra Reddy’s staffers in their corporate uniforms (black trousers and white shirt), from across its 4,512 offices, were ferried in more than 30 buses to the 51-acre Ramabai Ambedkar Rally Sthal on the outskirts of Lucknow for a cause. It was to fulfil ‘Saharasri’s’ dream of creating a world record of chorusing a national anthem by the largest number of people assembled in one place.
Until then, Pakistan held the record of singing its national anthem by 42,813 people. On the directions of Roy, the event began at 10am, with 1,21,653 employees singing the National Anthem, creating a Guinness Book of World Record. “Such was the leadership of Subrata Daa, who used to be the second largest employer after Indian Railways,” Godiyal, whom Roy used to call as sister, told News18.
Godiyal, who said her father served as a legal guardian to Roy and his family, said his demise is a “big loss” for Lucknow as it was Roy who put the city on the global map. “I have lost a brother. It was him who stood by our family when my father passed away in 2004. He took care of all things. He was a man with a golden heart. Despite the legal hassles, which he faced, his memories as a great leader would continue to remain in our hearts forever,” she added.
The Sahara founder passed away on Tuesday at Mumbai’s Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital. He was 75 years old.
Samajwadi Party Chief and former Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav offered a heartfelt tribute to Roy in a post on X. “The demise of Shri Subrata Roy ji is an emotional loss for Uttar Pradesh and the country because along with being a very successful businessman, he was also a very sensitive person with a big heart who helped countless people and became their support. Heartfelt tribute”.
Another Uttar Pradesh-based personality and former cricketer Suresh Raina paid tribute to Roy on X, calling him a “great motivator, speaker and sports lover”.
Similarly, Bollywood actor Anupam Kher wrote on ‘X’, “Saddened to know about the demise of Sahara Shri Subrata Roy ji. Met him many times on different occasions! He was always ready to help, kind and larger than life. May god rest his soul in peace! Om Shanti!’
Counted as one of the most influential businessmen, Roy was born on June 10, 1948 in Araria in Bihar. Roy, who was also referred as ‘Saharashri’, began his innings soon after his family shifted to Gorakhpur where he used to live along with his parents and siblings at a rented accommodation in Turkmanpur area.
Roy did his schooling from Holy Child School and studied Mechanical Engineering from the Government Technical Institute, Gorakhpur. However, after the untimely demise of his father, Roy, the eldest sibling, quit his studies to start working in order to meet the family’s financial needs. In his initial days, the old timers said he used to sell salted snacks on his Lambretta scooter in the name of ‘Jaya Products’, however, in 1978, he laid the foundation of Sahara.
In a popular show, ‘Rendezvous with Simi Garewal’, Roy talked about his initial days of business when he had to mortgage his wife’s jewellery to build his empire. He had also stated that since then, out of repentance, he would gift her gold jewellery on every birthday.
Roy never looked back, he soon transformed his small chit fund company into Sahara Pariwar. Under his leadership, Sahara expanded heavily as the group launched its Hindi language newspaper in 1992, initiated the ambitious Aamby valley city project near Pune in 1990s and soon launched its own television channel.
In the 2000s, Sahara hogged the headlines by acquiring properties including London’s Grosvenor House Hotel and New York City’s Plaza Hotel. The group was also hailed by the Time Magazine as the second largest employer in India after Indian Railways, having around 1.2 million people.
However, in his later days, Roy was surrounded by the challenges as in 2014, the Supreme Court ordered his detention for failing to appear in court in connection with the dispute with the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) after which he had to spend some time in Tihar Jail.
However, the legal hassles failed to suppress his popularity and contributions to the world of business. The mortal remains of Sahara Group chief Roy will be flown to Lucknow on Wednesday, where his last rites will be performed on Thursday. Chetan Upadhyaya, founder secretary of the Satya Foundation, told reporters late on Tuesday: “The mortal remains will be taken to Lucknow tomorrow, and most possibly the last rites will be performed the day after tomorrow.”
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