From ₹12 to ₹15,000 crore empire: Meet the ‘Diamond King’ who gifts cars, homes to employees

Savji Dholakia operates on a simple yet transformative belief that giving is the purest way to receive. The founder of Hari Krishna Exporters has made headlines for years reducing his profit margin to “share the pie” with his employees. From mass-gifting cars to building lakes for parched villages, Dholakia’s quiet but loud impact serves as a masterclass in social entrepreneurship and compassionate leadership.Surat businessman Savji Dholakia, who is known as the “Diamond King of India”. (Instagram/@kamiya_jani)In a conversation with Kamiya Jani, Dholakia opened up about his life, his motto, and his journey in building a business empire.Why the expensive gifts?Dholakia, who runs a diamond export firm in Surat, has been known to gift cars, flats, and pieces of jewellery to his employees, especially during Diwali.In an Instagram post, Jani wrote that Dholakia believes that “giving is the purest way of receiving.” He also believes that when someone reduces their own profit to share with their people, then “magic happens.”Fondly known as the Diamond King of India, Dholakia said that his lavish gifts for his employees are meant to make them happy so they can give their best not just in their work but in life too.Earlier, in a 2016 interview with Hindustan Times, he said, “Our aim is that each employee must have his own home and car in the next five years. So we have decided to gift cars, homes and jewellery to employees.”Rags to riches:Dholakia told Jani that he came to Surat when he was just 12 and with just ₹12 in his pocket. He hails from Dudhala village in Amreli drict, Saurashtra.According to an HT report, he started his business with a loan from his uncle. However, with years of hard work, he turned it into a company that exports diamonds worth over ₹15,000 crore.Home across 50 acres:Dholakia told Jani that he currently lives in a massive home that is spread across 50 acres. He stays with three generations of his family. 64 of his family members live under one roof. He shares that this has always been a dream and is proud that it is now a reality.The philanthrop in the businessman:He is a social entrepreneur who has built lakes in the village Dudhala and across Gujarat to address water scarcity.