->Mr. Guye at 23:01, 18 October 2021

2021-10-18T23:01:46Z

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{{short description|Indian Entrepreneur}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2018}}
{{Use Indian English|date=November 2018}}

{{Infobox person
|name = Kalpana Saroj
|image = The President, Shri Pranab Mukherjee presenting the Padma Shri Award to Smt. Kalpana Saroj, at an Investiture Ceremony-II, at Rashtrapati Bhavan, in New Delhi on April 20, 2013.jpg
|caption = President Shri Pranab Mukherjee presenting the Padma Shri Award to Saroj at an Investiture Ceremony-II, at Rashtrapati Bhavan, in New Delhi on April 20, 2013
|birth_place = Roperkheda, [[Maharashtra]], [[India]]
|birth_date = {{b-da|1961}}
|alma_mater =
|nationality = Indian
|occupation = Chief Executive Officer, Kamani Tubes
|spouse = {{marriage|Samir Saroj|1980|1989|end=died}}<br/>Shubhkaran
|relations =
|parents =
|children = Seema Saroj, Amar Saroj
|location =
|work =
}}

'''Kalpana Saroj''' is an Indian entrepreneur and a Tedx speaker.<ref>{{Citation|last=TEDx Talks|title=The Power of 2 {{!}} Kalpana Saroj {{!}} TEDxHyderabad|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9OmvLX65xhk|access-date=2019-01-03}}</ref> She is the Chairperson of Kamani Tubes in [[Mumbai]], [[India]].

Described as the original "[[Slumdog Millionaire]]", she bought the [[distressed asset]]s of Kamani Tubes Company and successfully steered the company back to profitability.<ref name="BBC">{{cite web|title=From child bride to multi-millionaire in India|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-india-18186908|publisher=BBC News|access-date=10 April 2013}}</ref>

==Early life==
Saroj was born in 1961 in Roperkheda village in, [[Maharashtra]], [[India]], to a [[Marathi Buddhist]] family, the eldest of three daughters and two sons. Saroj's father served as a police constable at Repatkhed village in [[Akola]]. Kalpana Saroj was married at the age of 12 and lived in a slum in Mumbai with her husband's family. After suffering physical abuse at the hands of her husband's family members, she was rescued by her father, left her husband and returned to her village to live with her parents. She attempted suicide after being ostracized by the villagers.<ref name="BBC" /> At the age of 16, she moved back to Mumbai to live with her uncle. She started working in a garment factory to support her family. Using government loans for scheduled caste people, she successfully started a tailoring business and then a furniture store.{{citation needed|date=July 2020}}

== Entrepreneurial ventures==
Kalpana Saroj started KS Film Production and produced her first movie which was dubbed in English, [[Telugu language|Telugu]] and Hindi. ''Khairalnji Movie'' is produced by Deelip Mhaske, Jyoti Reddy and Mannan Gore under Kalpana Saroj's banner.

[[File:Kalpana&Deelip.JPG|thumb|Kalpana, Deelip and Mannan Gore at Khairlanji movie shoot in Akola]]

She built up a successful [[real estate]] business and came to be known for her contacts and entrepreneurial skills. She was on the board of Kamani Tubes when it went into liquidation in 2001, and after taking over the company, she restructured it and brought it back to profit.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://now.msn.com/former-child-bride-grows-up-to-be-millionaire-ceo|title=Former child bride grows up to be millionaire CEO|publisher=MSN|access-date=13 April 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130309113930/http://now.msn.com/former-child-bride-grows-up-to-be-millionaire-ceo|archive-date=9 March 2013|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Dalits seek escape from India's caste system|url=http://www.aljazeera.com/video/asia/2012/04/201242582512678132.html|publisher=Al Jazeera News|access-date=13 April 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://articles.latimes.com/2012/apr/18/world/la-fg-india-caste-20120419|title=India woman is an 'untouchable,' with a Midas touch|work=LA Times|access-date=13 April 2013}}</ref>

According to her own estimates, she has personal assets worth $112 million.<ref name=WSJ>{{cite web|title=Remarkable Climb for Self-Made Dalit Millionaire|url=https://blogs.wsj.com/indiarealtime/2011/01/04/a-remarkable-climb-for-a-self-made-dalit-millionaire/|publisher=India Real Time-Wall Street Journal|access-date=10 April 2013}}</ref>

==Personal life==
Saroj is a [[Navayana|Buddhist]]. She is inspired by and follows teachings of [[Dr. Ambedkar]].<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Default/Layout/Includes/CREST/ArtWin.asp?From=Archive&Source=Page&Skin=CREST&BaseHref=TCRM%2F2010%2F05%2F29&ViewMode=HTML&PageLabel=5&EntityId=Ar00400&DataChunk=Ar00501&AppName=1|title=Caste No Bar|last=Pronoti|first=Datta|date=29 May 2010|work=The Crest Mumbai|access-date=16 January 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180116140050/http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Default/Layout/Includes/CREST/ArtWin.asp?From=Archive&Source=Page&Skin=CREST&BaseHref=TCRM%2F2010%2F05%2F29&ViewMode=HTML&PageLabel=5&EntityId=Ar00400&DataChunk=Ar00501&AppName=1|archive-date=16 January 2018|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.thehansindia.com/posts/index/2013-08-31/Kalpana-8211-Symbol-of-true-grit-70641|title=Kalpana – Symbol of true grit|website=The Hans India|language=en|access-date=2018-01-16}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://indianexpress.com/article/business/meet-kalpana-saroj-dalit-entrepreneur-who-broke-corporate-hegemony/|title=Meet Kalpana Saroj, Dalit entrepreneur who broke corporate hegemony|date=2017-06-12|website=The Indian Express|language=en-US|access-date=2020-04-11}}</ref> In 1980, she remarried Samir Saroj at the age of 22, with whom she has a son, Amar Saroj (b. 1985), and a daughter, Seema Saroj (b. 1987).<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.thaindian.com/newsportal/india-news/kalpana-saroj-slumdog-billionaire-and-more_100158950.html|title=Kalpana Saroj - slumdog billionaire and more|work=Thaindian News|access-date=2018-01-16}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|title=Recasting India: How Entrepreneurship is Revolutionizing the World's Largest Democracy|last=Sengupta|first=Hindol|date=2014-11-18|publisher=St. Martin's Press|isbn=9781137474780|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=http://indianexpress.com/article/business/meet-kalpana-saroj-dalit-entrepreneur-who-broke-corporate-hegemony/|title=Meet Kalpana Saroj, Dalit entrepreneur who broke corporate hegemony|date=2017-06-12|work=The Indian Express|access-date=2018-01-16|language=en-US}}</ref> In 1989, her husband died, and Saroj inherited his steel cupboard manufacturing business.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.dnaindia.com/mumbai/report-saga-of-steely-resolve-1043252|title=Saga of steely resolve|date=2006-07-22|work=dna|access-date=2018-01-16|language=en-US}}</ref> She is presently married to Shubhkaran.

==Awards and recognition==
Kalpana Saroj was awarded the [[Padma Shri]] for Trade and Industry in 2013.<ref name=Rediff>{{cite news|title=From grinding poverty to the Padma Shri|url=https://www.rediff.com/news/report/from-grinding-poverty-to-the-padma-shri/20130204.htm|date=4 February 2013|work=Rediff.com|access-date=27 November 2018}}</ref>

She was appointed to the board of directors of [[Bhartiya Mahila Bank]], a bank primarily for women, by the [[Government of India]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.firstpost.com/business/bhartiya-mahila-bank-will-offer-higher-interest-rate-on-savings-ac-highlights-1238099.html |title=Bhartiya Mahila Bank will offer higher interest rate on savings a/c: Highlights|publisher=firstpost.com|date=2013-09-18 |access-date=2013-11-20}}</ref>

She also serves on the Board of Governors of [[Indian Institute of Management Bangalore]].

==See also==
*[[Dalit businesses]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*[http://www.kalpanasaroj.com/ Official Web Site]
*[http://www.vasundhara.net/woman_portal/women_magazine/superwomen/article.aspx?value=8439 Kalpana Saroj Motivational Stories In Telugu]

{{Padma Shri Award Recipients in Trade & Industry}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Saroj, Kalpana}}
[[Category:Ambedkarites]]
[[Category:Businesspeople from Mumbai]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Padma Shri in trade and industry]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Indian chairpersons of corporations]]
[[Category:Indian social reformers]]
[[Category:Indian women bankers]]
[[Category:Indian bankers]]
[[Category:20th-century Indian businesspeople]]
[[Category:20th-century Buddhists]]
[[Category:Indian Buddhists]]
[[Category:1961 births]]
[[Category:Businesswomen from Maharashtra]]
[[Category:20th-century Indian businesswomen]]
[[Category:21st-century Indian businesswomen]]
[[Category:21st-century Buddhists]]
[[Category:21st-century Indian businesspeople]]
[[Category:Nari Shakti Puraskar winners]]

Kalpana Saroj - Revision history

->Mr. Guye at 23:01, 18 October 2021