Naranbhai Parikh was an entrepreneur based in the small town of Petlad

Petlad

Petlad is a Town and a municipality "Taluka" in Anand district in the Gujarat state of India.-Geography:Petlad is located at . It has an average elevation of 30 metres .-Demographics:...

 in Gujarat, India

India

India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...

. He was one of the major contributors to the town, by way of the companies and social institutions he created.

Early Life & Family

Naranbhai was born in the late 19th century to the family of a middle class

Middle class

The middle class is any class of people in the middle of a societal hierarchy. In Weberian socio-economic terms, the middle class is the broad group of people in contemporary society who fall socio-economically between the working class and upper class....

 lender, Keshavlal Parikh, of Petlad. He was the eldest of four brothers and one sister. He borrowed a small amount from his father to launch his own business

Business

A business is an organization engaged in the trade of goods, services, or both to consumers. Businesses are predominant in capitalist economies, where most of them are privately owned and administered to earn profit to increase the wealth of their owners. Businesses may also be not-for-profit...

 setup.

Career

Naranbhai founded the Petlad Turkey Red Dyeworks Company Limited in the town of Petlad. It grew into a major conglomerate, with offices across British India and overseas in Europe and Latin America. The dye works led to the creation of two large mills

Mill (grinding)

A grinding mill is a unit operation designed to break a solid material into smaller pieces. There are many different types of grinding mills and many types of materials processed in them. Historically mills were powered by hand , working animal , wind or water...

 in Petlad, Keshav Mill and Rajratna Naranbhai Keshavlal Mill, also known as Rajratna Mill.

Charity

Naranbhai Parikh believed in the concept of institutionalized charity

Charity (practice)

The practice of charity means the voluntary giving of help to those in need who are not related to the giver.- Etymology :The word "charity" entered the English language through the Old French word "charité" which was derived from the Latin "caritas".Originally in Latin the word caritas meant...

, wherein profit-making organizations must directly contribute to the society, before distributing profit among stock owners. He also, however, focused on the creation of lasting institutions that contribute through building abilities, in addition to direct service. In line with that concept, he established the Petlad Pathshala, which has educated several renowned Hindu

Hindu

Hindu refers to an identity associated with the philosophical, religious and cultural systems that are indigenous to the Indian subcontinent. As used in the Constitution of India, the word "Hindu" is also attributed to all persons professing any Indian religion...

 scholars, including Pramukh Swami of the Swaminarayan Sect, and Shri Krishnashankar Shastri of Bhagwat Vidyapith at Sola (Ahmedabad

Ahmedabad

Ahmedabad also known as Karnavati is the largest city in Gujarat, India. It is the former capital of Gujarat and is also the judicial capital of Gujarat as the Gujarat High Court has its seat in Ahmedabad...

). He also founded several "dharamshalas", or rest houses for pilgrims and travelers. Further more, he contributed to several educational institutions through Turkey Red and his personal charitable trust.

Honor

Naranbhai grew to be one of the biggest industrialists of his time in India. Such was his reputation that when Sayajirao Gaekwad

Maharaja Sayajirao Gaekwad III

165454565Sayajirao Gaekwad III was the Maharaja of Baroda State from 1875 to 1939, and is notably remembered for reforming much of his state during his rule....

, the erstwhile Maharaja of Baroda State

Baroda State

Baroda State was an Indian princely state in present-day Gujarat, ruled by the Gaekwad dynasty from its formation in 1721 until 1947 when it succeed to newly formed, India. With the city of Baroda as its capital, during the British Raj it was part of the Baroda Residency...

, needed to borrow money for his education while in England

England

England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...

, he was granted a loan only when he provided reference of Naranbhai Keshavlal, his subject from Petlad of the Baroda state. Surprised by the popularity and generosity of an industrialist from his state, Sayajirao conferred the title of "Rajratna", or "jewel of the kingdom", to Naranbhai, immediately upon his return from England. The N. K. High School of Petlad, where personalities including Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel

Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel

Vallabhbhai Jhaverbhai Patel was an Indian barrister and statesman, one of the leaders of the Indian National Congress and one of the founding fathers of India...

, the first Deputy Prime Minister

Deputy Prime Minister

A deputy prime minister or vice prime minister is, in some counties, a government minister who can take the position of acting prime minister when the prime minister is temporarily absent. The position is often likened to that of a vice president, but is significantly different, though both...

 of India, studied, has been named in honor of his contributions to the school and the town.

Legacy

Naranbhai died at the early age of 39. He was survived by his wife Rukshmaniben, and daughter Savita. Considering the chronic sickness prevalent in his family then, he doubted if any of them would survive, and willed his assets to his brothers Chandulal and Ramanlal Parikh. His legacy continued through his brothers and his grandson Manharlal Shah, who continued his culture of entrepreneurship and contribution. Manharlal dedicated his life towards the Co-operative Revolution, founding several co-operative factories, dairies, banks, and other institutions. His son, Haren Shah, is the founder of Peach Technovations Private Limited, and Peach Computers in Gandhinagar, and is a well-known educationalist and contributor to Petlad.