Do you want to know how a woman from a small village in Assam became India’s richest and most famous businesswoman? Well, this is what this blog post will tell you. After the tragic demise of the husband of Savitri Jindal in a helicopter crash in 2005, she inherited his steel company and remarkably expanded it
Furthermore, she managed to balance the responsibilities of her family and the company while serving as a minister in the Haryana Govt. These are just a few of the interesting facts about her that we will explore in this blog post.
Within this blog post, we will dive into who Savitri Jindal is and what notable accomplishments she has achieved. As you read through, you will gain insights into her wealth, business strategies, and various achievements.
Who is Savitri Jindal?
Savitri Jindal, an Indian businesswoman and politician, is the leader of the O.P. Jindal Group, a prominent steel and power company. Furthermore, she holds the position of president at Agroha’s Maharaja Agrasen Medical College. Notably, Savitri stands as the richest woman in Asia and, as of 2023.
She ranks as the fifth-richest Indian, having a fortune of $25.3 billion. Born on March 20, 1940, in Tinsukia, Assam, she entered matrimony with Om Prakash Jindal in the 1970s. She skillfully expanded it across various sectors, such as cement, infrastructure, mining, oil, and gas.
Journey to the Woman Behind India’s Steel Empire
Savitri Jindal stayed at home and did not work for 36 years before handling the Jindal Group. According to Savitri Jindal’s biography, this period of her life was marked by dedicated homemaking.
Born in 1940, she married Om Prakash Jindal in 1970, the founder of the Jindal Group. Throughout these years, Savitri, a mother of nine children with no formal schooling or work plans, played a crucial role in supporting her husband and his business.
The business, which originated in 1952 as a bucket-making company, eventually evolved into a major steel and power enterprise.
Importantly, Savitri did not venture outside her house or engage in any public or professional work for 36 years. This was until her husband’s passing in 2005. Following his demise, Savitri Jindal inherited his wealth and assumed leadership of the Jindal Group.
In managing the company and its diverse businesses, she faced numerous challenges. Learning everything about the business became compulsory. She struggled with issues such as competition, regulations, embracing new ideas, and sustaining operations.
Simultaneously, she shouldered the responsibilities of caring for her family and overseeing the business while serving in the Haryana Govt. Despite facing criticism and opposition, Savitri remained steadfast in upholding her vision and values.
Subsequently, Savitri Jindal not only expanded her business into areas like cement, infrastructure, mining, oil, and gas to increase wealth and attract more customers but also diversified her investments.
Furthermore, she contributed to the nation’s progress by initiating and supporting various educational institutions, including O.P. Jindal Global University, O.P. The Jindal University, and O.P. Jindal Community College.
Additionally, she led campaigns promoting women’s independence. Some examples are JSW Udaan, JSW Saksham, and JSW Pragati.
7 Interesting Facts About Savitri Jindal
Savitri Jindal did not leave the house or pursue a career for 36 years before becoming the chairman of the Jindal Group
Savitri Jindal did not leave the house or pursue a career for 36 years before becoming the chairman of the Jindal Group; this is what Savitri Jindal’s biography says. Born in 1940, she married Om Prakash Jindal, who started the Jindal Group, in 1970.
As a housewife with nine children and no schooling or work plans, Savitri dedicated her life to supporting her husband and his business, which originated in 1952 as a company that made buckets and eventually evolved into a major steel and power enterprise.
Importantly, for 36 years, Savitri refrained from venturing outside her home or engaging in any public or professional activities until her husband tragically passed away in a helicopter crash in 2005.
Savitri Jindal was the world’s fourth richest mother in 2010 and the only billionaire with nine children
According to Forbes, Savitri Jindal was the fourth richest mother in the world in 2010, with a net worth of $12.2 billion at the time. Moreover, she was the only billionaire on the list, despite having nine children.
Their names are Sajjan Jindal, Naveen Jindal, Prithviraj Jindal, Ratan Jindal, Seema Jajodia, Urmila Bhuwalka, Sarika Jhunjhunwala, Nirmala Goel, and Rekha Jindal.
Savitri Jindal owns shares in many publicly traded firms within the group:
Some of these trading groups are:
- JSW Steel: One of India’s largest steel manufacturers.
- Jindal Steel & Power: An Indian and African steel and power enterprise.
- JSW Energy: It is a power generation and transmission company with a diverse portfolio of thermal, hydroelectric, and renewable energy sources.
- Jindal Saw: Producers and suppliers of pipes and tubes for a variety of applications.
- Jindal Stainless: Manufacturers of stainless steel and alloys.
- JSW Holdings: An investment firm that owns stock in several group firms.
Her four sons and five daughters are all interested in business and politics.
Establishing Numerous Educational Institutions:
Savitri Jindal personally takes an interest in the group’s social initiatives. She is involved in the construction and successful operation of numerous educational institutions. She has founded several educational institutes, including:
- JGU (O.P. Jindal Global University): It is a private institution located in Sonipat, Haryana, that provides courses in law, business, foreign affairs, public policy, liberal arts, and media.
- O.P. Jindal University: This is a private university in Raigarh, Chhattisgarh, offering engineering, management, and law studies.
- O.P. Jindal Community College: It’s a vocational training college with campuses around India that offers courses in welding, plumbing, electrical, and other trades.
Importantly, these schools enable thousands of students to pursue a great education while also improving their skills.
Actively Involved in Social Causes
Jindal is also actively involved in the JSW Foundation, which is the social arm of the JSW Group. Originating in 1989 as the Jindal Education and Medical Trust and eventually changing its name, it provides health, education, skill, environment, sports, and art to rural people. Notably, the organization serves 1 million poor people in 15 districts and 11 states.
Moreover, the group provides funding to several educational institutions, including O.P. Jindal Global University, O.P. Jindal University, and O.P. The Jindal Community College. Additionally, it runs women’s empowerment initiatives such as JSW Udaan, JSW Saksham, and JSW Pragati, among others.
With an educational, agricultural, and livelihood impact on nearly 130,000 rural children, 16,000 farmers, and 10,000 women, it also contributes to sanitation by building 7,500 toilets in villages. Importantly, the foundation aids 200,000 needy people in accessing Government schemes.
She served as a minister in the Haryana Govt. from 2005 to 2014
She was a minister in the Haryana Govt from 2005 to 2014: Savitri was elected to the Haryana Vidhan Sabha in 2005 from the Hisar area, which her late husband, Om Prakash Jindal, had before. Savitri Jindal got elected again to the area in 2009 and on October 29, 2013.
The Haryana Govt. made her cabinet minister. In the previous cabinet, she worked as the Minister of State for Revenue and Disaster Management, Consolidation, Rehabilitation, and Housing. Savitri Jindal also worked as the Minister of State for Urban Local Bodies and Housing.
She surpassed China’s Yang Huiyan to become Asia’s richest woman in 2022
She became Asia’s richest woman in 2022 by passing China’s Yang Huiyan. Huiyan owns the biggest real estate company in China, Country Garden Holdings. However, her income went down by more than half in 2022, from $24 billion to $11 billion.
This happened because of problems in China’s property market and new rules that hurt the country’s builders, especially her company. Importantly, Yang Huiyan has been Asia’s richest woman since 2017.
However, Savitri Jindal, on the other hand, has become one of the richest people in India and Asia, even though there are many problems in the world economy.
Key Achievements
Savitri Jindal, India’s richest woman, surpassed Ambani and Adani in wealth growth on December 20th. According to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, Savitri Jindal attained the largest net-worth gain among Indians in the previous calendar years, outperforming Mukesh Ambani, Gautam Adani, and others.
Her fortune increased by USD 9.6 billion in the preceding calendar year. She is now the fifth richest person in India, with a total net worth of USD 25 billion, which puts her just ahead of Wipro’s Azim Premji.
She played an instrumental role in implementing the Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM), a federal government flagship program that aims to provide piped water to every rural household by 2024.
Haryana achieved the status of 100 percent of households having a clean tap water supply under the Jal Jeevan Mission in 2020–21. Savitri was a very efficient politician throughout her career.
Savitri is still following her husband’s plan to help people, by giving them education, health care, and a clean environment. She does this through different groups and charities. Importantly, these groups and charities also help with things like making villages better.
Some examples are giving women more power, teaching new skills, and helping after disasters. Some of these groups are O.P. Jindal Foundation (OPJF), O.P. The Jindal Education Trust (OPEXT), O.P. Jindal Health Trust (OPHT), and others.
In 2008, a women’s group gave her a prize for helping women be free. However, since then, Savitri Jindal has supported many programs that make women and other people stronger through the Jindal Foundation.
Her work as a good businessperson and leader inspires many women by showing them how to overcome problems and be in charge. Savitri Jindal’s prize shows her strong dedication to women’s power and the difference she has made in many lives.
Conclusion
In conclusion, we have compiled all the necessary information regarding Savitri Jindal. Her story is one of perseverance, leadership, and a steadfast commitment to women’s empowerment.
From leading a big steel corporation to supporting humanitarian causes, her career path creates an image of a woman who challenges the established norm and makes a meaningful difference in the world. We hope you gain valuable knowledge from this blog.
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