This article may have been created or edited in return for undisclosed payments, a violation of Wikipedia's
terms of use. It may require cleanup to comply with Wikipedia's
content policies, particularly
neutral point of view. (August 2023)
Balkrishna (known as Acharya Balkrishna,[3] born 4 August 1972) is an Indian
billionaire businessman and chairman of the consumer goods company
Patanjali Ayurved. He was reported by Forbes to have a net worth of US$2.3 billion as of May 2021[update].[3][4][5][6] According to Ashish Kumar of Arya Samaj, Balkrishna has successfully established and managed a global business without a formal education.[7]
Early life
Balkrishna was born on 4 August 1972 in
Haridwar,
Uttarakhand (then
Uttar Pradesh) to Nepalese immigrants, Sumitra Devi and Jay Vallabh Subedi originating from
Syangja, Nepal.[2][1] He spent his childhood in Nepal. He returned to India and studied at Khanpur Gurukul in Haryana, where he met
Ramdev.[2]
Career
On 5 January 1995,[8] Balkrishna,
Ramdev, and Acharya Karamveer founded Divya Yoga Mandir Trust which was set up at the Kripalu Bagh Ashram in
Haridwar.[8][9] This was followed in 2005 by the establishment of the Patanjali Yogpeeth Trust, which was given responsibility in 2022 for the establishment and management of the
Bharatiya Shiksha Board.[10][11] In 2006, they founded
Patanjali Ayurved,[12] a
fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) company involved in the manufacturing and trading of FMCG, herbal, and
ayurvedic products.[13][citation needed] Followers of Ramdev,
NRIs Sunita and Sarwan Poddar, helped kick-start the business with a loan. According to Balkrishna, he had taken out a ₹50–600 million loan at a time when he had never held a personal bank account in his name.[14] In 2012, the company posted a turnover of ₹4.5 billion (US$54 million) which by 2015–2016 had risen to ₹50 billion (US$600 million).[15] Patanjali Ayurved's revenue from operations increased marginally to ₹9,022.71 crore in the year up to 31 March 2020, Revenue stood at about ₹8,522.68 crore in FY19.[16]
While Ramdev does not hold a stake in Patanjali Ayurved, he is the face of the firm and endorses its products to his followers across his yoga camps and television programmes.[15] Balkrishna owns 94% of the company and serves as its managing director.[17][5] He is a close aide of Ramdev.[18] Acharya Balkrishna listed in India's 50 most influential personalities 2020.[19] He was reported India's third-youngest billionaire by
Forbes India Rich List 2020.[20] He is also second billionaire of Nepalese Origin.[21]
In March 2024, Balkrishna filed an unconditional apology before the Supreme Court for airing misleading advertisements on medicinal cures.
Personal life
Balkrishna lives in
Haridwar, Uttarakhand, and is unmarried.[4]
Acharya Balkrishna was awarded the "
UNSDG 10 Most Influential People in Healthcare Award", for his work in the Healthcare sector.[31]
Acharya Balkrishna received "Best Wellness Impact Global award" from the CFI.co.[32]
Acharya Balkrishna honoured with "Bheeshma Puraskar" by Sant shree Gyaneshwar Gurukul, Pune.[33]
Acharya Balkrishna was awarded AIMA Managing India Award 2018 for the "Transformational Business Leader of the Year" by Central Minister Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore.[34]
Acharya Balkrishna was awarded "Shalin Manav Ratna Award- 2018" By Anoopam Mission for his contribution towards social welfare and Ayurveda.[35]
Acharya Balkrishna was awarded "
Indian of the Year Business Category- 2017" for his contribution to the country to strengthen the foundation of society and helping in building
Brand India in the process; by
CNN-News on 30 November 2017[37]
Acharya Balkrishna was awarded with "Jashn-e-Youngistan Samman for Business Icon of the Year" by
News 24.[38]
Acharya Balkrishna was honoured with the "Lokmanya Tilak Award 2017" by Tilak Smarak Trust on 1 August 2017 for his contribution towards the promotion of Yoga & Ayurveda[39]
Acharya Balkrishna Ji awarded with "Bloomberg Special Recognition Award" by the
India Brand Equity Foundation on 22 March 2016 for outstanding contribution in the field of Ayurveda.[40]
Acharya Balkrishna, was bestowed with the "Bharat Gaurav" award by
Kaptan Singh Solanki, Governor of Haryana and Punjab in recognition of his amazing work in the field of Ayurveda at a programme organised by the Indian International Friendship Society at New Delhi in 2016.[41]
Literary career
Acharya Balkrishna published more than 330 research articles in various national and international journals has authored more than 200 books on yoga and Ayurveda and edited many unpublished ancient Ayurveda manuscripts. [42]
^Sarbacker, Stuart Ray (2014). "Swami Ramdev: Modern Yoga Revolutionary". In Singleton, Mark; Goldberg, Ellen (eds.).
Gurus of Modern Yoga. Oxford University Press USA.
ISBN978-0-19-993872-8.