A Visionary
At the time of Sir Padampat Singhania’s birth in 1905, India was in political turmoil. Crisis of independence and ‘Swaraj’ were sweeping across the country. The nationalist fervour influenced him deeply ans was to play a major part in shaping his outlook towards life and work. While actively involved in the family business, he also provided assistance to freedom fighters like Madan Mohan Malviya to further the national cause. He himself went onto become a Member of the Legislative Assembly in 1937-38; and received a knighthood in 1943. When the constitution of India was eventually formulated, Sir Padampat Singhania was one of the signatories.
An Entrepreneur and industrialist
At the same time, Sir Padampat and his brothers were expanding and strengthening the operations of the JK Organization – named after their illustrious grandfather Lala Juggilal Singhania and their father Lala Kamlapat Singhania. The new industries set up by the group were an important factor in the industrialization of India’s nascent economy. They set the first Indian Cotton Mill in Kanpur in 1921, followed by the first Indian Jute Mill in Uttar Pradesh in 1929. Moving ahead, the JK Organization acquired the Raymond Woollen Mills in 1944, which is now the country’s leading brands. In 1964, JK set up the first Nylon Filament Yarn plant in India and became one of the largest producers in the country. Further diversification led to the group’s foray into the production of tyres in 1977 through JK Tyres, which pioneered the manufacture of steel belted radial tyres in India.
The consolidation of JK Paper Mills and central Pulp Mill into JK Paper Ltd. Has led to the enviable position of it being the leading branded paper products manufacturer in the Indian market. The white cement plant in Gotan, cement plant at Nimbahera, Bilaspur, Sirohi and Mangrol and the JK Power plant at Bamania are further examples of the JK Organization’s continuing contribution to India’s industrial infrastructure. Many of the Organization’s production units are certified for accreditation for ISO norms for systems and environmental policies. The cement industry has established a Regional Training Centre at Nimbahera for providing training to industrial personnel.
A Humanitarian
A philanthropist to the core, he started specialty hospitals like the JK Institute of Radiology and Cancer Research, Kamlapat Singhania Memorial Hospital, Kailashpat Singhania Institute of Medicine and Laxmipat Singhania Institute of Cardiology in Kanpur and the Jaykaylon Women’s Hospital in Jaipur and Kota.
An Educationist
Apart from his achievements in commercial pursuits, Sir Padampat Singhania also had a keen interest in social causes. Realizing the importance of education in a person’s life, he set up 23 primary schools in Kanpur, in addition to starting numerous institutes of higher learning like Dr. Hari Singhania Institute of Management Studies, Kanpur, Lala Kamlapat Singhania Education Centre, Gotan, JK Institute of Sociology and Human Relations, Lucknow, JK Institute of Applied Physics and Technology, Allahabad, and Sir Padampat Singhania Education Centre, Kanpur under the auspices of JK Nimbahera Foundation. He was also the Chairman, Board of Governors, IIT Kanpur.
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