Jayesh Desai | |
|---|---|
| Born | c. 1972 (age 53–54) Paravdi in Bhavnagar district, India |
| Occupation | Entrepreneur, businessman |
| Known for | Founder of business conglomerate Rajhans Group |
Jayesh Desai is an Indian entrepreneur and the founder of the Rajhans Group, a business conglomerate based in Surat, Gujarat. Since the mid-1990s, Desai has led the group's operations in sectors including edible oil processing, real estate, cinema exhibition, and confectionery manufacturing.[1][2]
Early Life and background[edit | edit source]
Desai was born in the village of Paravdi in Bhavnagar district, Gujarat. After completing his primary education, he moved to Mumbai, where he worked in an entry-level role at a ball-bearing shop. In 1989, he returned to his hometown to assist in his father’s grocery business.[3]
Career[edit | edit source]
Desai founded the Rajhans Group in 1994 with a small oil-processing unit producing filtered groundnut and cottonseed oil. By the late 1990s, the company had expanded its distribution network across Gujarat, Rajasthan, and Maharashtra.[3] During the 2000s and 2010s, Desai expanded the group's operations into other industries. He later founded Rajhans Cinemas,[4] a multiplex chain that operates more than 160 screens across India.[5] In 2014, the group entered the chocolate manufacturing market under the brands Schmitten and Hoppits.[6] A manufacturing facility was established in Surat with production technology sourced from several European countries.[2] The company utilized brand endorsements from Priyanka Chopra and Sidharth Malhotra for its market entry.[7][1] In 2005, the group entered the textile dyeing and processing sector through Rajhans Poly-Prints and Rajhans Silk Mills.[6]
[edit | edit source]
In 2017, Desai launched Shareconomy, a business-to-business (B2B) digital platform designed to facilitate the sharing of industrial manufacturing capacity between owners and third-party users.[1]
Public profile[edit | edit source]
In 2011, Desai received national media coverage for his purchase of a Ferrari 360 Modena from cricketer Sachin Tendulkar. The vehicle had originally been presented to Tendulkar by Michael Schumacher in 2002.[8][9][10]
Recognition[edit | edit source]
In 2021, Desai was named among The Economic Times’ Leaders of Change.[11]
References[edit | edit source]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Bhuva, Rajiv (2018-01-15). "Playing to a capacity crowd". Fortune India. Retrieved 2026-01-10.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 "Sweeter returns from darker shades". The Times of India. 2019-11-10. ISSN 0971-8257. Retrieved 2026-01-10.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Tyagi, Amit (17 January 2022). "Success Story: 300 रुपये महीने की नौकरी से लेकर 3000 करोड़ के कारोबार तक, जयेश देसाई ने किस तरह बनाया राजहंस ग्रुप". Navbharat Times (in हिन्दी). Retrieved 2026-01-10.
- ↑ "Retail India News: Rajhans Cinemas Raises the Bar with Surat's First IMAX". indianretailer.com. August 6, 2025.
- ↑ "Rajhans Cinemas expands with IMAX in Surat; 65 more screens planned across India by mid-2026". The Economic Times. Retrieved 2026-01-10.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Amin, Ruhail (May 29, 2025). "Rajhans Group Sets Sights on National Footprint with Ambitious Multi-Sector Expansion". BW Businessworld. Retrieved 2026-01-10.
- ↑ Ganguly, Shramana (2015-04-06). "Surat-based Rajhans Group ropes in Priyanka Chopra to promote premium chocolate Schmitten". The Economic Times. ISSN 0013-0389. Retrieved 2026-01-10.
- ↑ Mahurkar, Uday (2011-07-02). "Sachin Tendulkar's Ferrari makes its new owner Jayesh Desai famous". India Today. Retrieved 2026-01-10.
- ↑ "Surat builder is new owner of Sachin Tendulkar's red Ferrari". DNA India. Retrieved 2026-01-10.
- ↑ Bhatt, Himansshu (2011-06-24). "Sachin Tendulkar sells his Ferrari to Surat businessman". The Times of India. ISSN 0971-8257. Retrieved 2026-01-10.
- ↑ "Economic Times Leaders of Change 2021 - Times Ascent". Times Ascent. 21 December 2021. Retrieved 2026-01-10.