Sanjay Kothari lights up when he talks about his philanthropic initiative, Krishnashray Gurukul,  a skill training institute where he has collaborated with Ambuja Foundation to expand its impact.  Having spent a lifetime in corporate advisory, wealth management, debt syndication, finance, and compliance & taxation, his foray into Philanthropy has brought a whole new ‘spring’ in his step as he spends time giving something meaningful back to the community.  And Ambuja Foundation is helping bring his vision to life.

It was when Sanjay’s mother, Krishna, passed away, that he decided to do something special in her memory - something in a place of significance for the family.  And no place was more significant than the sleepy village of Jatipura, Mathura UP, where he and his family often visited due to its religious significance.  According to mythology that was the place where Lord Krishna picked up the mountain on his finger to shield people from the rain - it was here he wanted to make an impact.

And so Krishnashray Gurukul began, and like many first philanthropic endeavours, it started out in a very, very small way. 

“We started in a matchbox room and launched 'Silai Sewing School'.  We ran it for 3 years predominantly as a stitching school, but we soon realised that getting jobs in this area was limited.  Students were not really absorbed by boutiques.  Additionally, all the big textile companies were using larger machines,” Sanjay remembers.

It was a good learning for the first time philanthropist and made him realise that running an institute like this was a very specialised exercise.  “We wanted it to be a source of encouragement for the children and women of this little village community, and wanted to see it deliver tangible results in terms of livelihood,” Sanjay outlines.

Sanjay Kothari had known Narotam Sekhsaria for years.  “As a family he knows my family since childhood.  Then in 2006 when he set up his family office, I headed his family office for 3 years and continued to be on his Trusts in an advisory capacity,” he said.

“Having shared with him my early struggles with the Gurukul, one day he talked to me about exploring a collaboration with Ambuja Foundation. They had clearly been doing this type of skill training work at scale for many years, and I could see they could really expand upon what we had created and bring my ultimate vision to life,” he said.

Joining hands in 2019, the initiative quickly evolved to take on other streams like Handheld Device Technician, Accounts Assistant, General Duty Assistant and Assistant Electrician, with Ambuja Foundation bringing in renowned knowledge partners like Schneider for Electrician and The Taj Group for Food & Beverage courses.

Sanjay emphasizes the importance of collaboration in philanthropy, particularly with organizations like Ambuja Foundation. “My experience with Ambuja Foundation has been phenomenally good.  2 big advantages of associating have been the fact that they bring in a lot of systems and processes as they already run close to 40 institutes across India.  This type of background, experience and discipline they bring in was transformative.  Largely doing this on my own, working from Bombay I would never have been able to achieve this,” Sanjay said.

“Secondly the value to the students in getting a job was outstanding.  This is what we had been striving for and the ripple effect of those ‘off farm jobs’ in the community is incredible.  Ofcourse the recognition of certification from an Ambuja branded institute and certification from NSDC holds a lot of respect in the ecosystem and that means a lot to employers – the amount of credibility they brought to the table was significant.  

On top of that, the team is so passionate about what they are doing – right from the CEO, trickling down to the centre heads. Clearly everyone has a real mission for this type of work and the culture that creates internally is contagious,” Sanjay said.

As in any partnership, there have often been a difference of opinion at times, but Sanjay has been impressed with the maturity and professionalism with which these differences have been handled along the way.  “They try to understand my thought processes and that makes the world of difference in finding common ground,” he said.

“My journey in philanthropy has certainly been an evolution – I never would have imagined the level of where we are today, and I owe it all to Mr Sekhsaria and Ambuja Foundation,” Mr Kothari said.

Today Krishnashray Gurukul spans over a 15000 square foot premises, offers 8 courses in Assistant Electrician, Handheld Device Technician, General Duty Assistant, Account Executive, Business Correspondent & Business Facilitator, Food & Beverage Services – Steward, Assistant Beauty Therapist and Fine Arts & Painting - launching new skill streams which better align with market demands - and have introduced soft skills like English speaking,” Sanjay said.

“We have lots of students who have been trained and placed, but our intervention doesn’t end there. We are encouraging them to upskill also. For example, our nursing student graduates are encouraged to further go on and study General Nursing and Midwifery.  We also encourage students from beauty & culture courses into more value added areas like skin and nails - fostering a culture of continuous learning,” Sanjay said. 

“Ofcourse we have a process in selecting the right students for this continued learning, and once we are ok with the university they are studying with, we fund 80% and they repay the loan in instalments,” He said.

Having tasted success, Mr. Kothari has new dreams about venturing into agricultural training and capacity building which would have a significant impact in the broader agricultural area. “In the next 2-3 years we want to take baby steps to experiment in agri activity like yield enhancement in areas like maize and groundnut area.  Here Ambuja Foundation will also play a role and I’m excited about the prospect of expanding into this area,” Sanjay said.

Sanjay's dedication to philanthropy is deeply personal, rooted in his family history and values.  “I find all this work to be extremely satisfying.  Every time I read about students getting placed I feel so proud.  It is very, very fulfilling, but there is so much more work to do. I’m lucky to have the full support of my family in this activity – my wife and sons. Of course I wish I could have done this work whilst my mother was here,” he reflects.

But Sanjay’s sphere of influence does not end there.  “I share my work widely among friends and colleagues because my intention is to encourage others to follow suit – I have a wide circle of friends and the more people who venture into doing this kind of meaningful work, the better”. His hope is to inspire others to engage in philanthropy, fostering a cycle of giving that can transform communities.

He also has big dreams for the future of Gurukul.  “We hope to have a classroom for GDA students to join classes virtually. One of the new classes that we plan to kickstart is a Smart Class. We intend starting a sports academy at Gurukul and will start immediately with badminton and basketball. Also we are drawing up plans for a  residential facility - a dormitory for our outstation students – which we hope to launch soon.” He shares excitedly.

Through partnership and an innovative program, Sanjay Kothari is paving the way for a brighter future for the youth of Jatipura - embodying the spirit of philanthropy that seeks to uplift and empower the grassroots of rural Uttar Pradesh.