A Son Born Into Billions
Dravya Dholakia was born into one of India's most successful business families. His father, Savji Dholakia, is the Founder and Chairman of Hari Krishna Exports, a diamond company valued at around Rs 12,000 crore that exports diamonds to 79 countries. The company manufactures nearly 40,000 carats of diamonds every month and has grown into one of India's largest diamond exporters. Yet despite this immense wealth, Savji believed his son should first understand the value of earning money before inheriting the family legacy.
The Father's Unusual Decision
While Dravya was pursuing his MBA in the United States, Savji decided to teach him a lesson that no business school could. He sent him to Kochi with just three pairs of clothes and Rs 7,000. However, there were strict conditions, he couldn't spend the Rs 7,000, couldn't use a mobile phone, couldn't reveal his father's identity, and couldn't stay in the same job for more than one week. If he wanted food or a place to stay, he had to earn it himself.
Alone in an Unknown City
When Dravya reached Kochi, he knew absolutely no one. Unable to speak the local language, he introduced himself as an ordinary student from Gujarat looking for work. The son of a billionaire suddenly found himself standing in queues with hundreds of other job seekers. For the first time in his life, his surname had no value, and every opportunity depended entirely on his own efforts.
Days of Rejection
Reality hit him much harder than he had imagined. For the first five days, Dravya couldn't find a single job despite approaching nearly 60 employers. Every rejection chipped away at his confidence. There came a point when he couldn't even afford a simple Rs 40 meal, making him realise how difficult it is for millions of people to earn enough for basic necessities. Later, he admitted that those few days taught him more about life than years of formal education.
The First Job That Changed Everything
After days of struggle, Dravya finally found work in a small bakery. The job paid him only around Rs 200 per day, but that first salary meant far more than any allowance he had ever received. He worked long hours serving customers, cleaning the workplace, and learning that every paycheck represents someone's time, effort, and dignity. That bakery became the place where he truly understood the meaning of honest work.
Learning the Value of Every Rupee
Once his week at the bakery ended, Dravya moved from one job to another, working at a shoe store, a call centre, and even a McDonald's outlet, because his father had forbidden him from staying in one place for more than a week. By the end of the challenge, he had earned around ₹4,000 entirely through his own efforts. More valuable than the money, however, was the respect he developed for every worker who struggles daily to support a family.
The Man Behind the Lesson: Savji Dholakia's Own Journey
Savji Dholakia understood struggle because he had lived it himself. Born on April 12, 1962, into a farmer's family in Gujarat's Amreli district, he left school after the 4th standard due to financial hardship. At just 14 years old, he moved to Surat and joined his uncle's diamond business. Years of learning, discipline, and hard work shaped the entrepreneur who would eventually build one of India's biggest diamond companies.
Building Hari Krishna Exports
In 1992, Savji Dholakia and his brothers, Ghanshyam, Himmat, and Tulsi Dholakia, founded Hari Krishna Exports. Starting with a small diamond-cutting and polishing unit in Surat and an export office in Mumbai, the company steadily expanded into a global enterprise. By 2014, it employed around 6,500 people, and today its diamonds reach customers across 79 countries, making it one of India's most successful diamond exporters.
Why Employees Call Him One of India's Best Employers
Savji Dholakia is admired not only for his business success but also for sharing it with his employees. In 2016, Hari Krishna Exports gifted 1,260 cars and 400 flats to deserving employees as Diwali bonuses. In 2018, the company again made headlines after gifting 600 Cr. Every year, the company reportedly distributes incentives worth more than Rs 50 Cr, including cars, jewellery, and fixed deposits, believing that employees deserve to celebrate the company's success alongside its founders.
The Legacy Beyond Wealth
Despite building a business worth Rs 12,000 Cr, Savji Dholakia never considered money his greatest achievement. His biggest dream was to raise children who understood humility, discipline, and resilience. Instead of simply passing on wealth, he wanted the next generation to appreciate the effort required to create it. That philosophy continues to define both his family and his business.
Final Lesson: Character Is the Greatest Inheritance
After completing the challenge, Dravya returned home with far more than the Rs 4,000 he had earned. He came back with confidence, empathy, and a deep respect for every individual who works hard to make a living. Savji Dholakia's extraordinary parenting lesson proves that businesses worth Rs 12,000 Cr can be inherited, but values like humility, perseverance, and character can only be built through experience. That is the true legacy he chose to leave for his son.
