Narendra Dharmsinh Desai
| Narendra Dharmsinh Desai | |
|---|---|
| Born | May 22, 1940[1] India |
| October 17, 2016 (aged 76)October 17, 2016 (aged 76) | |
| 🎓 Alma mater | Moore School of Electrical Engineering University of Pennsylvania |
| 💼 Occupation | Industrialist, philanthropist, educationist |
Narendra Dharmsinh Desai (also known as Sri Nathji Das) was an Indian industrialist, philanthropist, and educationist. He served as Managing Director of APAR Industries Limited from 1964 to 1980, and then as Chairman and Managing Director until 2004,[2] and later as non-executive chairman until 2016. During his tenure, he reorganized APAR Industries to focus on conductors, transformer and specialty oils, and synthetic polymers.[3] He also directed the sale of the company's electrical cables, welding electrodes, food processing, PTFE, and semiconductors to concentrate resources on those three areas.[2] Following the reorganisation, APAR continued to operate in these sectors and expanded into overseas markets.[4][3]
Early life and education
Desai was born into a family involved in education and public service; his father, Dharmsinh Desai,[5] was a politician and founded Dharmsinh Desai University in Gujarat.[6][7] Desai earned an honors degree in electrical engineering from the University of London in 1961, followed by a master's degree and a Ph.D. from the University of Pennsylvania.[6] He also studied cost and business management at the Wharton School. He worked as an assistant professor at Drexel University and was a visiting lecturer at Carnegie Mellon University, Drexel University, and several Indian universities.[8][9]
Desai had two sons—Kushal Desai, the current Chairman and Managing Director of APAR Industries Limited, and Chaitanya N. Desai, a Managing Director—and a daughter, Vineeta Srivastava.[10][11]
Career
Desai joined APAR Industries in 1964. He led the company's entry into transformer-oil manufacturing for power-sector equipment and later oversaw its expansion into lighting, specialty oils, and synthetic polymers.[12]
He co-founded GE APAR Lighting India Ltd., a joint venture with General Electric (USA), and served as its chairman until 1998. Desai also held leadership roles in several industry bodies, including terms as president of the Electrical Lamp and Component Manufacturers Association (ELCOMA), the Association of Manufacturers of Petroleum Specialties (AMPS), and the Electronic Industries Association of India (ELCINA). He chaired the Directorate General of Technical Development (DGTD) panel for the electrical industry and was an early managing-committee member of the Indian Electrical and Electronics Manufacturers’ Association (IEEMA).[13]
Desai participated in industry and inter-faith forums, twice serving as secretary-general of international conferences that included attendees such as the Dalai Lama and Mother Teresa. In May 2011, he spoke on India's economic development at the Milken Institute Global Conference in Los Angeles.[14]
Philanthropy
As managing trustee of the Dharamsinh Desai Foundation, Desai supported schools in economically disadvantaged areas of Gujarat. The foundation established Dharamsinh Desai University in Nadiad and the Dharamsinh Desai Methodist Memorial Heart Hospital, a cardiac facility serving low-income patients. Desai was also managing trustee of the Lady Northcote Hindu Orphanage in Mumbai and worked with International Society for Krishna Consciousness|ISKCON] to help establish centres in India.[6][15] He was a founding trustee of the Annamrita Foundation, which operates the Mid-Day Meal programme and other school-meal initiatives in India.[16][7]
Death
Desai died on October 17, 2016.[17][18][19]
References
- ↑ "Narendra Dharmsinh Desai". GOV.UK.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Thakkar, Mitul (7 August 2010). "Apar to invest Rs 100 crore, revive Uniflex Cables". The Economic Times. Retrieved August 11, 2025.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 "APAR Industries: The Pickaxes and Tools Fueling Power Sector Growth". Retrieved August 11, 2025.
- ↑ Singh, Rajiv Ranjan (2024-10-07). "The Transformer At Apar". Fortune India. Retrieved 2025-07-02.
- ↑ "Bringing Krishna Back to India: Global and Local Networks in a Hare Krishna Temple in Mumbai 0197656455, 9780197656457". dokumen.pub. Retrieved 2025-07-02.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 "N. D. Desai – Industrialist with a Mission by Yogesvara Dasa – Back To Godhead". www.backtogodhead.in. Retrieved 2025-07-02.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 syama (2023-05-31). "In Memoriam". Back to Godhead. Retrieved 2025-07-02.
- ↑ "Dr. N.D.Desai (President: D.D.Foundation)" (PDF). www.ddu.ac.in.
- ↑ On the Necessary and Sufficient Conditions for Stability of a Class of Nonlinear Control Systems. Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, University of Pennsylvania. 1964. Search this book on
- ↑ "How Kushal N. Desai pushed APAR Industries on to a profitable path - BusinessToday". Business Today. 2024-04-04. Retrieved 2025-07-02.
- ↑ "Apar Industries announces change in Chairman".
- ↑ "APAR's 6-decades of service in supporting an Aatmanirbhar Bharat". Devdiscourse. Retrieved 2025-07-02.
- ↑ "Dr. N.D.Desai (President: D.D.Foundation)" (PDF). www.ddu.ac.in.
- ↑ "Dr. N.D.Desai (President: D.D.Foundation)" (PDF). www.ddu.ac.in.
- ↑ "Dr. N.D.Desai (President: D.D.Foundation)" (PDF). www.ddu.ac.in.
- ↑ Developments of a General Power Transmission Loss Formula. Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, University of Pennsylvania. 1962. Search this book on
- ↑ "ISKCON GBC's Statement about the Passing of Sri Nathji Das". ISKCON News. 2016-10-20. Retrieved 2025-08-11.
- ↑ "Dr. Narendra D. Desai Chairman". The Times of India. 2016-10-18. ISSN 0971-8257. Retrieved 2025-08-11.
- ↑ "Apar Industries announces demise of chairman Narendra D. Desai". Reuters. 2016-10-18. Retrieved 2025-08-11.
This article "Narendra Dharmsinh Desai" is from Wikipedia. The list of its authors can be seen in its historical and/or the page Edithistory:Narendra Dharmsinh Desai. Articles copied from Draft Namespace on Wikipedia could be seen on the Draft Namespace of Wikipedia and not main one.
