Acharya Balkrishna
Acharya Balkrishna
At a Glance
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Age44
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Earnings$ 2.5 Billion
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Source of earningsConsumer goods
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Marital StatusSingle
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ChildrenNA
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ResidenceHaridwar
Forbes India Lists
#48 India Rich List 2016
Profile
Childhood friend of politically well-connected yoga guru Baba Ramdev makes debut thanks to his 97% holding in fast-growing consumer goods outfit Patanjali Ayurved, which they cofounded in 2006. With revenue of $780 million, Patanjali sells everything from herbal toothpastes and cosmetics to noodles and jams. Though Ramdev holds no shares in Patanjali, he is the company's de facto brand ambassador, while Balkrishna runs operations. Among much else, Balkrishna also oversees 5,000 Patanjali clinics, the Patanjali University and a yoga and Ayurveda research institute. He says that Patanjali's profits are donated to various trusts and charities.
