Savji Dholakia, a Surat-based billionaire, is redefining the way a company should treat its employees. The businessman, who once made his son do blue-collar jobs to learn the value of money, has gifted more than what his employees could have expected from the company. The diamond tycoon has gifted 400 flats and 1,260 cars as Diwali bonuses to his employees. The company has spent as much as 51 crores on Diwali bonuses this year. The company, Hare Krishna Exports, also marks its golden jubilee this year. As many as 1,716 employees were named as the company’s best performers. The hefty bonuses, which were announced at an informal meeting of employees on Tuesday, have been an annual affair at this company. In 2015, the company had gifted 491 cars and 200 flats to its employees.
Last year, talking to the Indian Express Dholakia who is fondly called ‘kaka’ in his firm, had said he doesn’t treat workers as employees but family members. “We don’t treat diamond polishers as employees but as family members as they hail from the same area from where we belong. We have given them gift as per their performance in the company,” he had said. The businessman hails from Dudhala village in Amreli district.
In his early days a businessman, he established and grew his diamond business using a loan from his uncle. He also made headlines when he sent his son Dravya to Kochi with three sets of clothing and Rs 7,000 emergency money, to make the young lad learn what’s it’s like to stand on his own feet.