Balkrishna

Balkrishna (known as Acharya Balkrishna, born 4 August 1972) is an Indian billionaire businessman and chairman of the consumer goods company Patanjali Ayurved.

He was reported by Forbes to have a net worth of US$2.3 billion.

According to Ashish Kumar of Arya Samaj, Balkrishna has successfully established and managed a global business without a formal education.

Balkrishna was born on 4 August 1972 in Haridwar, Uttarakhand (then Uttar Pradesh) to Nepalese immigrants, Sumitra Devi and Jay Vallabh Subedi originating from Syangja, Nepal.

He spent his childhood in Nepal.

He returned to India and studied at Khanpur Gurukul in Haryana, where he met Ramdev.

On 5 January 1995, Balkrishna, Ramdev, and Acharya Karamveer founded Divya Yoga Mandir Trust which was set up at the Kripalu Bagh Ashram in Haridwar.

In 2006, they founded Patanjali Ayurved, a fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) company involved in the manufacturing and trading of FMCG, herbal, and ayurvedic products.

Followers of Ramdev, NRIs Sunita and Sarwan Poddar, helped kick-start the business with a loan.

According to Balkrishna, he had taken out a ₹50–600 million loan at a time when he had never held a personal bank account in his name.

In 2012, the company posted a turnover of inr 4500000000 which by 2015–2016 had risen to inr 50000000000.

Patanjali Ayurved's revenue from operations increased marginally to ₹9,022.71 crore in the year up to 31 March 2020, Revenue stood at about ₹8,522.68 crore in FY19.

While Ramdev does not hold a stake in Patanjali Ayurved, he is the face of the firm and endorses its products to his followers across his yoga camps and television programmes.

Balkrishna owns 94% of the company and serves as its managing director.

He is a close aide of Ramdev.

Acharya Balkrishna listed in India's 50 most influential personalities 2020.

He was reported India's third-youngest billionaire by Forbes India Rich List 2020.

He is also second billionaire of Nepalese Origin.

Balkrishna lives in Haridwar, Uttarakhand, and is unmarried.

Acharya Balkrishna published more than 330 research articles in various national and international journals has authored more than 200 books on yoga and Ayurveda and edited many unpublished ancient Ayurveda manuscripts.