Vijay Basavanneppa Sankeshwar is an Indian businessman and politician. He is also the founder of VRL Logistics Limited (formerly Vijayanand Roadlines Ltd.). He made headlines in October 2022 when it was announced that a biopic about him would be released in 2022.
Wiki/Biography
Vijay Sankeshwar was born on Wednesday, August 2, 1950, in Gadag-Betageri, Mysore (now Karnataka), India (age 72; as of 2022). After completing his studies, Vijay Sankeshwar attended Adarsha Shikshana Samiti Business College, Karnataka, where he pursued a bachelor’s degree in commerce.
appearance
Height (approximately): 5′6″
Hair Color: Salt and Pepper
Eye color: dark brown
Vijay Sankeshwar with Prime Minister Narendra Modi
family
Parents and siblings
His father Basavanneppa Sankeshwar was a businessman who founded the printing house BG Sankeshwar and Co. (now Sankeshwar Printer Private Limited) in Gadag. The publishing house is famous for publishing and printing DK Bhardwaj Kannada dictionaries, books and guides. His mother’s name was Chandrawwa Sankeshwar (deceased). Sankeshwar has seven brothers and sisters. He was the fourth child among seven siblings. His brother’s name is Mrutyunjaya Basavanneppa Sankeshwar. His brother’s name is Dayanand Sankeshwar.
Mrutyunjaya Basavanneppa Sankeshwar with family
Dayanand Sankeshwar, brother of Vijay Sankeshwar
wife and children
His wife’s name is Lalitha Sankeshwar. He married her on December 14, 1972. He has a son and three daughters. His son Anand Sankeshwar is the Managing Director of VRL Logistics Limited. His daughter’s name is Bharati Khorkunde.
Anand Sankeshwar and his parents
Bharati Khorkunde and her mother
Family portrait of Sankeshwar family
religion
Vijay Sankeshwar believes in Hinduism.
Signature/Autograph
Vijay Sankeshwar’s signature
address
He resides at 2742/2, Shide Building, Bhavani Nagar, Hubli, Karnataka- 580023, India.
Profession
Business
Vijay Sankeshwar’s career as a businessman began in 1966 when his father gifted him his first printing press, Vijay Printing Press, on his 16th birthday. It is a small facility with only one machine and two employees. At the publishing house, Sankeshwar was responsible for typesetting, typesetting and proofreading. In 1969, 19-year-old Vijay Sankeshwar modernized his printing press and added modern machinery to expand his printing business. According to Vijay Sankeshwar, in order to install modern machinery in his printing press, he had to borrow Rs 1 lakh from the bank. Speaking of his printing press, he said:
My father was unwilling to send me to college after I graduated. He wanted me to go into printing and settle down. So, my father gifted me a printing press called “Vijay Printing Press” which was a very small facility with only one machine and two employees. I took a crucial decision to take the company to the next level and added some modern printing machinery, which cost one lakh rupees. “
While expanding his printing business, Vijay also established a shipping business. Initially, he only had one truck, which he borrowed 200,000 rupees to buy. Talking about this, he said,
Since the driver has no or almost no communication channels once he is on the road, I have no idea when the goods will reach the customer until the truck returns safely to the warehouse. The vehicles I have owned have suffered significant damage and frequent accidents. Instead of being intimidated by these setbacks, I worked hard to achieve my goals. “
In 1978, Vijay Sankeshwar and his family moved to Hubballi to expand their transportation business. In 1983, the company, which had eight owned trucks, was transformed into a private limited company called Vijayanand Roadlines. By early 1990, his transport company had a fleet of 117 commercial vehicles and the company’s annual turnover exceeded Rs 4 crore. Two years later, Vijay started courier services and procured more trucks across Karnataka. By 1996, he purchased four passenger buses to transport passengers from Hubballi to Bangalore and vice versa. In 2006, VRL Logistics Limited established a 42.5 MW wind power plant in Kappatgudda, Gadag District, Karnataka. Talking about this, Vijay Sankeshwar said:
All of my ventures are completely and without question based on trial and error. I took the biggest risks and am proud of everything I’ve done so far. Our business model has never been copied from anyone. “
As of 2014, VLR Logistics Limited has more than 5,111 vehicles, including 295 passenger vehicles and 4,816 freight vehicles. The Limca record books mention VRL as the largest single operator commercial vehicle fleet owner in the private sector in the country. VRL Group Group operates various businesses such as VRL General Cargo, Vijayanand Travels, VRL Logistics Ltd., VRL Media Ltd., etc. besides road transportation and publishing. On April 1, 2011, VRL Group established its flagship entity Vijayavani (a Kannada newspaper) to be printed by VRL Media Ltd. In April 2017, VRL Media Ltd. launched Digvijaya News 24×7, a Kannada television news channel. He also founded several other Kannada newspapers and magazines such as Vijay Karnataka, Nootana and Bhavana. In 2020, Vijay Sankeshwar founded an online bookstore called Sahitya Prakashana that sells books in English, Hindi and Kannada.
Anand Sankeshwar and Vijay Sankeshwar stand in front of a truck owned by VLR Logistics Ltd
politics
Vijay Sankeshwar has been involved in politics since his childhood. When he was 12 years old, he used to attend different types of meetings and gatherings organized by Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). He has also campaigned for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) during state and national elections. In 1993, Vijay Sankeshwar joined the Bharatiya Janata Party and subsequently held various state-level party appointments. In 1996, he contested and won the 11th Lok Sabha election from Dharwad constituency in Karnataka as a member of the BJP. In 1997, he was appointed to the Finance Committee and Advisory Committee. In 1998, he was re-elected as member of Dharwad Lok Sabha constituency. In 1999, when the 1998 government collapsed and new elections were held, he again contested the general elections in Dharwad and won a seat in the Lok Sabha. Between 1999 and 2000, Vijay Lankeshwar served as a member of various parliamentary committees such as the Commerce Committee and the Transport and Tourism Committee. In 2003, Vijay left the BJP and formed his own party, the Kannada Nadu Party (KNDP), due to conflicts with the BJP. The KNDP contested the 2004 Karnataka Legislative Assembly elections. The KNDP later merged with the Janata Dal (Secular). Later, Vijay Sankeshwar entered the Karnataka Legislative Assembly as a member of the Legislative Council (MLC); however, he resigned due to the political stance of the RSS. Talking about this, he said,
I have been associated with the RSS for 52 years and it is more than a mother to me. I have nothing against RSS. But I am disappointed with the way it has been run over the past eight to 10 years, especially the lack of transparency in the donations it receives and the way it dictates to the BJP. “
In 2014, he rejoined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) after the merger between the Karnataka Janata Party (KJP) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
dispute
Lemonade row during COVID-19
In 2021, when many COVID-19 patients were facing hypoxia issues, Vijay Sankeshwar issued a statement claiming that if people put two drops of lemon juice into their nostrils, it would increase the oxygen levels in the body and will help them prevent themselves from contracting the coronavirus. After his statement, Basavaraj Malipatil, a government school teacher from Raichur, took his advice and injected two drops of lemon juice into his nostrils, resulting in his death. After his death, lawyer and RTI activist Bhimanagouda Paragonda sent a complaint against Vijay Sankeshwar to the commissioners of Dharwad and Raichur districts, urging them to file a case against Sankeshwar for misleading the people. Bheemagouda Paragonda also accused the state government of not taking any action against its leaders for misleading the masses during the pandemic. Talking about this, Paragonda said,
Mr. Vijay Sankeshwar was held responsible for the death of Basavaraj Malipatil. According to Mr. Vijay, he died after following home remedies.I urge judicial officials to submit a somotu The case was filed under Section 306 of the Indian Penal Code and certain sections of the Disaster Management Act. In addition, the Kalantaka government should pay a compensation of Rs 50 lakh to the family of the deceased teacher in Raichur. “
Newspaper clippings reporting Vijay Sankeshwar’s statement
Awards, Honors, Achievements
- In 1994, Vijay Sankeshwar received the Udyog Ratna Award from the Institute of Economic Research.
- In 2002, Vijay Sankeshwar received the Aaryabhat Award.
- In 2007, the Federation of Karnataka Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FKCCI) awarded Vijay Sankeshwar the Sir M. Visvesvaraya Memorial Award.
- In 2008, Vijay Sankeshwar received the Transport Samrat Award from the All India Motor Transport Congress.
- In 2012, Vijay Sankeshwar was selected as the ‘Traffic Personality of the Year’ during the Indian Road Transport Awards (IRTA).
- In 2014, Karnataka University awarded Vijay Sankeshwar an honorary doctorate.
- In 2020, President Ram Nath Kovind awarded Vijay Sankeshwar the Padma Shri, India’s fourth highest civilian award.
Vijay Sankeshwar receives the Padma Shri sent by President Ram Nath Kovind
assets/property
movable property
- Cash: Rs. 1,50,000
- Bank Deposit: Rs. 3,25,238
- Bonds, debentures and stocks: Rs. 5,62,86,625
- Claim/Equity Value: Rs 17,75,000
- Jewelry: Rs. 1,50,000
According to an affidavit filed by Vijay Sankeshwar in 2004, his net worth
net worth
As of 2004, his net worth was Rs. 58, 686,863.
Facts/Trivia
- Vijay Sankeshwar is a member of several national-level committees such as All India Motor Transport Congress, Tobacco Board and Karnataka Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
- As of March 2022, VLR Logistics Limited had a turnover of Rs 2393.65 crore.
- In 2022, Vijay Sankeshwar’s son Anand Sankeshwar announced that he was working on a biopic titled Vijayanand. According to Anand Sankeshwar, the film is based on his father’s journey and will be released in Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam and Kannada .
Poster of Kannada movie Vijayanand
Categories: Biography
Source: HIS Education