Amongst the many business honchos we have interviewed there are a very few who fall into the category of ‘benevolence’. One such individual who personifies benevolence is Pankaj Parekh, Vice-President, Gems and Jewellery Export Promotion Council (GJEPC) and chairperson of Alankar (one of the celebrated jewellery brands of East India). With a clear aim and high hopes to make the gems and jewellery industry as vibrant as possible, he has spent many years of his life striving and fighting to get the best for the industry. Most of us who know Parekh can easily say that he has an amicable character and is a complete people’s person but we also discovered a man who is not only a globe trotter, a mechanical engineer and a family person but also an ardent jazz music lover.%% “My mom used to tell me that I wanted to be a scientist as a child,” says Parekh when asked about his aspirations in his younger age and slowly reveals his journey in the gem and jewellery industry. “My elder brother Niranjan Parekh had gone to Germany to study physiology. He had an independent life in Germany and that’s what fascinated me to get admitted in an engineering college in Darjeeling and away from home in Kolkata. After completing my engineering, I was awarded many scholarships by American Universities but I chose St. Jose University in California. But, when it was time to leave India my father got cold feet to send his second son abroad. He said, ‘if you also leave me and go, I’ll be a vanjiya—a fatherless son. That’s when I decided that I will fulfill all my father’s dreams,” he reminisces. %% Parekh’s father had a dream of venturing out in Mumbai and be a successful jeweller. The Parekh family has been a jeweller since ten generations and his allure to the glittering city of Mumbai is quite justified. This is when Pankaj Parekh left his home in Kolkata and set out for a gleaming journey in Mumbai. “I first set up my store known as Alankar aka Kolkatawala Jewellers in Sion next to the famous jewellery store of Dwarkadas Chandumal in 1968. I bought my first flat in Sion Circle. I then was married to my wife Jyoti at the age of 26 and at the age of 27 I was blessed with a baby boy, Ashesh. I must tell you here that my wife Jyoti, is the wiser one amongst the two of us,” he says with a smile.

Pankaj Parekh was a very successful jeweller in the period of 1968 to 1974. But, fate had other plans for him and he being a staunch believer in the saying ‘go with flow’ easily imbibed the change. He had sent his parents on a Europe trip and by the time they returned Parekh had already found several blunders in his father’s business in Kolkata which made him stay back and diversify. “I diversified from jewellery to construction business. I erected 13 buildings in the town of Kolkata but the construction business was swarmed with black money and unethical ways so I then later started with the export of coloured gemstones in the year of 1988. From 25 kilograms of coloured gemstones exports in entire Kolkata, I made it into 100 kilograms within 6 months of joining the trade,” he shares.%% But, it was in the year of 1997 that gave birth to a leader and a benevolent man who was coaxed into running the election for being elected as regional manager. He is till date the only elected member of the Gem and Jewellery Export Promotion Council (GJEPC) to be chosen as regional chairman. In the mean time he was travelling to Italy quite often and was acquainted with Consulate of Italy. The consulate found out that the Italian Chamber of Commerce was defunct for a long period and needed a new regional chairman to resurrect it. Jagmohan Dalmia and Pankaj Parekh were zeroed down upon for the candidacy and in the end Pankaj Parekh was chosen as the regional chairman, the chair which he holds till date.%% Panjaj Parekh is known for his outspoken nature. It is with this outspoken nature and fighting spirit he ensured the inauguration of the regional office of GJEPC in Kolkata in January 2000. The office was inaugurated by a power block of Kolkata comprising of the then Commerce Minister, Finance Minister and most importantly Jyoti Basu, former chief minister of West Bengal. On this dais itself, Parekh raised the issue of Special Economic Zone (SEZ). He was then appointed in the board of directors of West Bengal Industrial Development Corporation (WBIDC). The country’s first Greenfield SEZ was ready in 21 months of its proposition.%% All India Gems and Jewellery Trade Federation (GJF) has awarded him the Lifetime Achievement Award which he dedicates it to his younger son Anindya who has very ably shouldered the business responsibilities, leaving Parekh free to work for the community and strive hard for its betterment. Apart from being an achiever and a philanthropist he is also a music lover who loves to listen to jazz and ghazals. He is also a perfectionist. “Being a perfectionist is my character trait as I am a Virgo,” he says. To say Parekh is a globe trotter would be an understatement for he has travelled 55 countries in his lifetime. %% Talking about his hobbies he says, “Listening to good music is my biggest hobby but due to my busy schedule I don’t get enough time to do that. I also like playing Bridge with friends and families. James Bond is one of my favorite pass times. I never get tired of watching a James Bond Film,” he chuckles. “I want live like my elder brother Niru Bhai for some time. A few days in Kolkata, a few months in Goa by the beaches and rest of the months living abroad will be a dream come true for me,” he concludes when asked about his dream life.%%

Amongst the many business honchos we have interviewed there are a very few who fall into the category of ‘benevolence’. One such individual who personifies benevolence is Pankaj Parekh, Vice-President, Gems and Jewellery Export Promotion Council (GJEPC) and chairperson of Alankar (one of the celebrated jewellery brands of East India). With a clear aim and high hopes to make the gems and jewellery industry as vibrant as possible, he has spent many years of his life striving and fighting to get the best for the industry. Most of us who know Parekh can easily say that he has an amicable character and is a complete people’s person but we also discovered a man who is not only a globe trotter, a mechanical engineer and a family person but also an ardent jazz music lover.%% “My mom used to tell me that I wanted to be a scientist as a child,” says Parekh when asked about his aspirations in his younger age and slowly reveals his journey in the gem and jewellery industry. “My elder brother Niranjan Parekh had gone to Germany to study physiology. He had an independent life in Germany and that’s what fascinated me to get admitted in an engineering college in Darjeeling and away from home in Kolkata. After completing my engineering, I was awarded many scholarships by American Universities but I chose St. Jose University in California. But, when it was time to leave India my father got cold feet to send his second son abroad. He said, ‘if you also leave me and go, I’ll be a vanjiya—a fatherless son. That’s when I decided that I will fulfill all my father’s dreams,” he reminisces. %% Parekh’s father had a dream of venturing out in Mumbai and be a successful jeweller. The Parekh family has been a jeweller since ten generations and his allure to the glittering city of Mumbai is quite justified. This is when Pankaj Parekh left his home in Kolkata and set out for a gleaming journey in Mumbai. “I first set up my store known as Alankar aka Kolkatawala Jewellers in Sion next to the famous jewellery store of Dwarkadas Chandumal in 1968. I bought my first flat in Sion Circle. I then was married to my wife Jyoti at the age of 26 and at the age of 27 I was blessed with a baby boy, Ashesh. I must tell you here that my wife Jyoti, is the wiser one amongst the two of us,” he says with a smile.

Pankaj Parekh was a very successful jeweller in the period of 1968 to 1974. But, fate had other plans for him and he being a staunch believer in the saying ‘go with flow’ easily imbibed the change. He had sent his parents on a Europe trip and by the time they returned Parekh had already found several blunders in his father’s business in Kolkata which made him stay back and diversify. “I diversified from jewellery to construction business. I erected 13 buildings in the town of Kolkata but the construction business was swarmed with black money and unethical ways so I then later started with the export of coloured gemstones in the year of 1988. From 25 kilograms of coloured gemstones exports in entire Kolkata, I made it into 100 kilograms within 6 months of joining the trade,” he shares.%% But, it was in the year of 1997 that gave birth to a leader and a benevolent man who was coaxed into running the election for being elected as regional manager. He is till date the only elected member of the Gem and Jewellery Export Promotion Council (GJEPC) to be chosen as regional chairman. In the mean time he was travelling to Italy quite often and was acquainted with Consulate of Italy. The consulate found out that the Italian Chamber of Commerce was defunct for a long period and needed a new regional chairman to resurrect it. Jagmohan Dalmia and Pankaj Parekh were zeroed down upon for the candidacy and in the end Pankaj Parekh was chosen as the regional chairman, the chair which he holds till date.%% Panjaj Parekh is known for his outspoken nature. It is with this outspoken nature and fighting spirit he ensured the inauguration of the regional office of GJEPC in Kolkata in January 2000. The office was inaugurated by a power block of Kolkata comprising of the then Commerce Minister, Finance Minister and most importantly Jyoti Basu, former chief minister of West Bengal. On this dais itself, Parekh raised the issue of Special Economic Zone (SEZ). He was then appointed in the board of directors of West Bengal Industrial Development Corporation (WBIDC). The country’s first Greenfield SEZ was ready in 21 months of its proposition.%% All India Gems and Jewellery Trade Federation (GJF) has awarded him the Lifetime Achievement Award which he dedicates it to his younger son Anindya who has very ably shouldered the business responsibilities, leaving Parekh free to work for the community and strive hard for its betterment. Apart from being an achiever and a philanthropist he is also a music lover who loves to listen to jazz and ghazals. He is also a perfectionist. “Being a perfectionist is my character trait as I am a Virgo,” he says. To say Parekh is a globe trotter would be an understatement for he has travelled 55 countries in his lifetime. %% Talking about his hobbies he says, “Listening to good music is my biggest hobby but due to my busy schedule I don’t get enough time to do that. I also like playing Bridge with friends and families. James Bond is one of my favorite pass times. I never get tired of watching a James Bond Film,” he chuckles. “I want live like my elder brother Niru Bhai for some time. A few days in Kolkata, a few months in Goa by the beaches and rest of the months living abroad will be a dream come true for me,” he concludes when asked about his dream life.%%

Amongst the many business honchos we have interviewed there are a very few who fall into the category of ‘benevolence’. One such individual who personifies benevolence is Pankaj Parekh, Vice-President, Gems and Jewellery Export Promotion Council (GJEPC) and chairperson of Alankar (one of the celebrated jewellery brands of East India). With a clear aim and high hopes to make the gems and jewellery industry as vibrant as possible, he has spent many years of his life striving and fighting to get the best for the industry. Most of us who know Parekh can easily say that he has an amicable character and is a complete people’s person but we also discovered a man who is not only a globe trotter, a mechanical engineer and a family person but also an ardent jazz music lover.%% “My mom used to tell me that I wanted to be a scientist as a child,” says Parekh when asked about his aspirations in his younger age and slowly reveals his journey in the gem and jewellery industry. “My elder brother Niranjan Parekh had gone to Germany to study physiology. He had an independent life in Germany and that’s what fascinated me to get admitted in an engineering college in Darjeeling and away from home in Kolkata. After completing my engineering, I was awarded many scholarships by American Universities but I chose St. Jose University in California. But, when it was time to leave India my father got cold feet to send his second son abroad. He said, ‘if you also leave me and go, I’ll be a vanjiya—a fatherless son. That’s when I decided that I will fulfill all my father’s dreams,” he reminisces. %% Parekh’s father had a dream of venturing out in Mumbai and be a successful jeweller. The Parekh family has been a jeweller since ten generations and his allure to the glittering city of Mumbai is quite justified. This is when Pankaj Parekh left his home in Kolkata and set out for a gleaming journey in Mumbai. “I first set up my store known as Alankar aka Kolkatawala Jewellers in Sion next to the famous jewellery store of Dwarkadas Chandumal in 1968. I bought my first flat in Sion Circle. I then was married to my wife Jyoti at the age of 26 and at the age of 27 I was blessed with a baby boy, Ashesh. I must tell you here that my wife Jyoti, is the wiser one amongst the two of us,” he says with a smile.

Pankaj Parekh was a very successful jeweller in the period of 1968 to 1974. But, fate had other plans for him and he being a staunch believer in the saying ‘go with flow’ easily imbibed the change. He had sent his parents on a Europe trip and by the time they returned Parekh had already found several blunders in his father’s business in Kolkata which made him stay back and diversify. “I diversified from jewellery to construction business. I erected 13 buildings in the town of Kolkata but the construction business was swarmed with black money and unethical ways so I then later started with the export of coloured gemstones in the year of 1988. From 25 kilograms of coloured gemstones exports in entire Kolkata, I made it into 100 kilograms within 6 months of joining the trade,” he shares.%% But, it was in the year of 1997 that gave birth to a leader and a benevolent man who was coaxed into running the election for being elected as regional manager. He is till date the only elected member of the Gem and Jewellery Export Promotion Council (GJEPC) to be chosen as regional chairman. In the mean time he was travelling to Italy quite often and was acquainted with Consulate of Italy. The consulate found out that the Italian Chamber of Commerce was defunct for a long period and needed a new regional chairman to resurrect it. Jagmohan Dalmia and Pankaj Parekh were zeroed down upon for the candidacy and in the end Pankaj Parekh was chosen as the regional chairman, the chair which he holds till date.%% Panjaj Parekh is known for his outspoken nature. It is with this outspoken nature and fighting spirit he ensured the inauguration of the regional office of GJEPC in Kolkata in January 2000. The office was inaugurated by a power block of Kolkata comprising of the then Commerce Minister, Finance Minister and most importantly Jyoti Basu, former chief minister of West Bengal. On this dais itself, Parekh raised the issue of Special Economic Zone (SEZ). He was then appointed in the board of directors of West Bengal Industrial Development Corporation (WBIDC). The country’s first Greenfield SEZ was ready in 21 months of its proposition.%% All India Gems and Jewellery Trade Federation (GJF) has awarded him the Lifetime Achievement Award which he dedicates it to his younger son Anindya who has very ably shouldered the business responsibilities, leaving Parekh free to work for the community and strive hard for its betterment. Apart from being an achiever and a philanthropist he is also a music lover who loves to listen to jazz and ghazals. He is also a perfectionist. “Being a perfectionist is my character trait as I am a Virgo,” he says. To say Parekh is a globe trotter would be an understatement for he has travelled 55 countries in his lifetime. %% Talking about his hobbies he says, “Listening to good music is my biggest hobby but due to my busy schedule I don’t get enough time to do that. I also like playing Bridge with friends and families. James Bond is one of my favorite pass times. I never get tired of watching a James Bond Film,” he chuckles. “I want live like my elder brother Niru Bhai for some time. A few days in Kolkata, a few months in Goa by the beaches and rest of the months living abroad will be a dream come true for me,” he concludes when asked about his dream life.%%