By Frank Kamuntu
Uganda’s richest man listed among the top taxpayers in Uganda, Dr. Sudhir Ruparelia, who is also the chairman of Ruparelia Group, shares in his experiences what defines success, let alone making money.
Sudhir, also the Head of the Nepal Embassy in Uganda who rose from just being a cub driver to being listed among Africa’s top 100 billionaires, is an inspiration to many people but rarely appears in public forums to talk about himself and how he made his money.
The city landlord has so often been sharing tips about his successful journey on how he has amassed his wealth of experience to an empire of Ruparelia Group of Companies, which holds record financial excellence with investments across Africa, Asia, and Europe, spanning real estate, education, finance, agriculture, and hospitality, among others.
In an exclusive with Billionaire Tomorrow, Dr. Sudhir expressed during a recent webinar that whenever he sees people thriving in his business establishments, it makes him satisfied that he is successful. This is what he said about success;
“This is how I define success. My success is when I see that I started a project, I created employment for people, and at the same time, the people who are using my establishments are also making money from it. That is my success,” the business philanthropist said.
“People who are with you must make money. You should not make money alone,” the billionaire added.
Three decades ago, Sudhir was a normal businessman in Kampala city. He had used his savings as a taxi driver in the United Kingdom to start a business in his motherland, Uganda.
Today, Sudhir and his family have business interests in hospitality, education, real estate, finance, insurance, labour export, and agriculture, among others.
List of Companies under Ruparelia Group of Companies
Ruparelia Group is mainly involved in education, real estate development and management, hotels, resorts, floriculture, and broadcasting. Sudhir Ruparelia, the Group’s founder and chairman, is the majority shareholder in the companies that comprise the group.
In November 2012, Forbes Magazine estimated his net worth at US$ 1 billion, making him the wealthiest man in Uganda at the time.
As of December 2020, the companies of the Ruparelia Group included but were not limited to the following:
Crane Management Services Limited – Kampala
Dehli Public International School-Naguru, Kampala
Goldstar Insurance Company Limited – Kampala
Kabira Country Club – Bukoto, Kampala
Kampala International School Uganda
Kampala Parents’ School
Kampala Speke Hotel – Kampala
Meera Investments Limited – Kampala
Munyonyo Commonwealth Resort – Munyonyo
Premier Roses Limited – Entebbe
Rosebud Limited – Entebbe
Sanyu FM 88.2 – Kampala
Speke Apartments Limited – Kampala
Speke Resort and Conference Center – Munyonyo, Kampala
Tourist Hotel (Kampala) – Kampala
Victoria University Uganda – Kampala
The group owns commercial and real estate interests in Rwanda, South Sudan, the United Kingdom, and the United Arab Emirates.
