Ishver Dholakiya

Tough times don’t last, tough teams do.

Ishver Dholakiya is an entrepreneur and philanthropist. He was born and raised in the western state of Gujarat where business runs in the blood. Ishver began his entrepreneurial career at 33 with Goldi Solar and has never looked back since. Ishver likes to dream big and pushes hard to fulfil his vision. But he also understands that success carries with it the responsibility to make the world a better place. To that end, he has founded several charitable trusts and undertakes several social welfare activities.

A Man of Action - Ishver Dholakiya

“The man of action is not one who is headstrong and rushes into danger with no thought for himself, but the man who puts into practice the things he knows” – Cesare Pavese, Italian author and poet

Ishver Dholakiya is a business leader who is not afraid of getting his hands dirty. He leads the team from the front and is hands-on with all operations. At the same time, he empowers colleagues to become decision makers and leaders of the future. He has always shown a high risk appetite, self-motivation and discipline. Ishver’s management style and customer-first approach have helped Goldi Solar become one of India’s top renewable energy firms.

Despite his childlike approach to life, he possesses great wisdom which is seen both in his words and deeds.

“Tough times don’t last, tough teams do.”

“I don’t understand the word ‘no’ when it comes to reaching my goals.”

“Remain endlessly positive. There is value in positivity and faith.”

“A man’s biggest asset is the ability to think out of the box and the courage to defy the odds.”

Family

Ishver Dholakiya was born on 30th April, 1978. His father is Arjan Dholakia, a leading Gujarati businessman in the diamond industry, from the SRK Export (Shree Rama Krishna Export) fame. His mother, Shardaben, was a kind and gentle woman who had dedicated her life to her husband and children.

While his parents were not very rich, they could afford to give Ishver a reasonably comfortable life. The family came with high moral values and principles, and these were instilled early in his childhood days. Ishver Dholakiya has two sisters, Dharmishtha Ben and Pinal Ben, and a brother, Akshay. Their childhood was filled with fun, frolic and abundance of love from both parents....

Ishver now lives in Surat with his wife Krishna and three children, Dhruv, Vama and Drona. He looks up to Arjanbhai Dholakia, Govindbhai Dholakia, Savjibhai Dholakia and Manjibhai Dholakia as role models as they were self-assured, great leaders who built business empires overnight through sheer hard work and perseverance. Ishver Dholakiya has learnt from them that labour and diligence with no shortcuts is the only way to achieve success.

Early Life

Growing up, Ishver was a very fun loving, carefree and a naughty child in school.

He was never inclined towards studying and was always up to mischief. He would skip classes to roam outside. Once he even forgot that he had an exam, and missed attending it. He always chuckles at the memory of his teachers, who despite beating Ishver with a wooden scale, never managed to get him to finish assignments.

His dislike for formal education and rote memory notwithstanding, Ishver was outgoing, bright and was popular amongst his peers. He liked to share food with his friends and they enjoyed his company. Soon, he had created a loyal following of friends who readily made themselves available for him even at 2 am in the night....

When he was 12 years old, he planned to run away with his cousin from school. They threw their bags from the classroom window and slipped out of the premises quietly one evening. The school authorities even sent a search party, but the two children had already caught a bus and were well on their way to Ahmedabad. They finally managed to get back home by train with the help of a stranger. Ishver completed his matriculation in the year 1994.

The Founder of Goldi Solar

Ishver has founded and mentored several companies –all of which are operating profitable businesses across a gamut of industries such as finance, diamond, jewelry, aviation, hospitality and many more.

Of all his business ventures, the one he is most proud of is Goldi Solar – India’s leading solar panel manufacturing company. Holding the reins as the Founder & Managing Director, he has been able to steer the company through the last decade to grow from a 10 MW to a 2.5 GW facility. His company aims to foray into solar cell manufacturing by FY23–24 and expand their module manufacturing capacity to 6 GW and cell manufacturing to 5 GW by 2025.

Ishver was always passionate about the environment and was looking to make a lasting, positive impact on future generations. He realized that solar could do just that and help pave the way for a cleaner, accessible, economical and a more sustainable energy future. His research and focus led him to establish Goldi Solar in 2011....

He brought to solar precision, quality and perseverance from his 14 years of exposure in the diamond industry. In a short duration, he helped scale the company to new heights through providing hi-efficient and best-in-class, quality solar solutions. He is now ranked amongst “India’s 100 Most Powerful Business Leaders” by Solar Quarter.

The Hobbyist

On the personal front, Ishver Dholakiya dons several hats. A dutiful son, a loving husband, an effective parent he likes to dabble with a myriad of activities.

An avid flying enthusiast, Ishver started flight lessons at Rainbow Flying Academy, Surat Airport and got a Student License. In 2018, he obtained his Private Pilot License in just 18 days from FAA Department of transportation, USA.

He enjoys cooking and can prepare a range of Gujarati, Chinese, South Indian, Italian, Mexican cuisines. A penchant for anything that runs on wheels he enjoys cycling, driving and even collects vintage bikes and cars. He loves horse riding and water sports. He is also fond of pets....

His inclination for travel was developed from the moment he stepped into the business arena. His travels have also led him to explore different cultures and gain exposure to different perspectives. He proudly admits that he knows the US – New York, New Jersey, Dallas, Washington, Miami, Orlando, Kansas, Los Angeles, San Diego, Las Vegas like the back of his hand. He is also in touch with his spiritual side and practices yoga and meditation. With a strong belief and faith in God, he is also in touch with many “Dharm Gurus” and many Gurukuls, Social Work Sansthans. Rishikesh is his favorite destination and a regular pit stop while visiting places in North India.