About Ishver Dholakiya

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 poe

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.

Turning point

By 1995, Ishver stopped formal education to join SRK group, since he was more inclined towards the family business. He joined his father and uncle in the diamond business and worked his way up in the company. In 1996, his first overseas trip was to Hong Kong for a business survey. It was his chance to see and experience the world.

Journey to Hong Kong

Ishver recollects that his first journey to Hong Kong was somewhat daunting, especially because he spoke little English and no Mandarin. When he left home, he proceeded with his heart thudding in his chest. After boarding, he was wonderstruck, for the plane was larger than any he had seen in his life. It had large wings and the inside had three columns for seating and two aisles.

On arrival, he faced some minor hurdles at immigration, where he was frisked, and his bags checked, and he was faced with many questions. However, the authorities called the SRK office in Hong Kong and sorted it out quickly.

Ishver enjoyed his stay in China. He soaked in all the different smells, aromas, people, ethnicities, lifestyles and cultures. It was the first time he had Coca Cola – and he relished it! He liked the taste so much, that he bought several bottles of Coca Cola from the vending machines too.

Climbing up the ladder at SRK

Between 1997 to 1999, he worked in his uncle’s diamond factory for training in rough diamond cutting, polishing and grading. After training, he traveled often to Antwerp & Israel where he learnt the tricks of the trade, including purchase of rough diamonds.

He was based in New York, USA from 1999 to market loose diamonds and diamond studded jewelry. He graduated from GIA (Gemological institute of America) and left USA in July 2006.

Consequently, he studied and underwent training on big size diamonds (up to 50 carats) for a year. From 2007, he worked as a director in the parent company SRK Exports (Shree Ramakrishna Exports) overseeing various departments PR (Public Relations) and Administration.

In 2010, he wanted to start his own venture and assessed various business opportunities. He finally chose the renewable sector to help support the environment, society and the nation. And in 2011, he established Goldi Solar, a solar manufacturing company.