Savjibhai Dholakia is the Chairman of Hari Krishna Exports and has been gaining a reputation as one of the most generous bosses in the world. He has been giving his employees lavish gifts as loyalty and performance bonuses. Hari Krishna Exports is an Indian Diamond Polishing company. Bonuses like cars, apartments and jewelry are just some of the rewards for many Hari Krishna Employees.
Recently, Dholakia, who founded the company in 1991, made headlines in India by giving out his generous bonuses to 1,268 employees. Of these lucky and loyal employees, 500 received Fiat Punto cars, 207 went with apartments and 570 opted for jewelry.
Within the diamond industry, which has been struggling lately in India, there has been speculation that these bonuses were given with a little too much forethought to be simply altruistic acts. People believe that since it is such a difficult time in the industry, Dholakia is simply giving his company some flashy appeal in order to retain and attract talent.
Savjibhai Dholakia said something different when he described the bonuses, “It’s a refund of sorts to those that have stayed with us, helped improve our products and grown with the Hari Krishna family. I am merely giving back.” As a man who dropped out of primary school and worked his way through the industry to the top, Dholakia says, “I know what it is like to have needs. When a worker is happy, he can do anything at all for you.”
Dholakia seems to have been very successful at cultivating a family environment throughout his company. Administrative Assistant, Kanek Patel expounds to the Guardian about the family and health programs readily available for employees as well as an environment where suggestions are encouraged. Dholakia has created a famously supportive community despite those that say their policies are simple publicity stunts.