We are witnessing increasing trend of son replacing father in politics and in other areas of public life.

So here is the story of another area of public life, and it is about Shri Somnath Trust.

Shri Harshavardhan Neotia will soon become a Trustee of Shri Somnath Trust. He will replace his father late Shri Vinod Neotia who was also a Trustee of same Trust till he died.

A decision of Harsh Neotia’s selection was taken in Monday’s Trustees meeting of the Trust unanimously. So Neotia Junior will now join one of the most prestigious Trust in Gujarat that has one former Deputy Prime Minister, one former Chief Minister, one present Chief Minister and one former Chief Secretary among others as Trustees.

So who is Harsh Neotia?

Shri Harshavardhan Neotia, the current Chairman of Kolkata based Ambuja Realty Group was born and brought up in Kolkata.

Son of late Shri Vinod Neotia who established Ambuja Cements Limited(GACL) in mid-1980s, Harshavardhan did his schooling in La Martiniere for Boys, Kolkata, graduation from St Xavier’s College and OPM from Harvard Business School, USA. He serves as the Honorary Consul of Israel in Kolkata and holds other esteemed positions such as the post of former Chairman, CII-Eastern India, Member of the Board of Governors of IIM Kolkata, Member of Board of Trade, Government of India, Member of Rajasthan Foundation and Nathdwara Temple Board and also Member of Heritage Commission, Government of West Bengal. It is he who diversified the family business into real estate development.

He set up one of the first joint sector companies, “Bengal Ambuja Housing Development Limited” in partnership with the Government of West Bengal. Its maiden project the “Udayan” built on the same maxim was declared a Model Housing Project by the Union Government. These efforts earned him the honour of being bestowed with the ‘Padma Shri’ by the President of India in 1999.

The Neotia family has been an integral part of the business scene in Kolkata for nearly 120 years. Originating from Rajasthan, their forefathers settled in the city some time in 1890’s being attracted to the opportunities for enterprise that the city offered. Since then Kolkata has been their home and subsequent generations have been born and brought up here.