Ahmedabad: Well known NRI industrialist of Gujarati origin Narendra Raval, who represents a very inspiring story of ‘Rags to Riches’ and has become one of the richest people in the African continent despite a very humble and poverty-hit early life, today said that failure should not be looked down upon as it was the most important thing for success in life.

Raval also urged people to keep dreaming and continue to work hard with full involvement and commitment.

Raval who had left Gujarat in late 1970s for Kenya to work as a temple priest there is now the head of Rs 4550 crore Devki group which owned the largest steel and cement manufacturing units in the East African country.

Famous by the name of ‘Guru’ , Raval was also included in the Forbes list of richest Africans.

Delivering a talk here today he said that failure in life was the most important thing. ‘Every one desired to be successful and learn the art of it but failure was the most important lesson of the life. It is not taught and that’s why those who have learnt only to succeed commit suicide with just one failure. I have learnt a lot from my failures. I have in fact failed many times,’ he said.

He said that when he left for Kenya to work as a priest he had no money and even had to borrow footwear but he always dreamed big. He failed there also but ultimately with the help of hard work with commitment and luck he made a mark. Raval said that struggle was very important for learning and he has also learnt many lessons from his own struggle. He recalled that how during his struggle days his wife Neeta helped him by driving a truck.

Notably, Raval’s autobiography Guru- A Long Walk To Success has also inspired many.

Raval was born with a silver spoon in a traditional Gujarati family in Mathak near Morbi in Gujarat. But the family ran into tough times due to some unexpected events. There was a time when he could not afford to wear shoes to school and sleeping without food was regular occurrence. At the age of 18 he shifted to Kenya to work as an assistant priest. He served in the temple for 3 years but was rendered jobless soon after. He later found a job in a steel trading company but life again played a cruel joke to him when the company shut down. Never the one to give up, Raval started his own steel trading business in 1980. He saw success in it and now was among the richest Africans.

DeshGujarat