SRK Knowledge Foundation presents Santoba Humanitarian Awards 2026. Across India, there are individuals whose work transforms lives, strengthens communities, and creates lasting social impact. Today we celebrate those change-makers and the power of service. For years, the SRK Knowledge Foundation has worked to create meaningful impact through initiatives in education, healthcare, skill development, community welfare, and social empowerment. Guided by the belief that success carries a responsibility to give back, the foundation remains committed to improving lives. From humble beginnings in rural Gujarat to building Shree Ramkrishna Exports into a global diamond powerhouse, Govind Dholakia's journey has been guided by a belief in giving back. Over six decades, SRK Exports has grown into a valued enterprise with over 9,000 family members, setting global benchmarks as the world's first net-zero certified natural diamond crafting company. That spirit of service lives on through the SRK Knowledge Foundation, which has touched over 8.3 million lives. Inspired by the compassion and values of his mother, Santokba Govind Dholakia, he instituted the Santokba Humanitarian Awards to honor lives dedicated to service. Over two decades, the award has recognized icons including His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama, Ratan Tata, and Sudha Murty. To take a closer look at the values, vision, and leadership that shaped this journey, joining us today is none other than Govind Dholakia, Founder and Chairman Emeritus of Shree Ramkrishna Exports and SRK Knowledge Foundation. Govind Kaka, as he is lovingly and respectfully called.
Govind Kaka, when you look at your life's journey from where you started to now, with so many people connected to you, it must not have been easy. What are the milestones that you remember most? Perhaps not because you celebrated them with great joy, but because you wondered how to move forward, and then something happened and you moved on.
Namaste, sister. Very good question. You gave me a good chance to speak. I was born in a small village of 700 people, Dhuriya, Dudhalara. My father was a farmer. We were five brothers and two sisters, I am the fourth. We lived in a one-room house with a kitchen, nine people, but it was comfortable. I studied only up to seventh standard because my elder brother came to Surat for diamond cutting. I came with him without taking exams. At that time there were only 200 workers in diamond cutting in Surat. I was one of them. Today there are 10 lakh. I saw Surat grow from 3 lakh population to 90 lakh. Diamond exports grew from 7 crore to 23 billion. But I believe that Dongre ji Maharaj shaped my life. His sentences are in my nature, behavior, and speech.
You say this with great humility. But building such a large empire is not easy. They say philanthropy or social service is in a person's DNA. The richest person may not believe in giving, but a person with less money if he has that spirit will give. You have done so much for community development, education, health, skill building. What was the moment when you felt you need to take this to another level and start the foundation? Because now CSR is a trend, people give 2-3% and step back, but your percentage is in double digits. What was that moment?
Sister, this question is in everyone's mind. I never dreamed of becoming a millionaire. Dongre ji Maharaj said: Forget the past, don't worry about the future, improve the present. If your present is good, your future will be good. I just kept moving, the caravan grew. I tell everyone: if God had come to us 50 years ago and asked what we want, we couldn't have asked for what we have today. We didn't have TV or mobile. So God gave us more than we could ask. Dongre ji said: Contentment in the present situation is devotion. That is my life.
These awards are named after Santoba. When you think about her and her values, what things impact you the most?
My mother, we called her Ba, and father Dada. I learned from them. Children imitate parents. My mother was the embodiment of generosity. Dongre ji said: Generosity has history, greed does not. My father was very truthful. He didn't know what a lie was. Once a trader came to buy peanuts. My father had rejected peanuts, but the trader said everyone else mixes them in, but you are honest, I'll give the same price. So I learned truth from father, generosity from mother. My mother once asked how much I earned. I said if you fill this room with 100 rupee notes, that much. She was happy. She was so innocent she didn't know lakhs and crores.
It's been 20 years of this award. You have supported so many people and brought their stories to light. How do you see this award? You were already doing work, but when you started the award, it must have given a different satisfaction.
I went to my mother's temple and thought how to immortalize her name. I could build a university or school, but that would only be in one place. To make her name known worldwide, my friends suggested starting an award. If it runs, her name will be famous worldwide. If not, it will survive on her penance. So in 2006 we started the Santokba Manav Ratna Award. 'Manav' means human, 'Ratna' means jewel. We named it Manav Ratna.
This year a new category has been introduced: Social Entrepreneur. For people who do business in a way that earns money but the product or service is humanitarian. What discussion led to this and why did you think entrepreneurs should be connected to this field?
Now is the era of startups. Honorable Narendra Modi also gives importance to startups. Startups are the first step of development. Those who succeed have lakhs and crores, but the one who has 1 rupee and makes 100 is important. So we want to give importance to startups and support them. The youth, the nation, and the world will benefit.
