Sanjiv Saraf (born December 1958) is an Indian entrepreneur, philanthropist, and author. He is widely recognized as the visionary founder of the
Rekhta Foundation[1][2] an organization dedicated to preserving and promoting Urdu literature. Under his leadership, the
Rekhta Foundation has curated the
Rekhta website, a comprehensive repository of Urdu literary works, and has been instrumental in hosting the prestigious annual event known as Jashn-e-Rekhta since 2015.[3] Saraf is also an accomplished author, having penned notable books such as "Love Longing Loss" and "Nava-e-Sarosh." His literary contributions have made a significant impact on the world of Urdu literature and culture.[4][5]
Biography
Saraf was born on 30 December 1958.[6] He is an alumnus of
Scindia School,
Gwalior from where he graduated in 1975.[7] He later graduated from
IIT Kharagpur in the year 1980 after which he joined the family business.[8]
In 1984, he established
Polyplex Corporation,[9][10][8] a major producer of thin polyester films.[11] Polyplex is among the thirty five Indian companies in
Forbes Asia's 'Best Under a Billion' list.[12] Manupatra, India’s legal online resource, was also founded by Sanjiv Saraf in the year 2000.[13][14]
He established the Rekhta Foundation in 2013.[15] He obtained an honorary doctorate from
Maulana Azad National Urdu University Hyderabad in 2016 for his work in reviving the interest in Urdu language.[16][17]
In, 2020 he was awarded with the Madhav Award by the Scindia school.[7][18]
Awards
● 2018 - Sir Syed Excellence Award awarded by
Aligarh Muslim University in 2018, for the contribution in promoting Urdu.[19]
● 2020 - Madhav Award by Scindia School, Gwalior in 2020, for the entrepreneurial spirit, community service and promotion of Urdu.[20]
● 2013 - Farogh-e-Urdu Award by Nai Duniya in 2013 for the development of Urdu language.[21]
● 2018 - Alamdar-e-Urdu by Bazm-e-Urdu, Dubai in 2018 for non-scholarly contributions in promoting Urdu.[22][23]
● 2016 - Mir Taqi Mir Award by AFMI (American Federation of Muslims of Indian Origin) in 2016 for the promotion of Urdu language.[24]