Balkrishna (born 4 August 1972) is an Indian businessman, author, co-founder & managing director of the Patanjali Ayurved.[1][2] He was reported by Forbes to have a net worth of US$2.3 billion as of May2021[update].[2][3][4][5] which was then updated to US$3.6 Billion in 2025.[6] He was also nominated by Forbes as 100 richest tycoon.[7][8][9]
Balkrishna was born on 4 August 1972 in Haridwar, Uttarakhand (then Uttar Pradesh), to Nepalese immigrants, Sumitra Devi and Jay Vallabh Subedi originating from Syangja, Nepal.[10][11] He spent his childhood in Nepal. He returned to India and studied at Khanpur Gurukul in Haryana, where he met Ramdev.[10]
Career
On 5 January 1995,[12] Balkrishna, Ramdev, and Acharya Karamveer founded Divya Yoga Mandir Trust which was set up at the Kripalu Bagh Ashram in Haridwar.[12][13] This was followed in 2005 by the establishment of the Patanjali Yogpeeth Trust, which was given responsibility in 2022 for the establishment and management of the Bharatiya Shiksha Board.[14][15] In 2006, they founded Patanjali Ayurved,[16] a fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) company involved in the manufacturing and trading of FMCG, herbal, and ayurvedic products.[17][citation needed] Followers of Ramdev, NRIs Sunita and Sarwan Poddar, helped kick-start the business with a loan. According to Balkrishna, he had taken out a ₹50–600million loan at a time when he had never held a personal bank account in his name.[18] In 2012, the company posted a turnover of ₹4.5 billion (US$53million) which by 2015–2016 had risen to ₹50 billion (US$590million).[19] Patanjali Ayurved's revenue from operations increased marginally to ₹9,022.71 crore in the year up to 31 March 2020. Revenue stood at about ₹8,522.68 crore in FY19.[20]
While Ramdev does not hold a stake in Patanjali Ayurved, he is the face of the firm and endorses its products to his followers across his yoga camps and television programmes.[19] Balkrishna owns 94% of the company and serves as its managing director.[21][3] He is a close aide of Ramdev.[22] Acharya Balkrishna listed in India's 50 most influential personalities 2020.[23] He was reported India's third-youngest billionaire by Forbes India Rich List 2020.[24] He is also second billionaire of Nepalese origin.[25]
In 2025, Acharya Balkrishna founded Patanjali Organic Research Institute in order to promote organic farming India.[26]
Personal life
Balkrishna lives in Haridwar, Uttarakhand, and is unmarried.[1]
"Indian of the Year Business Category – 2017" for his contribution to the country to strengthen the foundation of society and helping in building Brand India in the process; by CNN-News on 30 November 2017[44]
"Jashn-e-Youngistan Samman for Business Icon of the Year" by News 24.[45]
"Lokmanya Tilak Award 2017" by Tilak Smarak Trust on 1 August 2017 for his contribution towards the promotion of Yoga & Ayurveda[46]
"Bloomberg Special Recognition Award" by the India Brand Equity Foundation on 22 March 2016 for outstanding contribution in the field of Ayurveda.[47]
"Bharat Gaurav" award by Kaptan Singh Solanki, Governor of Haryana and Punjab in recognition of his amazing work in the field of Ayurveda at a programme organised by the Indian International Friendship Society at New Delhi in 2016.[48]
Literary career
Acharya Balkrishna has published more than 330 research articles in various national and international journals and has authored more than 200 books on yoga and Ayurveda and edited many unpublished ancient Ayurveda manuscripts.[49]
↑ Sarbacker, Stuart Ray (2014). "Swami Ramdev: Modern Yoga Revolutionary". In Singleton, Mark; Goldberg, Ellen (eds.). Gurus of Modern Yoga. Oxford University Press USA. ISBN978-0-19-993872-8.
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