Sahu Shanti Prasad Jain

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Sahu Shanti Prasad Jain was among the most prominent Jains of the 20th century. He was a leading industrialist and philanthropist.

He was born at Najibabad in Uttar Pradesh in the famous Sahu Jain family in 1911. His grandfather was Sahu Salekh Chand Jain who was involved in religious and charitable activities. His parents were Sahu Diwan Singh and mother Smt. Murti devi were deeply religious. Sahu Shanti Prasad receive his early education at Najibadbad, studied at Banaras Hindu University and did his B.Sc. from Agra University.

He founded Bharatiya Jnanpith on February 18, 1944 at the suggestion of many scholars who had gathered at Varanasi for All India Oriental Conference. He was the Trustee-Founder and his wife Rama Jain was Trustee-president. Since 1965 Bharatiya Jnanpith has been awarding Annual Literary Award Jnanpith Award of Rupees One Lakh and Fifty Thousand, for the best creative Indian Literary work of a specified period^[1].

He took over from his father-in-law, the Rohtas Industries Ltd. at Dalmianagar in Bihar. Under his stewardship, Dalmianagar, developed into a massive industrial town with factories producing sugar, cement, paper, chemicals, vanaspati etc. employing top professionals of the country. Dalmianagar boasted of vast & beautiful housing colony, gardens, schools, clubs, market complexes etc. for its employees. Rohtas Industries had their own private aircraft in those days and a small air-field near Dalmianagar.

He acquired Bennett Coleman Co. Ltd in 1948, which has emerged as the influential The Times Group of India.

He died on October 27, 1977, two years after the death of his wife. His work was continued by his brother Sahu Shreyans Prasad Jain. The presigious S P Jain Institute of Management and Research is named after Shreyans Prasad Jain.

He was a major supporter or founder of these organizations.