There could be numerous gaudy descriptions about Kanaksi Gokaldas Khimji fondly called Kanakbhai — such as the winner of prestigious Omani, Indian and international honours and Sheikh of Indian diaspora in Oman — but the simplest, unembellished but the most complete one is what the late Indian president Shankar Dayal Sharma said about the patriarch of the illustrious Khimji family: he is “the real ambassador of India to the Gulf countries”.
As the senior-most Director of one of Oman’s largest business conglomerates Khimji Ramdas (KR), Sheikh Kanaksi has been instrumental in developing strong ties between Indian and Omani business communities.
Sheikh Kanaksi, well known for his philanthropic activities in India as well as Oman, is a recipient of many accolades and honours from the governments of India and Oman as well as other international organisations.
He was born in 1936 in Muscat and completed his education in Mumbai. Known as the man behind the consolidation of early trade in rice and dates between India and Oman, Sheikh Kanaksi has been spearheading the KR Group’s businesses for almost five decades. Through his admired entrepreneurship, KR today has a formidable presence in Oman, the UAE and India.
Sheikh Kanaksi has been actively involved in bringing renowned Indian firms such as Britannia, Amul, Tata International, Kannan Devan, Parachute, NIIT and Symbiosis International University to Oman. In early 2001, he partnered with India’s Godrej Group to set up a manufacturing unit in Sohar to manufacture and export steel office furniture.
This venture employs over 100 personnel and has been built with an annual capacity for a throughput of 4,200 metric tonnes of cold-rolled annealed mild steel.
“We see achievements as milestones in the quest for excellence. We just want to be the best.”Sheikh Kanaksi KhimjiRead More
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He was granted Omani citizenship for his outstanding contribution to the growth of the community and economy. He is the first and only Hindu to be bestowed with the honorary title of ‘Sheikh’ among the Indian community in the Middle East. As Sheikh of Indian diaspora, he astutely extends a helping hand to Indians in need.
Sheikh Kanaksi is also the first person in the Gulf region to be presented with the Pravasi Bharatiya Samman, the highest honour conferred by India on PIOs (Persons of Indian Origin), for his zealous commitment to social activities in Oman and India and for his promotion of bilateral trade opportunities between both countries. During his visit to Oman in 1996, the late Indian president Shankar Dayal Sharma described him as “the real ambassador of India to the Gulf countries”.
Education and women empowerment have always been close to Sheikh Kanaksi and the KR family. The KR Trust and the Gokaldas Khimji Family Trust at Kutch Mandvi run three independent schools, with more than 3,300 students.
In Oman, Sheikh Kanaksi has been instrumental in establishing the country’s first English-medium Indian school in Muscat in 1975. Today, there are 21 Indian schools in Oman with over 47,000 students reaping the benefits of quality education.
That’s not all, he has played a key role in the establishment of Eshraqa, the social development arm of KR which aids partnerships with public and societal institutes, concentrating on the vital sectors of education, health, community wellbeing and training.
Also, Sheikh Kanaksi was the founding president of the Indian Cultural Association (now the Indian Social Club) in Oman. The ISC is a pioneering institution for the Indian community in Oman and conducts a variety of cultural and social activities. For over four decades now, he has also been the patron-in-chief of the Muscat Gujarati Samaj which is part of the ISC.
Sheikh Kanaksi is also an ardent cricket fan and is the founding Chairman of the Oman Cricket Club. He has worked tirelessly to enhance the level of the game in the Sultanate and has been awarded the prestigious ‘Pepsi-ICC Lifetime Service Award’ 2011 by the International Cricket Council.
The KR Group, established in 1870, has a presence in almost every business sector and employs over 5,000 people. Working closely with the Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Oman under the visionary leadership of Sheikh Kanaksi, the KR Group has played a significant role in facilitating successful Indo-Arab partnerships.
