Sarabhai family explained

The Sarabhai family is a prominent Indian family active in several fields. The patriarch, Ambalal Sarabhai, was a leading industrialist. While he created significant wealth, his children interested themselves in a wide variety of other endeavours, and the family is better known for those activities, rather than for their industrial enterprise. The family's business activities continue through Ambalal Sarabhai Enterprises.^[1]

Family history

The Sarabhai family are a major business family in India belonging to the Shrimal Jain Bania community.^{[2] [3]} Its twentieth century patriarch, Sheth Ambalal Sarabhai, was a Jain industrialist. He had five daughters and three sons who were involved in the family business as well as the Indian independence movement. After India's independence, the family remained involved in developmental tasks undertaken by the Government of India.

Ambalal Sarabhai was a prominent mill owner and also interested in philanthropic activities. His wife Sarladevi Sarabhai was impressed by the Maria Montessori philosophy and in the year 1922, Montessori sent E. M. Standing to India for the homeschooling of Sarabhai children.

Sarabhai Enterprises branched out after India's independence and many pioneer ventures were made in fields dominated by foreign companies. The manufacture of drugs and pharmaceuticals, chemicals and intermediates, dyes and pigments, industrial and household detergents, soaps and cosmetics, industrial packaging and containers, and later engineering and electronic products.

Family members

Prominent members of the Sarabhai family include:

• Ambalal Sarabhai. Patriarch of the family. Born into a family of tradesmen, he invested the family wealth into various industrial enterprises in the early 1900s, including Sarabhai Textile Mills at Ahmedabad, which was one of the largest in India at that time.
• Anasuya Sarabhai (sister of Ambalal Sarabhai), a trade unionist, activist and freedom fighter. Married young, she never cohabited with her husband.
• Saraladevi Sarabhai (wife of Ambalal Sarabhai) and the mother of his eight children (three sons and five daughters)
  • Suhrid Sarabhai Sr. (son of Ambalal Sarabhai), industrialist
    • Manorama Sarabhai (wife of Suhrid Sarabhai), commissioned Villa Sarabhai
    • Anand Sarabhai (son of Suhrid Sr), molecular biologist, partner of Lynda Benglis, American sculptor and visual artist
    • Suhrid Sarabhai Jr (son of Suhrid Sr), industrialist
      • Asha Sarabhai, wife of Suhrid Jr, clothing designer
    • Sanjay Sarabhai (son of Suhrid Jr)
    • Samir Sarabhai (son of Suhrid Jr)
  • Gautam Sarabhai (son of Ambalal Sarabhai), industrialist, philanthropist, co founder & the architect of the National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad^[4]
    • Kamalini Sarabhai (wife of Gautam Sarabhai), co founder of B.M. Institute of Mental Health
    • Mana Sarabhai Brearley (daughter of Gautam Sarabhai)
      • Mischa Gorchov Brearley (son of Mana Sarabhai Brearley with artist Robert Gorchov)
      • Lara Brearley (daughter of Mana Sarabhai Brearley with Mike Brearley)
    • Shyama Gautam Sarabhai (daughter of Gautam Sarabhai)
      • Anand Zaveri (husband of Shyama Gautam Sarabhai)
      • Shaan Zaveri (son of Shyama Gautam Sarabhai), real estate developer in Ahmedabad^[5]
  • Mridula Sarabhai (daughter of Ambalal Sarabhai), Indian independence activist and politician; unmarried
    • • • Vikram Sarabhai (son of Ambalal Sarabhai), co-founder of ISRO and IIM Ahmedabad Mrinalini Sarabhai (wife of Vikram Sarabhai), dancer
    • Kartikeya Sarabhai (son of Vikram Sarabhai), educationist and environmentalist is married to Dr Prithi Nambiar, author, academic and Senior Program Director, CEE
      • Rajshree Sarabhai (former wife of Kartikeya Sarabhai), writer and director of Rajka Designs, a textile design studio
      • Samvit Sarabhai (son of Kartikeya Sarbhai), current director of Rajka Designs
      • Mohal Sarabhai (son of Kartikeya Sarbhai), managing director of Asence Pharma Pvt. Ltd., and Synbiotics Limited (a Sarabhai Family company incorporated in 1960)
    • Mallika Sarabhai (daughter of Vikram Sarabhai), a dancer and activist; briefly married to Bipin Shah, a publisher
      • Revanta Sarabhai (son of Mallika Sarabhai and Bipin Shah), dancer
      • Anahita Sarabhai (daughter of Mallika Sarabhai), performance artist & co-founder of QueerAbad^[6]
  • Leena Mangaldas (daughter of Ambalal Sarabhai), founder of Shreyas Foundation.
    • Madanmohan Mangaldas Girdhardas (husband of Leena Mangaldas), noted industrialist
    • Kamal Mangaldas (son of Leena Mangaldas), noted architect
      • Arjun Mangaldas (son of Kamal Mangaldas), architect
      • Abhay Mangaldas (son of Kamal Mangaldas), hotelier, founder of House of MG, a heritage hotel in Ahmedabad
  • Gira Sarabhai (daughter of Ambalal Sarabhai), co-founder of the National Institute of Design, the Calico Museum of Textiles
  • Gita Mayor (daughter of Ambalal Sarabhai), Indian musician; well known for her patronage in music
    • Satyadev Mayor, (husband of Gita Mayor)
    • Pallavi Satyadev Mayor (daughter of Gita Mayor)
      • Ajay Mayor (son of Pallavi Mayor)
  • Bharti Sarabhai, (daughter of Ambalal Sarabhai), unmarried
  • Christina Sarabhai, (daughter of Marcia Sullivan), married to Mohal Sarabhai
  • Mohal Sarabhai, (son of Kartikaha Sarabhai), married to Christina Sarabhai
  • Kavan Sarabhai (son of Mohal Sarabhai)

Institutions built by Sarabhai family

1. Calico Mills - Ambalal Sarabhai
2. Jubilee Mills - Ambalal Sarabhai
3. Kasturba Gandhi Rashtriya Smarak Trust - Sarladevi Ambalal Sarabhai
4. Majoor Mahajan - Anasuyaben Sarabhai
5. Jyoti Sangh - Mridulaben Sarabhai
6. Vikas Gruh - Mridulaben Sarabhai
7. Shreyas Foundation & School - Leenaben Mangaldas
8. B.M. Institute of Mental Health - Gautam Sarabhai
9. The Psychotherapy Study Group - Gautam Sarabhai
10. National Institute of Design - Gautam Sarabhai and Gira Sarabhai
11. Darpana Academy of Performing Arts - Mrinalini & Vikram Sarabhai
12. Calico Museum of Textiles - Gira Sarabhai
13. Ambalal Sarabhai Enterprises, Baroda - Gautam Sarabhai, a commercial (corporate) venture
14. Centre for Environment Education - Kartikeya Sarabhai
15. VIKSAT - Kartikeya Sarabhai
16. CHETNA - Kartikeya Sarabhai
17. Sangeet Kendra - Geeta Mayor
18. Darpana for Development - Mallika Sarabhai
19. Mapin Publishing - Mallika Sarabhai and her husband Bipin Shah

Major institution building efforts of Vikram Sarabhai (1947-1971)

No.4 was renamed the Vikram A. Sarabhai Community Science Centre after Dr. Sarabhai’s death in 1971. No.18 & 19 were merged under the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre after Dr. Sarabhai’s death in 1971. Nos.21,22,23,24,25 and 26 were merged under the Space Applications Centre after Dr. Sarabhai’s death in 1971. No. 31 was renamed Vikram Earth Station after Dr. Sarabhai’s death in 1971.

See also

• Anusyabehn Sarabhai
• Jainism
• Swaminathan family
• Calico Museum of Textiles
• Mill Owners' Association Building
• National Institute of Design
• ISRO
• Gira Sarabhai
• Gautam Sarabhai
• Vikram Sarabhai
• Mrinalini Sarabhai

External links

• Maria Montessory In India

Notes and References

1. Web site: 25 May 2021 . Synbiotics eyes double revenue amid black fungus crisis; expert weighs in on opportunities for small pharma firms . 2024-08-08 . CNBCTV18 . en.
2. News: Vikram A Sarabhai. 21 March 2018. Outlook. 19 August 2002.
3. Book: Business and Politics in India. 346. Stanley A. Kochanek. 28 April 2023. University of California Press. 9780520319127 . The Sarabhais are Gujarati (Jain Bania Shrimali) from Ahmedabad..
4. News: 2021-02-17 . C20 Magazine . 2022-09-21 . HCP Design, Planning and Management Pvt. Ltd. . en-US.
5. Web site: August 11, 2003 . Uday . Mahurkar . In two years, hospital in Ahmedabad treats over 10,000 animals . 2022-09-21 . India Today . en.
6. Web site: In Ahmedabad, two women are giving the queer community a safe space where they can ask questions. 22 August 2018 .