Satish Kumar Modi is the son of late Rai Bahadur Gujar Mal Modi, who was the Founder of the Modi Group of Industries and an architect of modern Industrial India. The Modi Group is considered to be among the top industrial groups of the country. Mr. Gujar Mal Modi established the industrial township of Modinagar in the year 1933. For his contributions towards the growth of the nation, Mr. G.M. Modi was awarded the ‘Padma Bhushan' by the President of India. Today, Modinagar has a population of half a million people. In keeping with the Founder's vision, Modinagar, is now poised to become a high tech, ultra modern township, complete with all the modern facilities and amenities.
Satish Kumar Modi has had a brilliant career and has been on the forefront of industrial activities. The Modi Group has grown and diversified into many pioneering industries and businesses in collaboration with the world's leading companies in their respective fields. The Modi Group today, is India's leading industrial conglomerate, having manufacturing facilities and business interests in a wide array of products and services like Thread, Chemicals, Manmade Fibers, Home Appliances, Telecommunications, Medicines, Cosmetics, Automobile Tyres, Healthcare, Education and Art, just to name a few. Satish Kumar Modi has also been Chairman of the Confederation of the Indian Textile Industry.
Satish Kumar Modi started India 's first private airline, ModiLuft in partnership with Lufthansa and is credited with re-launching this airline as Spicejet.
He also started India 's first offshore mutual fund – J.F. India Fund and he is on the board of this Fund, which is part of J.P. Morgan Chase.
In collaboration with Lenzing , Austria , he is currently setting up the world's largest Viscose Staple Fibre Plant of 240,000 tons per annum capacity at Patalganga near Mumbai.
Further diversifying into Real Estate, the Modi Group, under his leadership, is now creating a 3,000 acre new township in the National Capital Region (NCR-Delhi) near Modinagar, in collaboration with Pacific Consultants International (PCI), Japan and Surbana of Singapore.
As President of the Gujar Mal Modi Science Foundation, he is promoting excellence in scientific research and development. The Foundation has instituted an annual award, which is given to a scientist of eminence who has made outstanding contributions to science and technology. Among the awardees is the former President of India and well known scientist, Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam.
Similarly, he has also been actively involved in promoting art and culture as President of the Dayawati Modi Foundation for Art, Culture and Education. The Foundation has instituted an annual award to recognize persons who have made outstanding contributions in the fields of Art, Culture and Education. The late Mother Teresa has been one of the awardees of this prestigious award.
Continuing the legacy of his philanthropist parents, he is running numerous religious and charitable institutions to help the needy and the poor. His Foundation runs the programme, ‘Right to Education' which provides subsidized/free education to thousands of underprivileged students in the country. The philanthropic project, ‘A Stitch in Time' is an initiative to empower women. This has enabled thousands of women to earn their livelihood respectfully. Being a champion of peace, S.K. Modi is planning to establish an inter-faith spiritual centre in Modinagar soon.
Among the many educational institutions set up by him, is the International Institute of Fine Arts (IIFA), established in May 2000 in Modinagar , India . The aim of the college was to provide quality education to students in the fields of art and design. Currently, IIFA has over 450 students studying degree courses in Fashion Design, Textile Design, Painting and Applied Art. Under Mr. S.K. Modi's leadership, the college, today, has become a premier institution in the country and has associations with renowned universities of the world.
The International Institute of Fine Arts has a tie up with the University of the Arts London (UAL). The two Institutions have, over the years, been working towards the development of cooperative academic and scholarly projects of mutual interest, including exchange of academic staff, exchange of students, short & long term placements and internship for students and alumni; exhibitions, master classes, short term courses, conferences, seminars, symposia and other similar activities; joint research activities and exchange of publications.
The University of the Arts London is now working closely with IIFA towards establishing the first private Arts University of India in Modinagar , India – an area that has developed as an education hub of the country. The proposed University, to be built on 70 acres of land already selected by UAL, will be equipped with state of the art academic and residential facilities comprising high-tech class rooms, study rooms, laboratories, workshops, e-centres, hostels, art galleries, museums, auditoriums and sports recreation facilities. The proposed Arts University , envisaged to become the largest Arts University in the region, will offer undergraduate and postgraduate degree programmes in a wide variety of subjects in the field of visual and performing arts, including Journalism, Mass Communication, Animation and Film & Television.
Led by Satish Kumar Modi, IIFA also organizes art events in various countries, in an effort to promote contemporary Indian art worldwide.
On the invitation by the United Nations, Satish Kumar Modi arranged an exhibition of contemporary Indian art at UNESCO's Global Forum on the ‘Power of Peace' at Bali , Indonesia in January 2007. With the success of this exhibition, Mr. Modi has again been invited by UNESCO to hold similar exhibition on ‘Power of Peace' at their next summit to be held in Bangkok , Thailand in October 2009.
Satish Kumar Modi was invited by the governments of Japan and India to organize an exhibition of contemporary Indian art, celebrating the 60 th anniversary of the Indo-Japan Friendship Year.
IIFA has also organized several displays of contemporary Indian art at the Tate Britain, London .
For the first time at the House of Lords, London , an exhibition of contemporary Indian art, conceptualized by Satish Kumar Modi, was organized in October 2007.
He was made Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts, London in 2005.
In the area of community health, Satish Kumar Modi has partnered with S.A.F.E. (Sponsored Arts For Education), to form ‘S.A.F.E. (India)' to help increase AIDS awareness in India . S.A.F.E. is a charity that uses theatre, combined with community activities and education, to deliver life-saving information about HIV/AIDS. The organization has been working towards this cause in the most under-served areas in Kenya . Amongst its many health related activities, S.A.F.E. (India) will focus on taking performance, education and vital HIV information to communities in neglected areas that do not have access to services or conventional means of information dissemination.
Satish Kumar Modi is now in the process of writing a book entitled, ‘In Love with Death' (http://www.inlovewithdeath.com). The aim of this book is to help people overcome their fear of dying, to make them look at death positively, motivating them to live their lives filled with goodness, love and compassion.
Carrying the essence of his book, Satish Kumar Modi, is also producing a film, ‘Young Jesus: The Missing Years'. This film, being co-produced by the eminent British film producer, Kent Walwin, is based on the belief that Jesus Christ spent a large part of his youth in India searching for answers, seeking higher knowledge and imbibing from the learned. At the same time He had to face the challenges of being in a foreign land, mostly in harsh terrain, amongst alien people, who spoke different languages. Jesus finally emerged after seventeen years, as an enlightened person, ready to spread His message and teachings to the world.
In recognition of his outstanding contributions to industry, art and philanthropy, Satish Kumar Modi was invited by Mr. George Bush, the then President of U.S.A., for a breakfast meeting in Washington .
Mr. S. K. Modi was recently honoured as 'Ambassador for Philanthropy' on the website, launched by the British Government, 'www.ambassadorforphilanthropy.com'. He has the distinction of being the only Indian to have been featured on this website - indeed, a unique platform where he has shared his thoughts and views on the numerous philanthropic causes and activities dear to his heart.
For his services to the nation, Satish Kumar Modi has received a number of awards and honours including the Vijaya Ratna Award, the National Unity Award, Gem of India Award and the Rajiv Gandhi Medal of Merit. |
