Subrata Roy
Subrata Roy (10 June 1948 – 14 November 2023) was an Indian businessman who founded Sahara India Pariwar in 1978, transforming a modest chit fund operation backed by Rs 2,000 into a sprawling conglomerate with interests in finance, real estate, media, manufacturing, and hospitality.[1][2] Born in Araria, Bihar, to a Bengali Hindu family, Roy built the group into one of India's largest private-sector employers by emphasizing grassroots mobilization and small-savings schemes targeted at rural and lower-income investors.[3][4] Roy's empire included high-profile ventures such as the Aamby Valley luxury township, ownership of an IPL cricket team, and media outlets, earning him recognition as a self-made tycoon who scaled operations through innovative, albeit unregulated, financial instruments.[5] However, the group's practices drew scrutiny for lacking transparency and regulatory oversight, culminating in the Sahara-SEBI case where two subsidiaries raised approximately Rs 24,000 crore through unlisted Optionally Fully Convertible Debentures (OFCDs) from over 30 million investors without proper disclosures or SEBI approval between 2008 and 2011.[3][6] The Supreme Court of India ruled the fundraising illegal, ordering refunds with interest, and held Roy in contempt for non-compliance, leading to his arrest and imprisonment in Tihar Jail from March 2014 until his parole in May 2016 after partial deposits.[3][7] Roy's death from cardiorespiratory arrest followed prolonged health issues, leaving the Sahara Group's legacy marked by rapid expansion and legal entanglements, with undistributed investor funds still under SEBI custodianship exceeding Rs 25,000 crore as of late 2023.[2][8][7]