
The Raj Kundra Story – Turning Setbacks Into Comebacks
And one such person who has been fighting to pave his way through every storm is Raj Kundra, a British-Indian businessman and an incredible actor. He was ranked as 198th richest British Asian by Success. He was also among the promoters of – Best Deal TV, an online and TV broadcast platform capitalizing on celebrity endorsements. At the same time, his involvement in social change has been commendable. He was awarded with 'Champions of Change Award' by Pranab Mukherjee, the former President of India for his involvement with Swachh Bharat Mission. But there's more to him than meets the eye.
His journey didn't begin with a silver spoon. He transformed his humble beginnings into glorious success. He was born in a middle-class family where his father was a bus conductor in London and mother worked as a shop assistant. It was at the age of 18 when Kundra decided to get into the business of selling pashmina shawls in Britain and that was the beginning of his life as an entrepreneur. Eventually in 2007, he moved to Dubai and set up a business that dealt with precious metals, mining and renewable energy projects. And not just that, he also had his foot inside the entertainment industry where he financed and produced Bollywood films.
But life has its way of throwing challenges our way. Kundra's journey was no different. His life got upside down too. He was arrested in July 2021 and spent two months in jail. Eventually in September 2021, he was released on bail. But those 2 months changed his life forever. He faced humiliation, the media was behind his wife, children and parents and he himself was in a trap from which he felt like there was no way out. But just like the protagonist of every film, he didn't let the setbacks hold him for longer.
'I decided to not only come out of the real-time prison, but also the prison made by the society. I knew that I can't let things happen and I must take matters into my own hands. So I got back. For myself, for my wife, my children, my parents and for every person who has been in my shoes,' says Raj Kundra. Through this hard journey, Kundra embraced strength and resilience reminding us that life never ends. There's always a way. Very soon, Raj Kundra wrote and starred in his film – UT69. The film gives us a glimpse into the 63 days he spent inside India's most crowded jail – Arthur Road Jail. It not only showcases the hardships endured by Kundra but also gives us a glimpse of life of jail inmates and throws light on the situations they live under.
Raj Kundra went beyond his own experience and also has another film lined up for release this year – Mehar. It's directed by Rakesh Mehta, and produced by Divvya Bhatnagar and Raghu Khanna. It's going to be released on September 5th, 2025 and is already in the watchlist of so many cinebuffs. It's a heartfelt family drama that also revolves around love, friendship and life.
Throwing light on his life, Raj Kundra says, 'People are always going to say things. Wrong stuff will always come your way. But you always have the chance to rewrite your setbacks into comebacks. One of the lines I always remember during these times is by Maya Angelou:
' You may write me down in history,
with your bitter, twisted lies.
You may trod me in the very dirt.
But still, like dust, I'll rise. '
Raj Kundra's story of strength reminds us of the Phoenix inside us. It might burn down, but from its ashes, it always comes back to life.
Disclaimer: Consumer Connect Initiative
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Time of India
23 minutes ago
- Time of India
Export outreach widened to 50 countries to negate US tariff hit
Live Events (You can now subscribe to our (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel India is expanding its export outreach to 50 countries including in West Asia and Africa to reduce reliance on any single market and mitigate the risks of trade disruptions amid the steep 50% tariffs imposed by the 50 countries account for about 90% of India's exports. The ministry of commerce and industry is working product by product to improve India's exports competitiveness, officials said."The idea is to tap top 50 countries and look at each product and the competitors. India must mitigate risks to improve manufacturing and export competitiveness," said an official. This exercise to explore alternative markets is being done with export promotion bodies and is crucial as India's merchandise exports in June were flat at $35.14 week, the US doubled the tariffs on its imports from India to 50% at par with Brazil and the highest on any country in a move marking an escalation of trade tensions between the two the initial 25% duty came into effect last week, the additional 25% is effective August 27. Sectors such as marine products, textiles, leather, gems and jewellery, are expected to be severely hit by the adds to the concern is that competing manufacturing hubs such as Turkey, Vietnam and Thailand face significantly lower tariffs of 15%, 20% and 19% respectively, making Indian products relatively less competitive in the US market."The Indian gem and jewellery sector, in particular, stands to be severely impacted. The US is our single largest market, accounting for over $10 billion in exports-nearly 30% of our industry's total global trade. A blanket tariff of this magnitude is severely devastating for the sector," said Kirit Bhansali, chairman, GJEPCThe government is also working on a strategy to safeguard India's exports from American tariffs. This includes offering tailor-made schemes under the proposed Export Promotion Mission for the affected sectors, diversion of goods to other geographies, and identifying products with less export orders that could be diverted to meet the domestic government was already focusing on 20 countries to increase exports but now 30 more have been included in the also said that the possibility of trade rerouting through low-tariff destinations such as Mexico, Canada, Turkey, UAE, or Oman-undermining the spirit of legitimate trade and impacting transparency, is another concern.


Mint
an hour ago
- Mint
‘90% of India makes less than ₹25,000…': Jay Kotak slams ₹50,000 minimum bank balance rule
ICICI Bank is facing heat after hiking its savings account minimum balance by 5 times, and this time veteran banker Uday Kotak's son Jay Kotak has spoken up against the move. In a post on X without explicitly mentioning the ICICI Bank minimum balance hike, Jay Kotak said 90 per cent of Indians make less than ₹ 25,000 a month. 'Every Indian must access our financial sector. 90% of India makes less than ₹ 25,000 a month. A ₹ 50,000 minimum balance implies a sum equal to ~94% of Indians monthly income is to be left with the bank at all times, else a fee!,' he said. Jay Kotak, who leads Kotak Mahindra Bank's digital banking arm Kotak 811, said digital first is the way to go. 'Implication: physical cost to serve may be high. Digital first is the way. If banks don't do it, fintechs will. Banking should be for all Indians.' The ICICI Bank minimum balance for savings account has been hiked from ₹ 10,000 to ₹ 50,000 for urban accounts. MAB (Minimum Account Balance) for semi-urban locations and rural locations have also been increased five times ₹ ₹ 25,000 and ₹ 10,000, respectively, according to information available on the ICICI Bank website. Non-maintenance of ICICI Bank minimum balance will attract penalty, the bank said. The lender will charge 6 per cent of the shortfall in required MAB, or ₹ 500, whichever is lower, if you stay in an urban area and cannot maintain ₹ 50,000 account balance. The changes are applicable to ICICI Bank savings accounts opened on or after August 1. The minimum balance remains ₹ 5,000 for old customers in rural and semi-urban areas. For old urban customers, the minimum account balance should be maintained at ₹ 10,000. The ICICI Bank minimum balance hike was criticised by many, with social media users calling the move discriminatory and elitist. A user wrote, 'In a country where 23 crore people live below the poverty line, ICICI thinks ₹ 50,000 is a 'minimum'. Masterstroke!' In a letter to the finance secretary, 'Bank Bachao Desh Bachao Manch' termed the private lender's decision as "unjust and regressive". 'This retrograde decision undermines the principle of inclusive banking,' the forum's joint conveners, Biswaranjan Ray and Soumya Datta, claimed.


Economic Times
an hour ago
- Economic Times
Flipkart Minutes adds gourmet range to attract buyers seeking premium products
Walmart-backed ecommerce platform Flipkart's quick commerce arm, Minutes, has expanded its offerings to include gourmet products in its product selection. 'With the launch of gourmet, we are not just expanding our assortment but also redefining what convenience means for India's growing modern consumers,' said Kabeer Biswas, vice president at Flipkart Minutes. 'Whether it's crafting an authentic Asian meal, baking at home, or simply discovering new tastes, our curated selection ensures they get quality products from their favourite brands, delivered in minutes at their doorstep.' Under the gourmet section, Flipkart Minutes has 650 products from 130 brands—international brands including Samyang, Nongshim, Barilla, and Abbie's, as well as Indian brands such as Habanero and WickedGud. Currently, Flipkart Minutes' gourmet offerings are live in Delhi, Mumbai, and Bangalore, with plans to expand to more cities. Interestingly, consumers in tier-2 markets are also showing a liking for these gourmet products. 'Tier 2 audiences are getting more conscious about trying global ingredients and new flavours, and are being open to non-traditional palettes. Quick commerce is leading at the moment,' said Griffith David, founder of Habanero. Need for premiumisation This development also comes at a time when the quick commerce segment is seeing increasing competition—making it more important than ever for platforms to differentiate from rivals. Another ecommerce giant, Amazon, has also joined the race of quick commerce through Now. After launching its service in Bangalore in June, Amazon expanded its quick commerce service to a few localities in Delhi in July. Besides, new players are also entering the online grocery delivery business by offering more premium and quality products. One such example is FirstClub. It is a new quick commerce platform that focuses on delivering a select range of premium products within 20-30 minutes. In September 2024, ET reported that Ayyappan R, former chief executive of Flipkart-owned Cleartrip, was set to launch FirstClub and was in talks with venture capital firms Accel and RTP Global for significant seed funding. Similarly, Mumbai-based LoveLocal is a hyperlocal delivery app for groceries, fresh vegetables, fruits, and other essentials. It connects users to their local kirana store or small supermarket to place their orders. Instead of speed, LoveLocal focuses on providing good quality and fresh products to its users.