An industrialist or a sportsman? How Naveen Jindal aced many passions!

Business and sports may not have much in common, yet some people develop unusual passions, aspiring to be more than just entrepreneurs. One such individual is the industrialist Naveen Jindal, who was zealous about more than one thing in life. Although a successful career was all but guaranteed on the back of his hard work and dedication during his school days, sports was something that required him to shun the comfort zone and vouch for a demanding endeavor.

It was at the age of six when Naveen Jindal began his riding lessons. He soon emerged as a great rider and simultaneously focused on learning polo as well. It was only a matter of time before Jindal Steel and Power polo team became a reality after he joined the family business. The team also became an integral part of the Indian polo circuit. Under his leadership, it achieved multiple victories, with Naveen often leading the way through his exemplary skillset in the sport.

However, polo was not the only passion that Naveen developed, besides business. He was just 15 when he started to learn shooting as a sport. At a very young age, he mastered the art and became focused to improve his overall performance in skeet shooting. As a result, the industrialist became a record holder in the sport that requires quick reflexes and decision making, a true replication of his ability in the world of steel industry.

With the passage of time, Naveen represented India at the international events under the guidance of his coaches. He also initiated and got the import policy changed for the duty-free import of arms and ammunition for shooting as a sport. The industrialist cum sportsperson won a gold medal in the team skeet event for India at Singapore in 2007. He managed to win two silver and one bronze medals while representing his country at the international events.

Must Read – How Naveen Jindal mastered the art of leadership to make his mark!

Naveen has also taken part in various national events of skeet shooting, wherein he has won several golds, silver and bronze medals in the last many years. However, it is not the desire to come up as a winner that keeps pushing him all the time, but it is the enthusiasm of the person that makes him different from a common industrialist. Naveen Jindal has proved that an individual can be a good businessman, a patriot and philanthropist, while also being an enthusiast who wants to enjoy the different aspects of life.

Having said that, Naveen Jindal’s journey has not been limited to just sports and business. Instead, the entrepreneur has always batted for an ‘India first’ approach. According to him, it is the need of the hour for all the entrepreneurs and organizations to boost the growth prospects of the country by elevating less-privileged communities. The vision of Naveen Jindal is not restricted to the lip-service, but all his actions are in sync with the nation’s development.

This is the reason why Naveen Jindal joined politics and managed to win the elections twice in 2004 and 2009 from Kuruskshetra to work for the welfare of the people and make a bigger impact on the society. However, his focus wasn’t restricted to uplifting the communities, it was more about going beyond the statutory obligations to usher in a change. The decade-long struggle of Naveen to win the right to hoist the national flag on any given day is a testament to that fact.

A single-handed struggle carried by Naveen Jindal on the behalf of 130 crore Indians finally reaped the rewards when the Supreme Court permitted the hoisting of national flag, besides Independence day and Republic day. Apart from this, the commitment and determination of Jindal to uplift the weaker sections of the society has been unmatched. Under his leadership, JSPL has launched a number of initiatives focusing on education, health, nutrition, sanitation, entrepreneurship development, etc. These initiatives have impacted many societies and transformed the landscape of various regions.

Naveen Jindal is an active campaigner for the rights of women and children. He actively promotes sports, art, and culture through CSR activities of JSPL. The JSPL Foundation had spent nearly Rs 13.72 crores on its CSR activities in in FY 2018-19. Naveen Jindal’s India first approach is undisputed and the industrialist is fully focused on making a valuable contribution towards the development and prosperity of the nation and its people.