His businesses have a combined annual turnover of Rs. 30 lakhs and his firms active on GeM , the Amazon of government procurement. As proprietor of Sani Kripa Enterprises and Shree Balaji Enterprises, Sri. Uttam Singh Rathore’s ventures dabble in stationery, furniture, electronics, electrical, IT hardware, sports items and other institutional supplies. In short, anything that brings in the money! But Uttam Singh Rathore begs to differ. “Office furniture accounts for a huge portion of sales,” he reveals.
As a government approved procurer and seller, Uttam Singh’s customers are mostly Army cantonment bases in New Delhi, Jaipur, Assam Rifles and India Post. He has his own spanking new office near Neemrama, Rajasthan, with 3 executives reporting to him and their cumulative monthly package totaling Rs. 1 lakh, per month.
But this wasn’t the case in the beginning. This enterprising Rajput lost his father, the sole bread winner of the family to a road accident in 2009. The silver lining was his father was a long standing employee in a hospital in close vicinity to the Arsha Vidya Tirtha AIM for Seva Chatralayam for Boys, Jaipur, Rajasthan.
The hospital management stepped in to fund the MBBS degree of his older brother while the younger sibling eventually found a home away from home in the neighbouring Arsha Vidya Tirtha AIM for Seva Chatralayam for Boys, Jaipur, Rajasthan, the same year as the untimely death of their father.
Originally from Barau village, Jhunjhunu district, Rajasthan, the initial days in the hostel proved to be the toughest. “I remember coming crying into the Chatralayam and homesickness persisted for a while,” he recollects. Gradually, the daily routine, coupled with love and care, nourishing food and constant emphasis on seva, brought in the first seeds of change in the young lad.
Uttam Singh Rathore joined the Chatralayam in Class 5 and stayed on in the Jaipur hostel till June 2017, when he completed his diploma studies from Vivekananda Institute of Technology Jagatpura, Jaipur. He later went on to do a BBA (bachelors in business administration) from Gyan Vihar, Jaipur.
It was now time to metamorphise as an all rounder. Uttam Singh became a district level cricket player during his graduation days but unfortunately, financial constraints played spoilt sport and cricket had to go back foot.
Nevertheless, the cricketing tryst taught him a valuable lesson in playing front foot too. He tried jobs in the hospitality and electricals space, but that income wasn’t enough for himself and the family back home.
Around that time, a relative working in Nagaland beckoned him to try his luck in the north east frontier. Uttam Singh Rathore packed his bags and journeyed, west to east. A chance encounter with a few people in the state opened up opportunities in the government procurement and selling space. The twin enterprises were born during Covid and Uttam Singh Rathore trekked back home with his fledging venture. The silver lining during the pandemic was that online and digital saw a big boost and this greatly aided Uttam Singh Rathore’s newly established firms. Today, this enterprising young man has successfully established his credentials in the government supply sector. Another striking trait of this young Rajput is his compassion towards all, especially sentient beings. “My dream is to work for animals, birds and cows for I believe in giving back through volunteering, donations, creating social awareness and other acts of kindness,” explains Uttam Singh Rathore. As part of this effort, Uttam Singh Rathore always makes it a point to do Gau Seva with Gur (jaggery) and fruits, every Thursday and Sundays, at a Gaushala near his residence.
The seeds of animal care and welfare got instilled during the Jaipur Chatralayam years when he took care of the cows in the hostel compound, as part of seva and dharm. Reflecting on AIM for Seva and the impact the Jaipur Chatralayam eco system had on him during his growth years, Uttam Singh Rathore is all praise for the work done and states that the organization is an epitome of accessible education, spiritual knowledge and quality healthcare.
As an alumnus, Uttam Singh Rathore is looking to maintaining ties with his second home that shaped him during his formative years. “I would like to support the Chatralayam and create opportunities for other younger students in the years to come,” he shares.
Uttam Singh Rathore’s journey is a wonderful example of how our alumni are not only evolving as successful and responsible professionals in their chosen fields but also as compassionate contributors to society.