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Mohan Valrani: The man who donates 1,000 times his age every year

Dubai - Valrani, who ranks 10th on the Forbes list of top 100 Indian leaders in the UAE, has been celebrating his birthday with students at Rashid Centre for Disabled.

'The more you give, the more you receive', is an age-old adage and a Dubai-based Indian businessman, makes sure he donates 1,000 times of whatever his age is so that he receives a thousand-fold blessings every time he celebrates his birthday.
Know more about him: From $10 in pocket to Dubai business magnate
This is what Indian philanthropist-entrepreneur Mohan Valrani of the Al Shirawi Group has been doing for the past seven years. Valrani, who ranks 10^th on the Forbes list of top 100 Indian leaders in the UAE, has been celebrating his birthday with students at Rashid Centre for Disabled.
Contribution: Indian businessman to invest Dh500m to build four new British schools
Every year he contributes 1,000 times of whatever his age is, to the centre. He turned 76 on Thursday and donated Dh76,000. With that his total donation to the centre for his birthday since he turned 70, has been Dh511,000.

"But the more I give, the more I get," Valrani told Khaleej Times. "The best gift I received this year is the opening of Arcadia Preparatory School and I'm going to open more in the years to come. I received many gifts and blessings because of the good wishes and blessings of the students at the Rashid Centre and other centres I'm supporting."
Valrani said he came to Dubai 50 years ago with no money in his pocket. But his net worth now is estimated to be around $320m or Dh1.175 billion. His group of companies has provided jobs to around 8,500 employees spread across 42 companies.
And he's still full life and vigour. "I feel like I'm just 40," he said. "I can dance; I can jump ; I work 12 hours a day and I'm opening new schools. But what gives me more pleasure is by always giving."
"The shortcut to happiness is by giving," Valrani shared. "One cannot buy happiness. The people who are accepting from me are obliging me - I'm not obliging them. It's not giving back to the community, but I'm actually giving back to myself because I become happy by giving."
"Dubai has given me a lot. I came here 50 years ago, with nothing in my pocket. Whatever I have, Dubai has given me. Therefore it is my moral obligation to give back to Dubai but as I give I receive more," Valrani said.
Until when can Valrani continue giving? He replied: The students and Ms Mariam Othman, CEO of Rashid Centre, said I will live 1,000 years."
"So, I have to work hard because every year a number is added to my age, the cheques also gets bigger and bigger so if I reach a thousand years, it might reach to billions, but by then I will be a billion times happier," Valrani happily said.
angel@khaleejtimes.com