- Niraj Singh rose from security guard to head a Rs 400 crore company in Bihar
- He is Jan Suraaj Party's candidate for the Sheohar seat in the upcoming Bihar election
- Singh founded Usha Industries, dealing in bricks, tiles and road construction
From working as a security guard in Delhi to leading a company with a turnover of Rs 400 crore, Bihar industrialist Niraj Singh's journey is straight out of a movie script. The 38-year-old is now gearing up for the next leg of his inspirational story: he is Jan Suraaj Party's candidate for the Sheohar seat in the upcoming Bihar election.
The Meteoric Rise
Niraj Singh, born in Mathurapur village in Bihar's Sheohar district, comes from a modest background. After clearing the Class X boards at the age of 13, he started looking for jobs to supplement the family income, but nobody was ready to hire an adolescent. He then started selling petrol and diesel in the village. About three years later, he moved to Delhi in search of a livelihood and started working as a security guard. The next year, he moved to Pune and worked as an office attendant in a private firm. He rose to become a human resources professional before setting up a grain business in 2010.
Hard work paid off, and his business bloomed. He later founded Usha Industries, which deals in bricks, building blocks, tiles, and other ceramic goods. Singh has expanded his business to road construction and recently opened a petrol pump.
The Motihar-based company, according to reports, boasts a turnover of Rs 400 crore and employs about 2,000 people.
From No Cycle To Luxury Cars
At one point, Niraj Singh did not even own a bicycle. He would sometimes borrow neighbours' bicycles for odd chores. And now he owns a Range Rover and half a dozen luxury cars. Singh has two brothers. He lives with his wife, two sons and parents. He holds a law degree.
Singh's supporters say he is involved in social welfare measures such as sponsoring weddings of underprivileged women and organising free health camps and pilgrimages for senior citizens.
Singh will be filing his nomination tomorrow. "True politics changes people's lives. Bihar has everything, we just need the will to do it," he says, ahead of his poll debut from Prashant Kishor's party.
