Acharya Balkrishna Age, Wife, Family, Biography

Bio/Wiki
Full Name	Balkrishna Suvedi
Profession	Businessman; Managing Director & Primary stakeholder of Patanjali Ayurved
Physical Stats & More
Height (approx.)	5' 8" (173 cm)
Eye Colour	Black
Hair Colour	Black
Personal Life
Date of Birth	4 August 1972 (Friday)
Age (as in 2023)	51 Years
Birthplace	Syangja, Gandaki Pradesh, Nepal
Zodiac sign	Leo
Nationality	Indian
Hometown	Haridwar, India
School	He studied in a Gurukul at Kalwa (near Jind, Haryana)
Educational Qualification	Not Known
Religion	Hinduism
Food Habit	Vegetarian
Political Inclination	Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)
Hobbies	Reading, Writing, Travelling
Controversies	• His academic qualifications and Indian citizenship have been under doubt for a very long time. • In 2011, the CBI registered a case against Balkrishna and arrested him on the charges of forgery and cheating. The agency claimed that his passport was issued on forged high school and graduation certificates. CBI also iterated that he owned a pistol without a legal permit. • A case was filed against Balkrishna by the Enforcement Directorate on charges of money laundering. However, he was later given a clean chit because the ED could not find any evidence of wrongdoing. • In June 2020, Balkrishna, along with Ramdev, launched an Ayurvedic medicine "Coronil" and claimed that it would cure the patients infected with the COVID-19. Following the launch of the medicine, he received heavy criticism for making fake claims without performing a legitimate clinical trial before the launch of the medicine. The Union government, Uttarakhand government, and the AYUSH Ministry distanced themselves from Baba's claim and put a blanket ban on medicine's advertisements. Later, an FIR against Balkrishna, Ramdev, and three others was lodged in Jaipur for allegedly conspiring to sell a fake Ayurveda medicine. [1]The Hindu • Patanjali advertising case On 21 November 2023, the Supreme Court of India warned Patanjali Ayurved of a Rs. 1 crore penalty for each false claim in its advertisements. The court issued its judgement in response to the petitions filed by the state units of the Indian Medical Association regarding Patanjali Ayurved's advertisement titled “Misconceptions spread by allopathy: Save yourself and the country from the misconceptions spread by pharma and medical industry,” which was published on 10 July 2022; the accusations against Patanjali Ayurved was of conducting a “smear campaign” and making false claims against evidence-based medicine. The court not only warned of the penalty but also directed the company to stop making false claims and creating misleading advertisements. [2]Mint On 27 February 2024, the Supreme Court of India issued a contempt notice against Patanjali Ayurved and its Managing Director Acharya Balkrishna for publishing advertisements of products, which violated the Drugs and Magic Remedies (Objectionable Advertisements) Act, 1954 and its Rules. On 19 March 2024, the Supreme Court issued a show cause notice to Baba Ramdev and asked why contempt proceedings be not initiated against him in Patanjali advertising case. The court also directed Ramdev and Balkrishna to appear before it to respond to contempt proceedings in the advertising case relating to the company. [3]The Hindu On 10 April 2024, the Supreme Court refused to accept the unconditional apology from Baba Ramdev and Acharya Balkrishna, saying that Ramdev's violations of the undertaking to the court was deliberate and willful. [4]The Hindu The Supreme Court later gave them one week time to apology in public. On 23 April 2024, they informed the court that they had published their apology in various newspapers to which the court asked if it was as big and expensive as its usual “front page” advertisements for their products. The court also questioned the Centre that why the AYUSH Ministry suddenly repealed Rule 170, which dealt with the power to take action against objectionable advertisements, from the Drugs and Cosmetics Rules, 1945. [5]The Hindu On 24 April Patanjali Ayurved issued a bigger apology in various newspapers.
Relationships & More
Marital Status	Unmarried
Family
Wife/Spouse	N/A
Parents	Father- Jay Vallabh Subedi (A security guard in an Ashram in Uttarakhand) Mother- Sumitra Devi
Style Quotient
Car Collection	Range Rover
Money Factor
Net Worth (approx.)	$4.8 billion [6]Forbes

Some Lesser Known Facts About Balkrishna

• His father, Jay Vallabh Subedi was a security officer in an ‘Ashram’ (Hermitage) in Uttarakhand.

• Balkrishna joined Kalwa Gurukul in Haryana. After receiving his primary and secondary education, he travelled across India to study plants and their medicinal values.
  

  An early image of Acharya Balkrishna

• In the early 1990s, Balkrishna met Baba Ramdev for the first time at Tripura Yoga Ashram, Kankhal, Haridwar. Gradually, they became fast friends.

• In 1993, Balkrishna along with Baba Ramdev went to the Himalayas near Gangotri, Uttarakhand.
  

  An early image of Acharya Balkrishna (Extreme Left) and Baba Ramdev (Extreme Right)

• In the 1990s, he along with Baba Ramdev used to sell ‘Chyawanprash’ in Haridwar. He could easily be seen in the streets of Haridwar in those days.
  

  Acharya Balkrishna and Baba Ramdev while selling products on cycle

• Because of having lots of knowledge of herbs and Ayurveda, many people requested him to sell medicines for common problems. Slowly and steadily, he established an organisation of ayurvedic medicines and treatment.

• In 1995, they (he and Baba Ramdev) established a trust, “Patanjali Divya Yoga Mandir” in Haridwar. They also founded the “Divya Pharmacy,” a unit to manufacture ayurvedic medicines.
  

  Balkrishna is the chairperson of the Patanjali Yogpeeth

• On 23 October 2004, he was honoured by the former Indian President, Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam
  with certificates, appreciation letters during a Yoga Camp in the Rashtrapati Bhavan.
  

  Acharya Balkrishna and Baba Ramdev with APJ Abdul Kalam

• In 2006, he and Baba Ramdev founded a consumer goods company, Patanjali Ayurved Limited. Later, the company went on to become the fastest-growing FMCG (Fast Moving Consumer Goods) company in the 2010s.

• In 2007, Balkrishna was honoured by the Government of Nepal for his research in Ayurveda and Culture.

• In 2012, Balkrishna was bestowed with the Sujana Shri award by Veeranjaneya Foundation for his marvellous contribution to yoga and herbal plants.

• On 23 February 2014, he was honoured by the then Cheif Minister of Gujarat (Later, Prime Minister of India), Narendra Modi at an Ayurveda Summit held in Gujarat.
  

  Narendra Modi folding hands before Acharya Balkrishna

• Till 2016, he was awarded 13 awards/titles. Some of them are-Bloomberg Special Recognition Award, Felicitation by Canada India Network Society, Felicitation in Nepal’s Cabinet, Bharat Gaurav Award, and many others.
  

  Balkrishna while receiving the Bharat Gaurav Award

• Balkrishna owns 98% stakes in Patanjali Ayurved. The company entered the Hurun India Rich List 2017 with a notable amount of Rs. 25,600 crore. ^[7]Business Today

• His supporters celebrate his birthday as “Jadi Booti Diwas” (Herbs Day).

• Despite being the CEO and MD of Patanjali Ayurveda, he does not take any salary.

• Balkrishna serves as the Chief Editor of a magazine “Yog Sandesh,” which promotes Yoga and Ayurveda. Along with his co-authors, he has written 41 research papers. All of them are related to Ayurveda and Yoga.
  

  Coverpage of Magazine, Yog Sandesh, which is edited by Balkrishna

• In 2018, his company opened a subsidiary named “Patanjali Food and Herbal Park in Uttarakhand.

• On 25 May 2019, the United Nations Sustainable Development Group (UNSDG) named him among the world’s 10 influential people. He was also conferred with the UNSDG Healthcare Award in Geneva, Switzerland.

• In August 2019, he complained of giddiness and chest pain after which he was admitted to AIIMS in Rishikesh. Soon after, he was discharged and recovered completely.
  

  Acharya Balkrishan in AIIMS