Editing Subrata Roy (section)

== Business career ==
{{Main|Sahara India Pariwar}}
Roy joined Sahara Finance, a struggling company, in 1976,<ref>{{Cite web |date=6 May 2010 |title=Owner of Pune Warriors runs Sahara India Pariwar as managing worker |url=http://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/in-depth/owner-of-pune-warriors-runs-sahara-india-pariwar-as-managing-worker/story-e6frgaho-1225863044409 |access-date=12 September 2011 |work=The Australian}}</ref> that ran a [[chit fund]]<ref>{{Cite news |title=Sahara chief, money all safe and well |language=en |work=South China Morning Post |url=http://www.scmp.com/article/503996/sahara-chief-money-all-safe-and-well |access-date=9 July 2018 |archive-date=6 March 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140306122303/http://www.scmp.com/article/503996/sahara-chief-money-all-safe-and-well |url-status=live }}</ref> and took it over. He changed its financial model in 1978. Sahara is said to have used the financial model of much older [[Peerless Group]]. They are termed residuary non-banking companies (RNBCs)<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com/2005-05-18/news/27494539_1_discretionary-investments-rnbcs-risk-weightage |title=RBI eases pressure on Sahara, Peerless, Sugata Ghosh, TNN 18 May 2005 |access-date=8 March 2014 |archive-date=5 March 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140305113524/http://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com/2005-05-18/news/27494539_1_discretionary-investments-rnbcs-risk-weightage |url-status=dead }}</ref> that accept deposits of very low amounts.

In the 1990s, Roy moved to [[Lucknow]] which became the base of his group.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Rai |first=Manmohan |date=1 March 2014 |title=Subrata Roy, Sahara chief, has friends across political, glamour spectrum |work=The Economic Times |url=http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics-and-nation/subrata-roy-sahara-chief-has-friends-across-political-glamour-spectrum/articleshow/31199146.cms |url-status=dead |access-date=9 July 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140809044608/http://www.pardaphash.com/news/subrata-roys-sahara-city-stands-on-scandalous-base/717828.html |archive-date=9 August 2014}}</ref> From there, it went on to become the largest conglomerate of India with a diversified range of business interests. The company now has interests in [[financial services]], education, real estate, media, entertainment, tourism, healthcare, and [[hospitality]].

The [[Hindi]] language newspaper ''[[Rashtriya Sahara]]'' was started in 1992. In the late 1990s, the ambitious [[Aamby Valley City]] project near Pune was initiated. In 2000, Sahara TV was launched which was later renamed [[Sahara One]].
In 2003, Sahara started three weeklies: Sahara Time (English), Sahara Samay (Hindi), and Sahara Aalmi (Urdu).<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com/2003-05-11/news/27528771_1_sahara-india-hindi-and-urdu-news-weeklies |title=Sahara India launches 3 news weeklies PTI 11 May 2003 |access-date=8 March 2014 |archive-date=28 September 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150928173056/http://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com/2003-05-11/news/27528771_1_sahara-india-hindi-and-urdu-news-weeklies |url-status=dead }}</ref>

In 2010, Sahara purchased the iconic [[Grosvenor House Hotel]] in [[London]],<ref>{{Cite news |date=18 November 2013 |title=Sale of Plaza Hotel had to happen |language=en-US |work=New York Post |url=https://nypost.com/2013/11/18/family-makes-1-61b-bid-for-plaza-hotel-report |access-date=9 July 2018 |archive-date=9 July 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180709185936/https://nypost.com/2013/11/18/family-makes-1-61b-bid-for-plaza-hotel-report/ |url-status=live }}</ref> and then in 2012 the historic [[Plaza Hotel]] and Dream Downtown Hotel in [[New York City]].<ref>{{Cite news |last=Thirani |first=Neha |date=August 2012 |title=Indian Conglomerate Buys New York's Plaza Hotel |language=en |work=India Ink |url=http://india.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/08/01/indian-conglomerate-buys-new-yorks-plaza-hotel/?_php=true&_type=blogs&_r=0 |access-date=9 July 2018 |archive-date=9 July 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180709190139/https://india.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/08/01/indian-conglomerate-buys-new-yorks-plaza-hotel/?_php=true&_type=blogs&_r=0 |url-status=live }}</ref>

Sahara has a workforce of around 1.2 million including salaried employees, consultants, field workers, agents, and business associates, etc.<ref>{{Cite web |url= http://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com/2013-01-12/news/36296217_1_pf-department-sahara-india-employees-provident-fund |title=Sahara India under PF Department's scanner; the company asked to submit all employee details, Vikas Dhoot, ET Bureau 12 Jan 2013 |access-date=8 March 2014 |archive-date=12 March 2015 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20150312011023/http://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com/2013-01-12/news/36296217_1_pf-department-sahara-india-employees-provident-fund |url-status=dead }}</ref> In 2004, Sahara group was termed by Time magazine as "the second-largest employer in India" after the Government-run [[Indian Railways]].

Sahara is said to have nine [[crore]] plus investors and depositors, representing about 13% of all households in India.<ref>{{Cite web |date=March 2014 |title=Sahara's phantom investors: Why Subrata Roy's numbers don't add up – Firstpost |url= http://www.firstpost.com/india/saharas-phantom-investors-why-subrata-roys-numbers-dont-add-up-1414025.html |access-date=9 July 2018 |website=www.firstpost.com |archive-date=9 July 2018 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20180709190816/https://www.firstpost.com/india/saharas-phantom-investors-why-subrata-roys-numbers-dont-add-up-1414025.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

Roy was planning to foray into online education (Edunguru) in India, which was targeted at small towns and villages. He put a team in place which consists of members from top universities and colleges across India, and even abroad.<ref name="auto"/> The route map of the program was prepared, and 14,000 hours of lectures were developed for this.<ref>{{Cite news |title=Sahara eyes slice of online education sector|work=The Times of India |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/ranchi/sahara-eyes-slice-of-online-education-sector/articleshow/61792105.cms |access-date=9 July 2018 |archive-date=26 November 2017 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20171126001007/https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/ranchi/sahara-eyes-slice-of-online-education-sector/articleshow/61792105.cms |url-status=live }}</ref>

In June 2019, Roy announced his foray into the [[Car|automobile]] sector under the brand name 'Sahara Evols'. The Sahara Evols venture is offering a wide range of [[Electric vehicles in India|electric vehicles]] (EVs) along with advanced allied services.<ref>{{Cite news |date=4 June 2019 |title=Subrata Roy's Sahara enters automobile sector; to offer wide range of EVs |work=Business Standard India |agency=Press Trust of India |url= https://www.business-standard.com/article/pti-stories/sahara-makes-foray-into-ev-business-119060400863_1.html |access-date=14 January 2021 |archive-date=16 January 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200116052450/https://www.business-standard.com/article/pti-stories/sahara-makes-foray-into-ev-business-119060400863_1.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=4 June 2019 |title=Subrata Roy's Sahara enters EV market: Sahara Evols to sell electric two, three-wheelers and cargo vehicles |url= https://www.financialexpress.com/auto/car-news/subrata-roys-sahara-enters-ev-market-sahara-evols-to-sell-electric-two-three-wheelers-and-cargo-vehicles/1597827/ |access-date=14 January 2021 |website=The Financial Express |language=en-US |archive-date=15 February 2022 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20220215214317/https://www.financialexpress.com/auto/car-news/subrata-roys-sahara-enters-ev-market-sahara-evols-to-sell-electric-two-three-wheelers-and-cargo-vehicles/1597827/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.sahara.in/electricvehicles.html | title=Sahara India Pariwar:: Overview &#124; World's Largest Family }}</ref>