Rikhi Thakral was born in Singapore on April 23rd, 1963 to Mr. Kartar Singh Thakral and Madam Narinder Kaur Thakral, and is the youngest of five children.Born as a Sikh in Singapore, he grew up in Thailand. It was there that he was influenced by Buddhism.
Rikhi Thakral returned to Singapore to join the Thakral Group in 1979, where he has worked ever since. He has held numerous positions within the Thakral Group, including subsidiary corporations and groups. Currently, the Thakral Group is spread over 30 countries around the world with 9,000 people working globally.
He has been Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of Thakral (Indo-China) Pte, Ltd. since 1986, which is a subsidiary that operates in ASEAN’s CLMV member, states (Vietnam, Cambodia, Myanmar and Laos). Rikhi Thakral is also the Executive Director of the Thakral Group of Companies and has been the Director of Thakral Holdings Ltd. (Oct 1996 – Oct 2012). He is also a Non-Executive Director of Thakral Japan Properties Pte Ltd and Thakral Lifestyle Pte. Ltd. In 2017, he was appointed to be an Advisor to the Investment Committee of Thakral Corporation Ltd.
He currently oversees its property division and is jointly responsible for the development and management of the Family Group’s real estate portfolio in Australia, Japan, and Singapore. He has established more than 300 showrooms and points of sales In Indo-China (Vietnam, Cambodia, Myanmar and Laos) with several brands, including Omega, Breitling, Zenith, Rado, Baume Mercier, Mont Blanc, Seiko, Pulsar, Caran d’Ache, WOLF, Scatola, Bergeon, Boegli, and Morellato.
He is married with five children:triplets born in 1995, and then twins born in 2000.
His
personal philosophy is highly influenced by the teachings of the Sikh religion,
particularly in the sense that one should always set aside a percentage of
time, effort and money to do “God’s work.”In addition,
his parents were highly moral and religious teachers for him as well. Mr.
Kartar Singh Thakral, his father, Mrs. Narinder Kaur Thakral, his mother, and
uncle, the late Mr. Harbans Singh Thakral are primarily
responsible for his current life philosophy which is heavily based on the
principle of thinking about those less fortunate than yourself. In addition,
Rikhi Thakral has noted that he was particularly inspired by King Mongkut (the
King of Siam) for his sincere concern for his people, and Mother Theresa for
touching so many lives.
Rikhi Thakral has attributed his commitment to philanthropy to his upbringing in the Sikh religion, and being raised in a Buddhist society.This commitment to helping others was strengthened during his business trips to different Asian countries where he witnessed poverty, corruption, and severe child abuse.In response to his desire to evoke positive change in the world, he resolved that he should be “making a difference, however small”, for those in need; a saying his organization In SEWA Foundation Ltd. has since adopted as its slogan.He began volunteering with, and participating in, charitable projects and organizations; later realizing that the best results came with ‘focused and direct efforts.’ Rikhi Thakral worked with his father to determine the best course of action to help those in need. With his father’s blessings, he created a foundation under the name “In SEWA”, derived from the Sanskrit root SEWA which means to serve; the name represents the concept of “God’s work.” Thus, In SEWA Foundation Ltd. was created.
Rikhi Thakral is the Director of the In SEWA Foundation Ltd. which was registered as a non-profit organization in 2000.The Foundation is a charity organization based in Southeast Asia which conducts humanitarian and social activities, with a primary focus on children’s needs. Over the past 25 years, the foundation has donated over $5 million USD to humanitarian works. It is said that the organization has positively impacted the lives of over 60,000 Children in Indo-China. Donations have been dispersed all over the region, both in major cities as well as the countryside, in order to affect a wide-range of individuals.Past and current projects include renovation of schools in villages, proper hygiene and sanitation facilities, support to orphanages, a school for the blind & flood victims, donation of rice, milk, donation of mosquito nets, donations of computers and books to universities, monetary support to flood victims, and scholarships to needy but academically successful students. Notably, 99% of all donations allocated for a project are spent on the front line, while administrative and overhead expenses for the In SEWA Foundation Ltd. are covered directly by Rikhi Thakral and his family