Leena Gandhi Tewari

Some Lesser Known Facts About Leena Gandhi Tewari

•  Leena Gandhi Tewari is an Indian entrepreneur, and she is the chairperson of privately held company USV Pharma. The company specializes in diabetic and cardiovascular drugs as well as biosimilar drugs, injectables, and active pharmaceutical ingredients.

• In 1960s USV Pharma started off as a small firm founded by her grandfather, Vithal Balkrishna Gandhi, a well-known social reformer and politician. The company used to import medicines and later branched off into manufacturing in a joint venture with an American company, Revlon.

  

• Leena Gandhi is an avid reader, a passionate writer, dancer, and a homemaker. In 2013, she wrote her first book, a biography on her grandfather, Vithal Balkrishna Gandhi ( Indian social reformer, political leader and businessman) titled ‘Beyond Pipes & Dreams – The Life of Vithal Balkrishna Gandhi.’ Many well-known personalities were also part of her book launch. Leena wrote this book after extensive research of 7 years. Her grandfather was majorly influenced by the great leaders of India such as  Mahatma Gandhi and Lala Lajpatrai. According to Leena, her grandfather’s own struggles in life, his underprivileged background, and his work in Mumbai slums stirred in him the desire to work in the field of medication and start a business in pharmaceuticals.

  

• Leena Gandhi is also counted among the top 100 richest Indians and frequently appears in Forbe’s Magazine list.

• She is associated with many humanitarian works and supports Dr Sushila Gandhi Centre for Underprivileged Women where girls are mentored through academic instruction, dance and computers. She founded this school in the year 2005. She named the school after her grandmother who was a doctor in the 1920s. According to Leena, her grandmother, Susheela Korgaonkar (gynaecologist) was a strong-headed woman and an inspiration to her.
  

  

  Since 2005, Leena observed a perceptible change in girls studying there as they have built more confidence, their school grades have improved and even their behaviour at home has turned out more positive and respectful.

  

• According to Leena, she shares a very strong bond with her husband and children and loves to spend time with them. Expressing her relationship with her family, she said,
  

  My family is my backbone. With my husband, I share a common interest in wildlife. I have two children Vilas and Aneesha with whom we share active vacations which vary from a trek in Bhutan to skiing in Austria or safari in Kenya. As parents, we are very proud that both our children are humble and conscious of carving out their identity from their own accomplishments.”
  

• Leena is a nature and animal lover, she loves to travel into the forests all across the country and study wildlife. She is immensely fascinated with reptiles. According to Leena, since her childhood, she was fascinated with snakes, lizards and other reptiles.