Dhillon to build more bridges between India,Canada

“Honestly, I don’t want to sound like a cocky NRI, throwing around his weight around. I would rather salute the spirit of my forefathers who were the real adventurers, and who were a part of the 110-year-old journey of Sikhs in Canada,” says Dhillon, who was in town over the weekend to deliver a talk at the International School of Business.

Dhillon is also one of the four achievers who was honoured by the Canadian Consulate Chandigarh as part of commemoration of 100 years of the Komagata Maru incident and celebrate Canadians of Indian origin.

“Well, I can say one thing – you need a Punjabi DNA to be successful. Act now, think later,” he laughs. Aggressive, ambitious, entrepreneurial, Dhillon never forgets his roots. “The sacrifices made by Sikhs across the world is commendable,” he narrates the story of his great grandfather who left for Canada in late 1800’s and never came back.

It was Dhillon’s grandfather, Sampuran Singh Dhillon, who changed the course of this poor peasant Jat Sikh family hailing from Tallewal, Barnala, Punjab. “My grandfather was working in Hongkong when he was put in jail for supporting Free India Rally. The two years and interaction with his cell mate, Purshottam Das, a Sindhi, changed him. It was an education, in business, in making money, understanding the market, and he became the first Jat Sikh trader of that era,” shares Dhillon.

After losing everything in the civil war in Liberia, West Africa, where his father was doing business, the family migrated to Canada in the seventies. Born in Japan in 1965 where his father, Gursewa Singh Dhillon, was posted first, living in HongKong before packing off to Liberia, sent to Bishop Cotton School Shimla for studies, migrating to Canada as economic refugees —Dhillon’s life has been a rollercoaster from day one. “Canada is a country built by immigrants,” he adds.

For someone who tasted his first million at the age of 19 by borrowing money, buying two run-down houses, fixing them up and selling at a fat profit, Dhillon’s applied the basics and multiplied the outcome.

“I bought my first Merc with that money! Basically, our business model is to buy run-down, under-valued properties, renovate them and make profits.” One such golden property is this 3,000 acre island he bought in Belize 20 years back, which has the largest live reef, and includes a 1,500 acre rainforest he plans to conserve and raise a 100 per cent green township on the rest. So taken he is by Belize, that he has penned a book, ‘Business and Retirement Guide to Belize’.

Back in Canada, he is busy restoring 100-plus-year-old buildings, collecting vibrant Caribbean art, practising kundalini yoga, meditating and mentoring youngsters. A vegetarian culture buff who calls Canada the New Punjab and finds nothing more exciting than people in India, he is already building bridges between India and Canada via education and capital investment.

“India is the greatest real estate development market in an evolutionary and revolutionary stage.” According to him it is also the greatest time for Punjabis here to capture the prosperity of NRIs and build a capital bridge. “I am here along with deans of Canadian universities on a cultural discovery trip, to forge tie-ups here,” he refers to an education bridge.