Hyderabad : The Jain International Trade Organisation (JITO), Hyderabad Chapter, installed its new Managing Committee for the 2026–28 term. The new team succeeds the outgoing committee led by Shri Rohit Kothari, Outgoing Chairman, and Shri Lalith Chopra, Outgoing Chief Secretary, and will be in office for the next two years.
With a corpus of over ₹700 crore, JITO has emerged as an influential community-based organization with a distinctive model that brings together business networking, wealth creation, education, entrepreneurship and philanthropy under one institutional umbrella. Through its various initiatives, JITO seeks to promote economic empowerment, knowledge and seva, while creating opportunities for the Jain business and professional community and contributing to society at large.
The installation ceremony was graced by senior national leaders of JITO, including Shri Sanjay Dangi, Chairman; Shri Pramod Chordia, Vice Chairman; and Shri Himanshu Shah, President, JITO Apex, along with other members of the JITO Executive Council and national office-bearers. The oath of office was administered by the senior leadership. Their presence highlighted the strong association between the national leadership and the Hyderabad Chapter.
Shri B L Bhandari will lead the JITO Hyderabad Chapter as Chairman. The four Vice Chairmen are Shri Goutam Sehlot, Shri Anil Bohra, Shri Rahul Pokarna and Shri Varun Munot. Shri Rahul Surana takes charge as Chief Secretary, supported by Secretaries Shri Sudhir Sethia, Shri Lalit Bhandari, Shri Tapasvi Deora, Shri Nikhil Shah and Shri Ajit Shrishrimal. Shri Vishal Anchaliya will serve as Treasurer, with Shri Amit Sancheti and Shri Rahul Shyamsukha as Joint Treasurers.
Sharing his vision and priorities for the next two years, the newly installed Chairman, Shri B L Bhandari, said that creating opportunities, promoting JITO Awas Yojana with its focus on affordable housing, and building a lasting legacy would be among his key priorities. He announced plans to increase the Hyderabad Chapter’s membership from the present 748 to 1,008, emphasising inclusive growth and greater participation of members.
Addressing the gathering, Shri Sanjay Dangi, Chairman, JITO Apex, spoke about JITO’s transformation over the years into a trusted global organisation and urged more members of the Jain community to become part of its journey. He emphasised the importance of greater connectivity and cross-linkages among members, the increasing role of women in the organisation and the need to give greater priority to education. He noted that JITO had disbursed ₹5 crore in educational loans to Jain youth and stressed that education would be a critical factor in the community’s future progress.
Shri Ganpatji Choudhary, Past Chairman, JITO Apex, described JITO as a world-class brand that was steadily expanding its reach and multiplying its impact. Pointing to the growing migration of students from rural areas to towns and cities in search of better educational opportunities, he highlighted the urgent need for affordable student accommodation across the country. He shared that JITO Apex was planning an ambitious initiative to build hostels with a capacity of 10,000 rooms over the next eight years, involving an estimated investment of ₹2,000 crore. The estimate is based on an approximate construction cost of ₹20 lakh per room.
Speaking about JITO’s educational initiatives, Shri Mayur Jain, President, JATF (JITO Administrative Training Foundation), described JATF as an important vertical of JITO and a significant educational and nation-building initiative. JATF focuses on preparing young aspirants for competitive examinations, particularly Civil Services, and nurturing future administrators and leaders. He shared that JATF’s efforts had helped 37 Jain youth enter these prestigious services, with ten of its candidates securing ranks among the top 100 in the UPSC examinations.
Among JITO’s flagship service initiatives is Shraman Arogyam, a nationwide healthcare initiative dedicated to providing quality medical care to Jain Sadhus and Sadhvis of all sects across India. Rooted in the Jain tradition of Vaiyavachch (care and service), the initiative has registered over 10,700 Sadhus and Sadhvis, facilitated 10,850 medical treatments and spent more than ₹96 crore on healthcare. It has established a network of over 12,000 hospitals to facilitate cashless medical treatment. Additionally, over 8,000 Guru Bhagwants have benefited from Ayurvedic, Panchakarma and physiotherapy treatments through specialised Jivanand Ayurveda centres. Sharing these details, Shri Jaswant Munoth, Chairman, Shraman Arogyam, said the initiative represents JITO’s commitment to compassion, organised philanthropy and seva. Shraman Arogyam is also an example of how a community organisation can develop a structured, nationwide healthcare delivery model that could inspire similar initiatives among other communities.
Highlighting JITO’s growth and international expansion plans, Shri Hemant N Shah, Secretary General, said that what began with a single chapter in Ahmedabad had grown into a global organisation with 156 chapters in India and 38 chapters overseas, spread across 20 countries. He added that JITO plans to expand its international footprint to 12 more countries, further strengthening its global network.
Shri Himanshu Shah, President, JITO Apex, spoke about the tremendous brand value JITO has built over the years and described the organisation as a “network ka khazana” (a treasure trove of networks), highlighting the strength and value of its extensive business and professional connections.
Shri Pramod Chordia, Vice Chairman, JITO Apex, said Hyderabad had tremendous potential and described it as “diamonds ka khazana” (a treasure trove of diamonds), referring to the city’s historic association with the world-famous Golconda diamonds. He emphasised the opportunities the city offers for business, entrepreneurship and collaboration.
JITO Hyderabad also has dedicated Ladies and Youth Wings to expand the organisation’s outreach and encourage participation across generations. The Ladies Wing will be led by Smt Tina Shah as Chairperson. The wing aims to promote women’s leadership, networking, knowledge sharing and community engagement. The Youth Wing will be headed by Ar. Nilesh Nahar as Chairman, with Shri Darshan Lunawat as Chief Secretary and Shri Girish Bothra as Treasurer. It will focus on engaging young entrepreneurs and professionals.
The JITO national leadership and Executive Council who graced the installation include Shri Sanjay Dangi as Chairman, Shri Pramod Chordia as Vice Chairman and Shri Himanshu Shah as President.
JITO, or Jain International Trade Organisation, is a global organisation bringing together Jain businessmen, industrialists, entrepreneurs and professionals on a common platform. Its activities are guided by three key pillars: Economic Empowerment, Knowledge and Seva. Through its extensive network and specialised initiatives, JITO works towards business growth, entrepreneurship, education, professional development, social welfare and community service.
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