Vijay Sankeshwar
Vijay Sankeshwar is an Indian businessman from Dharwad, Karnataka. He along with Anand Sankeshwar is the chairman of India's largest logistics firm VRL Group. He is also known for being the owner of the largest fleet of commercial vehicles in India.
He left BJP and founded the Kannada Nadu Party. Later he joined the Karnataka Janata Paksha of BJP outcast Yeddyurappa; the party eventually merged back with BJP. Sankeshwar was also a former Member of Parliament from Dharwad North [Lok Sabha constituency|North Dharwad constituency] as a BJP member.
Sankeshwar previously owned Karnataka's largest circulating newspaper, Vijaya Karnataka, until it was sold to Bennett, Coleman and Co. Ltd. for an undisclosed sum in 2007. After the expiry of a five-year non-compete clause he launched Vijaya Vani in 2012. Vijaya Vani is now the #1 Kannada daily newspaper, with 8 lakh+ sold copies every day.
Sankeshwar launched a new Kannada channel, Digvijay 24X7, on April 4, 2017.
In 2020, the Government of India honored him with the Padma Shri, the fourth highest civilian award in the Republic of India.
Personal life
Vijay Sankeshwar was born on 2 August 1950 in Betageri, Gadag, Mysore State, to Basavanneppa Sankeshwar and Chandrawwa, in a Banajiga community family. His father, was a businessman who established the printing press B G Sankeshwar and Co. in Gadag.Sankeshwar married to Lalitha Sankeshwar on 14 December 1972. The couple had three daughters and a son, Anand Sankeshwar, who currently is the managing director of VRL Logistics Limited.
Education
Sankeshwar obtained a commerce at Adarsh Shikshan Samiti, College of Commerce, Gadag, Karnataka University, Dharwad, Karnataka.Business career
Vijay got interest in transport business and in 1976 started the cargo business with one truck that he had bought by taking a loan of Rs 2 lakhs. Initially he suffered severe losses due to accidents, no communication, and competition.In 1978, Vijay Sankeshwar and his family shifted to Hubballi to expand their transport business and brought three more trucks for business. In 1983, started a transport company Vijayanand Roadlines Limited. In beginning of 1990 VRL had 117 commercial vehicles and had turnover more than crores. In 1993, starts the courier delivery across the Karnataka. Sankeshwar purchase 4 Passenger Buses in 1996, which carry passengers Bangalore to Hubballi.
Political career
| Year | Positions held |
| 1993 | Member, B.J.P., Dist. Dharwad, Karnataka |
| 1996 | Elected to 11th Lok Sabha |
| 1996-97 | Member, Committee on Finance; member, Consultative Committee, Ministry of Surface Transport |
| 1998 | Re-elected to 12th Lok Sabha |
| 1998-99 | Transport |
| 1999 | Re-elected to 13th Lok Sabha |
| 1999-2000 | Member, Committee on Commerce; member, Committee on Transport and Tourism |