MANAGING DIRECTOR RUPARELIA GROUP
Uganda has lost one of the leading youngest Visionary entrepreneur Rajiv Ruparelia, the Managing Director of the Ruparelia Group at just 35 years of age.
Like his father Dr. Sudhir Ruparelia Rajiv was adynamic force in Uganda’s business space spanning from real estate, education and hospitality sector.
Born on January 2, 1990, Rajiv led an aggressive expansion of building that have reshaped the skylines of Kampala and its suburbs. From 2014 to 2024, under the leadership of Rajiv, Meera Investments added over 37 new developments across commercial, residential, industrial, and hospitality categories the likes of Kingdom Kampala, Speke Convention Centre, Victoria University to mention but afew.
Rajiv Role in Real Estates Industry
He played a key role in expanding the Speke Group of Hotels, whose portfolio included Speke Resort Munyonyo, Munyonyo Commonwealth Resort, Kabira Country Club, and the new Speke Resort Convention Centre—a MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions) facility that hosted over 1,900 delegates during the 2024 NAM and G77+China Summits. These investments not only bolstered Uganda’s tourism infrastructure but positioned Uganda as a viable destination for international business events. These projects have created over 15,000 jobs to Ugandans.
Rajiv Contribution to Education
As Managing Director of Victoria University, he drove enrollment from just 143 students in 2013 to over 8,700 by 2024.Under the Ruparelia Group’s education ventures that includes Kampala Parents School and Delhi Public School to Victoria University and the Kampala International School Uganda, he introduced flexible tuition models and awarded over 3,000 scholarships through the Ruparelia Foundation Talent Programme, targeting underprivileged students with high potential. Child stars Fresh Kid and Felista were beneficiaries of full scholarships at foundation level that transformed their lives.
Rajiv Role in Youth Employment and Labour Mobility
Through Premier Recruitment Ltd, which he founded in 2017, he facilitated over 5,800 overseas job placements, 89% of which were for women. His recruitment companies helped thousands of Ugandan youth secure income-generating roles in global markets.
Rajiv Role in Charity
Through the Ruparelia Foundation, Rajiv invested in youth sports, providing kits, facilities, and mentorship. His corporate sports gala brought together staff from over 30 companies, promoting wellness and unity.
As a trustee of the Ruparelia Foundation, he oversaw the donation of over UGX 35 billion (USD 9.5 million) to healthcare, disaster relief, sports, wildlife conservation, and education. Notably, he led the innovative Kamwokya Slums Eco-toilet Campaign, constructing sanitation infrastructure from eco-bricks made of recycled plastic.
This campaign was emblematic of Rajiv’s ethos: solve real problems with scalable, sustainable solutions. Whether it was a school toilet or a skyscraper, Rajiv brought the same level of precision, empathy, and vision.
Rajiv’s tragic death is not just a loss to his family or to the Ruparelia Group but a loss of a great visionary entrepreneur to entire Uganda