Early Life
Kasturbhai was born in a Jain family in 1894 that owned textile mills in Ahmedabad located in current-day Gujarat.
His father Lalbhai Dalpatbhai was born in the family of Nagarseths of Ahmedabad, recognized by the Mughals, marathas and the English. Lalbhai was the first person to establish a textile mill in 1897 addition to the traditional business of precious gems. It became a part of the swadeshi movement in India.
His school education took place in Ahmedabad and he matriculated in 1911. In 1912, when he was a 17 year old studying in college, his father died and being the second son, he was asked to discontinue his studies so as to help in the family business. His father Lalbhai had divided property among his brothers only in the recent past; as his and his sons’ share, Lalbhai had received Raipur mills, a new establishment. By the time of Lalbhai's death, the operations of the mill had not yet stabilised; hence, Kasturbhai had to take care of operations closely. He started off as a timekeeper in the mill, but fed up with the repetitive nature of the job, he started working with suppliers of the mill and travelled far and wide to understand the supplier market. The boom in demand during and post-World War I helped him in stabilising the operations of the firm.
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