Lavji Daliya, popularly known as Lavji Badshah, has been turning heads wherever he goes in his new car. Wondering why? Well, he purchased a Foundation Series Tesla Cybertruck, a limited-production batch of Elon Musk’s company. According to his eldest son, Piyush, this is currently the only Cybertruck in India, The Indian Express reported. The base price of the vehicle is around Rs 60 lakh.
Lavji had booked the five-seater vehicle six months ago at a Tesla showroom in Texas, USA. After taking delivery, the family registered the car with the RTO in Dubai, and later shipped it to India via sea. They even have emblazoned their company’s name, ‘Gopin’, on the Cybertruck, the report said.
“After the car landed in Surat, I drove it with my parents and younger brother. It was an awesome experience to drive such a car,” Piyush told The Indian Express.
He added, “We are hopeful that the company would open its showroom in India. The vehicle is in major demand among the car lovers of India.”
Piyush further shared that the fully automated car takes six hours to fully charge and can run up to 550 kilometres on a single charge.
Lavji also spoke to The Indian Express after taking a ride in his newly bought car. He said that the family is currently using the car within Surat as extra care of the car is needed since everybody is curious to see the interiors and features. “At present, we are using this car in Surat and we have not made any journey on the highways or other districts. In the city, wherever we go, around 50 to 100 people gather on the spot to see the car.”
He added, “The entire body of the car is made of stainless steel, which has sharp curves, and the tyres are designed in such a way that the car can also run on rough paths.”
But who is Lavji Badshah?
Lavji Daliya is a realtor, diamond merchant, and power loom owner based in Surat, Gujarat. Originally from Bhavnagar, the 55-year-old moved to Surat at the age of 13 to work as a diamond polisher before building a successful business empire.
Due to his philanthropic work, he earned the nickname “Badshah” among the people of Gujarat.
The intro of Lavji Badshah’s Facebook page, where he has put up a display picture with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, read, “Lavjibhai D Daliya is famous with the name – ‘BADSHAH’ in Gujarat due to his social services.”
According to his LinkedIn, Lavji attributes his success to values such as honesty, gratitude, and forgiveness. The about section added, “His belief in uplifting society has the potential to contribute to the development of a nation. Helping hand and saviour to multiple people at the same time makes him Badshah in everyone’s life.”
Lavji Badshah is the founder of Gopin Group, which includes Gopin Developers (real estate), Gopin Foundation (non-profit initiatives), and Gopin Ventures (investments). “Gopin Group is dedicated to creating a lasting impact through our diverse portfolio of companies, organisations, and foundations. From innovative business ventures to impactful humanitarian projects,” the website says.
Lavjibhai had unsuccessfully bid to buy Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s pinstripe suit which he had worn during a meeting with US President Barack Obama in an auction in 2015. The suit, which had Modi’s name woven into the pinstripes, was auctioned to raise money for the Clean Ganga Project.
According to a report by the Hindustan Times, in 2017, under his Badshah Sukanya Smridhi Yojana, Lavjibhai provided bank bonds to parents from the Patel (Patidar) community who had more than one daughter. Each bond, given for the second girl child, would mature after 21 years and offer a payout of ₹2.31 lakh, intended to support the girls’ higher education or marriage.