Sardari Lal Oberai Group was established by Late Shri Sardari Lal Oberai as a Limestone Mining Company, immediately after India attained its Independence in the year 1948.
Shri Rakesh Oberai joined his father in the mining business in the year 1970 after graduating as a Mechanical Engineer from University of Roorkee (new IIT Roorkee). He expanded the family business by adding 2 more Mines in the year 1974. Both the Mines were developed scientifically and recognized so by the Hon’ble Supreme Court Monitoring Committee appointed in the year 1983 which allowed the Mines to operate till the expiry of lease period in 1994.
In the year 1985, Shri Rakesh Oberai initiated the diversification of the family’s mining business into Automobile Dealership. Between 1985 and 1997, the Oberai group was awarded dealerships for vehicles by DCM Toyota, Bajaj Auto, Hindustan Motors Limited, Ashok Leyland Limited and Hyundai Motors India Limited for the six districts falling in the Garhwal Division of Uttar Pradesh, now Uttarakhand.
Over the period of time, Oberai Motors has established itself as an organization trusted by automobile users for honesty, sincerity and ethical dealings. The Company’s continuous efforts are to achieve customer delight by providing efficient sales and service to them.
In the year 1999, Oberai Motors was awarded Passenger Car Dealership by Tata Motors Limited, who had launched Tata Indica and were keen to establish a strong dealer network to ensure proper after sale service to the newly launched Indica cars. Oberai Motors was successful in ensuring a predominant market share for Indica in its segment in the initial years. In their endeavor to provide efficient after sale service to customers and to meet their aspirations and requirements, Oberai Motors set up a well-equipped state-of-the-art 3S facility in Dehra Dun on National Highway, close to ISBT, Dehra Dun. To cater to the demands of the customers in the hilly areas, a 3S facility has also been established near Srinagar in Garhwal Himalayas on the Badrinath National Highway. In addition, sales outlet have been established at Kotdwar and Gopeshwar and Tehri to promote the sale of the vehicles in the interior areas. The Company has succeeded in achieving a very high market share, both in the cars as well as in the MUV segment in their area.
In the year 2002, Tata Motors awarded dealership for commercial vehicles also. A new company, Oberai Motors Limited was formed to deal with this franchise. This Company has established a fully equipped 3S facility in the Transport Nagar as well as at Maletha near Srinagar on the Rishikesh - Badrinath Highway and at Roorkee on NH-58 on way to Haridwar. Over the years, this Dealership has established itself as the largest LCV dealer in the region and has successfully managed to block the sale of LCVs produced by other manufacturers. It has also created sales outlets at Hardwar, Kotdwar and Vikasnagar for easy access to and by the customers.
In the year 2006, the group was awarded franchise by Honda Siel Cars India Limited for the sale of Honda cars. A new Company, Divine Automotives Private Limited was formed to handle the franchise. At present the Company has two fully equipped state-of-the-art 3S facilities at Dehra Dun and Roorkee for catering to the needs of Honda customers. During the groups association with Honda, they have received many rewards and accolades for their performance in both Sale, and Service functions of the business. Honda cars retain the highest market share in their segments in the region.
In the year 2012, the group made the next foray by taking the franchise for Renault Cars India. In a short span of 9 months, the Company has sold over 500 cars in the region with Renault and won the Best New Dealer award for the 3rd quarter of FY 2012.
The Group has thus got a vast experience in the automobile business value chain and has a large geographical presence well entrenched into the Garwhal region of Uttarakhand. With a base of more than 25000 customers amongst our group concerns our name is synonymous with Automobile industry of the region. Our professional management teams and work ethics have assured high levels of customer satisfaction and trust on us. The long term association with the commercial vehicle industry has given us close ties with the construction equipment industry as well. While our involvement in various social and charitable organizations have earned us a good relationship with government organizations.
Mr. Rakesh Oberai is an Engineering Graduate from University of Roorkee (now IIT Roorkee), and has been engaged in the family business for the last 44 years.
Mr. Oberai has impeccable business credentials. He is the initiator and promoter of the family business of mining of limestone into a professionally managed enterprise of ‘A’ class stature; rightly recognized as such by the Hon’ble Supreme Court of India when it chose their Ladwakot Mine as one of the only two limestone mines to continue operations in Dehra Dun.
He pioneered the diversification of the family business in the year 1985 into the automotive dealerships, and possesses the rare blend of technical education, business acumen and organizational capabilities.
He is actively involved in various social, religious as well as public welfare activity, in which, he not only contributes financially but also actively involve himself physically to encourage and appreciate others.
Mr. Rakesh Oberai has had a long, active and influential association with various bodies of trade and commerce, education culture and religion. Some of the bodies that he is associated with are as under:-
- Chairman : Confederation of Indian Industry, ( CII ) Uttaranchal
Uttarakhand State Chapter. ( 2009-10 )
- President : Shri Sanatan Dharam Dharmarth Samiti, Geeta
Bhawan.
- President : Chinmaya Mission, Dehra Dun.
- Past President : Mahadevi Kanya Pathshala College Society.
MKP College is the oldest and biggest girls’ college
of Uttaranchal providing education to the girls since 1901. It has nearly 4000 girls on its rolls.
- Secretary : The Himalayan School Society. The Society has established the Him Jyoti School for providing free of cost education in a boarding school to bright girls from impoverished families of Uttarakhand. It was established by Shri Sudarshan Agarwal, former Governor of Uttarakhand and Sikkim. Shri Oberai is the Secretary since its inception in the year 2005 and overseas the running of the School.
- Treasurer : Him Jyoti Foundation. Foundation was also established by Shri Sudarshan Agarwal, former Governor of Uttarakhand and Sikkim in the year
2003 to provide scholarships to bright students of
Uttarakhand for pursuing higher studies.
- Managing Trustee : Information Technology Institute for the Tribes of
India. The only Institute of its kind in India for
providing Free of Cost education including
Information Technology education to the tribal
children of India.
- Trustee : Shivnath Sanskrit Mahavidyalaya, Dehra Dun
- Trustee : Jeevan Jyoti Cancer Hospital Trust. The Trust
has been formed to set up a charitable state-of-the-
art Hospital for providing diagnostic and post
operative care to cancer patients
He is assisted by his son Raghav Oberai, who has graduated in Mechanical Engineering from Manipal Institute of Technology, Manipal and pursued an MBA from Indian School of Business, Hyderabad. After graduation in Engineering, he was selected on-campus by TELCO (now TATA MOTORS) as a Graduate Engineer Trainee (GET) and underwent training in their Jamshedpur Plant. After one year experience with Tata Engineering he joined the family business of Automobile Dealerships in the year 1999. Under his leadership, the Tata Passenger Car dealership, as well as the Tata Commercial vehicles dealership and Honda Cars dealership have grown to establish the highest market share and customer satisfaction level in the Garhwal region of Uttaranchal.
During his MBA at ISB, he was selected to represent the College for the exchange programme to Kellogg School of Management, Chicago, USA.
At present they are dealing with TATA Motors, Honda Cars and Renault Cars.