Narendra Mohan - नरेन्द्र मोहन

Narendra Mohan was an Indian industrialist, chairman and managing director of the Rs 874-crore Jagran Prakashan publisher for India's largest selling Hindi newspaper Dainik Jagran. The late Narendra Mohan was renowned for his dedicated journalism and deep simplicity and sincerity and was champion in steering the business to its unsurpassable position today – 30 editions, a massive 19-odd million readers, apart from being one of the most influential newspapers in the country. Guptas have 59.2% family holding in JagranGroup.The late Narendra Mohan's eldest son Sanjay Gupta is editor and CEO of Jagran.

Mohan kept a low profile away from the public gaze. But he had tremendous influence both as a newspaper baron and at a personal level. He was drawn into politics as a BJP MP by his 'political mentor' Mr. Lal Krishna Advani. From his humble beginnings when in early 1940s, as a youngster in Kanpur, he didn't have enough money to buy a bicycle and, therefore, had to rely on traditional public transport in the district – the bullock-cart,his determination,vision and foresight mixed with diligence and hard-work he took Jagran group to a meteoric rise.

The group's founder was Mohan's father, the late Puran Chand Gupta, who never faltered in his determination to become a newspaper baron.

Jagran, started from Jhansi, was his third attempt at being a powerful news lord. But Mr Mohan, who took over the paper while his father was still alive, almost certainly deserves the credit for turning it into the potent force that it is today.

He made full use of the technological advances in the newspaper industry to boost the Dainik Jagran's circulation and clout. It was one of the first to switch to colour and printing satellite editions. The newspaper employs about 2,000 journalists and even introduced the concept of 'mohalla' correspondents.

During his heyday, Mr. Mohan was an extremely hands-on editor and wrote editorials, a column and one poem each week in Dainik Jagran. He could fluently dictate an editorial over the phone without notes – never pausing for a moment.

He toured USA, and almost all countries of the world for getting first hand knowledge of working and other socio-economic conditions of newspapers and other industries; 

Patron 

Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industries of Uttar Pradesh

Shri Puran Chandra Gupta Smarak Trust (which runs CBSE approved Puranchandra Vidyaniketan); 

was President, 

Rotary Club, Kanpur

Associated Chamber of Commerce and Industries of Uttar Pradesh

Kanpur Leprosy Eradication Association 

Vice-President 

Chinmaya Mission, Kanpur (formerly) 

Sadhna Manch 

was chairman 

Uttar Pradesh Sangeet Natak Academy 

Institutional Finance Committee, Uttar Pradesh

Press Trust of India 

Chairman of various trusts and charitable institutions; 

was Director 

National Small Scale Industries Corporation, Delhi

Uttar Pradesh Electronics Corporation Limited 

Director of various companies and Bank of Rajasthan Limited 

Chief Editor, Jagran Group of Newspapers 

Founder Secretary, Kanpur Press Club 

was Treasurer, Himalayan Institute of Yoga Sciences and philosophy 

was Member of the Executive of 

All India Newspaper Editors Conference 

Uttar Pradesh Hindi Saansthan 

National Sangeet Akademy 

Upper India Chamber of Commerce, Kanpur

Various Government, Semi-Government and Social Committees and Associations 

Member 

National Integration Council

Committee on Finance 

Committee on Communications 

Consultative Committee for the Ministry of Home Affairs 

elected to the Rajya Sabha in November 1996. 

Accomplishment in Arts and Science

Awarded 

Dr. Ram Manohar Lohia Award, 1986 for outstanding contribution to Journalism 

Matrushree Award (Delhi), 1989 for outstanding contribution to Journalism, 

Sita Award (Delhi) 

Sanskriti Award by Hindi Academy (New_delhi|Delhi). 

He was an avid reader and writer and wrote thousands of articles on different subjects/ He was author of numerous poems and short stories in Hindi/ He also authored and got published three anthologies of poems titled 

Amrit Ki Oar 

Dasatva Se Ubaaro 

Thumara Sangeet 

He authored four books 

Dharm Aur Sampradayikta 

Aaj Ki Rajniti aur Bhrashtachar 

Bharatiya Sanskriti 

Hindutva. 

Special interest

Defence, finance, culture and foreign affairs.