In recognition of his pivotal role in linking East Africa with the Himalayas, Ugandan business magnate Dr. Sudhir Ruparelia has been named Uganda’s Outstanding Honorary Consular General, following a three-month public survey by Public Opinions, a Kampala-based organization promoting national development goals.
The accolade celebrates Sudhir’s efforts in deepening trade, tourism, and investment between Uganda and Nepal, highlighting his work in opening access for Ugandan traders to Nepali markets and securing employment opportunities for Ugandans in the South Asian nation.
Sudhir, who serves as Nepal’s Honorary Consular General in Uganda, was praised by respondents as “an inspiration connecting Uganda to Nepal through economic and cultural bridges.”
Appointed to the role in February 2020 by Nepal’s President Bidhya Devi Bhandari, Sudhir presented his credentials a month later to Uganda’s then-Foreign Affairs Minister Sam Kutesa, formally inaugurating Nepal’s first consulate in East Africa at Crane Chambers, Kampala. The office, which enjoys full diplomatic privileges, has since evolved into a vibrant hub for bilateral engagement.
Under his stewardship, several initiatives have flourished. In September 2025, he hosted a lively celebration of Nepal’s Constitution Day in Kampala, attended by Ugandan officials and diplomats. Earlier in the year, he launched a scholarship program linking Ugandan and Nepali students—an initiative aimed at nurturing future leaders through educational exchange and supporting Uganda’s Vision 2040 aspirations.
Beyond diplomacy, Ruparelia’s influence runs deep in Uganda’s economy. As founder of the Ruparelia Group, a multi-sector conglomerate spanning real estate, hospitality, education, and media, he commands an estimated net worth of $4 billion, making him one of Africa’s wealthiest individuals. The group owns over 200 properties, including the Speke Resort chain, Victoria University, and Sanyu FM, creating thousands of jobs and stimulating key growth sectors.
Born in 1956 in Kabatoro, Kasese District, to a Gujarati trading family that settled in Uganda in 1903, Sudhir’s story is one of resilience. He fled to Britain in 1972 following Idi Amin’s expulsion of Asians, returning in 1985 with just $25,000 saved from odd jobs. From that modest start, he founded Crane Forex Bureau, Uganda’s first licensed currency exchange, and built it into a vast business empire.
Married to Jyotsna Ruparelia since 1977, he has three children, including the late Rajiv Ruparelia, and four grandchildren. The family resides in Kololo, in a 13,000-square-meter mansion often described as East Africa’s largest private home.
This latest recognition adds to a long list of honors, including the 2019 Uganda Development Champion Award and an Honorary Doctor of Laws from Uganda Pentecostal University.
As Nepal–Uganda relations deepen amid global trade realignments, Public Opinions hailed Sudhir’s recognition as “a benchmark for diplomatic excellence.” His induction into the 2025 Champions Journal cements his legacy as both a diplomat and a visionary entrepreneur, a man who turned exile into empire and continues to build bridges across continents.