Disability as a Stepping Stone: The Entrepreneurial Path of Dr. Bhavesh Bhatia

In the picturesque hill town of Mahabaleshwar, Maharashtra, India, a remarkable individual has been illuminating lives and inspiring countless others with his entrepreneurial spirit. Dr. Bhavesh Chandubhai Bhatia, a visually disabled entrepreneur and the founder of Sunrise Candles, a thriving venture that has captured people’s hearts, has paved his path from roadside streets to a multi-million dollar company.

Since his teenage years, Bhavesh has had a dire passion for pursuing something that could give him an enjoyable living throughout. Keeping his disability aside, he sacrificed his initial years and, with his management skills, began making and selling candles as a street-side vendor. Little did he know Bhavesh Bhatia Candles would eventually be known as Sunrise Candles, making him a millionaire.

Bhavesh Bhatia’s Personal Life

• Bhavesh was born on 29th December 1970 in Maharashtra.
• Bhavesh Bhatia’s family comes from a noble background. His father worked as a caretaker at a guesthouse in Mahabaleshwar.
• His first job was as a telephone operator at a hotel in Mahabaleshwar. He lost his job as soon as he lost his vision entirely at the age of 23.
• Bhatia lost his mother in his last post-graduation year, as she had chronic blood cancer.
• Bhavesh Bhatia’s Awards include the national award for empowering persons with disabilities under the best self-employed resident category.
• He has also been accredited in the Limca Book of Records for cycling 6000 km from Nagpur to Kathmandu at 16 in 45 days.
• In addition, Bhavesh Bhatia’s Paralympics victory has won him 117 NAB and IBSA medals.

Bhavesh Bhatia’s Story – An Inspirational Voyage

• Born with retina macular degeneration, Bhavesh had partial vision but was in high spirits about doing something huge. His mother was crucial to his motivation and stood like a pillar of support until her last breath.
• “So what if you cannot see the world? Do something so that the World will see you.” these were the golden words of his mother that impacted Bhavesh’s life and changed it forever.
• Post 10th grade, Bhavesh and one of his differently-abled friends made a tandem cycle. Bhavesh used to peddle, and his friend, who was physically disabled, used to take care of the handle. At 16, they covered 6000 km from Nagpur to Kathmandu in 45 days on their cycle, making it to the Limca Book of Records.
• After joining National Association for the Blind (NAB), Bhavesh trained himself in various skills, like candle making, acupressure, braille, and many more. The 4-month candle-making rehabilitation course made him the worthy pioneer he is today.
• With aspirations of beginning his own business of candle making, he worked hard to earn and to be able to purchase candle-making molds. By working as an acupressure therapist and a massage therapist at hotels, he used to set aside some bucks for his mandatory candle-making purchases.
• Beginning with a plain candle mold and 5 kg wax, he stood before the Holy Cross Church in Mahabaleshwar. He used to set aside Rs. 25 from his earnings for the next day’s raw material.
• In his struggling days, he met Neeta, a native of Bhayander in Mumbai, who came to him as a customer to purchase candles. With increasing conversations between them, Neeta noticed the humble personality of Bhavesh and decided to marry him despite strong opposition from her family.
• Initially, Bhavesh sought aid from various sources, but he could not obtain technical or professional support, despite the generosity of others. He was unable to get bank loans.
• He was unable to obtain assistance from professional candle producers and institutes.
• Bhavesh used to go to shopping malls with his wife to touch and feel the various sorts of candles on exhibit to gain ideas for candle designs.
• The birth of Sunrise Candles carries one more name with itself, Niraj Chandan, who helped Bhavesh in his struggling days outside the Holy Cross Church.
• Impressed by Bhavesh’s candle-making skills, Niraj took a few photographs on his digital camera, created a new Sunrise Candles website, and posted the photos. Running advertisements on Google gained recognition among people, and they began receiving many orders.

Bhavesh Bhatias’s Sunrise Candles

Owned by Bhavesh Bhatia, Sunrise Candles is a candle-making company that makes different varieties, including pillar candles, floating candles, novelty candles, gel candles, toy-shaped candles, fruit basket candles, and traditional candles. The company has created over 10,000 designer-scented, plain, and aromatherapy candle designs. Sunrise Candles has a vast customer base, including Reliance Industries, Ranbaxy, Big Bazaar, Naroda Industries, Resilient Cosmetics, Rotary Club, and many hotel groups.

Sunrise Candles currently runs in 14 states and employs a team of around 3500 Visually Impaired people and Divyang. Bhavesh Bhatia’s Sunrise Candles is a multi-million dollar company. Today in 2023, Bhavesh Bhatia’s net worth amounts to Rs. 350 crores.

Beyond Business: Dr. Bhavesh Bhatia’s Impact on the Community

Bhavesh has initiated a Skill Development center known as Wax Museum, Made by Blind. The center is located in Mahabaleshwar and trains physically disabled people in designer candle making. Apart from training, the center offers many free-of-cost facilities such as free accommodation and free mess. He has not only set behind his disability but also created employment opportunities for visionaries. Bhatia’s story of entrepreneurship and resilience shines as bright as the candles he crafts. His journey inspires us all, encouraging us to relentlessly look beyond our limitations and pursue our dreams. He serves as a prime illustration that possessing aspirations and working diligently is all one needs to have a forward-thinking perspective.