Life is tough when one has to make a mark for oneself. He has to create an ecosystem where he/she can earn a decent living for oneself and their family. But it gets tougher when you are born with a silver spoon and have to break the benchmarks in society that have already been set by the family you were born in.

Gaurav’s biography is a true reflection of how to take those steps one at a time and work towards setting the bar higher while keeping up to the family tradition.

As the name suggests in Hindi, Gaurav is pride, not just for his family but the entire city of Lucknow, reflecting Awadhi culture and tradition in every step he takes. With several laurels in his hat, he is labelled as the youth icon of the city along with the tag of ‘Male Fashionista’ by a recent survey done by the daily newspaper the Hindustan Times. Be it launching a book, promoting the youth, standing for the cause of women empowerment , greeting famous celebrities coming to the city of Awadh or creating awareness for ‘Say No to Polythene’, Gaurav does it all with equal ease. Be it walkathon, marathon or manothon, ‘Lucknow on cycle’ or helping ‘Sheroes’ a cafe run by acid attack victims, to playing host to defence Luminaries through a session; In Defence of our borders’, or any other important cause for the welfare of the state, he is always ready to support. He is an inspiration in every sense of the word and not just motivates the youth around him but also sets a benchmark, as to how life is all about living and giving.

Gaurav is a perfect blend of tradition and modernity His achievements and societal interactions has its foundations on a deeply spiritual core. He has traversed through a wide array of pilgrimages to Kedarnath, Badrinath, Amarnath, Hemkund Sahab, Gangotri, Yamunotri and even the abode of Lord Shiv in Kailash, Mansarovar. His day starts with salutations of the Lord.

Born in Delhi, and brought up in the culturally rich city of nawabs, Gaurav is a businessman by profession and belongs to one of the oldest and reputed families of Lucknow. He is actively involved in the family business with a lineage of over eight decades of books-selling. Universal Booksellers today is a very well known entity both nationally and internationally and has been felicitated with the ‘Best Bookseller’ of India award.

The business was initiated by Gaurav’s grandfather, Shree Gobind Ram, in the early 1930’s. He shifted his residence to Lucknow from Dera Gazi Khan in Multan, in the erstwhile undivided India. His was a great entrepreneurial success story. He laid the foundation of book-selling in India and through his vision and natural mentoring capabilities, helped those around him to ripple off into many such successful ventures in different parts of the country, each doing good in their respective cities. He was proud of their presence, whether it was Delhi, Kanpur, Allahabad, Jabalpur, Chandigarh etc. “Andaaz saheb”, as he was affectionately called for his excellent shayari skills and other creative instincts, also instilled in his offspring, the zeal to help and contribute to societal requirements. Mr Gobind Ram’s sons, Vishan Prakash and Gaurav’s father Chander Prakash, today carry the baton along with the new generation, Manav Prakash and Gaurav himself. They continue to provide exemplary service to the citizens of the country. The third generation is indeed scaling the business to greater heights.

Gaurav’s father, born and brought up in Lucknow in the true Lakhnawi tradition, continues to add value to the business and finds time to contribute to the city of his birth. He was an appointed as the chief Warden, Civil Defence , Lucknow, and was an essential part of conflict resolution and harmony of the city. His contribution to the various other social and health initiatives of the government have been widely appreciated. He spearheaded the campaign for the restoration of Hazratganj in celebration of 200 year of its existence in 2010, through an organisation, “Connect Lucknow”, of which he is still the president. Besides this he also initiated the celebrations of the hundred years of the Abrogation of the Indian Indenture System which helped in the freedom of millions of Indians known as ‘girmityas’ who were freed from the clutches of the colonial empire.

Gaurav’s Mother, Sudha, comes from an equally distinguished family of defence officers. Having studied in the famous Birla Public School, Pilani, she excelled in extra-curricular activities and led her Pilani school band during ‘Republic Day Parades’ on Rajpath for three consecutive years. She continued her education and did her post graduation in nutrition and dietetics from Delhi. She used her profession to impart training to ‘Anganwadi Workers’ and supervisors in the field of nutrition in the early part of her married life. Gaurav’s sister Gowri, equally excelled in the creative areas of dance and choreography and followed the family tradition of societal contributions during her student days and subsequent professional stints in Delhi and Mumbai. She is now married and settled in Amritsar.

Gaurav was a good student throughout and studied in best of schools and colleges. He grew up in the most homely yet modern environment and did his schooling from the prestigious La Martiniere college, followed by Sherwood College Nainital, Army Public school and Lucknow University. Gaurav was the first among the family to go to a boarding school, a decision he admits taken firmly by his mother who insisted on the experience of a hostel life, to instil within him the values of sharing and co-existence. Extremely grateful, Gaurav heartily thanks his mother for all the value system he has imbibed. He remarks, “I am what I am and I have everything because of my parents”.

Gaurav learnt all the basics of life during his hostel years. The world of education gave him a percentile of 90% and he started seeing dreams of going to Delhi for further studies. He was excited for all his friends were moving to Delhi, too. When all his friends were filling up admission forms at Delhi University, Gaurav knew more than anyone, that his father needed him the most. He didn’t want to stop his son from pursuing dreams, but Gaurav, being an ideal son, himself dropped all his plans and tool admission in Lucknow University. He would attend his classes and in his free time started giving time to the family business. The place was not new to him, as since early 1990’, he was learning the basics of the bool trade. In keeping with the changing times, it was time to restructure and re-align business. Gaurav became an instrumental part in the venture.

In retrospect, Gaurav regrets, not being able to meet his paternal grandfather, who passed away in 1967. However, his maternal grandfather, Colonel G.C Khosla left a deep impression on his life. An army officer, colonel Khosla fascinated Gaurav; his uniform was a symbol of patriotism and discipline and Gaurav dreamt of joining the army some day. His nanaji as an Army commando was selected by the Government of india to undergo the rangers course from the prestigious Rangers School at Fort Benning in the United States of America. Subsequently, he established a college for the Indian Army. He took part in the Indo-china and Indo-Pakistan wars. Gaurav, with dreams of joining his grandfather, tried his hand at the Rashtriya Military Academy in Dehradun, but destiny had other plans; his presence being needed, his future beckoned him to do otherwise.

The need for additional hands once again in business, this time made Gaurav choose work over studies and he joined the business quite early in life. Being the youngest in the family sky was the limit for him. It would have been quite easy to go abroad for further studies, but he chose not too. After finishing his formal degrees, he joined his family business for they needed him and he was all game for it. Today, he is there leading from the front along with other family members.

The beauty of the bookstore is his million dollar smile with which he receives people and firmly believes that ‘Work is Worship’. The uniqueness of ‘Universal Bookseller’ is that whenever you enter you will find an ever-smiling Gaurav, with his heartwarming words to give his readers a happy shopping experience. With a smile, he takes them the extra mile and it doesn’t go unnoticed. You certainly guessed it right,that’s how I came across this vibrant personality.I would see him in social programs in the city and I would see him in the bookstore when I would be on a ‘back to school’ shopping spree. I was impressed by his attitude and commitment towards life, work and work-life combined. He is all about positivity. Every interaction with him, made me understand his purpose of life and the journey he has had. It might look like a cake walk to a lot of people but trust me he has had his share of pain too.

Gaurav shares his birthday with his maternal grandfather and when he was born, his mother kind gifted him to her father saying “this is your birthday gift dad”. Indeed for Indians, our grandchildren are the most significant assets. Every year Gaurav celebrated his birthday with his grandfather Colonel Khosla had lung cancer and on 5 July, when it was Gaurav’s 30th birthday, he went to Delhi to surprise him, he got a beautiful surprise himself. Destiny had drawn him to Delhi and that evening became a turning point in his life, as he ended up meeting the ‘Love of his Life’, Anupama.

Hailing from an illustrious family from Muzaffarpur, Anupama, did her early schooling from Saint Mary’s Convent, Nainital,, and their vibes match perfectly. Her beautiful looks and prim-prom behaviour, a blend of simplicity and intelligence, attracted Gaurav the most.Cupid’s arrow struck with precision and the family now moves to the next generation with Aradhya and Aryan. Gaurav and Anupama’s thought process complement each other and with a strong value system, they are now taking forward the culture and heritage of Awadh through their children.

Gaurav, may appear a simple bookseller to you, but he has his ways of making a difference in the society. A champion for the cause of youth and issues related to women empowerment he tries his best to stand for the needy and downtrodden. He is actively involved for the cause of ‘Sheroes Cafe’ run by acid attack victims. Every winter, he distributes hundreds of blankets to the poor and needy. A family man, he totally respects not just his parents but all the elderly around and believes in giving due respect to one and all.

Who says tha small cities don’t have career options? Gaurav, who could easily have vouched for a sparkling career, is no less than a celebrity in his town. Apart from efficiently running his family business, he pursues his varied interests and hobbies. A Lucknow boy to the core, he loves initiating new projects in the city. Earlier he was the Founder Chair for the confederation of indian Industry -Young Indians, Lucknow and Founder Chair of PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Uttar Pradesh-Young Business leaders Forums and led these organisations effectively. He was awarded the best chapter Pan-Indian for contribution toward the city of Lucknow in 2014-15. He was awarded the Young Entrepreneur award for the year 2014-15 by Lucknow Management Association. The award was being given by the former Chief Secretary of Uttar Pradesh, Alok Ranjan.

Gaurav believes, youth is the pulse of the nation, especially in the state of Uttar Pradesh, where the number of people in the age group of 16-35 years is the highest. They youth in Uttar Pradesh are oozing with energy and zest and he feels morally responsible in channelising their energy. All his work focuses on helping young entrepreneurs, to be a part of the business empire. He can easily relate to their challenges and difficulties. Gaurav also feels that the challenges of an established business or a startup remains the same. His initiatives and interactive sessions organized, cover vast array of topics and have been applauded by the citizens of the state; especially issues pertaining to youth building, woman empowerment and nation-building. Motivational sessions have been his forte and his efforts were acknowledged in this sphere too.

A social activist, he has been the chief guest in numerous events happening in the city and felicitated with many prestigious awards. In 2017, he was given the ‘Young Achiever Award’ at the Smart City Convention by Lucknow Management Association. He was awarded the prestigious ‘Vivekananda Samman Award’ for 2016, for his contribution towards the youth building activities for the city of Lucknow. The award was given by his excellency the governor of Uttar Pradesh, honourable Ram Naik. Nothing more needs to be said for awards like these standing tall an his workplace, ‘Gaurav Samman 2017’ was given to him for his contribution towards the social sector again by his excellency Ram Naik and Deputy Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, Dinesh sharma. He was also awarded the ‘Sewa Samman Award 2017’ for his contribution towards the social sector especially on the rehabilitation of elders and reconnecting them to society and this award was given by his excellency the Governor of West Bengal, Keshari Nath Tripathi. Gaurav, also received the ‘Uplabdhi Samman Award 2017’, achievement by the Awadhi Vikas Sanstha, given by Justice Verma, Justice Dixit and Justice Pandey. He is currently the Co-Chairman of PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry in the state of Uttar Pradesh for the year 2017-2018.

With multiple shades, it’s also worth mentioning how he stands for the poor and the needy. If any help is needed and if reached out, Gaurav is the first to respond, He recently did a ‘Tea seva’ drive with an NGO named UMEED. We all know how winter are and so, on one such chilly night, Gaurav, with a group of people from this NGO went out to serve tea and snacks to the destitute sitting on pavements and roadside shivering in the chill. Almost 70-80 people were covered in this drive and seeing Gaurav’s supports and involvement, a lot of others got motivated and came forward to help him. Every post he handles on his social media is an inspiration and channelising the society in a positive way.

Gaurav further promotes learning through workshops and book reading sessions both with Universal Booksellers or in collaboration with schools and colleges. He encourages young writers and provides a platform to the youth to pursue their dreams. A mentor to the bussing writers in the city,he gives them a free space in his bookstore to unleash their creativity. He also organises book launches and promotes their work in every possible way.

Gaurav is keen and passionate towards the social-economic and the industrial progress and development of Uttar Pradesh. He feels that there is tremendous scope in tourism and the industry remains untapped. It’s potential needs to be exploited for the larger benefit of the state. He feels there is also a need to preserve the city and it’s rich historical and cultural heritage. Gaurav wants to create opportunities to bring in investments to the state which will speed the state’s development. Skill Development is an opportunity to improve employability, and it’s very high on his agenda. He is looking forward to creating a team of young energetic and like-minded individuals from different walks of life with a common goal to-re positioning the city to the grandeur, it once occupied.

Gaurav is the busiest one around and yet has time for everything and everyone. From doing “tea seva” to supporting the acid attack victim survivors by walking on the fashion ramp, from being the brand ambassador of ‘Cuddles’ an initiative for kids who have cancer, to promoting art and culture in the city, he has this never say ‘no’ attitude. Though just like others, he took has only twenty-four hours, but he knows how to make the best use of it effectively. He pursues his dreams and aspiration in any given scenario and also does his daily duties. The city of Lucknow needs more people like him and takes pride in him. It wouldn’t be wrong if I say our “Lucknow boy” Gaurav, is indeed our “Lucknow ka Gaurav.”