Hyderabad, November 2, 2026: The Jain International Trade Organisation (JITO) Hyderabad Chapter has installed its new Managing Committee for the 2026–28 term, with B L Bhandari taking over as Chairman and a focus on business networking, economic empowerment, knowledge sharing and community service.
JITO, which has a corpus exceeding ₹700 crore, has positioned itself as a major community-based organisation combining business, education, entrepreneurship and philanthropy. The Hyderabad Chapter aims to increase its membership from 748 to 1,008 over the next two years, according to B L Bhandari.
New committee and leadership
The new Managing Committee succeeds the outgoing team led by Rohit Kothari as Chairman and Lalith Chopra as Chief Secretary. The Hyderabad Chapter’s leadership includes Vice Chairmen Goutam Sehlot, Anil Bohra, Rahul Pokarna and Varun Munot. Rahul Surana has been appointed Chief Secretary, supported by Secretaries Sudhir Sethia, Lalit Bhandari, Tapasvi Deora, Nikhil Shah and Ajit Shrishrimal. Vishal Anchaliya will serve as Treasurer, with Amit Sancheti and Rahul Shyamsukha as Joint Treasurers.
The installation ceremony was attended by senior national leaders including Sanjay Dangi, Chairman; Pramod Chordia, Vice Chairman; and Himanshu Shah, President, JITO Apex, along with other Executive Council members and national office-bearers.
Major initiatives and investments
JITO Apex Chairman Sanjay Dangi highlighted the organisation’s transformation into a global entity and called for greater connectivity among members, increased participation by women, and a focus on education. He noted that JITO had disbursed ₹5 crore in educational loans to Jain youth.
Ganpatji Choudhary, Past Chairman, JITO Apex, announced plans to build hostels with a capacity of 10,000 rooms across India over the next eight years, involving an estimated investment of ₹2,000 crore, with an approximate construction cost of ₹20 lakh per room. The initiative aims to address the need for affordable student accommodation due to migration from rural areas to cities.
Educational and healthcare programmes
Mayur Jain, President of JITO Administrative Training Foundation (JATF), said the foundation has helped 37 Jain youth enter Civil Services, with ten securing ranks among the top 100 in UPSC examinations. JATF focuses on preparing aspirants for competitive exams and nurturing future leaders.
JITO’s Shraman Arogyam initiative, led by Chairman Jaswant Munoth, has registered over 10,700 Jain Sadhus and Sadhvis, facilitated 10,850 medical treatments, and spent more than ₹96 crore on healthcare. The programme has established a network of over 12,000 hospitals for cashless treatment and provided Ayurvedic and physiotherapy care to over 8,000 Guru Bhagwants through Jivanand Ayurveda centres.
Expansion and outreach
Hemant N Shah, Secretary General, stated that JITO has grown from a single chapter in Ahmedabad to 156 chapters in India and 38 overseas, spanning 20 countries. The organisation plans to expand to 12 more countries to strengthen its global network.
The Hyderabad Chapter also has dedicated Ladies and Youth Wings. The Ladies Wing will be chaired by Tina Shah, focusing on women’s leadership and engagement, while the Youth Wing will be led by Nilesh Nahar as Chairman, with Darshan Lunawat as Chief Secretary and Girish Bothra as Treasurer, aiming to involve young entrepreneurs and professionals.
JITO describes itself as a global platform for Jain businessmen, industrialists, entrepreneurs and professionals, with activities centred on economic empowerment, knowledge and seva.
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