Since 1997, he has practiced vipassana meditation under the instructions of S. N. Goenka.
His significant takeovers included Shaw Wallace, the liquor giant; and Dunlop, the ailing rubber tires giant, which he took over jointly in 1984 with R. P. Goenka's RPG Group (he later became the single largest shareholder when he bought out RPG’s stake).
It also carries titles from other publishers, including hard-to-find publications from the Vipassana Research Institute(VRI) and Motilal Banarsidass, both based in India.