From a schoolteacher's home in North India to a global business empire
Rejesh Satiija was born in 1967 in North India to a school teacher mother and a father who worked for the government. He grew up in a home where the emphasis was on value and faith — a grounding that would shape his approach to business for the next four decades.
In 1993, he moved from India to Lagos, Nigeria, where he worked for the local Indian Public Procurement Department. As an immigrant with little more than ambition and foresight, he began investing in the mining industry, founding the Sun & Sand Group of Companies — the first company to export ferrous and non-ferrous metals to major automotive manufacturers including Rolls-Royce, Honda, Toyota and Nissan.
He later expanded into transformative sectors that would redefine industries across multiple continents. Today, the Sun & Sand Healthcare Group is an international enterprise spanning AI-powered healthcare, advanced diagnostics, medical robotics, agriculture, and SNT technology for road infrastructure. With a growing global footprint, the Group delivers innovation and sustainable development across the GCC, Africa, Asia, Latin America, and Europe, driving progress through technology, healthcare excellence, and infrastructure solutions.
"It takes a lot of perceptive judgment and heightened awareness to identify a viable business opportunity and figure out how it can be transformed into a high-growth business model."— Rejesh Satiija
In more recent years, his ambitions have widened further still. Alongside his existing interests, Rejesh Satiija now leads projects across road construction and infrastructure, AI and robotics, logistics, healthcare, real estate, agriculture, mining, tourism and education — describing his mission as one to "build stronger economies, smarter infrastructure, empowered communities, and sustainable businesses that create lasting prosperity for generations to come."
Building businesses, transforming lives, inspiring hope
Featured in Khaleej Times — Business Technology Review, 22 May 2026.
From Africa’s industrial frontier to healthcare and philanthropy
In today’s fast-moving world, where success is often measured solely through wealth and valuation, there are a few rare individuals whose journeys transcend business and leave a deeper human impact. Rejesh Satiija is one such name — an entrepreneur, industrialist, investor, and humanitarian whose life story reflects resilience, integrity, compassion, and an unwavering commitment to creating meaningful change.
Trained as an engineer, he chose not to pursue a conventional career path. Instead, he ventured first to Dubai and then to Africa in the early 1990s. Starting with small-scale trading, he built a diversified empire spanning manufacturing, commodities, textiles, auto parts, and industrial exports — eventually supplying components to Toyota, Honda, and Rolls-Royce.
In one of his landmark achievements, Satiija became the first entrepreneur in Africa to list a metal company on the London Metal Exchange.— Khaleej Times, Business Technology Review
Beyond commercial success, what defines him is his connection with Africa and its people. His philanthropic work focuses on clean drinking water, healthcare, education, and community welfare — with a pledge to donate 90% of his wealth toward the well-being of women and children.
Through his latest healthcare initiatives, he is advancing preventive care, AI-powered diagnostics, telemedicine, and accessible medical innovation with experts from Japan and the United States.
His message to young entrepreneurs remains simple: “Work fearlessly. Stay honest. Respect people. Create value for society. Success will follow.”
Read full article on Khaleej TimesOn stage with partners across Africa and the UAE
From the Titans of Africa Global Awards to the UAE Africa Networking Group — gatherings that mark partnership, leadership and shared ambition.
Business, family and faith
Three enterprises, three decades
Founder, Sun & Sand Group of Companies
Employing more than 6,000 people around the globe, the Group holds some of the largest reserves of precious and non-precious metals. It was the first company in Africa to supply Toyota, Honda, Rolls Royce and Nissan, with a diversified footprint across UK, Canada, India, Nigeria, Guinea, Guyana and Uganda.
Chairman, Indian Council For UN Relations
A group dedicated to furthering UN goals, encouraging member states to discuss issues and broker possible solutions — the platform through which much of Satiija's philanthropic and diplomatic work is channelled.
Where the work is concentrated
Mining & Metals
Through the Sun & Sand Group, Satiija built facilities producing ferrous and non-ferrous ingots for global automotive manufacturers, with interests spanning gold and rare minerals across Africa, Asia, and Latin America.
Roads, Technology & AI Robotics
A newer chapter of leadership in road construction and infrastructure development, integrating AI, robotics and intelligent-infrastructure technology into traditional sectors to build smarter, future-ready businesses.
Healthcare & AI Diagnostics
A venture combining medical technology with AI-driven diagnostics, aimed at early disease detection and making advanced healthcare more affordable and accessible.
Philanthropy & Infrastructure
Long-standing investment in clean drinking water, healthcare access, education, and telemedicine for underserved communities, channelled in part through his chairmanship of the Indian Council for UN Relations.
Sustainable Agriculture
"Gold to Golden Apples" — an initiative extending his industrial background into agricultural development across Canada, Georgia and India, intended to diversify prosperity beyond extractive industries.
Horse Breeding & Stud Farms
Owner of Satiija Farms Pvt. Ltd. (India). "I could stop working and continue to develop my passion and hobby for breeding horses and farming," Satiija has said of the venture.