Both institutions have made a significant difference to the lives and livelihoods of the community. As he once said in a media interview, “Both my trusts are connected to life – one protects life, the other transforms it.”

The Nirali Memorial Medical Trust is named after Mr. Naik’s granddaughter who passed away when she was only two. Her grief-stricken family turned their sorrow into an initiative that can help others in need of medical care. The Trust is committed to bringing the benefits of advanced medical treatment to the marginalised. Its initiatives in Mumbai and in South Gujarat are helping to extend a lifeline of hope to those in need. Its record of service to the community includes a radiation centre in Surat, a multi-speciality healthcare facility in Mumbai, a comprehensive Health Campus in Navsari (which includes a state-of-the-art cancer hospital and a multi-specialty hospital) and a wide spectrum of medical assistance to communities in south Gujarat.

The Naik Charitable Trust works in the areas of Education and Skill Building. Mr. Naik was among the first to identify skill-building as critical to sustainable development of the community. Existing avenues to learn skills and enhance one’s employability were out of bounds for those who had not completed their school education. ITIs would only provide training to those who had done their SSC, leaving many village youths unable to find gainful employment. Mr. Naik brought about a major change by setting up a skill-building centre which was only open to those who did not complete SSC. It opened a new future for youths who had no formal qualifications, and made a positive impact on society.

The two trusts that have been set up are helping to propel social change. Mr. Naik is conscious of the change that he has brought about in the lives of people but restless as ever, he is continuously on the go. “Ours is a vast country,” he says. “However much one does, there is still going to be a lot more to be achieved.”
The quest continues.