Shashi Soni

Shashi Soni is an entrepreneur and philanthropist who has built companies in transport, industrial gases, software and defence manufacturing. She was named for the Padma Shri in 2024 in the field of trade and industry, from Karnataka ^[1].

Early ventures

She was born on 4 April 1941 in Lahore ^[2]. She started in business in 1971 with ₹10,000 and a transport company, Deep Transport ^[2]. In 1975 she opened Deep Mandir, the first air-conditioned cinema in Mulund, Mumbai ^[2]. In 1981 she set up Deep Oxygen, the first industrial gas manufacturer in Mysore ^[2]. She was the only woman on the managing committee of the All India Industrial Gas Manufacturers Association and on a Government of India technical development panel ^[2].

Deep Group and IZMO

She founded the Deep Group, whose companies work in defence manufacturing, information technology and semiconductor packaging, with operations in India, Europe and the USA ^[2]. In 1996 she founded IZMO, a listed company offering online marketing and e-retail services to the car industry, with more than 1,800 customers in India, Europe and the USA ^[2].

She was also involved in setting up Hughes Precision Manufacturing in Goa, built in 18 months during the Covid-19 pandemic; according to her citation it is India’s only private-sector ammunition maker, and exports to 14 countries ^[2].

Philanthropy

In 1996 she founded the Deep Janseva Samiti, a charitable trust that has provided jobs, education for women from nearby slums, rehabilitation for slum residents and help for people with disabilities ^[2]. She also started the Smart Shiksha programme for students in Karnataka ^[2].