At a time when many young professionals seek lucrative corporate careers and opportunities overseas, 34-year-old Sahil Sapra chose an unconventional path rooted in community welfare in Haryana. Born into an agricultural family, Sapra had every opportunity to move abroad, especially since several relatives are Non-Resident Indians and his brothers work in countries such as Canada. Despite having clear avenues for foreign employment, he deliberately decided to remain in India to directly address structural challenges faced by underprivileged communities.
Stepping Away from Corporate Success
A native of Tohana in Fatehabad district, Sapra earned a degree in pharmacy and subsequently joined the multinational food and beverage corporation Nestle as a nutrition officer. While the high-paying corporate post provided substantial financial comfort, he felt a persistent drive to pursue meaningful social work. In 2019, he officially resigned from his corporate role to dedicate himself entirely to philanthropic efforts. To sustain these operations, Sapra now channels earnings from his personal savings and property income directly into charitable programs.
Providing Medicines at Cost via Tera Tera Foundation
Upon entering full-time social work in 2019, Sapra established the Tera Tera Foundation to launch an at-cost pharmacy network across various towns. Operating on a strict zero-profit, rate-to-rate model, these medical counters ensure essential treatments remain financially accessible to low-income families. As a concrete example of the pricing difference, medicines that typically retail for 250 rupees on the open market are dispensed through this initiative for approximately 30 rupees. The network currently operates across multiple locations in Haryana, including Ambala, Karnal, Sirsa, and Fatehabad, with active preparations underway to launch upcoming facilities in Kurukshetra and Yamunanagar.
Educational Assistance via Open Book Banks in Ambala
Expanding his welfare work beyond healthcare, Sapra launched an open book bank initiative alongside the dispensary operating at the Sector-10 Gurdwara Sahib in Ambala. The facility features two distinct shelving sections, one stocked with academic textbooks and the other with religious literature. Crucially, this book bank requires no formal registration, subscription charges, or membership fees. Students simply pick up required study materials, use them through the academic session, and return them upon completion before picking up textbooks for their subsequent class. To remove financial obstacles for impoverished households that struggle with annual textbook costs, Sapra also distributes notebooks and pens completely free of charge.
Mobilising Youth Toward Health, Learning, and Public Service
Sapra credits the sustained success of these charitable ventures to the blessings of Guru Nanak Dev Ji and the unwavering support of the local congregation, alongside his family. Looking at contemporary social challenges, he points out that issues like substance abuse, addiction, and civil discord pose severe risks to youth development. To counter these destructive patterns, he advocates redirecting young people toward physical fitness, academic learning, and civic service. Sapra urges the younger generation to step forward actively and contribute whatever portion of their financial earnings or personal time they can spare toward bettering society.
