WRITTEN BY: PARINITA GUPTA
(May 17, 2023) In 1975, Manu and Rika Shah migrated to the US from India with a dream to establish a company that would generate employment, forge alliances, and treat people as their own family. In the US they founded MS International (MSI), now a multibillion-dollar enterprise, which started out with exporting microprocessors and memory chips, then pivoted to being the leading distributor of home and workspace plans and products. Throughout their careers, the power couple has demonstrated their commitment to social change and supported entrepreneurship.
The Shahs founded the MSI Charitable Trust, which supports over 200 charities throughout America. The trust’s focus is on improving the health, education, and wellness of the communities in India, Sub-Saharan Africa, and the US. They have implemented initiatives to promote preventive healthcare in the areas where their suppliers are situated, including providing nutritious meals for school children, supporting expectant mothers, and funding research for detecting low anemia in females.
Manu and Rika Shah.
“We have forged partnerships between Universities, private and non-profit sectors to help millions of young girls and women around the world fight anemia. Five million people are to be screened for anemia and we have already completed 100K screenings. The trust is making anemia detection possible at scale by using Non-invasive technology coming out of America’s leading universities,” informed Rika Shah.
MSI has utilized technology to provide quality education to students in both the US and the regions where they source their materials. They have also supported early childhood education initiatives and created job opportunities for young adults in these regions by providing vocational training. Through their charitable trust, Mr. and Mrs. Shah have supported various philanthropic efforts, including Resolution, which identifies and supports young social entrepreneurs working on impactful social ventures in Sub-Saharan Africa. Overall, their efforts have created hundreds of thousands of jobs worldwide.
The Resolution Project Team honored Manu and Rika Shah, founders of MS International (MSI), with the Champions Circle Award for Supporting Young Leaders.
“Success is a never-ending journey; it’s like climbing a mountain. When you reach the top of the summit and look below, you forget all the pain it took you to reach the top. You see the beautiful surroundings below and look forward to the other mountains yet to climb,” said the Global Indian in an interview.