has always been conscious of his personal carbon footprint — he carried the same plastic bag every day for two years and bought an electric car before it was even considered an industry.

When Veer founded Vana — a holistic wellness retreat in Dehradun where individuals can seek well-being within themselves — he slept in each of its 80 rooms, personally met over 1500 candidates to hire 300 team members, tasted every dish on the food menu, and tested every treatment on the wellness menu.

Driven and deeply principled, it’s not hard to believe that he was involved in every aspect — planning, conceptualization, and design — of the retreat. And that he brought it to fruition, without compromise. 

Born into a prominent business family, Veer came to recognize his privilege at a very early age. This realization has been a constant impetus in him using his position to be of service to others. He completed his schooling at St. Columba’s, New Delhi, and Harrow, London. A gap year took him to Spain, where he learned the language and discovered a love for languages, music, and art.

His university years were spent at Imperial College, London, where he became politically active while learning about organic agriculture and ecology. And once home, he tried — unsuccessfully — to become a farmer himself. His life would then change course, towards wellness and beyond. 

The year is 2009.
The setting is Dehradun. 
His family is a year into designing and planning a resort and hotel project on the city’s outskirts.
But Veer has other ideas. 
Finding himself overcome by the beauty of Malsi Estate,
he believes it shouldn’t be just another hotel,
but a place of wellness.

This was the moment that Veer founded Vana — a refuge for reflection and healing, amidst the Sal Forests it would be named after.

What does it take to create and run a place like Vana?
Conviction. Attention to detail. A reverence for nature.

And, perhaps more than anything, a deep belief in something beyond oneself.

Veer has long held firm to the intangible potential of Indian principles of wisdom and well-being. With Vana, he has created a space where people can engage in several wellness traditions and philosophies of the Indian subcontinent, including Yoga, Ayurveda, and Sowa Rigpa. Within the Vana repertoire, he set up Vanaveda, an eco-friendly personal care brand, developing products with Ayurvedic doctors, using only the purest oils, herbs, and ingredients that are natural and certified organic.

With Vanavastr, he attempted to reimagine Indianwear as mainstream everyday wear, and with Vana Krishi, Veer and his team strived to create self-sufficient farmer networks. 

Veer also launched Vana Foundation, a not-for-profit rooted in Indian wisdom and working on endeavors focused on farming, ecology, and education. One such initiative was Vidyaloke, which connected teachers of ancient Indian wisdom with prospective students. The foundation’s work on the Siddhartha Festival gave an identity to Indian Buddhism.

As part of Vana Foundation’s Covid-19 response in Uttarakhand, his team provided 2000 oxygen cylinders to government hospitals, donated 200 quintals of wood to cremation grounds, set up a vaccination drive, provided medical supplies to Covid care facilities, and financially assisted those who couldn’t afford their hospital bills. With Naadvistaar, he wanted to share the wisdom of India’s myriad musical traditions with everyone.

Veer could be called many things —a founder, leader, entrepreneur, visionary, but he calls himself a ‘sevak’ —one who lives in service of others. As Veer enters fatherhood, this new stage of life gives him a fresh perspective. He dedicates his time to the betterment of children’s wellness and well-being.

Veer continues to sponsor the medical treatments of children whose families can’t afford them. Recently Veer has been working on Shishu Bhojan — an initiative to home-deliver nutritious meals to underprivileged children. Setting sail on this new journey, Veer finds himself revitalized with new energies and ideas. He remains interested in nature, food, land, politics, and all of life’s basics, and yet has a new-found intrigue in Space and the evolution of technology.