Jasdeep Singh Gill holds a Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from the University of Cambridge and a Master’s Degree in Chemical Engineering from MIT.
Pharmaceutical industry veteran Jasdeep Singh Gill, a devoted follower of the Dera Radha Soami Satsang Beas (RSSB) in Amritsar, has been named the future spiritual leader of the Dera. Gill, who is 45 and based in Mumbai, is set to succeed the current Dera head, Baba Gurinder Singh Dhillon.
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On May 31, Gill resigned from his role as Cipla’s Chief Strategic Officer and senior management member. The decision for Gill to take on this significant spiritual responsibility was communicated to the Dera community through a written statement by Dera secretary Devender Singh Sikri on Monday.
Jasdeep Singh Gill will also assume the role of patron of the Dera Beas society immediately, although he will officially become the spiritual head only when Dhillon steps down, according to a senior Dera official.
Gill’s father, Sukhdev Singh, a former army officer, currently manages the numerous satsangs organized by the Dera across India, while his mother oversees one of the hostels within the Dera’s Beas complex.
The RSSB Dera, one of the most influential spiritual centers in Punjab, owns vast tracts of land in Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, and Rajasthan, and is followed by millions. Dhillon, now 69, continues the tradition of naming his successor during his lifetime, just as his predecessor Baba Charan Singh did when he appointed Dhillon as head of the Dera in 1990.
In his message to the followers, Sikri conveyed Dhillon’s wish for the same support and love that the community extended to him to be given to Jasdeep Singh Gill as he takes on his duties as patron and Sant Satguru. Once he becomes the spiritual leader, Gill will have the authority to perform initiations (naam).
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Gill’s selection as the next Dera head has surprised some senior Dera members, many of whom are not familiar with him. However, his father, Col. Gill, is a well-known figure within the Dera community.
Who is Jasdeep Singh Gill?
Jasdeep Singh Gill holds a Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from the University of Cambridge and a Master’s Degree in Chemical Engineering from MIT. He completed his undergraduate studies in Chemical Engineering at IIT Delhi.
Gill’s professional journey includes leading Cipla’s strategic initiatives, including mergers and acquisitions, since joining the company in 2019. He has also served as a senior principal consultant for IQVIA in India, and as a consultant for the Monitor Group, advising clients on strategic matters.
From 2006 to 2010, Jasdeep Singh Gill held various positions at Ranbaxy, the pharmaceutical giant once managed by Dhillon’s nephews, Malvinder and Shivinder Singh.
The Dera’s roots trace back to the Radha Soami spiritual tradition established by Baba Shiv Dayal Singh in Agra in 1861, with Baba Jaimal Singh founding the Beas Dera in 1891. The Dera Sacha Sauda in Sirsa is a branch that split from this tradition.
Baba Gurinder Singh Dhillon, who took over the Dera in 1990 from his maternal uncle Baba Charan Singh, was in Spain at the time of his appointment but returned to lead the Dera.
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In 2020, Dhillon became involved in a high-profile fraud case linked to Malvinder and Shivinder Singh. Despite being Baba Charan Singh’s grandsons, their relationship with Dhillon soured after Malvinder accused him of owing significant sums of money to his companies, a claim brought before the Delhi High Court and the Supreme Court.
The RSSB Dera operates over 5,000 branches in India and 90 abroad. Its headquarters in Beas, which covers 3,000 acres, functions as a self-sufficient township, featuring a large satsang complex, residential quarters, a school, and a hospital.
Although the Dera claims to be apolitical, it often attracts political figures, especially during election times. Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the Dera in November 2022 before the Himachal Pradesh elections, and Union Home Minister Amit Shah also made a visit that year. Dhillon himself met with the Prime Minister in Delhi in February 2022.