Born on 16 September 1968 in Wahiajer Village, West Jaintia Hills, Meghalaya, Ngaitlang Dhar was the first of ten siblings in a family struggling to make ends meet. Education was beyond reach, but hard work was not. By the age of seven, he was helping his mother with odd jobs in the village. At thirteen, he joined his father — a truck driver — as a handyman, learning the ropes of vehicle maintenance and eventually driving.

At eighteen, he became a professional driver and spent twelve years on the road. His first big leap came with the timber trade, a venture that thrived until the 1996 Supreme Court ban on tree felling. Many were ruined, but Mr. Dhar refused to give up. In 1998, with nothing more than determination and a ₹20,000 contract, he entered the construction industry.

That single project gave birth to Dhar Construction Company, the seed from which The Dhar Group has grown. Today, his vision powers businesses in construction, hospitality, timber, plywood, mining, and exports.