• Written by Martin Foundation

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A lottery is a type of game that involves the random drawing of numbers for a prize. There are many lotteries in India, run by state governments but they are legal in only 13 states out of the 29 Indian states.

In India, Martin Lottery Agencies Limited is one of the biggest and most popular online lottery operators. They are known for their improved gaming operations to provide their audience an engaging play and gain platform.

The main firm of Martin Lottery Group is Martin Lottery Agencies. Founded in 1991, Martin Lottery Agencies Limited holds a significant market position in the Indian lottery sector. It is also a part of the Martin Foundation & Martin Group Of Companies.  It was founded and is headed by Santiago Martin, better known as the ‘Lottery King Martin’ and the ‘Godfather of Lottery’. A pioneer in this field, he is the main reason behind the establishment and foundation of ‘online lotteries’ for more than a decade.

HISTORY OF SANTIAGO MARTIN

Santiago Martin is the Chairman and Founder of the Martin Group of Companies. He began his career as an underprivileged labourer and trader in Myanmar at the age of 13. He is a first-generation entrepreneur who with his hard work and excellence built and made Martin Lottery Agencies Limited possible, from a small shop to a flourishing business. Successfully venturing into the lottery business, he created one of the largest business empires, Martin Lottery Agencies Ltd in 1988 (established in 1988 and incorporated in 1991).
From his hometown Coimbatore, he expanded his business and spanned across various parts within India including Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka, and consequently to Maharashtra, Meghalaya, Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh, Punjab, and various countries and beyond.

Mr. Santiago Martin believes in working at the intersection of philanthropy, technology, and advocacy. Achieving progress across all his initiatives, his mission is to:

 - reduce poverty and justice,

 - strengthen democratic values,

 - advance human achievement, &

 - support & help minority communities

He has a vast range of accomplishments to his credit that differentiates and sets him apart from other business leaders belonging to his own field and generation.

The following are some of his achievements and accomplishments:

-Treasurer of All India Federation of Lottery Trade and Allied Industries.

-Received a gold medal for ‘Excellence in Business’ by the Foundation for Excellence in Business Practice, Geneva, in 2004.

-Consul General for the ‘REPUBLIC OF LIBERIA’, to help develop the Liberian economy by boosting their lottery industry.

-Awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Business Administration by the ‘Yorker International University’, New York.

-Awarded an Honorary Doctorate from Università Popolare degli Studi di Milano, Italy.

-Received the prestigious ‘Best Lottery Professional Award’ in the year 2000 by Public Gaming Research Institute (PGRI), USA.

-President of All India Federation of Lottery Trade and Allied Industries; an organization that uplifts and infuses credibility to the lottery trade in India.

The qualities and abilities of Mr. Santiago Martin as an entrepreneur combined with his passion for enterprises have made him bring up multiple business ventures. He has a wide range of interests in a variety of sectors, together which comprise the ‘Martin Group of Companies’. Some of these fields are:

- Health care and Education

- Hospitality

- Textiles & Yarn

- Real Estate

- Property Development

- Agro

- Building Materials

- Construction

 - Alternative Energy

 - Visual Media Entertainment

 - Software and Technology

Every story has two sides. It is often said that both sides must be heard before we judge! Santiago Martin may have mostly been in the spotlight for the wrong reasons, but only a few are aware that he is one of the most generous persons known to step up for good causes. Santiago Martin has time and again given his all to promote equality and provide a better quality of life to the citizens of India. He is also one of the highest individual income tax-payers of our country. Let's get to know about some of his social and noble activities:

• Martin Charitable Trust donated Rs. 5,60,000 DD to Christ The King Nursery & Primary School to build toilets and stage facilities for school students in the presence of school authorities and panchayat president.
 
• Martin Groups CEO and trustee Dr. Leema Rose Martin, in the presence of school authorities, donated a sum of Rs. 1,20,000 to Headmasters of St. Antony Mary School to build toilets for safe sanitation and hygiene practices.
 
• Martin Charitable Trust donated a sum of Rs. 1,10,000 DD to Mr. Y. Xavior, Panchayat President, Thirukanurpatti, for the construction of public toilets for the people of Thirukanurpatti village.
 
• Martin Coimbatore donated money for the construction of toilets in schools in Pudukkottai, Tamil Nadu. Dr. Leema Rose Martin, Trustee of Martin Coimbatore donated money to different schools in Pudukkottai on 19th October 2020 for the construction of toilets in the school of the village. Some of the schools they donated to were Christ The King Nursery and Primary School, Jeevan Jyoti Higher Secondary School, etc.
 
• Donations were also made to villages in the Thanjavur district for constructing public toilet services for the villages.
 
• Martin Foundation donated Rs 5 Crores as a part of relief work in regions affected by the Gaja cyclone to the former Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, Edappadi K. Palaniswami.
 
• In order for village people to have access to clean water throughout the year, Martin Groups CEO and trustee Dr.Leema Rose Martin donated Rs. 8,40,000 DD to Mr. Raja, Panchayat President, and Mr. Savarimuthu Paul Raj, Vice President for the construction of 6 water tanks at Kottarpatti, Thanjavur District.
 
• Martin Foundation in association with Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam International Foundation, House of Kalam, Rameshwaram, and Space Zone India, Chennai, organized an awareness program for the students of the government schools about satellite technology on 29th December 2020. The Martin Foundation announced the sponsorship of 500 government school students chosen from all across India for designing the Femto Satellite.
 
• Martin Groups CEO and trustee Dr. Leema Rose Martin sponsored & distributed 500 packs of Homoeopathic Immune Booster - Arsenic Album 30 C medicine, worth Rs. 15000 to the public at the PowerHouse, Coimbatore.
 
• Leema Rose Martin, Trustee, Coimbatore Government Hospital, and ESI Hospital donated three 10 liter oxygen concentrators worth Rs. 5.5 lakhs and four 7 liter oxygen concentrators to Coimbatore Government Hospital. She also donated oxygen concentrators to ESI Hospital on 7th June 2021.
 
• Martin Charitable Trust donated Covid-19 relief material worth Rs. 3 Crores to the Chief Minister's Public Relief Fund (CMPRF). The relief material included 100 units of Oxygen Concentrators, life-saving medicines worth Rs. 1.25 crores, 400 units of 50-liter Oxygen Cylinders, 1000 Oximeters, 125000 N-95 Masks, 10000 Hand Sanitizers, and 5000 Toothbrush and Paste Kit each.

Martin Charitable Trust extended its support to help individuals fight hunger in the month of. Every day, a nutritious meal was prepared for more than 5000 people. It comprised foods rich in protein such as vegetables, eggs, and chicken. The meal was prepared with utmost care and packed properly in a hygienic way. The meal was distributed to various parts of the district through several vehicles. Through this initiative, Martin group was able to assist more than 50,000 individuals over a short span of two weeks.