Vallabhbhai Patel

Sardar Vallabhbhai Jhaverbhai Patel, popularly known as Sardar Patel, was an Indian statesman. He served as the first Deputy Prime Minister of India. Patel persuaded almost every princely state to accede to India. His commitment to national integration in the newly independent country was total and uncompromising, earning him the sobriquet "Iron Man of India". Funding. The Statue of Unity was built by a Public Private Partnership model, with most of the money raised by the Government of Gujarat. The Gujarat state government had allotted ₹500 crore (equivalent to ₹607 crore or US$85 million in 2019) for the project in its budget from 2012 to 2015.