By Anand Gurung
With his elegant gray suit, expensive Swiss watch on his wrist, hair neatly combed and parted sideways and seemingly giving off a who’s-better-than-me air, Nirvana Chaudhary can pass for any fresh-faced, highly ambitious young men who can be seen passionately talking about their work over lunch with their peers in top-end restaurants about the city. But there is something that separates him from those young professionals he embodies so effortlessly: unlike many of them he’s in the constant spotlight; a whole business dynasty with annual turnover of more than US$250 million is behind him [he is, as all know, the son of Binod K. Chaudhary of Chaudhary Group (CG)] and finally, to top it all – CG looks up to him as its future successor.
Now you can easily imagine what great responsibilities lies on the young shoulders of this man (Nirvana just turned 23 last month) who is not only expected to lead the family driven group (in all it glory and travails) in its national expansion, but also take it for a regional or, perhaps, going by what he says, a global expansion.
In his office room in Chaudhary House (Headquarter of Chaudhary Group) located in Sanepa, Nirvana Chaudhary exudes the charm of a future business leader – when you meet him he doesn’t disappoint. But despite the high life, the lavish lifestyle he may be used to, despite all the attention, all the grooming he received as the heir to the Chaudhary Group – he still maintains that easy-going nature and good-humor of his. Founder/Member of Young Entrepreneur Organization, Nepal Chapter, Chaudhary is currently making time as Chief Operating Officer, CG Finco Pvt. Ltd (a financial division of Chaudhary Group which operates and manages companies like Western Union Money Transfer), besides taking up many other responsibilities inside the organization and sinking into the role he would later assume - as one who would lead the group. “As the eldest son of the third generation of my family, there are expectations which I am obliged to live up to – one being ushering the group into the next level, and eventually drive it one day,” he says.
For a business house which is in the process of transforming itself from a family driven group into a professionally managed organization, Nirvana also had to prove his worth to make it to this level in CG. He didn’t have it easy. Like any young professional, he had to start all the way from below and work his way up and during the process going through all the initial rudimentary and hardship everybody goes through at the initial stage of their career. “I never encountered any kind favoritism while going through these phases,” he says, “In a professionally managed organization it doesn’t really matter if I am the owner’s son. If I am not competent enough to take the company into the next level then they won’t take me. I had to prove myself that I am confident to start on my own and can handle any responsibility entrusted upon me very well.” From being an assistant sales executive (his first job, he was 16 then) where he literally delivered beer cartons in Tata mobile vans to being a waiter (his second job) in a restaurant in London where he then was doing his Senior School Certificate Level at Harrow School (one of the world’s most prestigious schools, whose alumni’s includes personalities like Jawaharlal Nehru and Sir Winston Churchill), Nirvana started out early.
But even before that, coming from a family driven business and being the oldest in his generation, Nirvana was always expected to get involved and understand the dynamics of his family’s business from a very early age. So he actually started accompanying his father to the office when he was just 11 years of age. But his interest has always been music, arts and sports: he used to be always the best in music while in school (he studied in Welham’s Boy’s School and then went on to study in the Doon School, India’s most prestigious educational institution), he represented his school on Squash, a game of which his school is a founder. He is right now the no.2 player in Squash in Nepal. and was suppose to go to SAF games in Islamabad before it was cancelled because of the Iraq war.
After rounding off his Senior School Certificate Level in Commerce from Harrow School, England, he then started developing an interest for investment banking and was soon fortunate enough to work as a trainee for American Express, Credit Suisse and Meryll & Lynchh. Before this, he had worked in the L/C Department of Nabil Bank and he said this experience really helped him during his stint in these top investment banks. In the year 2000 he enrolled in Singapore Management University to complete his undergraduate degree. But two years into it, feeling that he needed to help his father in the regional expansion of CG group, he got the college credit transferred to Kathmandu College of Management and finished his Bachelor’s in Business Administration (BBA) here while working as a General Manager (Sales) for Fast Foods Nepal Pvt., Ltd, the noodles division of Chaudhary Group. Then while directly reporting to the CEO and the COO of the company, it occurred to him that when he has already proved his worth to his father and seniors in CG by doing amazing work in the existing company – the turnover of CG was about US$150 when he first joined it, today its turnover is about US$250 - they might just as well be encouraged to let him start his own business. His wish came true, but his demand for a capital support was denied. He used what he had learned in the business school he attended and his father’s grooming and his flair and innovation; he discovered, and with the little money he had saved, he started a company called CG Finco Pvt., Ltd in the year 2003 by acquiring the status of principal agent of the international money remittance company called Western Union Money Transfer. “I thought this was the best thing to do during that time. The remittance coming from Nepalese people working abroad was slowly getting recognized as the major force that was driving the country’s economy forward, and, being an entrepreneur, one has to create a supply where there is a demand,” he says. His company started doing well and broke even in no time. As if he had a Midas touch, the minute he ventured into this sector the entire money remittance industry grew by 170% and companies like IME and Krishi Premura plunged into it to grab the share of the pie, as 30 outlets providing such services to the people grew to 300 outlets across the country. And because of the success in his very first solo venture, Nirvana Chaudhary proved that he is as extraordinary and big-visioned a businessman as Binod Chaudhary, his father.
So what are his future plans for the group? “We here at CG have a vision. We want to be one among the well recognized and respected companies in the region. We want to be recognized as a company that has grown from its humble Nepalese background to a scale that it can be competitive with any company in this region.” Nirvana’s been busy these days working hard on a new project CG’s been interested to venture into, and as he speaks with me about it he gives off this impression that the world is not enough for this young guy.
Then as I get the feeling that the conversation is getting bland because of talking too much about his professional life, I turned the topic of our talk to blow a fresh air into it and, knowing that he’s the most eligible bachelor in the town, I started by asking him about his marriage plans. “I don’t know. So far I have no plans for it. But definitely, as I come from a very conservative Marwari family, it would probably be soon,” he smiles. Any one who is especially close to him? I again ask persistently. “I have some very close friends who are dear to me, yes,” he tries to evade my question, and immediately after saying this Nirvana burst into a laughter looking at his friend who had arrived in the middle of the interview and had been since sitting quietly. What is his philosophy in life? “Work hard and party harder,” quick came the reply (he is a serious party animal and if you think you have seen him in some hip nightclubs and discos in the city, you might be right). Then Nirvana laughs it off and corrects himself, “it just to keep doing what I am doing with all my heart and soul."
The writer is a journalist with nepalnews and can be reached at andygurung@yahoo.com
