Flexible & Ready to Adapt
Abhisek Agrawal believes that every business house wants and tries to attain growth and this applies to his family business as well. After finishing college and joining the business four years ago he quickly realiszed that there was a lot of difficulties to implement in business what he had learnt from the books he studied in the college. “I realised that implementation of the knowledge garnered through books might not take you far unless you are flexible and ready to adapt to situations,” he says.
Therefore, the most important lessons he has learnt are from his father. Thus Agrawal has always been learning and in this he is copying and emulating his seniors. He admires his father’s way of handling his position of being a ‘boss’. ”Business is a world of innovation and you go through trials and errors everyday,” he says.
About the current situation of Nepal Agrawal says, “We Nepalis are accustomed to the way of life that we enjoyed in the past decades. Skilled people are running away to developed countries for better earning opportunities.” However, he likes to keep a positive outlook and is confident that the situation in Nepal will soon change for the better. “I have invested most of my time here and I am sure that Nepal has a great future ahead and is one of the naturally-blessed countries. We have a huge advantage of being located between two rising economic superpowers. We need to be patient and prepared,” he adds. As a great fan of cricket, his hobby does not match so much with his current business. Therefore, he is looking forward to creating NPL (Nepali Premier League) similar to IPL (Indian Premier League), which added a new dimension to the game of cricket in India.
He thinks it’s still too early to plan for things five years down the line about his company. “Currently, my family business is focused mainly in trading and as a businessman, I am continuously looking for opportunities to diversify our group,” he further adds.
- Abhisek Agrawal
Chief Executive Officer, Elecron International Pvt. Ltd.
Focus on corporate culture
Dileep Aggrawal set out to make WorldLink a fruitful venture despite himself lacking a family background in business. His family isn’t into business and no senior from his family belongs to the business world. For private operators like his company, including ISPs, to grow and prosper, he sees the anti-competitive nature of Nepal Telecom as the primary obstacle. “Lack of timely formulation of new polices and implementation of the existing policies is also a hindrance,” he says. But that doesn’t make him pessimistic about the possible growth of his business. “I am optimistic about the country’s future and my place in it. All we need is po litical stability, which is now on the horizon,” he adds. Agrawal hopes to develop WorldLink into a big telecom operator providing full range of telecom services. “I would like to see the company managed by professionals so that WorldLink develops a strong corporate culture,” he further adds.
- Dileep Agrawal
Managing Director WorldLink Pvt. Ltd.
Professional Culture Vs Cultural Profession
Arbindra Bahadur matya joined his family business in pharmaceuticals after returning home with an MBA degree from the Philippines in 2001. He looked after corporate management in Nepal Pharmaceuticals Lab Pvt. Ltd., more than 20-year-old enterprise, which was initially into trading business. “The first thing that I noticed was that the managerial attempts and strategies of the organisation weren’t time specific. I put in my best to raise productivity and strengthen the management aspect of the enterprise,” he shares. He realised that the organisation needed some time-bound management attempts. So he held discussions with people from internal departments and went on to fix problems related to information technology, administration and management. He upgraded productivity level to acquire WHO GMP Standards through the application of Total Productivity Management (TPM). Amatya initiated trainings for the employees who were working in the organisation almost since its inception to upgrade them technologically and make them familiar with the modern managerial trends and techniques. “I take hem as our assets, so I initiated these trainings to help them adapt to the fast-changing corporate culture in the world,” he adds.
While working in pharmaceuticals, Amatya came to realise that there is an immense business potential in packaging products like monocartons, which are imported from India. So six months ago, he initiated Matrix Printers Pvt. Ltd. to cater to pharma, FMCG and other industries. “We are working on the quality aspect now. We will take on the market after three more months,” he informs. “The whole idea is to produce the packaging products in the country itself. It will provide employment opportunities for people and make us self-dependent,” he adds.
Amatya says to have learnt from his seniors that one needs to be a time-bound task-oriented person to be competitive in business. He thinks that communication is important to keep things going. “I think that you should build a professional culture instead of cultural profession,” he shares. It took a long time for him to convince his old-time employees to embrace change. He called in resource persons to impart trainings on productivity and language to his employees to upgrade their knowledge and expertise. He rues about the government policy of waiving tax on pharma packaging imports from India while making the local producers to shell out 13 percent VAT. “I would like to see National Industrial Development Policy taking effect in Nepal,” he says. “The government needs to promote and protect local producers but i t’s just the opposite that’s happening.” But he is optimistic about the business prospect. He is of the opinion that government should keep politics and economics separate. “There are political problems even in countries like Japan but their economies remain afloat. The government needs to make a conducive environment so that us businessmen can venture into new businesses and raise productivity levels,” he adds
- Arbindra Bdr. Amatya
Managing Director , Matrix Printers Pvt. Ltd.
Om Ashram, Shreepur, Birgunj
Taking the road less traveled
Anand Bagaria started his corporate journey with a writing instrument manufacturing unit. Later he got into trading, mostly Fast Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG). He always wanted to do something that added high value. “And by stroke of luck, we stumbled upon animal health and nutrition business, which changed our business profile,” he says referring to the present business of his family. Anand says he has emulated administrative and management strategies from his father. “He is an avid reader. He taught me that it’s not just enough to run towards the destiny; you need to have a plan on hand while keeping your sight at the goal. That’s probably what’s driving our team,” he says. Anand himself is not an avid reader but when pressed against the wall, he does dig into books to find the solution.
Anand doesn’t take government policies as stumbling blocks in furthering the business. “The government has its own limitations and if you are a businessman, you have to find your own way. Everyone walks the beaten trail; you have to take the road less travelled to make a difference. I don’t like to be a reactionary to the government policy or any other event,” he adds. When coming across a problem, he takes deep breath, counts from one to ten and thinks about it in a proactive manner. “I believe every problem brings about something new in the perspective. So I don’t take impulsive reactions. I learn from mistakes and make sure I don’t repeat them again.” He is an optimist and his friends often find it weird to believe his words. “I have been to places. I have seen a bit of the world but Nepal is a nice place to live. I think whatever I do, I will do it here. In this process, I have moulded myself to become an optimist. And my optimism so far has proved me right,” he says, with a tinge of confidence in his voice.
He believes that hard work is the only way to success. “I think entrepreneurship is my hobby; whatever maybe the business, the very concept of entrepreneurship is an ideal for me. When I achieve a business success, it’s like personal success for me. And whenever I fail in business, it comes back to me as double or triple challenge and I enjoy taking it,” he adds. Anand is a sportsperson. Whenever he feels bogged down by business obligations, he likes to play tennis or a round of golf, or maybe just jogging
- Anand Bagaria
Director Nimbus International
Her own principles and working style
Young minds always generate new ideas and initiate better working environment. And Megha Chaudhary says to have given a fresh makeover to her family enterprise business Norvic International Hospital by standardising its logo, symbol and information that goes out to the public. The hospital’s website is another contribution from her as she was instrumental in its development. Added to it is the formation of Care Division at Norvic. “It has been very successful in providing a personal touch to local as well as foreign patients,” she says. Megha admits that her family business has been traditional and so has been the working environment. “I have been trying to motivate the employees to change their focus towards a modern working environment,” she adds.
According to her what she has learned from her father, Basant Chaudhary, is how to handle a stressful situation in a smart way. “I have learnt that all that is heard may not be correct and needs to be rechecked and confirmed before raising a finger on someone. I do not copy or emulate anything from my seniors. I have my own principles and style of working.”
She finds it hard to tackle with labour-related problems because of the laid-back working style of the employees. “Unwillingness to adapt to changes and no sense of competition make them dull. I am trying to overcome this by engaging them into a lot of motivational activities,” she adds.
Despite problems related to labour, government and seniors, Mega thinks it will all change for good. “I tink one needs to keep on fulfilling his/her duties regardless of obstacles. I believe that there is always sunshine after the rain. The reason for staying positive is that without a vision, no mission can be fruitful,” she says.
Megha’s hobbies are totally different from her managerial undertaking. She is into music—singing and dancing. She further likes to debate, browse and build networks. “Business is my duty and that’s the other side of me,” she adds. Five years down the line, Megha likes to see more female employees working in her organization. She further wants to adopt paperless working environment. “I want to start an ecological campaign as a part of Norvic where there would be people working together with government towards cleaning the city and teaching people civic sense,” she says. “I would like to see Norvic as one of the best hospitals in Asia.” Apart from that, Megha is also taking steps into a business related to beauty, i.e. starting a luxurious beauty salon, called MIDAS, at Durbar Marg
- Megha Chaudhary
Director
Norvic International Hospital
Marketing CG regional giant
Chaudhary Group (CG) is an institution where everyone including the President follows the same rules as other managers do,” says Nirvana Chaudhary. And adds that his organization has a strong corporate governance system implemented over a long period of time and now being strictly followed by all. He further stresses that his corporate house is a professionally driven institution where there is an internal competition which leads to bigger responsibilities and challenges.
Looking back at the last five years, Chaudhary recalls that the corporate objective of his group was specified as ‘touching lives everyday’. “In line with this objective, changes have been made through diversification, talent management and operational excellence to keep pace with the global corporate race,” he adds. “The result has been astonishing and has improved our image both nationally and internationally.”
Chaudhary takes business like a well designed airplane. “After I have made the decision of taking flight and am off the runway, I have no option but to face all the obstacles until I have reached my destination - my vision,” he shares. “I will make sure that all the equipments are intact, the crew knows their jobs and everyone is committed. Then I will pilot it taking advantage of the winds. I will not rest until I have reached the destination. In the current business world, obstacles must be understood and tackled accordingly.”
Chaudhary says it is important to be optimistic in order to run a successful business venture. He is a firm believer that Nepal will be one of the fastest emerging markets in the world. But he is also aware that to take risks, one needs to investment capacity, passion and patience. “For example, even during the political stalemate, we have announced our hydro and cement projects. We are all part of the country’s future and we have to make it brighter together.”
Apart from work, Chaudhary says to leading a active social life, which he still somehow manages to relate back to his business world. Between being an international DJ, producing music and being a member of the National Squash Team, he still manages to interact with people and understand their individual characteristics which he uses in both his personal and professional life. Travelling is his hobby as well as a compulsion for business purpose.
He wants CG to become a regional giant with diverse businesses. “I have several projects in the pipeline and I want to make them big - big enough to at least be called one of the largest in the region,” he says. He has some agenda for change in human resource and working environment. “The working environment in CG is drastically changed today. CG is a professional company with empowered professionals running the show. I want to make CG the best place to work,” he shares.
- Nirvana Chaudhary
Director
Chaudhary Group
Hemant for Housing
Hemant Golchha has made incredible strides with his business of remittance services. “Within the first two years of operation, we are among the top remittance companies of the country,” he shares.
As a traditional industrial and trading house, his family enterprise, Golchha Organisation, was not into financial service sector, though it had investments in banks and insurance companies. However, as Hemant noticed that remittance was the largest foreign exchange earner amounting to 15 percent of the GDP, he spinned the idea of Hulas Remittance and tied up with Western Union, the global leader in the remittance business. “In the present competitive business world, we need to be focused to run a business efficiently. There must be a good team involved in the process,” he says explaining the success. He also adds that living in South Asia means ‘work not supervised is work not done’.
Golchha says to have learnt from some expensive errors and acknowledges the fact that as Nepal lies between two global industrial powerhouses, the business here must strive to remain competitive internationally. “This is our biggest challenge and I hope our new government understands this and takes positive steps for this,” he further adds. He realizes that “we have passed through a very difficult decade and with the new government and a new social outlook emerging there is a lot to look forward to. “I see lots of opportunities here and that keeps me positive and motivated.”
He likes movies and had an aspiration of becoming a filmmaker. “But being in the family business, it’s not always easy to chose your line of interest,” he says. However, movie-making still remains his dream profession and he is confident of making one someday. He also takes pleasure in automobiles and has enjoyed driving since he was a kid. “I take part in every automotive sport event that I come across,” he adds.
Golchha has various plans. “I feel housing is a very interesting business to be in. With limited land available in Kathmandu, there are lots of opportunities in group housing business,” he shares. Having already started a group housing business called ‘Shangrila Housing’, he is working on the next such project with 1400 units planned to be completed within the next three years. “It is going to be the largest group housing project in the country,” he adds.
- Hemant Golchha
Director Golchha Organisation
IT Honcho
Information Technology (IT) being his major field of interest, the most important new business dimension added by Sanjay Golchha into his family business has been related to IT. “We now have a software and a hardware company under the Golchha Organisation. With the development of telecommunication in Nepal, this is a great potential area for us,” he says.
A big admirer of his grandfather (Late Ram Lal Golchha) and father (Late Hulas Lal Golchha) for their value system, Golchha believes that the most important value is to be a good human being with integrity, humility and sincerity. “If you have these virtues, you can become successful in any field, whether you are a businessman or a sportsperson,” he adds. Golchha relates success with happiness, not with wealth. “I have learned that it is important to calibrate your success not only in terms of money or position but also happiness,” he adds further.
With a strong belief in the need for change, he says; “If you want to be different and do things differently, you must try and invent yourself in the process to avoid becoming just a commodity. You have to adapt to situations. It’s a jungle out there and only the fittest can survive.” Regarding the stumbling blocks in doing business in Nepal, he says, “You need to embrace challenges as stumbling blocks as they lead to opportunities.”
When commenting on the future of Nepal, he says, “I am positive about it. Having come this far, I am sure we can make it to other miracles as well. I hate people who impose their ideas on others and hope we don’t get a dictator in our country.”
- Sanjay Golchha
Director, Golchha Organisation
No follow ups no work done
Increasing value for consumers and being driven by innovation is what forms the core of Hitesh Golchha’s thought process. He has initiated and implemented a common platform, Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP), to enable the availability of live information for his company. After joining the family business, Golchha started a number of new units including the one that manufactures modular furniture. Recently, he has ventured into property investment and development.
He says he has inherited honesty, integrity and ethics from his elders and believes these to be irreplaceable requirements for business success. He also says that taking actions with focus on the long-term vision, having an in-depth knowledge about the sectors of one’s involvement and knowing how to deal with people are the ingredients of good strategy for success. “No follow up means no work done. This is a very important mantra that I have learnt,” he shares.
He has experienced a lot of trial and error, especially when experimenting with new ideas, be it in marketing, manufacturing or managing people. “For instance, there might be a very comprehensive HR evaluation process designed in the US or India, but when we put it into practice in Nepal, it needs to be passed through tests and adaptations. In that process there may be errors but to err is human,” he adds.
Understanding that Nepal has gone through difficult times, Golchha thinks “this process has helped us to enhance our skills and taught us to tackle obstacles and manage crisis.” He says he has learnt a lot in diverse issues ranging from labour relations to banking and management to human resource. “I would not have the opportunity to learn so many things if I was somewhere else in the world,” he says. Golchha sees a bright future for Nepal provided there is political stability. He thinks that the growth of Nepali economy is suppressed and that if the lid is taken off and pressure so released is channelised in the right direction, it can turn the nation around. “It will be only a short period before we see the per capita income jump to four digits in US dollar terms,” he says.
Golchha has successfully linked his hobbies with his work. “Coming up with new projects and working on new business ideas is one of my hobbies and I thoroughly enjoy doing it,” he says. There is a new property development project coming up, about which he is very excited. The project will incorporate designing buildings and he is very passionate about it. Five years down the line, he sees his organization to have very strong and pro-active human resource department with focus on innovation and growth in areas where the Golchha Organisation has a competitive advantage.
- Hitesh Golchha
Director, Golchha Organisation
Focused on Branding strategies
Since Jyoti Group has diverse portfolio of businesses ranging from manufacturing, trading to services, Saurav Jyoti says to have his focus primarily on branding. The Group has successful home grown brands like Himal Iron, Himal Oxygen as well as global giants like Honda and Philips. “We are focusing on branding exercises so that our brands get synonymous with quality and value for money and receive high brand recall,” he says. He is further concentrating on more consumer-focused approach in terms of providing customers with best service and support and introducing the latest products in the market. Increasing consumer base by keeping consumers aware about the latest technologies and their benefits and introducing various financing schemes, exchange facilities and other attractive and innovative schemes are the next branding strategies on his cards.
Also as the president of Nepalese Young Entrepreneurs’ Forum (NYEF) he has been focusing specially promoting Nepali brands.
Saurav says to have learnt a lot from his seniors in terms of honesty, humility, self-discipline, dedication and responsibility not only in case of business but society at large. “I have learnt that besides personal business interests, we need to give back to the society and work towards the betterment of all fellow citizens in order to be truly successful,” he adds. In terms of trials and errors, he says to have been guided by his seniors but has also implemented a lot of his own ideas, through failures and successes. “But the point is to learn from your failures and turn them around and come out successfully the next time around,” he says. As business environment in Nepal is not conducive enough, he says that an entrepreneur or a businessman has to face endless obstacles. “Due to the lack of financial discipline, labour politicisation and lack of energy and basic resources, we are all facing very difficult times in sustaining our businesses,” he further adds. “Now as we are at a critical juncture to build a ‘New Nepal’, we need to make strong and balanced policies so as to protect the interests of all investors and stakeholders. We need to build a positive investment environment and only that can lead to economic growth which in turn can ensure lasting peace in the nation.”
Saurav is optimistic about the future of business as he feels there is tremendous untapped potential and opportunities in Nepal. “With the successful CA elections and a new government formation in the process and talks of economic revolution being the priority of the new leadership, things are expected to smoothen up,” he comments. Describing his hobbies, he says, “I am lucky as my interests and hobbies are the same. I am an auto enthusiast and love to be up-to-date with the latest technologies and gadgets and my line of business involves products like Honda Cars, Honda and Hero Honda Motorcycles and Philips,” he says.
As for the changes he wants to bring in his organisation five years down the line, he says, “There are a lot of new ideas and new areas we are looking into for future investments. I am optimistic but yet cautious as we are yet to know what the new leadership and the new government policies will be like. So based on that, we will decide our plans for the future. As for now, I have my fingers crossed and am hopeful for a new, just, responsible and prosperous Nepal.”
- Saurav Jyoti
Director
Jyoti Group of Companies
Addicted to Business
Suhrid Jyoti thinks that in the current economic scenario, Nepali business houses have been forced to expand laterally into new businesses or risk standing still. “Hence, the focus of my family business was already very diverse and after four years of working, I am still trying to learn the many facets of running a successful diversified business,” he says. But that’s not to say that he didn’t start anything new. “I have tried out new management techniques but the contributions I have made is vastly overwhelmed by those already made by my father, uncle and brothers,” he adds. He says to have learnt the value and techniques of human resources, labour negotiations, public relations and business ethics and management from his father Padma Jyoti and bold and original marketing strategies and techniques from his brother Saurabh Jyoti and his uncle Laxman Tuladhar. When it comes to financial matters, he thinks he has yet to meet a person with a better grasp on finance than his uncle Roop Jyoti. He further says to have learnt a lot about project management from his technical planning manager Madhav Pradhan and a lot of business street smartness from his senior director Yadav Upadhyay. “In practice, I am extremely cautious and try to withhold decisions until I am convinced that I am making the best possible under the prevailing circumstances,” he says.
Jyoti thinks that businessmen by definition are optimists because of the money and resources they risk in the market in the hope of a decent return on investment. “If businessmen weren’t optimistic about the country’s future, we’d become politicians instead,” he jokes. “I am positive that provided the right political environment, Nepali businessmen are capable of turning the economy around.” For the question whether his hobbies match his business undertakings, he says, “Our family business portfolio is diverse so I do think that some of the products we are involved in are very interesting to me. Also business in itself is an activity that can be addictive when successful. However, I do have hobbies outside work and I try to manage time for them,” he adds. Suhrid is looking forward to focus a little bit more on professionalism and efficiency in his organization.
- Suhrid Jyoti
Director Jyoti Group of Companies
More for More
After receiving his MBA and a course on Business Consultancy from the USA, Amit More was lucky that he got an opportunity to start something new for his family business after arriving in Nepal in April 2007. His father had been looking after the family business of edible ghee and oil under a company named Ganpati Vanaspati Pvt. Ltd. More joined the company as a marketing executive and is now the Chief Operating Officer (COO). He spent the initial two months after his arrival into understanding the nature of business and building customer relations. “After holding a series of interactions with our customers, I found it both feasible and lucrative to import food grains from across the world,” he says. “I collected the necessary information, went to some countries abroad, got hold of some genuine suppliers and started my own company Phoenix International Trading in July 2007, which has a great opportunity to grow and expand.” More thinks he has been able to live up to the expectations of his family thereby changing the focus of his family business into areas quite similar but more volatile and challenging.
Being into family business with a reputed organisational background has its share of benefits but More thinks that a person can’t be successful with just family backing, “He/she has to possess the zeal and enthusiasm to deliver. Personal and family relations can get you business but it’s your upbringing and attitude that shape and enhance your personality and vision,” he adds. “I receive consistent suggestions and support from my parents and seniors. In MBA, they teach us to be focused and resilient but that’s not enough. You need to give up short-term gains to ensure long-term success. I have learnt these things from my seniors.”
More takes trial and error as part of his life. He thinks that anyone can make a difference if He/she learns from the trials and errors and takes calculated risks. He believes that the process of learning starts right from the trial and error phase. “I have learnt a lot during this past one year. For example, you should not rely completely on anybody and need to check all the data and records that you can find,” he further suggests. Since his exposure today is both in industrial and trading sector, the obstacles related to labour, finance, politics etc. look more pressing to him. He is of the view that recurrent labour agitations and various unrealistic demands made under the influence of certain people affiliated to certain parties inflict a lot of damage not only in terms of productivity and sales but also on the reputation of a company among its customers.
“Finance is a major part of any organisation. But some regulations imposed by Nepal Rastra Bank (NRB) are hurting the business. For example, it allows only 90-day importer’s loan which is not enough for certain industries where the working capital cycle is generally longer than 120 days,” he says. He thinks that the present political impasse and frequent changes in government rules and regulations have been posing a major hindrance to business growth in Nepal.
But he is optimistic about the future. “With the historical constituent assembly elections, things have lined up well for a rapid economic growth,” he opines. “Everybody should adapt to the political development and move along with the change. The current political turmoil is natural. We have learnt in management education that it is natural for the people to resist change. However, this is a short-lived situation and things will change for the better soon.”
More loves to travel and to meet new people. Apart from the USA, he has been to Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, China and Australia for business purpose. He plans to go to Canada, Guatemala and Brazil to further expand his business reach. “Changes are inevitable,” he says. “We are moving into corporate social and structural reforms and I hope to incorporate it in our Lucky Group as well.” His organisation has already ventured into a green-field cement project which he claims to be the largest investment by private sector in Nepal. n
- Amit More
CEO
Phoenix International Trading & COO
Ganpati Vanaspati Pvt. Ltd.
People, the biggest assets
Pradhanang admits to not having been able to create any new business or business idea to change the focus of his family business. “Just some small changes have occurred,” he says. When it comes to emulating from seniors, he says to have copied the attitude of feeling the fire to build an enterprise. “The second important thing is to keep focus on people. They believe that people are the biggest assets and so do I,” he says. Pradhananga believes that everyone needs to pass through the trial and error phase and he is no exception. The biggest obstacle in doing business in Nepal, as he says, is the unpredictable political situation.
But he is optimistic about the future of business in Nepal. ”Look at the economic growth rate Nepal has attained in the last few years,” he stresses. “With both the neighbouring countries achieving a high economic growth rate, ours is bound to grow at similarly higher rate as well. But political stability will be a major prerequisite for this to happen.” He further believes that business cycles are normal occurrences with their troughs and peaks and that Nepali business houses at present are looking up for the revival phase to start speeding up the journey to the peak. “Five years down the line, I see my own organisation becoming a globally competitive business entity,” he says.
- Ajay Pradhanang
Managing Director
Fleur Himalayan Ltd.
Cable Capable
Sudhir Parajuli does not have family background in business. But by setting up Subisu as the first cable internet service provider company with his school and college day friends, he has proven his entrepreneurial and managerial capabilities. He believes that life is not perfect and that it evolves through the process of experience. “We have learnt from our mistakes. We gain experience from each mistake we make,” he adds. Parajuli faced problems related to finance when starting the company. “We don’t have a mechanism for financing new entrepreneurs. Each financing source that we approached either required huge collateral or business background, both of which we didn’t possess,” he reminisces. Another obstacle came from the government side. Parajuli and his team tried in vain for four years to get a cable operator’s license from the regulator.
But Parajuli is optimistic about making it big. “If we hadn’t seen growth prospects in the country itself, we would have gone abroad long ago,” he further adds. But he thinks that the growth prospects largely hang on the decision of politicians and their policies for private businesses. “If they devise policies to stimulate growth and investment, there is no reason why Nepal can’t develop,” he further comments.
Parajuli’s hobby of trying new things out matches his business undertaking, which is subject to changes. “We would like to become a comprehensive technology service provider, including video, data and voice technologies in another five years,” he informs.
- Sudhir Parajuli
Chief Executive Officer
Subisu Cablenet
3 D’s of Business
Om Prakash Sharma, Director of Mahabir Automobiles, Biratnagar, had stepped into the family business eight years ago, which was initially into assembling and distributing bicycles. But that business had to be shut down after two years due to continuous illegal import of bicycles through the open border. As a new business venture, Sharma (now 32 and holding a degree of Bachelor of Commerce), set up a dealership of motorbikes and farm equipment. His firm began educating farmers in modern farming and use of machines like tractor and other farming equipments. It also sent people to India for special training in motorcycles and tractors, thus enabling them to run their own private garages.
From his father, who also happens to be the chairman of Mahabir Automobiles, Sharma learnt the 3D’s of business—dedication, devotion and discipline. About business obstacles related to labour, finance, government and seniors, he says he believes in keeping a harmonious relation with all the related associations. About business future in Nepal, he says, “Every cloud has a silver lining. This saying inspires me and keeps me going. I am optimistic.”
Sharma wanted to be a sportsman, a cricketer to be precise. But being the eldest son in the family, he couldn’t leave business for his hobby. Five years down the line, Sharma hopes to make Mahabir Automobiles one of the top companies in Nepal. “I have a vision of manufacturing light commercial vehicles for the Nepali market that would cost two times lesser than the ones imported from other countries.”
- Om Prakash Sharma
Director
Mahabir Automobiles
Tourism’s Shikher
Almost a decade ago when Shikh er Prasai joined more than 30-year old family business, his first and foremost focus turned towards making the organisation more professional and transparent. A Bachelor in Business Studies from Campion College, Lalitpur, specializing in marketing management and financial management, Prasai (now 30) worked for some time also in Australia and is now the Managing Director of Natraj Tours & Travels, one of the major players in Nepal’s tourism industry. He believes that a proper system is essential to ensure efficient services to his clients in the service industry. His father, late PP Prasai, was very dedicated and bent on to uplift the entire tourism industry though he couldn’t carry forward his vision for long. “I learnt from him that if you put perseverance and dedication in your work, success is bound to knock on your doors,” says Shikher. “His involvement in social services also inspired me to help in every possible way to ensure education to underprivileged children.” Shikher was the Chairman of PATA- Nepal Chapter during 2006-2008 and received PATA Imex Face of the Future’ Award 2005.
Though Prasai joined the family business, he started as a trainee and rose through the ranks by learning the ropes. And he is very optimistic about the future of business environment in Nepal. “Once we have political stability, we sure can implement our plans,” he adds. “We recently saw tourists flocking in record numbers, which signifies that we are on our way towards economic prosperity.” As his parents had started the travel agency together, he grew up in the business environment liking the business. And he enjoys traveling and meeting people. “It really fascinates me,” he further adds about his hobbies coinciding with the nature of his business. Prasai looks forward to promote the Nagarkot Cottage (eco-resort), which was established almost alongside the travel agency. “It was never marketed outside, so five years down the line, I want to revive it and make it one of the most preferred venues at Nagarkot,” he says.
- Shikher Prasai
Managing Director
Natraj Tours and Travels Pvt. Ltd.
Young Entrepreneur
as Corporate Manager
Sivanth Pande is Head of Research in Nepal Investment Bank (NIB) but he has plans that are more entrepreneurial than managerial. Being a son of Prithivi Bahadur Pande, the chairman of NIB and himself educated in financial manageme nt, Shivanth's entrepreneurial plans are focused on financial services industry. Presently, has been working towards the establishment of a Real Estate Fund and Professional Real Estate Asset Management Company. He is also into making new approaches to Financial Reporting and Annual Report Generation. “I am working on ideas to enhance the professional management of the corporation,” he says. “I am looking after the evaluation of Treasury Products and Strategies and on advertisements for products and departments.” He has established a research department at NIB and is working on a constant pipeline of topics for Risk Management, Product Development & Financial Sector. He is also doing research on other related issues for subsequent publication and dissemination.
Pande shares that he has emulated sincerity, hard work, professionalism, dedication, innovation and motivation from his seniors. He has also learnt to be smart and aggressive when appropriate. He enjoys being part of a winning culture. He feels that Nepali corporate world has been facing severe challenges in terms of lack of motivation and professionalism. “There is a very feudal and hierarchical system where co-workers don’t respect superior ideas coming from peers,” he adds. He sees other obstacles in terms of seniority, age, transparency and cultural issues that can be hard to overcome but are all very addressable. He is an optimist. He thinks a bright future awaits us all. “The challenge is to manage short and medium term challenges,” he says. “All stakeholders should now work out a consensus and stop fighting over power anymore.”
Pande aspires to become a Chartered Financial Analyst because of his interest in finance. He further likes to travel, listen to music, dance, read and write. He likes the world of media, films and stays updated in current affairs. He also has affection for arts and gaming. Pande aims to change the face and nature of banking in Nepal. “I am looking forward to work with younger generation who are more motivated, educated and skilled professionals,” he says. He further intends to take on fields and areas like Real Estate Investment Trust, FDI Attraction, Capital Debt Market Utilization, Infrastructure Development in Banking Services, Investment in Financial Treasury Products, Private Equity & Fund and Media & Tourism.
Pande has an M.A. in Financial Economics from St. Andrews University in Scotland where he studied along with Prince William. He was a Nepali scholarship student in the United World College of the American West for his International Baccalaureate. He also has two years in development consultancy experience with Deloitte Touche Tihmatsu Emerging Markets Group in London. He had joined a NIB as a management trainee and is now promoted to the Head of Research within 1.5 years.
For Change Everyday
One of Suyesh Pyakurel’s major decisions after entering his family business was to upgrade his team. For this, he initiated house trainings and motivation programs and now, as Pyakurel says, he has a strong and upgraded team to adjust to the new working environment.
Armed with the newly designed team, his primary focus fell upon product diversification. “Initially, we were limited to a couple of buyers and a small range of products. I focused on research and development of new products and getting new customers,” he shares. Pyakurel then shifted his priorities to exports focusing on neighboring cities of India with large populations such as Bihar and West Bengal but making sure to have a strong domestic base.
With the introduction of Polymer to replace glass packaging, he has succeeded in encouraging more than 200 different products to shift to polymer in their packaging and thus has expanded the product range by more than 100 percent. He supplies packaging materials to various industries like water, tea, juice, oil, ghee, pickle, liquor, soda, lubricants, adhesives, paints and pharmaceutical in Nepal and India.
“Our part of the world is full of obstacles,” he says. However, his strong attitude in wanting to overcome issues is evident through the Labour, government and finance problems that he has faced and overcome. Sharing his experience in Labour management, he says, “The more you care about them, the more you get. It is important to train and upgrade your employees to make them more productive.” However, there still are problems. But apart from the minor ones, he hasn’t gone through any big labour problem because, he says, he doesn’t allow problems to reach the level of confrontation.
Regarding the government, Pyakurel thinks there is no economic policy as such and everything is decided on ad hoc basis. He is further disappointed with the financial institutions as he says to have yet to come across a professional one. However, he is optimistic about the future business environment of Nepal. “The young generation is enthusiastic. They have the zeal and thirst to accomplish their dreams,” he says. Calling it a transitional phase that Nepal has been going through, Pyakurel thinks that we need to keep up with the fast growing economies—both India and China. “I think the politicians have now understood that concentrating on the economic agenda should be the top priority. We should believe and be positive to see a light at the end of the tunnel,” he adds.
Pyakurel wants to make drastic changes everyday. “I want to be better today than yesterday. I want to make my products part of the consumers’ daily life,” he further adds. Pyakurel is determined that doing this will without a doubt make him a better entrepreneur and increase the magnitude of the business.
- Suyesh Pyakurel
Director
MM Group
Diversified yet focused
Prabal Saakha thinks that when it comes to business investment, diversification
is of utmost importance. “Without it, you run the risk of losing everything in one investment in case of some sort of catastrophe,” he says. Careful diversification of business is an important strategy for business success for him, that’s why he thought that diversifying his family business from manufacturing to trading was the first thing to be done. And this idea led his organisation towards taking the dealership of the biggest automobile brand of China, Geely.
Saakha says to have learnt a lot from his seniors and the most common idea was—the fast growth of your company is a derivative of something much bigger. “I have noticed a compelling desire in each individual in the Group to create an impact, whether big or small. Even during the tough times, people remained focused at what mattered most to them and thus I learnt that staying focused is the ultimate secret to success,” he adds. Saakha admits that he has gone through lots of trials and errors. “Through these trials and errors, I achieved a certain level of understanding of what business is all about, and I want to go far, far beyond,” he adds.
He likes to mention the taxation policy when it comes to major hurdles that he comes across keeping up his business. “It is not just the level of taxation that is driving companies and individuals abroad. It is the unstable and changing tax system that scare businesses away,” he further adds. “It is vital that the taxation system is stable, clear and predictable. Bad taxation policies are the major reasons behind the failure of businesses in Nepal.” With the mounting unemployment, rising fuel prices and continuing political problems, Saakha says, “We have no options other than turning a blind eye to tough times and believe that the country will rise to the challenges ahead.” With this optimistic stance he is sure that in the end we will make our way out.
It does not come as a surprise that while working in the car business, Saakha has a passion for cars and sees this as a very ‘useful’ hobby to have because he thinks that nothing is better than to get involved in something that you already enjoy to do for free. Starting the company from a hobby, Saakha feels that there is a deeper appreciation and passion for the business in the end.
With the changing pace of the business environment, Saakha says it is becoming more and more necessary for corporations to change in order to survive and compete effectively. “Leading an organization to constructive change begins by setting a direction and developing a vision of the future,” he says. “Creation of a workforce that can understand this vision and are committed to its achievement is of the upmost importance,” he adds.
- Prabal Saakha
CEO
Saakha & Co. Pvt. Ltd.
Grappling with Labour& government
Jen Shrestha is a hard worker. Working between ten to twelve hours a day, he believes in getting works done promptly and to not to keep them pending. He believes that a transparent management encouraging free flow of ideas and m aking a better use of less productive people and developing an organisational culture leads a business venture to success. “The most important thing that I have learnt is that hard work and determination always pay back,” he says, adding, “I have also leant that the so called tricks of trade for handling issues and agreements related to ventures, commitment, responsibility and leadership help to become a successful entrepreneur.” Shrestha credits his elders for their advice and guidance which have helped to remove the stumbling blocks from his way.
Based on his understanding of the hardships of business and the constant struggles and conflicts, Shrestha knows that he needs to deal constantly with labour unions, local people, financers and government institutions like NEA and Forest Department to get things done. He thinks that labour unions with their unrealistic demands and the government with its discouraging tax policies have been stunting the growth of hydropower industry in Nepal. Shrestha believes that once there is stability in the government, Nepal indeed has a very bright future. He adds, “I’m optimistic because after 2010, we are certainly going to have a lot of MNC’s in Nepal due to cheap labour and comparatively low tax rates”. Recognising the importance of Nepal’s location between two fast rising economic powers, he looks forward to higher rate of employment, better pay scale, sophisticated banking facilities and more socially responsible entrepreneurs and business houses.
His business plans do not match his hobbies at the moment and he says he is facing bigger challenges than expected. “But the best part is that I am learning everyday and getting more confident about it,” he informs. Shrestha wants to expand the market of his business beyond the national boundaries and have it benchmarked as one of the best businesses in the South East Asia on net worth basis.
- Jen Shrestha
Director NB Group
Planning to enter services sector
Ujjwal Shrestha admits of not having brought about major changes in his organisation’s established focus as, according to him at Panchakanya Group, innovation and quality have been the important drivers of growth and excellence even before he joined it. “However, I have been taking multiple measures to strengthen its overall functioning,” he says. Shrestha has learnt that hard work is the key to success and persistence and focused attitude stimulate self-motivation and growth. “There is no easy way out to success,” he says. Shrestha acknowledges that he is still in the phase of learning. “Many of us young professional tend to be ambitious and motivated to try out new things but that’s easier said than done given the opportunist and unorganised Nepali business world,” he adds.
Shrestha states that the major obstacles in terms of operating businesses here is to overcome the problems related to efficient operation and effective functioning of the unskilled and uneducated workforce. “In general, I have been learning to work out obstacles and overcome them rather than standing against them and fighting back,” he adds. But these problems don’t really bother him. He is an optimist. “Otherwise I wouldn’t have been here,” he speaks his mind. “I had opportunities to stay abroad but I chose to come back due to the love of the country.” Shrestha thinks that considering the economic, social and political downturn over the last decade, its time for the country to grow.
He likes to travel and socialize. But his present business obligations don’t allow him consider anything beyond that. “So, technically, I love my work,” he says. Panchkanya’s primary focus has always been in the construction industry, so over the next few years, Shrestha plans to tread into service industry. He further plans to mould the management style with more decentralized approach.
- Ujjwal Kumar Shrestha
Director
Panchakanya Group
Shaping up or shiping out
After Raj Shah joined his family business, Jawalakhel Distillery was shut down and twonew production units were started. Himalayan Distillery Ltd. (one of the two new units) went public and the business house started working with multinational companies. Raj also hired local professionals and set up professional business system, used consultants to upgrade business strategies and inculcated the sense of team work among his employees. “I am of the opinion that those who perform well stay ahead and excel and those who don’t need to be shaped up or shipped out,” he says. He has embarked on new business ventures related to real estate, FMCG trading and investment in the share market.
About what he has learned from the elders, Shah lists down: “Things take time in Nepal, so don’t let the situation demotivate you”, “Watch out for corruption and don’t let it bring you down”, “You have to make sure and keep checking whether people are cheating on you or not”, “Don’t be too generous at work because most of the times people rarely appreciate too much generosity” and “Get everything in writing.” He believes in system and not in individual trust, in experience more than education, in respecting elders at work and keeping an open-door policy for employees. He thinks that money is not the only motivational factor as Nepalis are proud people and need to be recognised and praised at times. He confesses to have come through trials and errors. “I believe in evolving all the time,” he adds. “You learn new things all the time but you have to keep making mental notes of them so you don’t make the same mistake or get into the same situation again.”
Shah sees factors such as bandhs, counterfeiting, unsafe working environment, labour strikes, fuel shortages, pressure from banks to pay interest on time and lack of excise control to be the major hurdles in running a business venture in Nepal. But he is an optimist. “I always hope for the best but plan for the worst,” he shares. “It’s kind of sad but it seems we are getting used to working and living in a hostile environment. I believe that there is no choice but to stay positive. If you can pass this situation and overcome challenges, you can survive anything.” His hobbies match his business, as he says, “Yes, I love to collect whisky brands and I love to attend parties and events. I like to meet and socialise with intelligent people. I love learning new things. I am not the type of person who relaxes and stays at home doing nothing for too long.”
Five years down the line, Shah plans to provide good dividend and bring confidence among the public towards manufacturing sector. “Banks are not the only good businesses to buy shares in,” he says. He is also looking forward to making major changes in his business to get all the possible ISO certifications. Moreover, he is also planning a fully functional online Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) software system for all departments and all distributors, more training and strong human resource development programs, a joint initiation with the government to control and stop excise evasion and CRS activities. His new areas of focus are ethanol production and other bio-fuels, premium whisky and ethnic alcoholic beverages of Nepal.
- Raj Shah
Managing Director
Himalayan Distillery Ltd.
Patience, Patience!
Rima Shrestha is an innovative hotelier, having a sound knowledge of the business she is in. As Biratnagar is still not fully developed as a tourist area as such, cafes having lush settings and engaging ambiences were completely missing until she came up with the idea of Valentine’s Bakery Café to cater to the young generation customers. “I tried to get that particular group into focus,” she says. “As youngsters like music, fast foods, posters and neon lights, I tried to make up the interior and exterior just like that.” Rima says to have learnt management practices and public relation skills from her seniors. “You need to have patience to do a business, especially so in the hospitality sector. I am not patient enough, so I run into problems every now and then and learn from them in return.”
Rima thinks that the reason behind the ongoing political meddling is the lack of genuine leaders, which in turn is responsible for the downturn in the business graph. “Labours have learnt to get their rights but at the same time, they shouldn’t forget that nothing comes for free. As everything is changing in New Nepal, I think this problem is going to be there between management and labour in many organisations,” she says. When asked whether she is optimistic about the business environment in Nepal, she says, “We have no choice besides being positive. Hope is alive as long as you keep breathing.”
Rima is an outgoing person, so her nature compliments her business. Five years down the line, he wants to put together better technical system in her café, train her employees and make the ambience better .
- Rima Shrestha
Director
Hotel Namaste
Valentine's Bakery Cafe
Labour laws & tourism business
Following his education from Australia, Roshan Bahadur Thapa came to Nepal and decided to use his skills in the hospitality and tourism business, something that he thinks has great potential and plenty of opportunities. Starting in Biratnagar, he later had thoughts of expanding his hotel business into a world-class hotel management school in the area. He is currently in the process of identifying new potential areas for sustainable tourism destinations especially in Basantapur, Hile and adjoining areas. He says to have learnt from his seniors to be a hard worker and how to deal with the bureaucracy of Nepal. “Moreover, I learnt about professionalism, creativity and innovativeness from them,” he says.
Thapa has without a doubt passed through trials and errors as he says that with the mega operating business environment not being favourable in Nepal and when there are a handful of skilled human resources, it has caused difficulties for him to run his business. With regards to obstacles that he had to overcome during his time in the business, he names labour laws. “Everyone would agree with me that labour laws in Nepal are absolutely obsolete, outdated and unfriendly and do not have anything that would either benefit labours or the management,” he comments. In an attempt to fix the problem, he suggests to recognise the difference in labour in a hotel and a factory and make provision in the laws accordingly. He also believes that the current labour laws are more tilted towards politically motivated workers rather than the skilled and hardworking people.
Thapa believes that the level of hospitality provided by Nepali tourism entities is far below than the acceptable standard. Saying that even the level of service in a five star hotel is not good enough, he adds that, there is still much to be done to rise to the level of international standards. “We are surviving only because of the highest mountains we have. Minus adventure tourism, do we really have anything in Nepal?” he wonders. With the frequently occurring power blackouts, Thapa does not see how there can be continued regional development.
Even with these constant problems, Thapa says that, It is always good to be optimistic about business plans. However, he does not feel comfortable when he sees the constituent assembly is bogged down by power sharing, race, minority, ethnic issues but not economics. This is worrisome to Thapa and he is concerned about the coming three years and what will happen politically and how this will affect the Nepali business world.
With travel and tourism also fitting into his list of hobbies, he is happy in his business. He only wishes that politicians understand his line of business. Future plans for Thapa are related with building up the tourism in Eastern Nepal. “As far as I know, Nagarkot and Dhulikhel are not the only hill stations that Nepal has. There are better and more attractive places in Eastern Nepal that can enhance domestic, regional and inbound international tourism in the future,” he further adds
- Roshan Bahadur Thapa
Director
South Asian School of Tourism and Hotel Management (SASTHM) and Hotel Ratna Pvt. Ltd.
Liquor Online
“I’ve implemented new ideas and strategies to run my family business according to the present market requirements and competitions,” says Rajesh Tuladhar. He thinks that professionalism and strategic working platform ensure success. He has developed a virtual private network to maintain contact and communication with his staff spread around the major cities of Nepal. He says to have invested a lot in computerizing the operation system so that he can access reports on distribution transactions of products and attendance of his employees. Presently he is working on his plan to diversify into new businesses, which, as he informs, will be online within a year. “I have learnt watching my father at work. It’s not a matter of learning in a day or a month. It takes years to understand the nuances of business and to become a perfect man. A vibrant character makes a successful personality,” he adds.
Tuladhar has passed through a lot of ups and down and he says that’s the reason why he has turned out to be a good decision maker. “When you are in the middle of something, you may land safely or have to send a May day signal. Well, it’s a part of life and you need to be more possessive about the things you do and expect,” he stresses. He thinks that to tackle obstacles, you need work in a team and understand people.
Tuladhar terms Nepal as a peace-loving country. He acknowledges the fact that there have been ups and downs but is optimistic about things getting normal again. His aim is to continue with his business and to gain more market share and for that, he plans to build smarter strategies, review earlier arrangements and gather feedbacks. “We need to keep our valued consumers satiated to maintain their goodwill,” he says.
He can no way be a workaholic as he believes that we need to freshen up our minds after a hard day at work. “I have balanced my business with my hobby, i.e. to play games on Playstation 3. I play strategic and sport games like ‘Call of Duty’, ‘FIFA ‘08’, ‘Assassins Creed’ and ‘Virtual Tennis 3’ which help me to develop business strategies and concentration power,” he adds.
- Rejesh Bir Singh Tuladhar
Director
Mcdowell Nepal Limited
