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Notice (8): Undefined variable: file [APP/View/Elements/side_bar.ctp, line 60]Code Context// $file = 'http://aabhiyan:QUVLg8Wzs2F7G9N7@nepalstock.com.np/api/indexdata.xml';if(!$xml = simplexml_load_file($file)){$viewFile = '/var/www/html/newbusinessage.com/app/View/Elements/side_bar.ctp' $dataForView = array( 'articles' => array( (int) 0 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 1 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 2 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 3 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ) ), 'current_user' => null, 'logged_in' => false ) $articles = array( (int) 0 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '243', 'article_category_id' => '47', 'title' => 'A Man For The Long Run.', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => null, 'content' => '<p align="justify"> <img alt="personality" border="1" height="135" hspace="5" src="http://www.newbusinessage.com/ckfinder/userfiles/Images/personality(4).jpg" vspace="5" width="245" /><br /> <br /> Always an optimist, Anuj Agrawal believes that nothing is impossible on this earth if one sports a positive mindset. He believes that the business fraternity must take responsibility to change Nepal's fortunes for better.</p> <div style="width:595px;"> <div justify="" style="width: 595px;"> <div> <div align="center" style="border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); padding: 5px;"> <p align="left"> <strong><em>By Sujan Tiwari</em></strong></p> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div style="width: 595px;"> <div justify="" style="width: 595px;"> <div> <div align="center" style="border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); padding: 5px;"> <p align="justify"> Living in the US for five years, interacting with people from diverse professions and cultures and learning about leading business families around the world gave him a viewpoint on his future course of life.</p> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div style="width: 595px;"> <div justify="" style="width: 595px;"> <div> <br /> <br /> <br /> <img alt="personality" border="1" hspace="5" src="http://www.newbusinessage.com/ckfinder/userfiles/Images/personality1(2).jpg" style="width: 240px; height: 307px;" vspace="5" /><br /> <br /> </div> </div> </div> <div style="clear: both;"> <div style="border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); padding: 5px; width: 47%; float: left;"> <div align="justify"> <p> ''We should develop business models that fit the country rather than expect the country to fit our model,'' says Anuj Agrawal, Director of Vishal Group. The group has dealerships of reputed international brands such as Volkswagen, Nokia, P&G, LG, Sun Oil Ltd and many more. Agrawal attributes the group's growth to representing international brands in Nepal. He says that it will continue to focus in this area and try and add more world famous brands to its repertoire. The group is currently trying to make inroads into areas of the country's core competence like cement, hydropower and tourism.</p> <p> Agrawal's family has been living in Nepal for 82 years now. They came and settled first in Ilam in the 1930s. The family moved to Dharan in the 1940s. From there they moved to Biratnagar and eventually to Kathmandu. The group also entered into manufacturing batteries and steel in 1980s and toothpastes in 1990s. During the same decade it also invested in plantations of Teak and Sheesham, both near Biratnagar. Over time, it decided to tie-up with global brands as it realised it would give it the recognition and importance that manufacturing won't. So, the company made its foray into distribution and representation business. ''Vishal means large and that's what our group name aspires to do grow large,'' declares Agrawal with a hint of arrogance.</p> <p> The group has also evolved over decades from being prominent textile traders till the early 1970s to being importers of various things from countries other than India. It is among the first companies in Nepal to start importing from China. It also started making its presence felt in the banking and financial sector by joining a team of investors in promoting NIC Bank in 1997. It further established Life Insurance Corporation (Nepal) Ltd, a joint venture with LIC of India in 2000, and started Prudential General Insurance Company the same year.</p> <p> Agrawal did his schooling in India and pursued Undergraduate and Master's Degree in the US. On his return from the US in 1997, he joined the family business as a trainee to begin with. Later, his interest into brand representation business led him to start representing international brands. ''I have always aspired to be in businesses that are strategic and beneficial in the long run, rather than opportunistic businesses,'' reasons Agrawal. He avoids businesses that promise money in the short term but may not be sustainable in the long term.</p> <p> Agrawal says that his family has been a big inspiration for him. ''My family came from absolute poverty, but worked really hard and finally came into this position,'' he reveals. He feels it was far easier for him to start his career as there was already a platform for him to build on. He also feels privileged to have substantial wealth and has taken the responsibility of continuing the business legacy.</p> </div> </div> <div style="border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); padding: 5px; width: 47%; float: right; height: 259%;"> <div align="justify"> <p> Agrawal says that his stay in the US influenced him a great deal. Before leaving for the US, his exposure and thinking were limited, he thinks. Living in the US for five years, interacting with people from diverse professions and cultures and learning about leading business families around the world gave him a viewpoint on his future course of life. ''My stay there broadened my mind frame in terms of national and social issues and personal development,'' he reminisces. Another major influence has been his involvement with the Confederation of Nepalese Industries (CNI). He is currently Vice President of the CNI and is thus able to interact with business leaders around the country and see things from a macro perspective. He is also a founder member of Entrepreneurs Organisation Nepal. Being involved with these institutions has helped him learn from others' success stories and experiences as well as to share his experience with others.</p> <p> Agrawal's management philosophy is very inclusive as he always looks to work with his employees as a team member and is not overtly autocratic. He is always ready to lose in the short term to win in the long term. ''Rather than blaming the policies, I want to develop strategies that go along with the policies,'' he states. He wonders why people always focus on problems rather than focusing on their solutions. ''I try to understand the problem but with a focus on the solution,'' he remarks. He agrees that the country's environment is not particularly great, but feels that everybody needs to own up the responsibility.</p> <p> Agrawal is married with Kavita, for 13 years now. He had never seen her before marriage even though their respective families knew each other well. Though, not part of the business management, his wife is a tremendous support for him. A proud father of a son and a daughter, he likes to spend quality time with his family. He says his family is his biggest source of strength and he always looks forward to reach home as soon as his work finishes.</p> He believes that the business fraternity must take responsibility to change Nepal's fortunes for better. ''The major business houses have the financial exposure and the luxury of looking at things from a different point of view. Therefore, they should put in more effort,'' he asserts. Always an optimist, he believes that nothing is impossible on this earth if one sports a positive mindset. Agrawal is a firm believer of the notion that there are better days ahead and Nepal can certainly look forward to prosperous times.</div> </div> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> </div>', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2011-03-14', 'modified' => '2012-09-17', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => 'lways an optimist, Anuj Agrawal believes that nothing is impossible on this earth if one sports a positive mindset. He believes that the business fraternity must take responsibility to change Nepal's', 'sortorder' => '172', 'image' => null, 'article_date' => '0000-00-00 00:00:00', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => false, 'in_scroller' => false, 'user_id' => '0' ) ), (int) 1 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '208', 'article_category_id' => '47', 'title' => 'Building For The Country', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => null, 'content' => '<p class="BREAKER" style="text-indent: 14.15pt;"> <span style="font-size:12px;"><span style="font-size: 12px;"><span class="MyriadPro"><span franklin="" gothic="" medium="" sans-serif="">Even as a school boy, Raju Babu Shrestha had pictured that being the eldest son, he will be helping out his father and someday would fill his formidable shoes. <br /> <br /> </span></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal"> <span style="font-size:12px;"><span class="MyriadPro"><i><img align="left" alt="personality" border="1" height="299" hspace="5" src="http://www.newbusinessage.com/ckfinder/userfiles/Images/rajubaabu shrestha.jpg" style="width: 247px; height: 299px;margin:10px;padding:10px;" vspace="5" width="247" /></i></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"> <span style="font-size: 12px;"><span class="MyriadPro"><i><br /> </i></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"> <span style="font-size: 12px;"><span class="MyriadPro"><i>By Pinaki Roy</i></span><span style="line-height: 115%;"> <br /> </span></span></p> <p class="nbasubhead2"> <span style="font-size:12px;"><span bright="" lucida="" serif="" style="line-height: 120%;">Raju Babu Shrestha</span></span></p> <p class="nbasubhead2"> <span style="font-size:12px;"><i><span bright="" lucida="" serif="" style="line-height: 120%;">Director</span></i></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"> <span style="font-size:12px;"><i><span bright="" lucida="" serif="" style="line-height: 115%;">Chitawon Co-E Nepal (P) Ltd <br /> </span></i></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; vertical-align: middle;"> <span style="font-size: 12px;"><b><span aldine401="" bt="" color:="" serif=""><br /> </span></b></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; vertical-align: middle;"> <span style="font-size: 12px;"><b><span aldine401="" bt="" color:="" serif="">H</span></b><span aldine401="" bt="" color:="" serif="">ailing from a business family, life was not exactly a bed of roses for Raju Babu Shrestha till as they say, lady luck smiled on him. Despite working very hard and giving it all he had, the period from 1982-1988 was a difficult one for him and his family business, Chitawon Construction & Engineering Company Nepal (P) Ltd also known as Chitawon Co-E Nepal (P) Ltd. However, his marriage in 1988 changed his fortunes and there was no looking back ever since, says Shrestha. If someone told me that getting married will bring me luck, I would have married earlier, he adds tongue-in-cheek. </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; vertical-align: middle;"> <span style="font-size:12px;"><span aldine401="" bt="" color:="" serif=""><br /> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: 14.15pt; vertical-align: middle;"> <span style="font-size: 12px;"><span aldine401="" bt="" color:="" serif="">Business runs in Shrestha's blood, his forefathers were from Gorkha and dealt in trading activities. But his father Laxman Babu Shrestha had different ideas in mind. And so, Chitawon Co-E Nepal (P) Ltd was registered as a proprietorship concern in 1966. Later, having proven its performance in various construction projects with excellent results, the company was promoted to class A Contractor in 1978. The Flagship Company has come a long way and today boasts of an impressive portfolio of companies including Manakamana Darshan (P) Ltd, Sagarmatha Power Company (P) Ltd, Nepal Ropeway Systems (P) Ltd, and Chitawon Milk (P) Ltd. Shrestha holds the position of Director in all these companies. <br /> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: 14.15pt; vertical-align: middle;"> <span style="font-size:12px;"><span aldine401="" bt="" color:="" serif=""><br /> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: 14.15pt; vertical-align: middle;"> <span style="font-size: 12px;"><span aldine401="" bt="" color:="" serif="">He fondly remembers his early days in Chitwan when though life was difficult due to lack of transportation; he still enjoyed his bicycle rides in the forested terrain. While in middle school, he would accompany his father and visit various construction sites for irrigation canals, roads, and dams. That was the seed period as Shrestha precisely knew what he wanted to do in life when he was grown up enough. He could envisage that he will be helping out his father being the eldest son and someday would fill his formidable shoes. </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: 14.15pt; vertical-align: middle;"> <span style="font-size:12px;"><span aldine401="" bt="" color:="" serif=""><br /> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: 14.15pt; vertical-align: middle;"> <span style="font-size: 12px;"><span aldine401="" bt="" color:="" serif="">Shrestha came back to his birthplace Kathmandu to pursue High School as a boarder at Ananda Kuti Vidyapith. After graduating from High School, he wanted to study engineering but sacrificed his dream to help his father. Instead, he enrolled for a Bachelor of Science programme in Mathematics at Amrit Science Campus that would allow him more time for business. He started work while in college and gained hands-on experience which would come in handy for his future course in life. Bijayapur Irrigation Project in Pokhara was the first project I handled independently, he proudly states. A firm believer in making a contribution to the country's development, he has been instrumental in diversifying, mechanising and developing the family business. </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: 14.15pt; vertical-align: middle;"> <span style="font-size:12px;"><span aldine401="" bt="" color:="" serif=""><br /> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: 14.15pt; vertical-align: middle;"> <span style="font-size: 12px;"><span aldine401="" bt="" color:="" serif="">As a young boy, Shrestha was a tad shy when it came to making acquaintance with girls but never felt that he must have a girlfriend. Times have changed,he sighs. Always having led an orthodox and simple life, his was an arranged marriage. Proud of having fathered three beautiful daughters, he says he doesn't miss having a son, Today, the world has moved on. It's no longer considered a disadvantage not to have a son for an heir. He is confident that all his daughters will make him proud as they grow up. Like father, like daughter his eldest daughter is already on the right path, pursuing her Bachelor in Business Administration degree from Webster University. She is already taking an interest in business matters and shows signs of promise to hold </span></span><span style="font-size: 12px;"><span>the fort when the time comes. </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 14.15pt; vertical-align: middle;"> <span style="font-size:12px;"><span aldine401="" bt="" color:="" serif=""><img align="left" alt="persoanlity" border="1" height="522" hspace="5" src="http://www.newbusinessage.com/ckfinder/userfiles/Images/Raju Babu Shrestha1.jpg" style="width: 364px; height: 522px;margin:10px;padding:10px;" vspace="5" width="364" /></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: 14.15pt; vertical-align: middle;"> <span style="font-size: 12px;"><span aldine401="" bt="" color:="" serif=""><br /> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: 14.15pt; vertical-align: middle;"> <span style="font-size: 12px;"><span aldine401="" bt="" color:="" serif="">Shrestha does not believe in showing off and hence lives an austere lifestyle. Glamour is not his forte. You will seldom see him wearing expensive suits unless he is attending a business conference or a formal occasion. He is clad in casual wear (read Jeans, T-Shirts, Working boots, Jackets) most of the time as his work involves field (on site) work. He is most comfortable when he is among friends or at an informal gathering as he doesn't have to worry too much about what he is wearing. Shrestha likes to call himself old-fashioned. A family man to the core, he draws inspiration from his wife, She always gives me positive vibes. Whenever he is short on motivation, he looks up to his father from whom he learnt the tricks of the trade. He has always been my role model, he says. </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: 14.15pt; vertical-align: middle;"> <span style="font-size:12px;"><span aldine401="" bt="" color:="" serif=""><br /> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: 14.15pt; vertical-align: middle;"> <span style="font-size: 12px;"><span aldine401="" bt="" color:="" serif="">Despite a busy schedule, Shrestha manages to find time to travel within Nepal as well as abroad. Whenever time permits, he sets along to tour a new destination, either with friends or family, in search of nature and adventure. He has already visited 50 districts in Nepal for work or purely on vacation. He has toured a host of foreign countries for business as well as leisure United Kingdom, Japan, Germany, China, Austria, Italy, and Korea to name a few. His favourite cuisines include Korean, Japanese, and Chinese he is only too happy that his favourite cuisines are available in some Kathmandu restaurants as well. Shrestha loves to cook as it helps him de-stress, keep healthy and relax. The best part is that my family loves my cooking too which makes me feel good, he chuckles. <br /> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: 14.15pt; vertical-align: middle;"> <span style="font-size:12px;"><span aldine401="" bt="" color:="" serif=""><br /> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: 14.15pt; vertical-align: middle;"> <span style="font-size: 12px;"><span aldine401="" bt="" color:="" serif="">You wonder if having achieved so much has made him complacent. On the contrary, Shrestha says that his job is far from finished. “I agree that when I think of my early days, I do feel I have achieved a great deal and am satisfied about the whole thing but it has also increased my obligations and responsibilities. To maintain the heights that we have reached is the current challenge, he explains. Shrestha says that wealth creation is not his sole objective. He has everything that a man can want in terms of material needs. He hopes that whatever he does, it should benefit the people of the country. <br /> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: 14.15pt; vertical-align: middle;"> <span style="font-size:12px;"><span aldine401="" bt="" color:="" serif=""><br /> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: 14.15pt; vertical-align: middle;"> <span style="font-size: 12px;"><span aldine401="" bt="" color:="" letter-spacing:="" serif="">Not the one to rest on his past laurels, Shrestha has several projects up his sleeve. Expanding Cable Car services is one. After the highly successful Manakamana Cable Car that connects Kurintar in Chitwan with Manakamana in Gorkha, there are at least two similar projects in feasibility study phase presently. He is optimistic that the proposed Cable Car projects in Pokhara and Kalinchok (Dolakha), when completed, will facilitate tourism development in the respective areas. He also plans to set up an agricultural machinery and tools enterprise which will import to begin with and get into manufacturing in due course of time. Chitawon Milk is another project that's close to his heart. The company produces skimmed milk powder, baby food, yogurt, butter, and ghee etc. He is hopeful that it will uplift professional cow farming and encourage milk farmers to produce more. This will benefit the economic condition of the farmers as well as the national economy.</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: 14.15pt; vertical-align: middle;"> <span style="font-size:12px;"><span aldine401="" bt="" color:="" letter-spacing:="" serif=""><br /> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"> <span style="font-size: 12px;"><span aldine401="" bt="" color:="" letter-spacing:="" serif="" style="line-height: 115%;">As if he was not finished yet, Shrestha revealed another aspect of his personality he is an Art Lover. He visits art exhibitions when he can and likes to collect Nepali art. He especially likes buying natural material and even designs them with help from his artist friend Shyam Lal Shrestha. When you step into his living room, you'll find it to be a work-of-art, literally. The ceiling has many blocks of Newari art, each of them symbolising a different meaning. Shrestha says he is very lucky to have a loving family as family binding is most important it helps him remain grounded. <br /> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"> <span style="font-size:12px;"><span aldine401="" bt="" color:="" letter-spacing:="" serif="" style="line-height: 115%;"><br /> </span></span></p>', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2011-02-09', 'modified' => '2012-09-17', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => 'Hailing from a business family, life was not exactly a bed of roses for Raju Babu Shrestha till as they say, lady luck smiled on him. Despite working very hard and giving it all he had, the period from 1982-1988 was', 'sortorder' => '144', 'image' => null, 'article_date' => '0000-00-00 00:00:00', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => false, 'in_scroller' => false, 'user_id' => '0' ) ), (int) 2 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '203', 'article_category_id' => '47', 'title' => 'Weaving Dreams & Carpets', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => null, 'content' => '<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; line-height: normal;"> <span style="font-size:12px;"><a href="http://www.newbusinessage.com/ckfinder/userfiles/Images/Senon D Lama.jpg"><img align="left" alt="" border="1" height="385" hspace="3" src="http://www.newbusinessage.com/ckfinder/userfiles/Images/Senon D Lama.jpg" style="width: 257px; height: 385px;margin:10px;padding:10px;" vspace="2" width="257" /></a><span color:="" franklingothic-medium="" sans-serif=""> </span><b><span bright="" color:="" lucida="" serif="">Senon D Lama</span></b></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; line-height: normal;"> <span style="font-size:12px;"><i><span bright="" color:="" lucida="" serif="">Chairman and Managing Director,</span></i></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; line-height: normal;"> <span style="font-size:12px;"><i><span bright="" color:="" lucida="" serif="">Senon Carpet Industries,</span></i></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; line-height: normal;"> <span style="font-size:12px;"><i><span bright="" color:="" lucida="" serif="">Hotel Shahanshah Int'l &</span></i></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; line-height: normal;"> <span style="font-size:12px;"><i><span bright="" color:="" lucida="" serif="">System Holder</span></i></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; line-height: normal;"> <span style="font-size:12px;"><span color:="" franklingothic-medium="" sans-serif=""> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; line-height: normal;"> <span style="font-size: 12px;"><span color:="" franklingothic-medium="" sans-serif="">When Senon started his business, the production in Nepal was very low as carpets were imported from India. The market in the beginning was non-challenging. We never had to worry that the products would not be sold. The supply was small and the demand was much higher.†Unlike today, his company used to decide on quality, design and size, and the buyers used to buy what was available.</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; line-height: normal;"> <span style="font-size:12px;"><span color:="" franklingothic-medium="" sans-serif=""><br /> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; line-height: normal;"> <span style="font-size: 12px;"><i><span aldine401bt-italica="" serif="">By Gaurav Aryal <br /> </span></i></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; line-height: normal;"> <span style="font-size:12px;"><i><span aldine401bt-italica="" serif=""><br /> </span></i></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; line-height: normal;"> <span style="font-size:12px;"><span color:="" franklingothic-heavy="" sans-serif="">W</span><span aldine401bt-romana="" color:="" serif="">hen Senon D Lama stepped into the carpet business, he had just a dozen of looms to weave his passion. Now he is a full-fledged carpet businessman with an annual turnover of USD 1 to 1.5 million a year. He has diversified also in hospitality industries. Thus he is the the Chairman and Managing Director of Senon Carpet Industries Pvt Ltd, Hotel Shahanshah International Pvt Ltd and a sports club called the System Holder Pvt Ltd.</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; line-height: normal;"> <span style="font-size:12px;"><br /> Born at the remote highland village of Lo Gaun in Gorkha district, Lama landed in Kathmandu in early 1960s when he was just about 10 years old. He is sorry that he could not get higher education due to the trouble he had to go through being away from home. So, while he was enrolled for the bachelor's level in management, he started work to earn his living at the age of 22.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; line-height: normal;"> <span style="font-size:12px;"><span aldine401bt-romana="" color:="" serif=""><br /> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; line-height: normal;"> <span style="font-size:12px;"><span aldine401bt-romana="" color:="" serif="">Lama had gathered some experience in woollen Nepali carpets business. So, he established his own carpet factory with about a dozen looms at Pulchowk. He also set up three carpet shops at the tourist hubs of Sundhara and Mahabouddha of Kathmandu and at the Golden Gate of Patan. Our primary customers were tourists,†he says. Lama claims that he was one of the pioneers in the private sector to begin with a carpet industry.<br /> <br /> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; line-height: normal;"> <span style="font-size:12px;"><span aldine401bt-romana="" color:="" serif="">I was, from the very beginning, passionate about colours and designs. I loved to play with them, he recollects the moment he began his career: One of my friends used to own a carpet shop. I used to see him having good time, going to movies and still making money. The tourists would visit his shop and buy the carpets as souvenirs paying handsome amount of money.He remembers yet another friend who was in the restaurant business and was having a tough time pleasing the customers. I compared them one watching movies, chatting and making money while another struggling to maintain his business. So, I ended up in the first business, Lama says. His same friend who owned the carpet shop was also in the car reconditioning business and he asked lama if he could buy the shop. He instantly accepted the offer and bought his friend's shop.<br /> <br /> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; line-height: normal;"> <span style="font-size:12px;"><span aldine401bt-romana="" color:="" serif="">His family back home had no idea as to what young Senon was doing. In the third year of the business, his father arrived Kathmandu unannounced.<br /> <br /> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; line-height: normal;"> <span style="font-size:12px;"><span aldine401bt-romana="" color:="" serif="">Seeing me travelling mostly by taxi, my father said I squander a lot of money At the same time, he was tremendously delighted as well as shocked to see that I was simultaneously operating three shops at three different locations of the city.<br /> <br /> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; line-height: normal;"> <span style="font-size:12px;"><span aldine401bt-romana="" color:="" serif="">When Lama started his business, the production in Nepal was very low as carpets were imported from India. The market in the beginning was nonchallenging. We never had to worry that the products would not be sold. The supply was small and the demand was much higher. Unlike today, his company used to decide on quality, design and size, and the buyers used to buy what was available. Gradually Nepal made carpets started to be viewed as fahion items. The foreigners were using them not as floorings but as pieces of art hung on the wall. International designers then started coming in with their own designs mostly the western ones.<br /> <br /> <br /> In the beginning of 1980s, the export of carpet kicked off. And Lama's business took off the major flight in 1982 when a big warehouse bought all the carpets from all his three shops. Lama never had to look back since then. In 1983, I did not have the time to pay attention to my local shops, as I was focused on the export business. His company, named as Senon Enterprise, expanded in the following years. In 1988, the company was renamed as Senon Carpet Industries.<br /> <br /> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; line-height: normal;"> <span style="font-size:12px;"><span aldine401bt-romana="" color:="" serif="">Lama's success reached a new height during the 1990s when the number of employees working for him reached 1400. Comparing the situation then and now, Lama says, There used to be the mass production and mass export then. Today's business is mostly order-based.<br /> <br /> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; line-height: normal;"> <span style="font-size:12px;"><span aldine401bt-romana="" color:="" serif="">He reveals that his company is now working for the year 2012. We completed our production last year for 2011 and the catalogue for that was ready in September 2010. Catalogue for 2012 </span><span aldine401bt-romana="" serif="">will be ready in 2011 September. He further says the planning and research for the design for 2013 is going on. He himself goes through hundreds of designs and decides which of them would suit for which of the quality of the carpets he will produce. We have to go into serious research before making any commitment. <br /> <br /> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; line-height: normal;"> <span style="font-size:12px;"><span aldine401bt-romana="" serif="">The wage rate, the labour law, and the price of the raw material have to be speculated for the coming years before making such commitment, he says.<br /> <br /> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; line-height: normal;"> <span style="font-size:12px;"><span aldine401bt-romana="" serif="">Today, Lama exports his carpets to Germany, the Netherlands, UK, USA, Mexico, Japan, and Australia, to name a few. From these destinations, the same carpets are exported to other countries as well.<br /> <br /> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; line-height: normal;"> <span style="font-size:12px;"><span aldine401bt-romana="" serif="">Apart from the carpet industry, Lama is also the proud owner of Hotel Shahanshah, System Holder, a sports club and some real estate businesses. Besides, he is into social work too. No matter how many ventures I do have, carpet business is the most precious one and close to my life. I am never going to detach it from my life though I may have to return back to a dozen looms again, he says. This is my religion. This business cannot be evaluated on mere profit and loss.<br /> <br /> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; line-height: normal;"> <span style="font-size:12px;"><span aldine401bt-romana="" serif="">For Lama, failure is not the reason to regret. He says he never regrets his past. He feels blessed to be able to see the whole world, though born in one of the remotest corners of the world. The excitement he had when he first bought the motorbike is the moment he never forgets. When I first bought my motorbike, I was so excited and felt the sense of achievement. I don't feel the same when I buy a new car now.Lama says work is his passion and hobby. He enjoys his work as much as the sports like football and hockey. There are professionals to look after his other businesses, but in the carpet business he insists to go through every minutest detail on his own. He has never fired any worker till date. He credits his success to his workers. He pays his staff at the production line on the weekly basis while those in other lines are paid on monthly basis. Altogether 700 persons work for him now though this number was about 1400 in the 1990s.<br /> <br /> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; line-height: normal;"> <span style="font-size:12px;"><span aldine401bt-romana="" serif="">Lama has worked for 36 years and says, every day, I have spent 12 to 16 hours in my work. He is already 60 but has not thought of retiring. I'm not tired, so no question of being retired, he quips. Retirement kills you psychologically, makes body slow and reduces the stamina.†He thinks he can work for the next 15 years.<br /> <br /> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; line-height: normal;"> <span style="font-size:12px;"><span aldine401bt-romana="" serif="">Lama says human body is a temple. We have to worship it. We should not put junks into it, he says revealing the secret of being healthy. Another secret is his regimen of physical exercises. In olde days, he used to spend at least one and half hour a day in sports. He used to wake up at 4 in the morning and rush to the tennis court at The Everest Hotel. Currently, he is spending at least 30 to 40 minutes a day exercising. In his free time, he loves listening to music of all genre from Nepali to English pops to fast beats. He says he is not able to give a lot of time to his family. He sometimes works on Saturdays too. I want to see them laughing. I have to listen to everybody to make them happy. Sometimes, there is a conflict of interest. But I try to address everyone's wishes, he says.<br /> <br /> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; line-height: normal;"> <span style="font-size:12px;"><span aldine401bt-romana="" serif="">Lama has plans to expand his business in the promising tourism sector. Now I have almost 12 years of experience in the hotel industry. I am quite confident about expanding it. Most probably he will set up a spa. </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; line-height: normal;"> <span style="font-size:12px;"><span aldine401bt-romana="" serif=""> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; line-height: normal;"> <span style="font-size:12px;"><strong><span style="color: rgb(178, 34, 34);"><span color:="" franklingothic-heavy="" sans-serif="">PERSONAL SIDE</span></span></strong></span></p> <ul> <li> <span style="font-size:12px;"><span franklingothic-medium="" sans-serif="">Loves music. Narayan Gopal is his favourite Nepali artist. He also listens to Celine Dion, Mariah Carey, Eric Clapton, Bryan Adams and Michael Jackson among others</span><br /> </span></li> <li> <span style="font-size:12px;"><span franklingothic-medium="" sans-serif="">Likes collecting magazines from around the world </span><br /> </span></li> <li> <span style="font-size:12px;"><span franklingothic-medium="" sans-serif="">Tennis, squash, bowling are his favourite sports </span><br /> </span></li> <li> <span style="font-size:12px;"><span franklingothic-medium="" sans-serif="">Does not have passion for books but dreams to read them in future </span><br /> </span></li> <li> <span style="font-size:12px;"><span franklingothic-medium="" sans-serif="">Not brand conscious, very casual</span><br /> </span></li> <li> <span style="font-size:12px;"><span franklingothic-medium="" sans-serif="">Likes cars and currently drives Toyota Prado</span><br /> </span></li> <li> <span style="font-size:12px;"><span franklingothic-medium="" sans-serif="">Has driven fi ve different bikes until now </span><br /> </span></li> <li> <span style="font-size:12px;"><span franklingothic-medium="" sans-serif="">Also involved in social activities <br /> </span><br /> </span></li> </ul>', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2011-01-28', 'modified' => '2012-09-17', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => 'When Senon started his business, the production in Nepal was very low as carpets were imported from India. The market in the beginning was non-challenging. We never had to worry that the products would not be sold. The supply was small and the demand was much higher. Unlike today, his company used to decide on quality,', 'sortorder' => '141', 'image' => null, 'article_date' => '0000-00-00 00:00:00', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => false, 'in_scroller' => false, 'user_id' => '0' ) ), (int) 3 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '198', 'article_category_id' => '47', 'title' => 'Saakha's Saga: Playing Safe In A Risky Business', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => null, 'content' => '<p> <style type="text/css"> <!--{cke_protected}%3C!%2D%2D%7Bcke_protected%7D%253C!%252D%252D%257Bcke_protected%257D%25253C!%25252D%25252D%25257Bcke_protected%25257D%2525253C!%2525252D%2525252D%2525250A.style1%25252520%2525257Bfont-weight%2525253A%25252520bold%2525257D%2525250A%2525252D%2525252D%2525253E%25252D%25252D%25253E%252D%252D%253E%2D%2D%3E--> </style></p> <p> <style type="text/css"> <!--{cke_protected}%3C!%2D%2D%7Bcke_protected%7D%253C!%252D%252D%257Bcke_protected%257D%25253C!%25252D%25252D%25257Bcke_protected%25257D%2525253C!%2525252D%2525252D%2525257Bcke_protected%2525257D%252525253C!%252525252D%252525252D%252525257Bcke_protected%252525257D%25252525253C!%25252525252D%25252525252D%25252525257Bcke_protected%25252525257D%2525252525253C!%2525252525252D%2525252525252D%2525252525257Bcke_protected%2525252525257D%252525252525253C!%252525252525252D%252525252525252D%252525252525257Bcke_protected%252525252525257D%25252525252525253C!%25252525252525252D%25252525252525252D%25252525252525257Bcke_protected%25252525252525257D%2525252525252525253C!%2525252525252525252D%2525252525252525252D%2525252525252525250A.style1%25252525252525252520%2525252525252525257B%2525252525252525250A%25252525252525252509font-size%2525252525252525253A%2525252525252525252012px%2525252525252525253B%2525252525252525250A%25252525252525252509font-weight%2525252525252525253A%25252525252525252520bold%2525252525252525253B%2525252525252525250A%2525252525252525257D%2525252525252525250A%2525252525252525252D%2525252525252525252D%2525252525252525253E%25252525252525252D%25252525252525252D%25252525252525253E%252525252525252D%252525252525252D%252525252525253E%2525252525252D%2525252525252D%2525252525253E%25252525252D%25252525252D%25252525253E%252525252D%252525252D%252525253E%2525252D%2525252D%2525253E%25252D%25252D%25253E%252D%252D%253E%2D%2D%3E--> </style></p> <div style="width: 595px;"> <div justify="" style="width: 595px;"> <div> <div align="center" class="style1" style="border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); padding: 5px;"> <strong>You may get on top, but you can't stay there for long without persistence, honesty and commitment, says Kiran P Saakha, the director of Saakha Group. A long established name in Nepal's ready made garment (RMG) industry, Saakha accredits all his success to the three virtues he learnt from his father and grandfather. These three virtues, shares Saakha, have helped him prevail for over two decades in an industry where many have perished.</strong></div> </div> </div> </div> <p> </p> <p> </p> <div style="width: 595px;"> <div justify="" style="width: 595px;"> <div> <div align="center" style="border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); padding: 5px;"> <strong>Abnormal profit always hides a trap. If anyone tries to attract you with huge abnormal profit, you have to be extra careful.</strong></div> </div> </div> </div> <p> </p> <p> </p> <div style="width: 595px;"> <div style="border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); padding: 5px; width: 47%; float: left;"> <div align="justify"> Born to Ganesh Bhakta Saakha and Late Janak Laxmi as the first child, Kiran was raised like any ordinary Kathmandu Valley child. He went to Nepal Adarsha Vidhyalaya, a normal government school where every other kid from the neighbuorhood went. Though he came from a well-off business family, he was never allowed to feel any more privileged than a kid from an average-income family. As a child, Saakha recollects, his biggest dream was to have a bicycle. I thought I would be the king if I had a bicycle, he goes down the memory lane.<br /> <br /> Unable to get one, he used to play marbles in the chowks and streets of old Kathmandu. Because of the time and environment back then, he didn't have big dreams as a child. And hobbies? I couldn't afford to have any, he puts it candidly. So he never thought of becoming a doctor or engineer or a pilot. But somewhere at the back of his mind he pictured himself as a businessman. <br /> <br /> After finishing school, he did his bachelors from Trichandra Campus and masters from the Central Campus, Tribhuvan University. Saakha thouroughly enjoyed his college days. He learned to play new sports such as table tennis, tennis and squash. He also learned swimming and started going to health clubs, a habit which has kept him fit and fine until now. <br /> <br /> Soon after leaving college, he found himself working in the factory his family owned. He was completely engaged in the company that manufactured adhesives and also carried out trade activities with China. But life had other plans for him. Young Saakha was gradually attracted to the RMG industry, a promising enterprise in the 1980s. The slow and steady player of the Nepali apparel business believes all the name and fame he has today is because of the RMG. He says he may not have made a fortune but is doing quite well in Nepal's RMG industry, perhaps the most hardhit sector in recent times. <br /> <br /> And the interesting thing is it was a betrayal, not an inspiration as many would think, that propelled him into the apparel business. Perhaps I wouldn't have been what I am today if it wasn't for a betrayal, says Saakha who got into the RMG business just to show to his betrayer. <br /> <br /> It was the early 80s and RMG was fast evolving into a lucrative business. Orders from neighbouring India were pouring in. Foreigners would come to Nepal, find a Nepali citizen and set up a factory as citizenship was mandatory to register a company. They would take care of everything else: investment, machines, technology, labour, orders, and shipments. He was lured into RMG by a friend and his relatives showing these possibilities. They promised him a joint venture. When the plan was ready for execution and he was expecting the business to start, they ditched him. The betrayal hurt Saakha very badly. And the best way he could answer them, he thought, was to start an apparel business on his own. <br /> <br /> This is how the foundations of what is today known as Prasuna Fashion were laid. Saakha started small, setting up his factory with just 50 sewing machines. He was a novice in the apparel industry, without much knowledge and experience. So at the beginning, he hardly got any orders as he had no major contacts abroad. <br /> <br /> Shipping was a major problem back then. The failure to complete the orders on time meant the products had to be sent by air instead of on a ship. This in turn meant not only giving away almost all the profit but also incurring a huge loss. Soon there was a tough competition with the mushrooming of many units. The companies grew greedier and greedier, trying to get as many orders as possible by overstating their production capacity. But most of them couldn't deliver the orders on time, leading to either the cancellation of the orders or the selling of the products for peanuts. This greed and overtrading, he believes, is the reason why many garment firms collapsed. But Saakha's strategy was different. <br /> <br /> <strong>PERSONAL SIDE</strong> <div> <div align="left"> <ul> <li> <strong>Loves music, watches MTV a lot </strong></li> <li> <strong>Loves long drives </strong></li> <li> <strong>Is scared of flights in small planes </strong></li> <li> <strong>Is religious but not superstitious </strong></li> <li> <strong>Loves to cook </strong></li> <li> <strong>Avoids nancial transactions with friends </strong></li> <li> <strong>Scared of atheist people</strong></li> </ul> <p> </p> <p> In the first place, he never tried to bite more than he could chew. He was also committed and honest, never exaggerating his production capacity to grab more business than he could handle. He discloses his success formula: At a time when most companies were overtrading, as a rule I always accepted orders slightly less than I could actually produce. Thus I was always able to make the deliveries on time by a ship, and never had to resort to delivery by air. And my clients were always happy This is a formula he has always adhered and it has always worked for him. </p> </div> </div> <br /> Having spent more than two decades in the RMG business, Saakha certainly knows most of the tricks of the trade. Saakha has a very sound advice</div> </div> <div style="border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); padding: 5px; width: 47%; float: right;"> <div align="justify"> <img alt="" src="http://www.newbusinessage.com/ckfinder/userfiles/Images/Kiran-P-Saakha--2.jpg" style="margin: 0pt; padding: 0pt;" /><br /> <br /> for those who are tempted to go for a quick, abnormal profit. An abnormal profit always hides a trap. If anyone tries to lure you with a huge abnormal profit, you have to be extra careful, says Saakha.<br /> <br /> Being on the safe side and avoiding risks is his philosophy, both in personal and professional lives. Clearly a safe player, he is never enticed by gains that involve risks. In all his undertakings, he moves ahead only after analyzing the worst case scenario. <br /> <br /> He has already held respectful positions in the Garment Association of Nepal as the treasurer, joint secretary, vice president and finally the president.<br /> <br /> No matter how busy he is, he always finds time to be with his family. If you don't give importance to your family, then you're finished. Having a rolling business and all the riches is of no use if you don't share a good bond with your family. The proud father of a son and a daughter, he is blessed with a very understanding wife, Kusum Saakha, an LLM from the Harvard Law School. The couple have been happily married for 32 years now. We are very much compatible with each other. Our marriage was an arranged one but I already knew her as we both were in the same college,recalls Saakha. Kusum is involved with several NGOs and also teaches in colleges. <br /> <br /> Saakha considers his bad temper a major drawback of his personality. As he can rarely control it, he doesn't go for inspection rounds in his factory. I know in advance that the carelessness of the workers will trigger my bad temper. He is occupied mostly by desk work and maintaining public relations. I don't get on well with many peple. I can handle everyone but cannot have a close relationship with everyone, so I have very few close friends. I only make friends with those who are on my wavelength, he reveals. Whenever he is free, he likes to spend his time with close friends and family at his own residence. Many would envy the fit body of Saakha, a man in his late fifties. He goes to the health club at Hotel Radisson every day and works out for about an hour. Paying for the health clubs is much cheaper than going to the doctors and paying for the medications. It is because of my regular workout that I have never been bed-ridden for the last 20 years, says Saakha proudly. <br /> <br /> He is not that brand conscious. As a student of economics, he looks for the value for money and utility in whatever he buys. I go for brands provided that I get them at a reasonable price, says Saakha. However, he accept that he always wears readymade suits from Menz. I have been wearing them for the last 20 years, says Saakha. He doesn't believe in showing off the brands. He just needs to feel comfortable in whatever he wears. But when it comes to watches and glasses, he always chooses the best brands. I am very fascinated by watches of different brands. I think of them as a status symbol. He loves Omega, Rolex and other top brands. <br /> <br /> Saakha, who currently drives a Toyota, doesn't allow anyone to drive his car, not even his family. The busy businessman doesn't go for holidays much. My holidays and business trips are tied up together, he says. Whenever it's possible, he goes with his family to Pokhara and Sauraha for holidays. He doesn't like to spend much on foreign tours but prefers going to Goa as it combines economy with utility. He prefers Vietnam, Cambodia, Bangkok and other Asian destinations to Europe and the USA as the Asian destinations are far more economic and equally entertaining. I like to keep a balance of what's coming in and what's going out in every aspect of life. <br /> <br /> The MD of the Saakha Group doesn't have any immediate plans for new investments. The time is not right for expansions. I think it is better to take care of and hold on to what you already have, he says. At present, his company is providing employment to around 400 people. From his long experience, he suggests that aspiring entrepreneurs should not overtrade. Although it can help you make quick money, if it backfires, then you're done. Believe in honesty and commitment as you cannot sustain without them, he concludes with a quote from his late grandfather.<br /> </div> </div> <div style="clear: both;"> </div> </div> <div style="width: 595px;"> <div justify="" style="width: 595px;"> <div> <div align="center" style="padding: 5px;"> </div> </div> </div> </div>', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2010-12-29', 'modified' => '2012-09-17', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => 'You may get on top, but you can't stay there for long without persistence, honesty and commitment, says Kiran P Saakha, the director of Saakha Group.', 'sortorder' => '136', 'image' => null, 'article_date' => '0000-00-00 00:00:00', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => false, 'in_scroller' => false, 'user_id' => '0' ) ) ) $current_user = null $logged_in = falseinclude - APP/View/Elements/side_bar.ctp, line 60 View::_evaluate() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 971 View::_render() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 933 View::_renderElement() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 1224 View::element() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 418 include - APP/View/Articles/index.ctp, line 157 View::_evaluate() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 971 View::_render() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 933 View::render() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 473 Controller::render() - CORE/Cake/Controller/Controller.php, line 968 Dispatcher::_invoke() - CORE/Cake/Routing/Dispatcher.php, line 200 Dispatcher::dispatch() - CORE/Cake/Routing/Dispatcher.php, line 167 [main] - APP/webroot/index.php, line 117
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He believes that the business fraternity must take responsibility to change Nepal's fortunes for better.</p> <div style="width:595px;"> <div justify="" style="width: 595px;"> <div> <div align="center" style="border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); padding: 5px;"> <p align="left"> <strong><em>By Sujan Tiwari</em></strong></p> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div style="width: 595px;"> <div justify="" style="width: 595px;"> <div> <div align="center" style="border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); padding: 5px;"> <p align="justify"> Living in the US for five years, interacting with people from diverse professions and cultures and learning about leading business families around the world gave him a viewpoint on his future course of life.</p> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div style="width: 595px;"> <div justify="" style="width: 595px;"> <div> <br /> <br /> <br /> <img alt="personality" border="1" hspace="5" src="http://www.newbusinessage.com/ckfinder/userfiles/Images/personality1(2).jpg" style="width: 240px; height: 307px;" vspace="5" /><br /> <br /> </div> </div> </div> <div style="clear: both;"> <div style="border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); padding: 5px; width: 47%; float: left;"> <div align="justify"> <p> ''We should develop business models that fit the country rather than expect the country to fit our model,'' says Anuj Agrawal, Director of Vishal Group. The group has dealerships of reputed international brands such as Volkswagen, Nokia, P&G, LG, Sun Oil Ltd and many more. Agrawal attributes the group's growth to representing international brands in Nepal. He says that it will continue to focus in this area and try and add more world famous brands to its repertoire. The group is currently trying to make inroads into areas of the country's core competence like cement, hydropower and tourism.</p> <p> Agrawal's family has been living in Nepal for 82 years now. They came and settled first in Ilam in the 1930s. The family moved to Dharan in the 1940s. From there they moved to Biratnagar and eventually to Kathmandu. The group also entered into manufacturing batteries and steel in 1980s and toothpastes in 1990s. During the same decade it also invested in plantations of Teak and Sheesham, both near Biratnagar. Over time, it decided to tie-up with global brands as it realised it would give it the recognition and importance that manufacturing won't. So, the company made its foray into distribution and representation business. ''Vishal means large and that's what our group name aspires to do grow large,'' declares Agrawal with a hint of arrogance.</p> <p> The group has also evolved over decades from being prominent textile traders till the early 1970s to being importers of various things from countries other than India. It is among the first companies in Nepal to start importing from China. It also started making its presence felt in the banking and financial sector by joining a team of investors in promoting NIC Bank in 1997. It further established Life Insurance Corporation (Nepal) Ltd, a joint venture with LIC of India in 2000, and started Prudential General Insurance Company the same year.</p> <p> Agrawal did his schooling in India and pursued Undergraduate and Master's Degree in the US. On his return from the US in 1997, he joined the family business as a trainee to begin with. Later, his interest into brand representation business led him to start representing international brands. ''I have always aspired to be in businesses that are strategic and beneficial in the long run, rather than opportunistic businesses,'' reasons Agrawal. He avoids businesses that promise money in the short term but may not be sustainable in the long term.</p> <p> Agrawal says that his family has been a big inspiration for him. ''My family came from absolute poverty, but worked really hard and finally came into this position,'' he reveals. He feels it was far easier for him to start his career as there was already a platform for him to build on. He also feels privileged to have substantial wealth and has taken the responsibility of continuing the business legacy.</p> </div> </div> <div style="border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); padding: 5px; width: 47%; float: right; height: 259%;"> <div align="justify"> <p> Agrawal says that his stay in the US influenced him a great deal. Before leaving for the US, his exposure and thinking were limited, he thinks. Living in the US for five years, interacting with people from diverse professions and cultures and learning about leading business families around the world gave him a viewpoint on his future course of life. ''My stay there broadened my mind frame in terms of national and social issues and personal development,'' he reminisces. Another major influence has been his involvement with the Confederation of Nepalese Industries (CNI). He is currently Vice President of the CNI and is thus able to interact with business leaders around the country and see things from a macro perspective. He is also a founder member of Entrepreneurs Organisation Nepal. Being involved with these institutions has helped him learn from others' success stories and experiences as well as to share his experience with others.</p> <p> Agrawal's management philosophy is very inclusive as he always looks to work with his employees as a team member and is not overtly autocratic. He is always ready to lose in the short term to win in the long term. ''Rather than blaming the policies, I want to develop strategies that go along with the policies,'' he states. He wonders why people always focus on problems rather than focusing on their solutions. ''I try to understand the problem but with a focus on the solution,'' he remarks. He agrees that the country's environment is not particularly great, but feels that everybody needs to own up the responsibility.</p> <p> Agrawal is married with Kavita, for 13 years now. He had never seen her before marriage even though their respective families knew each other well. Though, not part of the business management, his wife is a tremendous support for him. A proud father of a son and a daughter, he likes to spend quality time with his family. He says his family is his biggest source of strength and he always looks forward to reach home as soon as his work finishes.</p> He believes that the business fraternity must take responsibility to change Nepal's fortunes for better. ''The major business houses have the financial exposure and the luxury of looking at things from a different point of view. Therefore, they should put in more effort,'' he asserts. Always an optimist, he believes that nothing is impossible on this earth if one sports a positive mindset. Agrawal is a firm believer of the notion that there are better days ahead and Nepal can certainly look forward to prosperous times.</div> </div> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> </div>', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2011-03-14', 'modified' => '2012-09-17', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => 'lways an optimist, Anuj Agrawal believes that nothing is impossible on this earth if one sports a positive mindset. He believes that the business fraternity must take responsibility to change Nepal's', 'sortorder' => '172', 'image' => null, 'article_date' => '0000-00-00 00:00:00', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => false, 'in_scroller' => false, 'user_id' => '0' ) ), (int) 1 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '208', 'article_category_id' => '47', 'title' => 'Building For The Country', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => null, 'content' => '<p class="BREAKER" style="text-indent: 14.15pt;"> <span style="font-size:12px;"><span style="font-size: 12px;"><span class="MyriadPro"><span franklin="" gothic="" medium="" sans-serif="">Even as a school boy, Raju Babu Shrestha had pictured that being the eldest son, he will be helping out his father and someday would fill his formidable shoes. <br /> <br /> </span></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal"> <span style="font-size:12px;"><span class="MyriadPro"><i><img align="left" alt="personality" border="1" height="299" hspace="5" src="http://www.newbusinessage.com/ckfinder/userfiles/Images/rajubaabu shrestha.jpg" style="width: 247px; height: 299px;margin:10px;padding:10px;" vspace="5" width="247" /></i></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"> <span style="font-size: 12px;"><span class="MyriadPro"><i><br /> </i></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"> <span style="font-size: 12px;"><span class="MyriadPro"><i>By Pinaki Roy</i></span><span style="line-height: 115%;"> <br /> </span></span></p> <p class="nbasubhead2"> <span style="font-size:12px;"><span bright="" lucida="" serif="" style="line-height: 120%;">Raju Babu Shrestha</span></span></p> <p class="nbasubhead2"> <span style="font-size:12px;"><i><span bright="" lucida="" serif="" style="line-height: 120%;">Director</span></i></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"> <span style="font-size:12px;"><i><span bright="" lucida="" serif="" style="line-height: 115%;">Chitawon Co-E Nepal (P) Ltd <br /> </span></i></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; vertical-align: middle;"> <span style="font-size: 12px;"><b><span aldine401="" bt="" color:="" serif=""><br /> </span></b></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; vertical-align: middle;"> <span style="font-size: 12px;"><b><span aldine401="" bt="" color:="" serif="">H</span></b><span aldine401="" bt="" color:="" serif="">ailing from a business family, life was not exactly a bed of roses for Raju Babu Shrestha till as they say, lady luck smiled on him. Despite working very hard and giving it all he had, the period from 1982-1988 was a difficult one for him and his family business, Chitawon Construction & Engineering Company Nepal (P) Ltd also known as Chitawon Co-E Nepal (P) Ltd. However, his marriage in 1988 changed his fortunes and there was no looking back ever since, says Shrestha. If someone told me that getting married will bring me luck, I would have married earlier, he adds tongue-in-cheek. </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; vertical-align: middle;"> <span style="font-size:12px;"><span aldine401="" bt="" color:="" serif=""><br /> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: 14.15pt; vertical-align: middle;"> <span style="font-size: 12px;"><span aldine401="" bt="" color:="" serif="">Business runs in Shrestha's blood, his forefathers were from Gorkha and dealt in trading activities. But his father Laxman Babu Shrestha had different ideas in mind. And so, Chitawon Co-E Nepal (P) Ltd was registered as a proprietorship concern in 1966. Later, having proven its performance in various construction projects with excellent results, the company was promoted to class A Contractor in 1978. The Flagship Company has come a long way and today boasts of an impressive portfolio of companies including Manakamana Darshan (P) Ltd, Sagarmatha Power Company (P) Ltd, Nepal Ropeway Systems (P) Ltd, and Chitawon Milk (P) Ltd. Shrestha holds the position of Director in all these companies. <br /> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: 14.15pt; vertical-align: middle;"> <span style="font-size:12px;"><span aldine401="" bt="" color:="" serif=""><br /> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: 14.15pt; vertical-align: middle;"> <span style="font-size: 12px;"><span aldine401="" bt="" color:="" serif="">He fondly remembers his early days in Chitwan when though life was difficult due to lack of transportation; he still enjoyed his bicycle rides in the forested terrain. While in middle school, he would accompany his father and visit various construction sites for irrigation canals, roads, and dams. That was the seed period as Shrestha precisely knew what he wanted to do in life when he was grown up enough. He could envisage that he will be helping out his father being the eldest son and someday would fill his formidable shoes. </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: 14.15pt; vertical-align: middle;"> <span style="font-size:12px;"><span aldine401="" bt="" color:="" serif=""><br /> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: 14.15pt; vertical-align: middle;"> <span style="font-size: 12px;"><span aldine401="" bt="" color:="" serif="">Shrestha came back to his birthplace Kathmandu to pursue High School as a boarder at Ananda Kuti Vidyapith. After graduating from High School, he wanted to study engineering but sacrificed his dream to help his father. Instead, he enrolled for a Bachelor of Science programme in Mathematics at Amrit Science Campus that would allow him more time for business. He started work while in college and gained hands-on experience which would come in handy for his future course in life. Bijayapur Irrigation Project in Pokhara was the first project I handled independently, he proudly states. A firm believer in making a contribution to the country's development, he has been instrumental in diversifying, mechanising and developing the family business. </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: 14.15pt; vertical-align: middle;"> <span style="font-size:12px;"><span aldine401="" bt="" color:="" serif=""><br /> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: 14.15pt; vertical-align: middle;"> <span style="font-size: 12px;"><span aldine401="" bt="" color:="" serif="">As a young boy, Shrestha was a tad shy when it came to making acquaintance with girls but never felt that he must have a girlfriend. Times have changed,he sighs. Always having led an orthodox and simple life, his was an arranged marriage. Proud of having fathered three beautiful daughters, he says he doesn't miss having a son, Today, the world has moved on. It's no longer considered a disadvantage not to have a son for an heir. He is confident that all his daughters will make him proud as they grow up. Like father, like daughter his eldest daughter is already on the right path, pursuing her Bachelor in Business Administration degree from Webster University. She is already taking an interest in business matters and shows signs of promise to hold </span></span><span style="font-size: 12px;"><span>the fort when the time comes. </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 14.15pt; vertical-align: middle;"> <span style="font-size:12px;"><span aldine401="" bt="" color:="" serif=""><img align="left" alt="persoanlity" border="1" height="522" hspace="5" src="http://www.newbusinessage.com/ckfinder/userfiles/Images/Raju Babu Shrestha1.jpg" style="width: 364px; height: 522px;margin:10px;padding:10px;" vspace="5" width="364" /></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: 14.15pt; vertical-align: middle;"> <span style="font-size: 12px;"><span aldine401="" bt="" color:="" serif=""><br /> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: 14.15pt; vertical-align: middle;"> <span style="font-size: 12px;"><span aldine401="" bt="" color:="" serif="">Shrestha does not believe in showing off and hence lives an austere lifestyle. Glamour is not his forte. You will seldom see him wearing expensive suits unless he is attending a business conference or a formal occasion. He is clad in casual wear (read Jeans, T-Shirts, Working boots, Jackets) most of the time as his work involves field (on site) work. He is most comfortable when he is among friends or at an informal gathering as he doesn't have to worry too much about what he is wearing. Shrestha likes to call himself old-fashioned. A family man to the core, he draws inspiration from his wife, She always gives me positive vibes. Whenever he is short on motivation, he looks up to his father from whom he learnt the tricks of the trade. He has always been my role model, he says. </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: 14.15pt; vertical-align: middle;"> <span style="font-size:12px;"><span aldine401="" bt="" color:="" serif=""><br /> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: 14.15pt; vertical-align: middle;"> <span style="font-size: 12px;"><span aldine401="" bt="" color:="" serif="">Despite a busy schedule, Shrestha manages to find time to travel within Nepal as well as abroad. Whenever time permits, he sets along to tour a new destination, either with friends or family, in search of nature and adventure. He has already visited 50 districts in Nepal for work or purely on vacation. He has toured a host of foreign countries for business as well as leisure United Kingdom, Japan, Germany, China, Austria, Italy, and Korea to name a few. His favourite cuisines include Korean, Japanese, and Chinese he is only too happy that his favourite cuisines are available in some Kathmandu restaurants as well. Shrestha loves to cook as it helps him de-stress, keep healthy and relax. The best part is that my family loves my cooking too which makes me feel good, he chuckles. <br /> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: 14.15pt; vertical-align: middle;"> <span style="font-size:12px;"><span aldine401="" bt="" color:="" serif=""><br /> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: 14.15pt; vertical-align: middle;"> <span style="font-size: 12px;"><span aldine401="" bt="" color:="" serif="">You wonder if having achieved so much has made him complacent. On the contrary, Shrestha says that his job is far from finished. “I agree that when I think of my early days, I do feel I have achieved a great deal and am satisfied about the whole thing but it has also increased my obligations and responsibilities. To maintain the heights that we have reached is the current challenge, he explains. Shrestha says that wealth creation is not his sole objective. He has everything that a man can want in terms of material needs. He hopes that whatever he does, it should benefit the people of the country. <br /> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: 14.15pt; vertical-align: middle;"> <span style="font-size:12px;"><span aldine401="" bt="" color:="" serif=""><br /> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: 14.15pt; vertical-align: middle;"> <span style="font-size: 12px;"><span aldine401="" bt="" color:="" letter-spacing:="" serif="">Not the one to rest on his past laurels, Shrestha has several projects up his sleeve. Expanding Cable Car services is one. After the highly successful Manakamana Cable Car that connects Kurintar in Chitwan with Manakamana in Gorkha, there are at least two similar projects in feasibility study phase presently. He is optimistic that the proposed Cable Car projects in Pokhara and Kalinchok (Dolakha), when completed, will facilitate tourism development in the respective areas. He also plans to set up an agricultural machinery and tools enterprise which will import to begin with and get into manufacturing in due course of time. Chitawon Milk is another project that's close to his heart. The company produces skimmed milk powder, baby food, yogurt, butter, and ghee etc. He is hopeful that it will uplift professional cow farming and encourage milk farmers to produce more. This will benefit the economic condition of the farmers as well as the national economy.</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: 14.15pt; vertical-align: middle;"> <span style="font-size:12px;"><span aldine401="" bt="" color:="" letter-spacing:="" serif=""><br /> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"> <span style="font-size: 12px;"><span aldine401="" bt="" color:="" letter-spacing:="" serif="" style="line-height: 115%;">As if he was not finished yet, Shrestha revealed another aspect of his personality he is an Art Lover. He visits art exhibitions when he can and likes to collect Nepali art. He especially likes buying natural material and even designs them with help from his artist friend Shyam Lal Shrestha. When you step into his living room, you'll find it to be a work-of-art, literally. The ceiling has many blocks of Newari art, each of them symbolising a different meaning. Shrestha says he is very lucky to have a loving family as family binding is most important it helps him remain grounded. <br /> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"> <span style="font-size:12px;"><span aldine401="" bt="" color:="" letter-spacing:="" serif="" style="line-height: 115%;"><br /> </span></span></p>', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2011-02-09', 'modified' => '2012-09-17', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => 'Hailing from a business family, life was not exactly a bed of roses for Raju Babu Shrestha till as they say, lady luck smiled on him. Despite working very hard and giving it all he had, the period from 1982-1988 was', 'sortorder' => '144', 'image' => null, 'article_date' => '0000-00-00 00:00:00', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => false, 'in_scroller' => false, 'user_id' => '0' ) ), (int) 2 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '203', 'article_category_id' => '47', 'title' => 'Weaving Dreams & Carpets', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => null, 'content' => '<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; line-height: normal;"> <span style="font-size:12px;"><a href="http://www.newbusinessage.com/ckfinder/userfiles/Images/Senon D Lama.jpg"><img align="left" alt="" border="1" height="385" hspace="3" src="http://www.newbusinessage.com/ckfinder/userfiles/Images/Senon D Lama.jpg" style="width: 257px; height: 385px;margin:10px;padding:10px;" vspace="2" width="257" /></a><span color:="" franklingothic-medium="" sans-serif=""> </span><b><span bright="" color:="" lucida="" serif="">Senon D Lama</span></b></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; line-height: normal;"> <span style="font-size:12px;"><i><span bright="" color:="" lucida="" serif="">Chairman and Managing Director,</span></i></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; line-height: normal;"> <span style="font-size:12px;"><i><span bright="" color:="" lucida="" serif="">Senon Carpet Industries,</span></i></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; line-height: normal;"> <span style="font-size:12px;"><i><span bright="" color:="" lucida="" serif="">Hotel Shahanshah Int'l &</span></i></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; line-height: normal;"> <span style="font-size:12px;"><i><span bright="" color:="" lucida="" serif="">System Holder</span></i></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; line-height: normal;"> <span style="font-size:12px;"><span color:="" franklingothic-medium="" sans-serif=""> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; line-height: normal;"> <span style="font-size: 12px;"><span color:="" franklingothic-medium="" sans-serif="">When Senon started his business, the production in Nepal was very low as carpets were imported from India. The market in the beginning was non-challenging. We never had to worry that the products would not be sold. The supply was small and the demand was much higher.†Unlike today, his company used to decide on quality, design and size, and the buyers used to buy what was available.</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; line-height: normal;"> <span style="font-size:12px;"><span color:="" franklingothic-medium="" sans-serif=""><br /> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; line-height: normal;"> <span style="font-size: 12px;"><i><span aldine401bt-italica="" serif="">By Gaurav Aryal <br /> </span></i></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; line-height: normal;"> <span style="font-size:12px;"><i><span aldine401bt-italica="" serif=""><br /> </span></i></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; line-height: normal;"> <span style="font-size:12px;"><span color:="" franklingothic-heavy="" sans-serif="">W</span><span aldine401bt-romana="" color:="" serif="">hen Senon D Lama stepped into the carpet business, he had just a dozen of looms to weave his passion. Now he is a full-fledged carpet businessman with an annual turnover of USD 1 to 1.5 million a year. He has diversified also in hospitality industries. Thus he is the the Chairman and Managing Director of Senon Carpet Industries Pvt Ltd, Hotel Shahanshah International Pvt Ltd and a sports club called the System Holder Pvt Ltd.</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; line-height: normal;"> <span style="font-size:12px;"><br /> Born at the remote highland village of Lo Gaun in Gorkha district, Lama landed in Kathmandu in early 1960s when he was just about 10 years old. He is sorry that he could not get higher education due to the trouble he had to go through being away from home. So, while he was enrolled for the bachelor's level in management, he started work to earn his living at the age of 22.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; line-height: normal;"> <span style="font-size:12px;"><span aldine401bt-romana="" color:="" serif=""><br /> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; line-height: normal;"> <span style="font-size:12px;"><span aldine401bt-romana="" color:="" serif="">Lama had gathered some experience in woollen Nepali carpets business. So, he established his own carpet factory with about a dozen looms at Pulchowk. He also set up three carpet shops at the tourist hubs of Sundhara and Mahabouddha of Kathmandu and at the Golden Gate of Patan. Our primary customers were tourists,†he says. Lama claims that he was one of the pioneers in the private sector to begin with a carpet industry.<br /> <br /> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; line-height: normal;"> <span style="font-size:12px;"><span aldine401bt-romana="" color:="" serif="">I was, from the very beginning, passionate about colours and designs. I loved to play with them, he recollects the moment he began his career: One of my friends used to own a carpet shop. I used to see him having good time, going to movies and still making money. The tourists would visit his shop and buy the carpets as souvenirs paying handsome amount of money.He remembers yet another friend who was in the restaurant business and was having a tough time pleasing the customers. I compared them one watching movies, chatting and making money while another struggling to maintain his business. So, I ended up in the first business, Lama says. His same friend who owned the carpet shop was also in the car reconditioning business and he asked lama if he could buy the shop. He instantly accepted the offer and bought his friend's shop.<br /> <br /> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; line-height: normal;"> <span style="font-size:12px;"><span aldine401bt-romana="" color:="" serif="">His family back home had no idea as to what young Senon was doing. In the third year of the business, his father arrived Kathmandu unannounced.<br /> <br /> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; line-height: normal;"> <span style="font-size:12px;"><span aldine401bt-romana="" color:="" serif="">Seeing me travelling mostly by taxi, my father said I squander a lot of money At the same time, he was tremendously delighted as well as shocked to see that I was simultaneously operating three shops at three different locations of the city.<br /> <br /> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; line-height: normal;"> <span style="font-size:12px;"><span aldine401bt-romana="" color:="" serif="">When Lama started his business, the production in Nepal was very low as carpets were imported from India. The market in the beginning was nonchallenging. We never had to worry that the products would not be sold. The supply was small and the demand was much higher. Unlike today, his company used to decide on quality, design and size, and the buyers used to buy what was available. Gradually Nepal made carpets started to be viewed as fahion items. The foreigners were using them not as floorings but as pieces of art hung on the wall. International designers then started coming in with their own designs mostly the western ones.<br /> <br /> <br /> In the beginning of 1980s, the export of carpet kicked off. And Lama's business took off the major flight in 1982 when a big warehouse bought all the carpets from all his three shops. Lama never had to look back since then. In 1983, I did not have the time to pay attention to my local shops, as I was focused on the export business. His company, named as Senon Enterprise, expanded in the following years. In 1988, the company was renamed as Senon Carpet Industries.<br /> <br /> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; line-height: normal;"> <span style="font-size:12px;"><span aldine401bt-romana="" color:="" serif="">Lama's success reached a new height during the 1990s when the number of employees working for him reached 1400. Comparing the situation then and now, Lama says, There used to be the mass production and mass export then. Today's business is mostly order-based.<br /> <br /> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; line-height: normal;"> <span style="font-size:12px;"><span aldine401bt-romana="" color:="" serif="">He reveals that his company is now working for the year 2012. We completed our production last year for 2011 and the catalogue for that was ready in September 2010. Catalogue for 2012 </span><span aldine401bt-romana="" serif="">will be ready in 2011 September. He further says the planning and research for the design for 2013 is going on. He himself goes through hundreds of designs and decides which of them would suit for which of the quality of the carpets he will produce. We have to go into serious research before making any commitment. <br /> <br /> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; line-height: normal;"> <span style="font-size:12px;"><span aldine401bt-romana="" serif="">The wage rate, the labour law, and the price of the raw material have to be speculated for the coming years before making such commitment, he says.<br /> <br /> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; line-height: normal;"> <span style="font-size:12px;"><span aldine401bt-romana="" serif="">Today, Lama exports his carpets to Germany, the Netherlands, UK, USA, Mexico, Japan, and Australia, to name a few. From these destinations, the same carpets are exported to other countries as well.<br /> <br /> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; line-height: normal;"> <span style="font-size:12px;"><span aldine401bt-romana="" serif="">Apart from the carpet industry, Lama is also the proud owner of Hotel Shahanshah, System Holder, a sports club and some real estate businesses. Besides, he is into social work too. No matter how many ventures I do have, carpet business is the most precious one and close to my life. I am never going to detach it from my life though I may have to return back to a dozen looms again, he says. This is my religion. This business cannot be evaluated on mere profit and loss.<br /> <br /> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; line-height: normal;"> <span style="font-size:12px;"><span aldine401bt-romana="" serif="">For Lama, failure is not the reason to regret. He says he never regrets his past. He feels blessed to be able to see the whole world, though born in one of the remotest corners of the world. The excitement he had when he first bought the motorbike is the moment he never forgets. When I first bought my motorbike, I was so excited and felt the sense of achievement. I don't feel the same when I buy a new car now.Lama says work is his passion and hobby. He enjoys his work as much as the sports like football and hockey. There are professionals to look after his other businesses, but in the carpet business he insists to go through every minutest detail on his own. He has never fired any worker till date. He credits his success to his workers. He pays his staff at the production line on the weekly basis while those in other lines are paid on monthly basis. Altogether 700 persons work for him now though this number was about 1400 in the 1990s.<br /> <br /> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; line-height: normal;"> <span style="font-size:12px;"><span aldine401bt-romana="" serif="">Lama has worked for 36 years and says, every day, I have spent 12 to 16 hours in my work. He is already 60 but has not thought of retiring. I'm not tired, so no question of being retired, he quips. Retirement kills you psychologically, makes body slow and reduces the stamina.†He thinks he can work for the next 15 years.<br /> <br /> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; line-height: normal;"> <span style="font-size:12px;"><span aldine401bt-romana="" serif="">Lama says human body is a temple. We have to worship it. We should not put junks into it, he says revealing the secret of being healthy. Another secret is his regimen of physical exercises. In olde days, he used to spend at least one and half hour a day in sports. He used to wake up at 4 in the morning and rush to the tennis court at The Everest Hotel. Currently, he is spending at least 30 to 40 minutes a day exercising. In his free time, he loves listening to music of all genre from Nepali to English pops to fast beats. He says he is not able to give a lot of time to his family. He sometimes works on Saturdays too. I want to see them laughing. I have to listen to everybody to make them happy. Sometimes, there is a conflict of interest. But I try to address everyone's wishes, he says.<br /> <br /> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; line-height: normal;"> <span style="font-size:12px;"><span aldine401bt-romana="" serif="">Lama has plans to expand his business in the promising tourism sector. Now I have almost 12 years of experience in the hotel industry. I am quite confident about expanding it. Most probably he will set up a spa. </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; line-height: normal;"> <span style="font-size:12px;"><span aldine401bt-romana="" serif=""> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; line-height: normal;"> <span style="font-size:12px;"><strong><span style="color: rgb(178, 34, 34);"><span color:="" franklingothic-heavy="" sans-serif="">PERSONAL SIDE</span></span></strong></span></p> <ul> <li> <span style="font-size:12px;"><span franklingothic-medium="" sans-serif="">Loves music. Narayan Gopal is his favourite Nepali artist. He also listens to Celine Dion, Mariah Carey, Eric Clapton, Bryan Adams and Michael Jackson among others</span><br /> </span></li> <li> <span style="font-size:12px;"><span franklingothic-medium="" sans-serif="">Likes collecting magazines from around the world </span><br /> </span></li> <li> <span style="font-size:12px;"><span franklingothic-medium="" sans-serif="">Tennis, squash, bowling are his favourite sports </span><br /> </span></li> <li> <span style="font-size:12px;"><span franklingothic-medium="" sans-serif="">Does not have passion for books but dreams to read them in future </span><br /> </span></li> <li> <span style="font-size:12px;"><span franklingothic-medium="" sans-serif="">Not brand conscious, very casual</span><br /> </span></li> <li> <span style="font-size:12px;"><span franklingothic-medium="" sans-serif="">Likes cars and currently drives Toyota Prado</span><br /> </span></li> <li> <span style="font-size:12px;"><span franklingothic-medium="" sans-serif="">Has driven fi ve different bikes until now </span><br /> </span></li> <li> <span style="font-size:12px;"><span franklingothic-medium="" sans-serif="">Also involved in social activities <br /> </span><br /> </span></li> </ul>', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2011-01-28', 'modified' => '2012-09-17', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => 'When Senon started his business, the production in Nepal was very low as carpets were imported from India. The market in the beginning was non-challenging. We never had to worry that the products would not be sold. The supply was small and the demand was much higher. Unlike today, his company used to decide on quality,', 'sortorder' => '141', 'image' => null, 'article_date' => '0000-00-00 00:00:00', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => false, 'in_scroller' => false, 'user_id' => '0' ) ), (int) 3 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '198', 'article_category_id' => '47', 'title' => 'Saakha's Saga: Playing Safe In A Risky Business', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => null, 'content' => '<p> <style type="text/css"> <!--{cke_protected}%3C!%2D%2D%7Bcke_protected%7D%253C!%252D%252D%257Bcke_protected%257D%25253C!%25252D%25252D%25257Bcke_protected%25257D%2525253C!%2525252D%2525252D%2525250A.style1%25252520%2525257Bfont-weight%2525253A%25252520bold%2525257D%2525250A%2525252D%2525252D%2525253E%25252D%25252D%25253E%252D%252D%253E%2D%2D%3E--> </style></p> <p> <style type="text/css"> <!--{cke_protected}%3C!%2D%2D%7Bcke_protected%7D%253C!%252D%252D%257Bcke_protected%257D%25253C!%25252D%25252D%25257Bcke_protected%25257D%2525253C!%2525252D%2525252D%2525257Bcke_protected%2525257D%252525253C!%252525252D%252525252D%252525257Bcke_protected%252525257D%25252525253C!%25252525252D%25252525252D%25252525257Bcke_protected%25252525257D%2525252525253C!%2525252525252D%2525252525252D%2525252525257Bcke_protected%2525252525257D%252525252525253C!%252525252525252D%252525252525252D%252525252525257Bcke_protected%252525252525257D%25252525252525253C!%25252525252525252D%25252525252525252D%25252525252525257Bcke_protected%25252525252525257D%2525252525252525253C!%2525252525252525252D%2525252525252525252D%2525252525252525250A.style1%25252525252525252520%2525252525252525257B%2525252525252525250A%25252525252525252509font-size%2525252525252525253A%2525252525252525252012px%2525252525252525253B%2525252525252525250A%25252525252525252509font-weight%2525252525252525253A%25252525252525252520bold%2525252525252525253B%2525252525252525250A%2525252525252525257D%2525252525252525250A%2525252525252525252D%2525252525252525252D%2525252525252525253E%25252525252525252D%25252525252525252D%25252525252525253E%252525252525252D%252525252525252D%252525252525253E%2525252525252D%2525252525252D%2525252525253E%25252525252D%25252525252D%25252525253E%252525252D%252525252D%252525253E%2525252D%2525252D%2525253E%25252D%25252D%25253E%252D%252D%253E%2D%2D%3E--> </style></p> <div style="width: 595px;"> <div justify="" style="width: 595px;"> <div> <div align="center" class="style1" style="border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); padding: 5px;"> <strong>You may get on top, but you can't stay there for long without persistence, honesty and commitment, says Kiran P Saakha, the director of Saakha Group. A long established name in Nepal's ready made garment (RMG) industry, Saakha accredits all his success to the three virtues he learnt from his father and grandfather. These three virtues, shares Saakha, have helped him prevail for over two decades in an industry where many have perished.</strong></div> </div> </div> </div> <p> </p> <p> </p> <div style="width: 595px;"> <div justify="" style="width: 595px;"> <div> <div align="center" style="border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); padding: 5px;"> <strong>Abnormal profit always hides a trap. If anyone tries to attract you with huge abnormal profit, you have to be extra careful.</strong></div> </div> </div> </div> <p> </p> <p> </p> <div style="width: 595px;"> <div style="border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); padding: 5px; width: 47%; float: left;"> <div align="justify"> Born to Ganesh Bhakta Saakha and Late Janak Laxmi as the first child, Kiran was raised like any ordinary Kathmandu Valley child. He went to Nepal Adarsha Vidhyalaya, a normal government school where every other kid from the neighbuorhood went. Though he came from a well-off business family, he was never allowed to feel any more privileged than a kid from an average-income family. As a child, Saakha recollects, his biggest dream was to have a bicycle. I thought I would be the king if I had a bicycle, he goes down the memory lane.<br /> <br /> Unable to get one, he used to play marbles in the chowks and streets of old Kathmandu. Because of the time and environment back then, he didn't have big dreams as a child. And hobbies? I couldn't afford to have any, he puts it candidly. So he never thought of becoming a doctor or engineer or a pilot. But somewhere at the back of his mind he pictured himself as a businessman. <br /> <br /> After finishing school, he did his bachelors from Trichandra Campus and masters from the Central Campus, Tribhuvan University. Saakha thouroughly enjoyed his college days. He learned to play new sports such as table tennis, tennis and squash. He also learned swimming and started going to health clubs, a habit which has kept him fit and fine until now. <br /> <br /> Soon after leaving college, he found himself working in the factory his family owned. He was completely engaged in the company that manufactured adhesives and also carried out trade activities with China. But life had other plans for him. Young Saakha was gradually attracted to the RMG industry, a promising enterprise in the 1980s. The slow and steady player of the Nepali apparel business believes all the name and fame he has today is because of the RMG. He says he may not have made a fortune but is doing quite well in Nepal's RMG industry, perhaps the most hardhit sector in recent times. <br /> <br /> And the interesting thing is it was a betrayal, not an inspiration as many would think, that propelled him into the apparel business. Perhaps I wouldn't have been what I am today if it wasn't for a betrayal, says Saakha who got into the RMG business just to show to his betrayer. <br /> <br /> It was the early 80s and RMG was fast evolving into a lucrative business. Orders from neighbouring India were pouring in. Foreigners would come to Nepal, find a Nepali citizen and set up a factory as citizenship was mandatory to register a company. They would take care of everything else: investment, machines, technology, labour, orders, and shipments. He was lured into RMG by a friend and his relatives showing these possibilities. They promised him a joint venture. When the plan was ready for execution and he was expecting the business to start, they ditched him. The betrayal hurt Saakha very badly. And the best way he could answer them, he thought, was to start an apparel business on his own. <br /> <br /> This is how the foundations of what is today known as Prasuna Fashion were laid. Saakha started small, setting up his factory with just 50 sewing machines. He was a novice in the apparel industry, without much knowledge and experience. So at the beginning, he hardly got any orders as he had no major contacts abroad. <br /> <br /> Shipping was a major problem back then. The failure to complete the orders on time meant the products had to be sent by air instead of on a ship. This in turn meant not only giving away almost all the profit but also incurring a huge loss. Soon there was a tough competition with the mushrooming of many units. The companies grew greedier and greedier, trying to get as many orders as possible by overstating their production capacity. But most of them couldn't deliver the orders on time, leading to either the cancellation of the orders or the selling of the products for peanuts. This greed and overtrading, he believes, is the reason why many garment firms collapsed. But Saakha's strategy was different. <br /> <br /> <strong>PERSONAL SIDE</strong> <div> <div align="left"> <ul> <li> <strong>Loves music, watches MTV a lot </strong></li> <li> <strong>Loves long drives </strong></li> <li> <strong>Is scared of flights in small planes </strong></li> <li> <strong>Is religious but not superstitious </strong></li> <li> <strong>Loves to cook </strong></li> <li> <strong>Avoids nancial transactions with friends </strong></li> <li> <strong>Scared of atheist people</strong></li> </ul> <p> </p> <p> In the first place, he never tried to bite more than he could chew. He was also committed and honest, never exaggerating his production capacity to grab more business than he could handle. He discloses his success formula: At a time when most companies were overtrading, as a rule I always accepted orders slightly less than I could actually produce. Thus I was always able to make the deliveries on time by a ship, and never had to resort to delivery by air. And my clients were always happy This is a formula he has always adhered and it has always worked for him. </p> </div> </div> <br /> Having spent more than two decades in the RMG business, Saakha certainly knows most of the tricks of the trade. Saakha has a very sound advice</div> </div> <div style="border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); padding: 5px; width: 47%; float: right;"> <div align="justify"> <img alt="" src="http://www.newbusinessage.com/ckfinder/userfiles/Images/Kiran-P-Saakha--2.jpg" style="margin: 0pt; padding: 0pt;" /><br /> <br /> for those who are tempted to go for a quick, abnormal profit. An abnormal profit always hides a trap. If anyone tries to lure you with a huge abnormal profit, you have to be extra careful, says Saakha.<br /> <br /> Being on the safe side and avoiding risks is his philosophy, both in personal and professional lives. Clearly a safe player, he is never enticed by gains that involve risks. In all his undertakings, he moves ahead only after analyzing the worst case scenario. <br /> <br /> He has already held respectful positions in the Garment Association of Nepal as the treasurer, joint secretary, vice president and finally the president.<br /> <br /> No matter how busy he is, he always finds time to be with his family. If you don't give importance to your family, then you're finished. Having a rolling business and all the riches is of no use if you don't share a good bond with your family. The proud father of a son and a daughter, he is blessed with a very understanding wife, Kusum Saakha, an LLM from the Harvard Law School. The couple have been happily married for 32 years now. We are very much compatible with each other. Our marriage was an arranged one but I already knew her as we both were in the same college,recalls Saakha. Kusum is involved with several NGOs and also teaches in colleges. <br /> <br /> Saakha considers his bad temper a major drawback of his personality. As he can rarely control it, he doesn't go for inspection rounds in his factory. I know in advance that the carelessness of the workers will trigger my bad temper. He is occupied mostly by desk work and maintaining public relations. I don't get on well with many peple. I can handle everyone but cannot have a close relationship with everyone, so I have very few close friends. I only make friends with those who are on my wavelength, he reveals. Whenever he is free, he likes to spend his time with close friends and family at his own residence. Many would envy the fit body of Saakha, a man in his late fifties. He goes to the health club at Hotel Radisson every day and works out for about an hour. Paying for the health clubs is much cheaper than going to the doctors and paying for the medications. It is because of my regular workout that I have never been bed-ridden for the last 20 years, says Saakha proudly. <br /> <br /> He is not that brand conscious. As a student of economics, he looks for the value for money and utility in whatever he buys. I go for brands provided that I get them at a reasonable price, says Saakha. However, he accept that he always wears readymade suits from Menz. I have been wearing them for the last 20 years, says Saakha. He doesn't believe in showing off the brands. He just needs to feel comfortable in whatever he wears. But when it comes to watches and glasses, he always chooses the best brands. I am very fascinated by watches of different brands. I think of them as a status symbol. He loves Omega, Rolex and other top brands. <br /> <br /> Saakha, who currently drives a Toyota, doesn't allow anyone to drive his car, not even his family. The busy businessman doesn't go for holidays much. My holidays and business trips are tied up together, he says. Whenever it's possible, he goes with his family to Pokhara and Sauraha for holidays. He doesn't like to spend much on foreign tours but prefers going to Goa as it combines economy with utility. He prefers Vietnam, Cambodia, Bangkok and other Asian destinations to Europe and the USA as the Asian destinations are far more economic and equally entertaining. I like to keep a balance of what's coming in and what's going out in every aspect of life. <br /> <br /> The MD of the Saakha Group doesn't have any immediate plans for new investments. The time is not right for expansions. I think it is better to take care of and hold on to what you already have, he says. At present, his company is providing employment to around 400 people. From his long experience, he suggests that aspiring entrepreneurs should not overtrade. Although it can help you make quick money, if it backfires, then you're done. Believe in honesty and commitment as you cannot sustain without them, he concludes with a quote from his late grandfather.<br /> </div> </div> <div style="clear: both;"> </div> </div> <div style="width: 595px;"> <div justify="" style="width: 595px;"> <div> <div align="center" style="padding: 5px;"> </div> </div> </div> </div>', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2010-12-29', 'modified' => '2012-09-17', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => 'You may get on top, but you can't stay there for long without persistence, honesty and commitment, says Kiran P Saakha, the director of Saakha Group.', 'sortorder' => '136', 'image' => null, 'article_date' => '0000-00-00 00:00:00', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => false, 'in_scroller' => false, 'user_id' => '0' ) ) ) $current_user = null $logged_in = falsesimplexml_load_file - [internal], line ?? include - APP/View/Elements/side_bar.ctp, line 60 View::_evaluate() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 971 View::_render() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 933 View::_renderElement() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 1224 View::element() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 418 include - APP/View/Articles/index.ctp, line 157 View::_evaluate() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 971 View::_render() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 933 View::render() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 473 Controller::render() - CORE/Cake/Controller/Controller.php, line 968 Dispatcher::_invoke() - CORE/Cake/Routing/Dispatcher.php, line 200 Dispatcher::dispatch() - CORE/Cake/Routing/Dispatcher.php, line 167 [main] - APP/webroot/index.php, line 117
Notice (8): Undefined variable: file [APP/View/Elements/side_bar.ctp, line 133]Code Context// $file = 'http://aabhiyan:QUVLg8Wzs2F7G9N7@nepalstock.com.np/api/subindexdata.xml';if(!$xml = simplexml_load_file($file)){$viewFile = '/var/www/html/newbusinessage.com/app/View/Elements/side_bar.ctp' $dataForView = array( 'articles' => array( (int) 0 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 1 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 2 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ), (int) 3 => array( 'Article' => array( [maximum depth reached] ) ) ), 'current_user' => null, 'logged_in' => false ) $articles = array( (int) 0 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '243', 'article_category_id' => '47', 'title' => 'A Man For The Long Run.', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => null, 'content' => '<p align="justify"> <img alt="personality" border="1" height="135" hspace="5" src="http://www.newbusinessage.com/ckfinder/userfiles/Images/personality(4).jpg" vspace="5" width="245" /><br /> <br /> Always an optimist, Anuj Agrawal believes that nothing is impossible on this earth if one sports a positive mindset. He believes that the business fraternity must take responsibility to change Nepal's fortunes for better.</p> <div style="width:595px;"> <div justify="" style="width: 595px;"> <div> <div align="center" style="border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); padding: 5px;"> <p align="left"> <strong><em>By Sujan Tiwari</em></strong></p> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div style="width: 595px;"> <div justify="" style="width: 595px;"> <div> <div align="center" style="border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); padding: 5px;"> <p align="justify"> Living in the US for five years, interacting with people from diverse professions and cultures and learning about leading business families around the world gave him a viewpoint on his future course of life.</p> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div style="width: 595px;"> <div justify="" style="width: 595px;"> <div> <br /> <br /> <br /> <img alt="personality" border="1" hspace="5" src="http://www.newbusinessage.com/ckfinder/userfiles/Images/personality1(2).jpg" style="width: 240px; height: 307px;" vspace="5" /><br /> <br /> </div> </div> </div> <div style="clear: both;"> <div style="border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); padding: 5px; width: 47%; float: left;"> <div align="justify"> <p> ''We should develop business models that fit the country rather than expect the country to fit our model,'' says Anuj Agrawal, Director of Vishal Group. The group has dealerships of reputed international brands such as Volkswagen, Nokia, P&G, LG, Sun Oil Ltd and many more. Agrawal attributes the group's growth to representing international brands in Nepal. He says that it will continue to focus in this area and try and add more world famous brands to its repertoire. The group is currently trying to make inroads into areas of the country's core competence like cement, hydropower and tourism.</p> <p> Agrawal's family has been living in Nepal for 82 years now. They came and settled first in Ilam in the 1930s. The family moved to Dharan in the 1940s. From there they moved to Biratnagar and eventually to Kathmandu. The group also entered into manufacturing batteries and steel in 1980s and toothpastes in 1990s. During the same decade it also invested in plantations of Teak and Sheesham, both near Biratnagar. Over time, it decided to tie-up with global brands as it realised it would give it the recognition and importance that manufacturing won't. So, the company made its foray into distribution and representation business. ''Vishal means large and that's what our group name aspires to do grow large,'' declares Agrawal with a hint of arrogance.</p> <p> The group has also evolved over decades from being prominent textile traders till the early 1970s to being importers of various things from countries other than India. It is among the first companies in Nepal to start importing from China. It also started making its presence felt in the banking and financial sector by joining a team of investors in promoting NIC Bank in 1997. It further established Life Insurance Corporation (Nepal) Ltd, a joint venture with LIC of India in 2000, and started Prudential General Insurance Company the same year.</p> <p> Agrawal did his schooling in India and pursued Undergraduate and Master's Degree in the US. On his return from the US in 1997, he joined the family business as a trainee to begin with. Later, his interest into brand representation business led him to start representing international brands. ''I have always aspired to be in businesses that are strategic and beneficial in the long run, rather than opportunistic businesses,'' reasons Agrawal. He avoids businesses that promise money in the short term but may not be sustainable in the long term.</p> <p> Agrawal says that his family has been a big inspiration for him. ''My family came from absolute poverty, but worked really hard and finally came into this position,'' he reveals. He feels it was far easier for him to start his career as there was already a platform for him to build on. He also feels privileged to have substantial wealth and has taken the responsibility of continuing the business legacy.</p> </div> </div> <div style="border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); padding: 5px; width: 47%; float: right; height: 259%;"> <div align="justify"> <p> Agrawal says that his stay in the US influenced him a great deal. Before leaving for the US, his exposure and thinking were limited, he thinks. Living in the US for five years, interacting with people from diverse professions and cultures and learning about leading business families around the world gave him a viewpoint on his future course of life. ''My stay there broadened my mind frame in terms of national and social issues and personal development,'' he reminisces. Another major influence has been his involvement with the Confederation of Nepalese Industries (CNI). He is currently Vice President of the CNI and is thus able to interact with business leaders around the country and see things from a macro perspective. He is also a founder member of Entrepreneurs Organisation Nepal. Being involved with these institutions has helped him learn from others' success stories and experiences as well as to share his experience with others.</p> <p> Agrawal's management philosophy is very inclusive as he always looks to work with his employees as a team member and is not overtly autocratic. He is always ready to lose in the short term to win in the long term. ''Rather than blaming the policies, I want to develop strategies that go along with the policies,'' he states. He wonders why people always focus on problems rather than focusing on their solutions. ''I try to understand the problem but with a focus on the solution,'' he remarks. He agrees that the country's environment is not particularly great, but feels that everybody needs to own up the responsibility.</p> <p> Agrawal is married with Kavita, for 13 years now. He had never seen her before marriage even though their respective families knew each other well. Though, not part of the business management, his wife is a tremendous support for him. A proud father of a son and a daughter, he likes to spend quality time with his family. He says his family is his biggest source of strength and he always looks forward to reach home as soon as his work finishes.</p> He believes that the business fraternity must take responsibility to change Nepal's fortunes for better. ''The major business houses have the financial exposure and the luxury of looking at things from a different point of view. Therefore, they should put in more effort,'' he asserts. Always an optimist, he believes that nothing is impossible on this earth if one sports a positive mindset. Agrawal is a firm believer of the notion that there are better days ahead and Nepal can certainly look forward to prosperous times.</div> </div> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> </div>', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2011-03-14', 'modified' => '2012-09-17', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => 'lways an optimist, Anuj Agrawal believes that nothing is impossible on this earth if one sports a positive mindset. He believes that the business fraternity must take responsibility to change Nepal's', 'sortorder' => '172', 'image' => null, 'article_date' => '0000-00-00 00:00:00', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => false, 'in_scroller' => false, 'user_id' => '0' ) ), (int) 1 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '208', 'article_category_id' => '47', 'title' => 'Building For The Country', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => null, 'content' => '<p class="BREAKER" style="text-indent: 14.15pt;"> <span style="font-size:12px;"><span style="font-size: 12px;"><span class="MyriadPro"><span franklin="" gothic="" medium="" sans-serif="">Even as a school boy, Raju Babu Shrestha had pictured that being the eldest son, he will be helping out his father and someday would fill his formidable shoes. <br /> <br /> </span></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal"> <span style="font-size:12px;"><span class="MyriadPro"><i><img align="left" alt="personality" border="1" height="299" hspace="5" src="http://www.newbusinessage.com/ckfinder/userfiles/Images/rajubaabu shrestha.jpg" style="width: 247px; height: 299px;margin:10px;padding:10px;" vspace="5" width="247" /></i></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"> <span style="font-size: 12px;"><span class="MyriadPro"><i><br /> </i></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"> <span style="font-size: 12px;"><span class="MyriadPro"><i>By Pinaki Roy</i></span><span style="line-height: 115%;"> <br /> </span></span></p> <p class="nbasubhead2"> <span style="font-size:12px;"><span bright="" lucida="" serif="" style="line-height: 120%;">Raju Babu Shrestha</span></span></p> <p class="nbasubhead2"> <span style="font-size:12px;"><i><span bright="" lucida="" serif="" style="line-height: 120%;">Director</span></i></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"> <span style="font-size:12px;"><i><span bright="" lucida="" serif="" style="line-height: 115%;">Chitawon Co-E Nepal (P) Ltd <br /> </span></i></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; vertical-align: middle;"> <span style="font-size: 12px;"><b><span aldine401="" bt="" color:="" serif=""><br /> </span></b></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; vertical-align: middle;"> <span style="font-size: 12px;"><b><span aldine401="" bt="" color:="" serif="">H</span></b><span aldine401="" bt="" color:="" serif="">ailing from a business family, life was not exactly a bed of roses for Raju Babu Shrestha till as they say, lady luck smiled on him. Despite working very hard and giving it all he had, the period from 1982-1988 was a difficult one for him and his family business, Chitawon Construction & Engineering Company Nepal (P) Ltd also known as Chitawon Co-E Nepal (P) Ltd. However, his marriage in 1988 changed his fortunes and there was no looking back ever since, says Shrestha. If someone told me that getting married will bring me luck, I would have married earlier, he adds tongue-in-cheek. </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; vertical-align: middle;"> <span style="font-size:12px;"><span aldine401="" bt="" color:="" serif=""><br /> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: 14.15pt; vertical-align: middle;"> <span style="font-size: 12px;"><span aldine401="" bt="" color:="" serif="">Business runs in Shrestha's blood, his forefathers were from Gorkha and dealt in trading activities. But his father Laxman Babu Shrestha had different ideas in mind. And so, Chitawon Co-E Nepal (P) Ltd was registered as a proprietorship concern in 1966. Later, having proven its performance in various construction projects with excellent results, the company was promoted to class A Contractor in 1978. The Flagship Company has come a long way and today boasts of an impressive portfolio of companies including Manakamana Darshan (P) Ltd, Sagarmatha Power Company (P) Ltd, Nepal Ropeway Systems (P) Ltd, and Chitawon Milk (P) Ltd. Shrestha holds the position of Director in all these companies. <br /> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: 14.15pt; vertical-align: middle;"> <span style="font-size:12px;"><span aldine401="" bt="" color:="" serif=""><br /> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: 14.15pt; vertical-align: middle;"> <span style="font-size: 12px;"><span aldine401="" bt="" color:="" serif="">He fondly remembers his early days in Chitwan when though life was difficult due to lack of transportation; he still enjoyed his bicycle rides in the forested terrain. While in middle school, he would accompany his father and visit various construction sites for irrigation canals, roads, and dams. That was the seed period as Shrestha precisely knew what he wanted to do in life when he was grown up enough. He could envisage that he will be helping out his father being the eldest son and someday would fill his formidable shoes. </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: 14.15pt; vertical-align: middle;"> <span style="font-size:12px;"><span aldine401="" bt="" color:="" serif=""><br /> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: 14.15pt; vertical-align: middle;"> <span style="font-size: 12px;"><span aldine401="" bt="" color:="" serif="">Shrestha came back to his birthplace Kathmandu to pursue High School as a boarder at Ananda Kuti Vidyapith. After graduating from High School, he wanted to study engineering but sacrificed his dream to help his father. Instead, he enrolled for a Bachelor of Science programme in Mathematics at Amrit Science Campus that would allow him more time for business. He started work while in college and gained hands-on experience which would come in handy for his future course in life. Bijayapur Irrigation Project in Pokhara was the first project I handled independently, he proudly states. A firm believer in making a contribution to the country's development, he has been instrumental in diversifying, mechanising and developing the family business. </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: 14.15pt; vertical-align: middle;"> <span style="font-size:12px;"><span aldine401="" bt="" color:="" serif=""><br /> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: 14.15pt; vertical-align: middle;"> <span style="font-size: 12px;"><span aldine401="" bt="" color:="" serif="">As a young boy, Shrestha was a tad shy when it came to making acquaintance with girls but never felt that he must have a girlfriend. Times have changed,he sighs. Always having led an orthodox and simple life, his was an arranged marriage. Proud of having fathered three beautiful daughters, he says he doesn't miss having a son, Today, the world has moved on. It's no longer considered a disadvantage not to have a son for an heir. He is confident that all his daughters will make him proud as they grow up. Like father, like daughter his eldest daughter is already on the right path, pursuing her Bachelor in Business Administration degree from Webster University. She is already taking an interest in business matters and shows signs of promise to hold </span></span><span style="font-size: 12px;"><span>the fort when the time comes. </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 14.15pt; vertical-align: middle;"> <span style="font-size:12px;"><span aldine401="" bt="" color:="" serif=""><img align="left" alt="persoanlity" border="1" height="522" hspace="5" src="http://www.newbusinessage.com/ckfinder/userfiles/Images/Raju Babu Shrestha1.jpg" style="width: 364px; height: 522px;margin:10px;padding:10px;" vspace="5" width="364" /></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: 14.15pt; vertical-align: middle;"> <span style="font-size: 12px;"><span aldine401="" bt="" color:="" serif=""><br /> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: 14.15pt; vertical-align: middle;"> <span style="font-size: 12px;"><span aldine401="" bt="" color:="" serif="">Shrestha does not believe in showing off and hence lives an austere lifestyle. Glamour is not his forte. You will seldom see him wearing expensive suits unless he is attending a business conference or a formal occasion. He is clad in casual wear (read Jeans, T-Shirts, Working boots, Jackets) most of the time as his work involves field (on site) work. He is most comfortable when he is among friends or at an informal gathering as he doesn't have to worry too much about what he is wearing. Shrestha likes to call himself old-fashioned. A family man to the core, he draws inspiration from his wife, She always gives me positive vibes. Whenever he is short on motivation, he looks up to his father from whom he learnt the tricks of the trade. He has always been my role model, he says. </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: 14.15pt; vertical-align: middle;"> <span style="font-size:12px;"><span aldine401="" bt="" color:="" serif=""><br /> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: 14.15pt; vertical-align: middle;"> <span style="font-size: 12px;"><span aldine401="" bt="" color:="" serif="">Despite a busy schedule, Shrestha manages to find time to travel within Nepal as well as abroad. Whenever time permits, he sets along to tour a new destination, either with friends or family, in search of nature and adventure. He has already visited 50 districts in Nepal for work or purely on vacation. He has toured a host of foreign countries for business as well as leisure United Kingdom, Japan, Germany, China, Austria, Italy, and Korea to name a few. His favourite cuisines include Korean, Japanese, and Chinese he is only too happy that his favourite cuisines are available in some Kathmandu restaurants as well. Shrestha loves to cook as it helps him de-stress, keep healthy and relax. The best part is that my family loves my cooking too which makes me feel good, he chuckles. <br /> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: 14.15pt; vertical-align: middle;"> <span style="font-size:12px;"><span aldine401="" bt="" color:="" serif=""><br /> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: 14.15pt; vertical-align: middle;"> <span style="font-size: 12px;"><span aldine401="" bt="" color:="" serif="">You wonder if having achieved so much has made him complacent. On the contrary, Shrestha says that his job is far from finished. “I agree that when I think of my early days, I do feel I have achieved a great deal and am satisfied about the whole thing but it has also increased my obligations and responsibilities. To maintain the heights that we have reached is the current challenge, he explains. Shrestha says that wealth creation is not his sole objective. He has everything that a man can want in terms of material needs. He hopes that whatever he does, it should benefit the people of the country. <br /> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: 14.15pt; vertical-align: middle;"> <span style="font-size:12px;"><span aldine401="" bt="" color:="" serif=""><br /> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: 14.15pt; vertical-align: middle;"> <span style="font-size: 12px;"><span aldine401="" bt="" color:="" letter-spacing:="" serif="">Not the one to rest on his past laurels, Shrestha has several projects up his sleeve. Expanding Cable Car services is one. After the highly successful Manakamana Cable Car that connects Kurintar in Chitwan with Manakamana in Gorkha, there are at least two similar projects in feasibility study phase presently. He is optimistic that the proposed Cable Car projects in Pokhara and Kalinchok (Dolakha), when completed, will facilitate tourism development in the respective areas. He also plans to set up an agricultural machinery and tools enterprise which will import to begin with and get into manufacturing in due course of time. Chitawon Milk is another project that's close to his heart. The company produces skimmed milk powder, baby food, yogurt, butter, and ghee etc. He is hopeful that it will uplift professional cow farming and encourage milk farmers to produce more. This will benefit the economic condition of the farmers as well as the national economy.</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: 14.15pt; vertical-align: middle;"> <span style="font-size:12px;"><span aldine401="" bt="" color:="" letter-spacing:="" serif=""><br /> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"> <span style="font-size: 12px;"><span aldine401="" bt="" color:="" letter-spacing:="" serif="" style="line-height: 115%;">As if he was not finished yet, Shrestha revealed another aspect of his personality he is an Art Lover. He visits art exhibitions when he can and likes to collect Nepali art. He especially likes buying natural material and even designs them with help from his artist friend Shyam Lal Shrestha. When you step into his living room, you'll find it to be a work-of-art, literally. The ceiling has many blocks of Newari art, each of them symbolising a different meaning. Shrestha says he is very lucky to have a loving family as family binding is most important it helps him remain grounded. <br /> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"> <span style="font-size:12px;"><span aldine401="" bt="" color:="" letter-spacing:="" serif="" style="line-height: 115%;"><br /> </span></span></p>', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2011-02-09', 'modified' => '2012-09-17', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => 'Hailing from a business family, life was not exactly a bed of roses for Raju Babu Shrestha till as they say, lady luck smiled on him. Despite working very hard and giving it all he had, the period from 1982-1988 was', 'sortorder' => '144', 'image' => null, 'article_date' => '0000-00-00 00:00:00', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => false, 'in_scroller' => false, 'user_id' => '0' ) ), (int) 2 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '203', 'article_category_id' => '47', 'title' => 'Weaving Dreams & Carpets', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => null, 'content' => '<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; line-height: normal;"> <span style="font-size:12px;"><a href="http://www.newbusinessage.com/ckfinder/userfiles/Images/Senon D Lama.jpg"><img align="left" alt="" border="1" height="385" hspace="3" src="http://www.newbusinessage.com/ckfinder/userfiles/Images/Senon D Lama.jpg" style="width: 257px; height: 385px;margin:10px;padding:10px;" vspace="2" width="257" /></a><span color:="" franklingothic-medium="" sans-serif=""> </span><b><span bright="" color:="" lucida="" serif="">Senon D Lama</span></b></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; line-height: normal;"> <span style="font-size:12px;"><i><span bright="" color:="" lucida="" serif="">Chairman and Managing Director,</span></i></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; line-height: normal;"> <span style="font-size:12px;"><i><span bright="" color:="" lucida="" serif="">Senon Carpet Industries,</span></i></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; line-height: normal;"> <span style="font-size:12px;"><i><span bright="" color:="" lucida="" serif="">Hotel Shahanshah Int'l &</span></i></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; line-height: normal;"> <span style="font-size:12px;"><i><span bright="" color:="" lucida="" serif="">System Holder</span></i></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; line-height: normal;"> <span style="font-size:12px;"><span color:="" franklingothic-medium="" sans-serif=""> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; line-height: normal;"> <span style="font-size: 12px;"><span color:="" franklingothic-medium="" sans-serif="">When Senon started his business, the production in Nepal was very low as carpets were imported from India. The market in the beginning was non-challenging. We never had to worry that the products would not be sold. The supply was small and the demand was much higher.†Unlike today, his company used to decide on quality, design and size, and the buyers used to buy what was available.</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; line-height: normal;"> <span style="font-size:12px;"><span color:="" franklingothic-medium="" sans-serif=""><br /> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; line-height: normal;"> <span style="font-size: 12px;"><i><span aldine401bt-italica="" serif="">By Gaurav Aryal <br /> </span></i></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; line-height: normal;"> <span style="font-size:12px;"><i><span aldine401bt-italica="" serif=""><br /> </span></i></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; line-height: normal;"> <span style="font-size:12px;"><span color:="" franklingothic-heavy="" sans-serif="">W</span><span aldine401bt-romana="" color:="" serif="">hen Senon D Lama stepped into the carpet business, he had just a dozen of looms to weave his passion. Now he is a full-fledged carpet businessman with an annual turnover of USD 1 to 1.5 million a year. He has diversified also in hospitality industries. Thus he is the the Chairman and Managing Director of Senon Carpet Industries Pvt Ltd, Hotel Shahanshah International Pvt Ltd and a sports club called the System Holder Pvt Ltd.</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; line-height: normal;"> <span style="font-size:12px;"><br /> Born at the remote highland village of Lo Gaun in Gorkha district, Lama landed in Kathmandu in early 1960s when he was just about 10 years old. He is sorry that he could not get higher education due to the trouble he had to go through being away from home. So, while he was enrolled for the bachelor's level in management, he started work to earn his living at the age of 22.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; line-height: normal;"> <span style="font-size:12px;"><span aldine401bt-romana="" color:="" serif=""><br /> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; line-height: normal;"> <span style="font-size:12px;"><span aldine401bt-romana="" color:="" serif="">Lama had gathered some experience in woollen Nepali carpets business. So, he established his own carpet factory with about a dozen looms at Pulchowk. He also set up three carpet shops at the tourist hubs of Sundhara and Mahabouddha of Kathmandu and at the Golden Gate of Patan. Our primary customers were tourists,†he says. Lama claims that he was one of the pioneers in the private sector to begin with a carpet industry.<br /> <br /> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; line-height: normal;"> <span style="font-size:12px;"><span aldine401bt-romana="" color:="" serif="">I was, from the very beginning, passionate about colours and designs. I loved to play with them, he recollects the moment he began his career: One of my friends used to own a carpet shop. I used to see him having good time, going to movies and still making money. The tourists would visit his shop and buy the carpets as souvenirs paying handsome amount of money.He remembers yet another friend who was in the restaurant business and was having a tough time pleasing the customers. I compared them one watching movies, chatting and making money while another struggling to maintain his business. So, I ended up in the first business, Lama says. His same friend who owned the carpet shop was also in the car reconditioning business and he asked lama if he could buy the shop. He instantly accepted the offer and bought his friend's shop.<br /> <br /> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; line-height: normal;"> <span style="font-size:12px;"><span aldine401bt-romana="" color:="" serif="">His family back home had no idea as to what young Senon was doing. In the third year of the business, his father arrived Kathmandu unannounced.<br /> <br /> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; line-height: normal;"> <span style="font-size:12px;"><span aldine401bt-romana="" color:="" serif="">Seeing me travelling mostly by taxi, my father said I squander a lot of money At the same time, he was tremendously delighted as well as shocked to see that I was simultaneously operating three shops at three different locations of the city.<br /> <br /> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; line-height: normal;"> <span style="font-size:12px;"><span aldine401bt-romana="" color:="" serif="">When Lama started his business, the production in Nepal was very low as carpets were imported from India. The market in the beginning was nonchallenging. We never had to worry that the products would not be sold. The supply was small and the demand was much higher. Unlike today, his company used to decide on quality, design and size, and the buyers used to buy what was available. Gradually Nepal made carpets started to be viewed as fahion items. The foreigners were using them not as floorings but as pieces of art hung on the wall. International designers then started coming in with their own designs mostly the western ones.<br /> <br /> <br /> In the beginning of 1980s, the export of carpet kicked off. And Lama's business took off the major flight in 1982 when a big warehouse bought all the carpets from all his three shops. Lama never had to look back since then. In 1983, I did not have the time to pay attention to my local shops, as I was focused on the export business. His company, named as Senon Enterprise, expanded in the following years. In 1988, the company was renamed as Senon Carpet Industries.<br /> <br /> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; line-height: normal;"> <span style="font-size:12px;"><span aldine401bt-romana="" color:="" serif="">Lama's success reached a new height during the 1990s when the number of employees working for him reached 1400. Comparing the situation then and now, Lama says, There used to be the mass production and mass export then. Today's business is mostly order-based.<br /> <br /> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; line-height: normal;"> <span style="font-size:12px;"><span aldine401bt-romana="" color:="" serif="">He reveals that his company is now working for the year 2012. We completed our production last year for 2011 and the catalogue for that was ready in September 2010. Catalogue for 2012 </span><span aldine401bt-romana="" serif="">will be ready in 2011 September. He further says the planning and research for the design for 2013 is going on. He himself goes through hundreds of designs and decides which of them would suit for which of the quality of the carpets he will produce. We have to go into serious research before making any commitment. <br /> <br /> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; line-height: normal;"> <span style="font-size:12px;"><span aldine401bt-romana="" serif="">The wage rate, the labour law, and the price of the raw material have to be speculated for the coming years before making such commitment, he says.<br /> <br /> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; line-height: normal;"> <span style="font-size:12px;"><span aldine401bt-romana="" serif="">Today, Lama exports his carpets to Germany, the Netherlands, UK, USA, Mexico, Japan, and Australia, to name a few. From these destinations, the same carpets are exported to other countries as well.<br /> <br /> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; line-height: normal;"> <span style="font-size:12px;"><span aldine401bt-romana="" serif="">Apart from the carpet industry, Lama is also the proud owner of Hotel Shahanshah, System Holder, a sports club and some real estate businesses. Besides, he is into social work too. No matter how many ventures I do have, carpet business is the most precious one and close to my life. I am never going to detach it from my life though I may have to return back to a dozen looms again, he says. This is my religion. This business cannot be evaluated on mere profit and loss.<br /> <br /> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; line-height: normal;"> <span style="font-size:12px;"><span aldine401bt-romana="" serif="">For Lama, failure is not the reason to regret. He says he never regrets his past. He feels blessed to be able to see the whole world, though born in one of the remotest corners of the world. The excitement he had when he first bought the motorbike is the moment he never forgets. When I first bought my motorbike, I was so excited and felt the sense of achievement. I don't feel the same when I buy a new car now.Lama says work is his passion and hobby. He enjoys his work as much as the sports like football and hockey. There are professionals to look after his other businesses, but in the carpet business he insists to go through every minutest detail on his own. He has never fired any worker till date. He credits his success to his workers. He pays his staff at the production line on the weekly basis while those in other lines are paid on monthly basis. Altogether 700 persons work for him now though this number was about 1400 in the 1990s.<br /> <br /> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; line-height: normal;"> <span style="font-size:12px;"><span aldine401bt-romana="" serif="">Lama has worked for 36 years and says, every day, I have spent 12 to 16 hours in my work. He is already 60 but has not thought of retiring. I'm not tired, so no question of being retired, he quips. Retirement kills you psychologically, makes body slow and reduces the stamina.†He thinks he can work for the next 15 years.<br /> <br /> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; line-height: normal;"> <span style="font-size:12px;"><span aldine401bt-romana="" serif="">Lama says human body is a temple. We have to worship it. We should not put junks into it, he says revealing the secret of being healthy. Another secret is his regimen of physical exercises. In olde days, he used to spend at least one and half hour a day in sports. He used to wake up at 4 in the morning and rush to the tennis court at The Everest Hotel. Currently, he is spending at least 30 to 40 minutes a day exercising. In his free time, he loves listening to music of all genre from Nepali to English pops to fast beats. He says he is not able to give a lot of time to his family. He sometimes works on Saturdays too. I want to see them laughing. I have to listen to everybody to make them happy. Sometimes, there is a conflict of interest. But I try to address everyone's wishes, he says.<br /> <br /> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; line-height: normal;"> <span style="font-size:12px;"><span aldine401bt-romana="" serif="">Lama has plans to expand his business in the promising tourism sector. Now I have almost 12 years of experience in the hotel industry. I am quite confident about expanding it. Most probably he will set up a spa. </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; line-height: normal;"> <span style="font-size:12px;"><span aldine401bt-romana="" serif=""> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; line-height: normal;"> <span style="font-size:12px;"><strong><span style="color: rgb(178, 34, 34);"><span color:="" franklingothic-heavy="" sans-serif="">PERSONAL SIDE</span></span></strong></span></p> <ul> <li> <span style="font-size:12px;"><span franklingothic-medium="" sans-serif="">Loves music. Narayan Gopal is his favourite Nepali artist. He also listens to Celine Dion, Mariah Carey, Eric Clapton, Bryan Adams and Michael Jackson among others</span><br /> </span></li> <li> <span style="font-size:12px;"><span franklingothic-medium="" sans-serif="">Likes collecting magazines from around the world </span><br /> </span></li> <li> <span style="font-size:12px;"><span franklingothic-medium="" sans-serif="">Tennis, squash, bowling are his favourite sports </span><br /> </span></li> <li> <span style="font-size:12px;"><span franklingothic-medium="" sans-serif="">Does not have passion for books but dreams to read them in future </span><br /> </span></li> <li> <span style="font-size:12px;"><span franklingothic-medium="" sans-serif="">Not brand conscious, very casual</span><br /> </span></li> <li> <span style="font-size:12px;"><span franklingothic-medium="" sans-serif="">Likes cars and currently drives Toyota Prado</span><br /> </span></li> <li> <span style="font-size:12px;"><span franklingothic-medium="" sans-serif="">Has driven fi ve different bikes until now </span><br /> </span></li> <li> <span style="font-size:12px;"><span franklingothic-medium="" sans-serif="">Also involved in social activities <br /> </span><br /> </span></li> </ul>', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2011-01-28', 'modified' => '2012-09-17', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => 'When Senon started his business, the production in Nepal was very low as carpets were imported from India. The market in the beginning was non-challenging. We never had to worry that the products would not be sold. The supply was small and the demand was much higher. Unlike today, his company used to decide on quality,', 'sortorder' => '141', 'image' => null, 'article_date' => '0000-00-00 00:00:00', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => false, 'in_scroller' => false, 'user_id' => '0' ) ), (int) 3 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '198', 'article_category_id' => '47', 'title' => 'Saakha's Saga: Playing Safe In A Risky Business', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => null, 'content' => '<p> <style type="text/css"> <!--{cke_protected}%3C!%2D%2D%7Bcke_protected%7D%253C!%252D%252D%257Bcke_protected%257D%25253C!%25252D%25252D%25257Bcke_protected%25257D%2525253C!%2525252D%2525252D%2525250A.style1%25252520%2525257Bfont-weight%2525253A%25252520bold%2525257D%2525250A%2525252D%2525252D%2525253E%25252D%25252D%25253E%252D%252D%253E%2D%2D%3E--> </style></p> <p> <style type="text/css"> <!--{cke_protected}%3C!%2D%2D%7Bcke_protected%7D%253C!%252D%252D%257Bcke_protected%257D%25253C!%25252D%25252D%25257Bcke_protected%25257D%2525253C!%2525252D%2525252D%2525257Bcke_protected%2525257D%252525253C!%252525252D%252525252D%252525257Bcke_protected%252525257D%25252525253C!%25252525252D%25252525252D%25252525257Bcke_protected%25252525257D%2525252525253C!%2525252525252D%2525252525252D%2525252525257Bcke_protected%2525252525257D%252525252525253C!%252525252525252D%252525252525252D%252525252525257Bcke_protected%252525252525257D%25252525252525253C!%25252525252525252D%25252525252525252D%25252525252525257Bcke_protected%25252525252525257D%2525252525252525253C!%2525252525252525252D%2525252525252525252D%2525252525252525250A.style1%25252525252525252520%2525252525252525257B%2525252525252525250A%25252525252525252509font-size%2525252525252525253A%2525252525252525252012px%2525252525252525253B%2525252525252525250A%25252525252525252509font-weight%2525252525252525253A%25252525252525252520bold%2525252525252525253B%2525252525252525250A%2525252525252525257D%2525252525252525250A%2525252525252525252D%2525252525252525252D%2525252525252525253E%25252525252525252D%25252525252525252D%25252525252525253E%252525252525252D%252525252525252D%252525252525253E%2525252525252D%2525252525252D%2525252525253E%25252525252D%25252525252D%25252525253E%252525252D%252525252D%252525253E%2525252D%2525252D%2525253E%25252D%25252D%25253E%252D%252D%253E%2D%2D%3E--> </style></p> <div style="width: 595px;"> <div justify="" style="width: 595px;"> <div> <div align="center" class="style1" style="border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); padding: 5px;"> <strong>You may get on top, but you can't stay there for long without persistence, honesty and commitment, says Kiran P Saakha, the director of Saakha Group. A long established name in Nepal's ready made garment (RMG) industry, Saakha accredits all his success to the three virtues he learnt from his father and grandfather. These three virtues, shares Saakha, have helped him prevail for over two decades in an industry where many have perished.</strong></div> </div> </div> </div> <p> </p> <p> </p> <div style="width: 595px;"> <div justify="" style="width: 595px;"> <div> <div align="center" style="border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); padding: 5px;"> <strong>Abnormal profit always hides a trap. If anyone tries to attract you with huge abnormal profit, you have to be extra careful.</strong></div> </div> </div> </div> <p> </p> <p> </p> <div style="width: 595px;"> <div style="border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); padding: 5px; width: 47%; float: left;"> <div align="justify"> Born to Ganesh Bhakta Saakha and Late Janak Laxmi as the first child, Kiran was raised like any ordinary Kathmandu Valley child. He went to Nepal Adarsha Vidhyalaya, a normal government school where every other kid from the neighbuorhood went. Though he came from a well-off business family, he was never allowed to feel any more privileged than a kid from an average-income family. As a child, Saakha recollects, his biggest dream was to have a bicycle. I thought I would be the king if I had a bicycle, he goes down the memory lane.<br /> <br /> Unable to get one, he used to play marbles in the chowks and streets of old Kathmandu. Because of the time and environment back then, he didn't have big dreams as a child. And hobbies? I couldn't afford to have any, he puts it candidly. So he never thought of becoming a doctor or engineer or a pilot. But somewhere at the back of his mind he pictured himself as a businessman. <br /> <br /> After finishing school, he did his bachelors from Trichandra Campus and masters from the Central Campus, Tribhuvan University. Saakha thouroughly enjoyed his college days. He learned to play new sports such as table tennis, tennis and squash. He also learned swimming and started going to health clubs, a habit which has kept him fit and fine until now. <br /> <br /> Soon after leaving college, he found himself working in the factory his family owned. He was completely engaged in the company that manufactured adhesives and also carried out trade activities with China. But life had other plans for him. Young Saakha was gradually attracted to the RMG industry, a promising enterprise in the 1980s. The slow and steady player of the Nepali apparel business believes all the name and fame he has today is because of the RMG. He says he may not have made a fortune but is doing quite well in Nepal's RMG industry, perhaps the most hardhit sector in recent times. <br /> <br /> And the interesting thing is it was a betrayal, not an inspiration as many would think, that propelled him into the apparel business. Perhaps I wouldn't have been what I am today if it wasn't for a betrayal, says Saakha who got into the RMG business just to show to his betrayer. <br /> <br /> It was the early 80s and RMG was fast evolving into a lucrative business. Orders from neighbouring India were pouring in. Foreigners would come to Nepal, find a Nepali citizen and set up a factory as citizenship was mandatory to register a company. They would take care of everything else: investment, machines, technology, labour, orders, and shipments. He was lured into RMG by a friend and his relatives showing these possibilities. They promised him a joint venture. When the plan was ready for execution and he was expecting the business to start, they ditched him. The betrayal hurt Saakha very badly. And the best way he could answer them, he thought, was to start an apparel business on his own. <br /> <br /> This is how the foundations of what is today known as Prasuna Fashion were laid. Saakha started small, setting up his factory with just 50 sewing machines. He was a novice in the apparel industry, without much knowledge and experience. So at the beginning, he hardly got any orders as he had no major contacts abroad. <br /> <br /> Shipping was a major problem back then. The failure to complete the orders on time meant the products had to be sent by air instead of on a ship. This in turn meant not only giving away almost all the profit but also incurring a huge loss. Soon there was a tough competition with the mushrooming of many units. The companies grew greedier and greedier, trying to get as many orders as possible by overstating their production capacity. But most of them couldn't deliver the orders on time, leading to either the cancellation of the orders or the selling of the products for peanuts. This greed and overtrading, he believes, is the reason why many garment firms collapsed. But Saakha's strategy was different. <br /> <br /> <strong>PERSONAL SIDE</strong> <div> <div align="left"> <ul> <li> <strong>Loves music, watches MTV a lot </strong></li> <li> <strong>Loves long drives </strong></li> <li> <strong>Is scared of flights in small planes </strong></li> <li> <strong>Is religious but not superstitious </strong></li> <li> <strong>Loves to cook </strong></li> <li> <strong>Avoids nancial transactions with friends </strong></li> <li> <strong>Scared of atheist people</strong></li> </ul> <p> </p> <p> In the first place, he never tried to bite more than he could chew. He was also committed and honest, never exaggerating his production capacity to grab more business than he could handle. He discloses his success formula: At a time when most companies were overtrading, as a rule I always accepted orders slightly less than I could actually produce. Thus I was always able to make the deliveries on time by a ship, and never had to resort to delivery by air. And my clients were always happy This is a formula he has always adhered and it has always worked for him. </p> </div> </div> <br /> Having spent more than two decades in the RMG business, Saakha certainly knows most of the tricks of the trade. Saakha has a very sound advice</div> </div> <div style="border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); padding: 5px; width: 47%; float: right;"> <div align="justify"> <img alt="" src="http://www.newbusinessage.com/ckfinder/userfiles/Images/Kiran-P-Saakha--2.jpg" style="margin: 0pt; padding: 0pt;" /><br /> <br /> for those who are tempted to go for a quick, abnormal profit. An abnormal profit always hides a trap. If anyone tries to lure you with a huge abnormal profit, you have to be extra careful, says Saakha.<br /> <br /> Being on the safe side and avoiding risks is his philosophy, both in personal and professional lives. Clearly a safe player, he is never enticed by gains that involve risks. In all his undertakings, he moves ahead only after analyzing the worst case scenario. <br /> <br /> He has already held respectful positions in the Garment Association of Nepal as the treasurer, joint secretary, vice president and finally the president.<br /> <br /> No matter how busy he is, he always finds time to be with his family. If you don't give importance to your family, then you're finished. Having a rolling business and all the riches is of no use if you don't share a good bond with your family. The proud father of a son and a daughter, he is blessed with a very understanding wife, Kusum Saakha, an LLM from the Harvard Law School. The couple have been happily married for 32 years now. We are very much compatible with each other. Our marriage was an arranged one but I already knew her as we both were in the same college,recalls Saakha. Kusum is involved with several NGOs and also teaches in colleges. <br /> <br /> Saakha considers his bad temper a major drawback of his personality. As he can rarely control it, he doesn't go for inspection rounds in his factory. I know in advance that the carelessness of the workers will trigger my bad temper. He is occupied mostly by desk work and maintaining public relations. I don't get on well with many peple. I can handle everyone but cannot have a close relationship with everyone, so I have very few close friends. I only make friends with those who are on my wavelength, he reveals. Whenever he is free, he likes to spend his time with close friends and family at his own residence. Many would envy the fit body of Saakha, a man in his late fifties. He goes to the health club at Hotel Radisson every day and works out for about an hour. Paying for the health clubs is much cheaper than going to the doctors and paying for the medications. It is because of my regular workout that I have never been bed-ridden for the last 20 years, says Saakha proudly. <br /> <br /> He is not that brand conscious. As a student of economics, he looks for the value for money and utility in whatever he buys. I go for brands provided that I get them at a reasonable price, says Saakha. However, he accept that he always wears readymade suits from Menz. I have been wearing them for the last 20 years, says Saakha. He doesn't believe in showing off the brands. He just needs to feel comfortable in whatever he wears. But when it comes to watches and glasses, he always chooses the best brands. I am very fascinated by watches of different brands. I think of them as a status symbol. He loves Omega, Rolex and other top brands. <br /> <br /> Saakha, who currently drives a Toyota, doesn't allow anyone to drive his car, not even his family. The busy businessman doesn't go for holidays much. My holidays and business trips are tied up together, he says. Whenever it's possible, he goes with his family to Pokhara and Sauraha for holidays. He doesn't like to spend much on foreign tours but prefers going to Goa as it combines economy with utility. He prefers Vietnam, Cambodia, Bangkok and other Asian destinations to Europe and the USA as the Asian destinations are far more economic and equally entertaining. I like to keep a balance of what's coming in and what's going out in every aspect of life. <br /> <br /> The MD of the Saakha Group doesn't have any immediate plans for new investments. The time is not right for expansions. I think it is better to take care of and hold on to what you already have, he says. At present, his company is providing employment to around 400 people. From his long experience, he suggests that aspiring entrepreneurs should not overtrade. Although it can help you make quick money, if it backfires, then you're done. Believe in honesty and commitment as you cannot sustain without them, he concludes with a quote from his late grandfather.<br /> </div> </div> <div style="clear: both;"> </div> </div> <div style="width: 595px;"> <div justify="" style="width: 595px;"> <div> <div align="center" style="padding: 5px;"> </div> </div> </div> </div>', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2010-12-29', 'modified' => '2012-09-17', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => 'You may get on top, but you can't stay there for long without persistence, honesty and commitment, says Kiran P Saakha, the director of Saakha Group.', 'sortorder' => '136', 'image' => null, 'article_date' => '0000-00-00 00:00:00', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => false, 'in_scroller' => false, 'user_id' => '0' ) ) ) $current_user = null $logged_in = false $xml = falseinclude - APP/View/Elements/side_bar.ctp, line 133 View::_evaluate() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 971 View::_render() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 933 View::_renderElement() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 1224 View::element() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 418 include - APP/View/Articles/index.ctp, line 157 View::_evaluate() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 971 View::_render() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 933 View::render() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 473 Controller::render() - CORE/Cake/Controller/Controller.php, line 968 Dispatcher::_invoke() - CORE/Cake/Routing/Dispatcher.php, line 200 Dispatcher::dispatch() - CORE/Cake/Routing/Dispatcher.php, line 167 [main] - APP/webroot/index.php, line 117
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He believes that the business fraternity must take responsibility to change Nepal's fortunes for better.</p> <div style="width:595px;"> <div justify="" style="width: 595px;"> <div> <div align="center" style="border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); padding: 5px;"> <p align="left"> <strong><em>By Sujan Tiwari</em></strong></p> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div style="width: 595px;"> <div justify="" style="width: 595px;"> <div> <div align="center" style="border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); padding: 5px;"> <p align="justify"> Living in the US for five years, interacting with people from diverse professions and cultures and learning about leading business families around the world gave him a viewpoint on his future course of life.</p> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div style="width: 595px;"> <div justify="" style="width: 595px;"> <div> <br /> <br /> <br /> <img alt="personality" border="1" hspace="5" src="http://www.newbusinessage.com/ckfinder/userfiles/Images/personality1(2).jpg" style="width: 240px; height: 307px;" vspace="5" /><br /> <br /> </div> </div> </div> <div style="clear: both;"> <div style="border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); padding: 5px; width: 47%; float: left;"> <div align="justify"> <p> ''We should develop business models that fit the country rather than expect the country to fit our model,'' says Anuj Agrawal, Director of Vishal Group. The group has dealerships of reputed international brands such as Volkswagen, Nokia, P&G, LG, Sun Oil Ltd and many more. Agrawal attributes the group's growth to representing international brands in Nepal. He says that it will continue to focus in this area and try and add more world famous brands to its repertoire. The group is currently trying to make inroads into areas of the country's core competence like cement, hydropower and tourism.</p> <p> Agrawal's family has been living in Nepal for 82 years now. They came and settled first in Ilam in the 1930s. The family moved to Dharan in the 1940s. From there they moved to Biratnagar and eventually to Kathmandu. The group also entered into manufacturing batteries and steel in 1980s and toothpastes in 1990s. During the same decade it also invested in plantations of Teak and Sheesham, both near Biratnagar. Over time, it decided to tie-up with global brands as it realised it would give it the recognition and importance that manufacturing won't. So, the company made its foray into distribution and representation business. ''Vishal means large and that's what our group name aspires to do grow large,'' declares Agrawal with a hint of arrogance.</p> <p> The group has also evolved over decades from being prominent textile traders till the early 1970s to being importers of various things from countries other than India. It is among the first companies in Nepal to start importing from China. It also started making its presence felt in the banking and financial sector by joining a team of investors in promoting NIC Bank in 1997. It further established Life Insurance Corporation (Nepal) Ltd, a joint venture with LIC of India in 2000, and started Prudential General Insurance Company the same year.</p> <p> Agrawal did his schooling in India and pursued Undergraduate and Master's Degree in the US. On his return from the US in 1997, he joined the family business as a trainee to begin with. Later, his interest into brand representation business led him to start representing international brands. ''I have always aspired to be in businesses that are strategic and beneficial in the long run, rather than opportunistic businesses,'' reasons Agrawal. He avoids businesses that promise money in the short term but may not be sustainable in the long term.</p> <p> Agrawal says that his family has been a big inspiration for him. ''My family came from absolute poverty, but worked really hard and finally came into this position,'' he reveals. He feels it was far easier for him to start his career as there was already a platform for him to build on. He also feels privileged to have substantial wealth and has taken the responsibility of continuing the business legacy.</p> </div> </div> <div style="border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); padding: 5px; width: 47%; float: right; height: 259%;"> <div align="justify"> <p> Agrawal says that his stay in the US influenced him a great deal. Before leaving for the US, his exposure and thinking were limited, he thinks. Living in the US for five years, interacting with people from diverse professions and cultures and learning about leading business families around the world gave him a viewpoint on his future course of life. ''My stay there broadened my mind frame in terms of national and social issues and personal development,'' he reminisces. Another major influence has been his involvement with the Confederation of Nepalese Industries (CNI). He is currently Vice President of the CNI and is thus able to interact with business leaders around the country and see things from a macro perspective. He is also a founder member of Entrepreneurs Organisation Nepal. Being involved with these institutions has helped him learn from others' success stories and experiences as well as to share his experience with others.</p> <p> Agrawal's management philosophy is very inclusive as he always looks to work with his employees as a team member and is not overtly autocratic. He is always ready to lose in the short term to win in the long term. ''Rather than blaming the policies, I want to develop strategies that go along with the policies,'' he states. He wonders why people always focus on problems rather than focusing on their solutions. ''I try to understand the problem but with a focus on the solution,'' he remarks. He agrees that the country's environment is not particularly great, but feels that everybody needs to own up the responsibility.</p> <p> Agrawal is married with Kavita, for 13 years now. He had never seen her before marriage even though their respective families knew each other well. Though, not part of the business management, his wife is a tremendous support for him. A proud father of a son and a daughter, he likes to spend quality time with his family. He says his family is his biggest source of strength and he always looks forward to reach home as soon as his work finishes.</p> He believes that the business fraternity must take responsibility to change Nepal's fortunes for better. ''The major business houses have the financial exposure and the luxury of looking at things from a different point of view. Therefore, they should put in more effort,'' he asserts. Always an optimist, he believes that nothing is impossible on this earth if one sports a positive mindset. Agrawal is a firm believer of the notion that there are better days ahead and Nepal can certainly look forward to prosperous times.</div> </div> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> </div>', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2011-03-14', 'modified' => '2012-09-17', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => 'lways an optimist, Anuj Agrawal believes that nothing is impossible on this earth if one sports a positive mindset. He believes that the business fraternity must take responsibility to change Nepal's', 'sortorder' => '172', 'image' => null, 'article_date' => '0000-00-00 00:00:00', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => false, 'in_scroller' => false, 'user_id' => '0' ) ), (int) 1 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '208', 'article_category_id' => '47', 'title' => 'Building For The Country', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => null, 'content' => '<p class="BREAKER" style="text-indent: 14.15pt;"> <span style="font-size:12px;"><span style="font-size: 12px;"><span class="MyriadPro"><span franklin="" gothic="" medium="" sans-serif="">Even as a school boy, Raju Babu Shrestha had pictured that being the eldest son, he will be helping out his father and someday would fill his formidable shoes. <br /> <br /> </span></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal"> <span style="font-size:12px;"><span class="MyriadPro"><i><img align="left" alt="personality" border="1" height="299" hspace="5" src="http://www.newbusinessage.com/ckfinder/userfiles/Images/rajubaabu shrestha.jpg" style="width: 247px; height: 299px;margin:10px;padding:10px;" vspace="5" width="247" /></i></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"> <span style="font-size: 12px;"><span class="MyriadPro"><i><br /> </i></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"> <span style="font-size: 12px;"><span class="MyriadPro"><i>By Pinaki Roy</i></span><span style="line-height: 115%;"> <br /> </span></span></p> <p class="nbasubhead2"> <span style="font-size:12px;"><span bright="" lucida="" serif="" style="line-height: 120%;">Raju Babu Shrestha</span></span></p> <p class="nbasubhead2"> <span style="font-size:12px;"><i><span bright="" lucida="" serif="" style="line-height: 120%;">Director</span></i></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"> <span style="font-size:12px;"><i><span bright="" lucida="" serif="" style="line-height: 115%;">Chitawon Co-E Nepal (P) Ltd <br /> </span></i></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; vertical-align: middle;"> <span style="font-size: 12px;"><b><span aldine401="" bt="" color:="" serif=""><br /> </span></b></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; vertical-align: middle;"> <span style="font-size: 12px;"><b><span aldine401="" bt="" color:="" serif="">H</span></b><span aldine401="" bt="" color:="" serif="">ailing from a business family, life was not exactly a bed of roses for Raju Babu Shrestha till as they say, lady luck smiled on him. Despite working very hard and giving it all he had, the period from 1982-1988 was a difficult one for him and his family business, Chitawon Construction & Engineering Company Nepal (P) Ltd also known as Chitawon Co-E Nepal (P) Ltd. However, his marriage in 1988 changed his fortunes and there was no looking back ever since, says Shrestha. If someone told me that getting married will bring me luck, I would have married earlier, he adds tongue-in-cheek. </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; vertical-align: middle;"> <span style="font-size:12px;"><span aldine401="" bt="" color:="" serif=""><br /> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: 14.15pt; vertical-align: middle;"> <span style="font-size: 12px;"><span aldine401="" bt="" color:="" serif="">Business runs in Shrestha's blood, his forefathers were from Gorkha and dealt in trading activities. But his father Laxman Babu Shrestha had different ideas in mind. And so, Chitawon Co-E Nepal (P) Ltd was registered as a proprietorship concern in 1966. Later, having proven its performance in various construction projects with excellent results, the company was promoted to class A Contractor in 1978. The Flagship Company has come a long way and today boasts of an impressive portfolio of companies including Manakamana Darshan (P) Ltd, Sagarmatha Power Company (P) Ltd, Nepal Ropeway Systems (P) Ltd, and Chitawon Milk (P) Ltd. Shrestha holds the position of Director in all these companies. <br /> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: 14.15pt; vertical-align: middle;"> <span style="font-size:12px;"><span aldine401="" bt="" color:="" serif=""><br /> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: 14.15pt; vertical-align: middle;"> <span style="font-size: 12px;"><span aldine401="" bt="" color:="" serif="">He fondly remembers his early days in Chitwan when though life was difficult due to lack of transportation; he still enjoyed his bicycle rides in the forested terrain. While in middle school, he would accompany his father and visit various construction sites for irrigation canals, roads, and dams. That was the seed period as Shrestha precisely knew what he wanted to do in life when he was grown up enough. He could envisage that he will be helping out his father being the eldest son and someday would fill his formidable shoes. </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: 14.15pt; vertical-align: middle;"> <span style="font-size:12px;"><span aldine401="" bt="" color:="" serif=""><br /> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: 14.15pt; vertical-align: middle;"> <span style="font-size: 12px;"><span aldine401="" bt="" color:="" serif="">Shrestha came back to his birthplace Kathmandu to pursue High School as a boarder at Ananda Kuti Vidyapith. After graduating from High School, he wanted to study engineering but sacrificed his dream to help his father. Instead, he enrolled for a Bachelor of Science programme in Mathematics at Amrit Science Campus that would allow him more time for business. He started work while in college and gained hands-on experience which would come in handy for his future course in life. Bijayapur Irrigation Project in Pokhara was the first project I handled independently, he proudly states. A firm believer in making a contribution to the country's development, he has been instrumental in diversifying, mechanising and developing the family business. </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: 14.15pt; vertical-align: middle;"> <span style="font-size:12px;"><span aldine401="" bt="" color:="" serif=""><br /> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: 14.15pt; vertical-align: middle;"> <span style="font-size: 12px;"><span aldine401="" bt="" color:="" serif="">As a young boy, Shrestha was a tad shy when it came to making acquaintance with girls but never felt that he must have a girlfriend. Times have changed,he sighs. Always having led an orthodox and simple life, his was an arranged marriage. Proud of having fathered three beautiful daughters, he says he doesn't miss having a son, Today, the world has moved on. It's no longer considered a disadvantage not to have a son for an heir. He is confident that all his daughters will make him proud as they grow up. Like father, like daughter his eldest daughter is already on the right path, pursuing her Bachelor in Business Administration degree from Webster University. She is already taking an interest in business matters and shows signs of promise to hold </span></span><span style="font-size: 12px;"><span>the fort when the time comes. </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 14.15pt; vertical-align: middle;"> <span style="font-size:12px;"><span aldine401="" bt="" color:="" serif=""><img align="left" alt="persoanlity" border="1" height="522" hspace="5" src="http://www.newbusinessage.com/ckfinder/userfiles/Images/Raju Babu Shrestha1.jpg" style="width: 364px; height: 522px;margin:10px;padding:10px;" vspace="5" width="364" /></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: 14.15pt; vertical-align: middle;"> <span style="font-size: 12px;"><span aldine401="" bt="" color:="" serif=""><br /> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: 14.15pt; vertical-align: middle;"> <span style="font-size: 12px;"><span aldine401="" bt="" color:="" serif="">Shrestha does not believe in showing off and hence lives an austere lifestyle. Glamour is not his forte. You will seldom see him wearing expensive suits unless he is attending a business conference or a formal occasion. He is clad in casual wear (read Jeans, T-Shirts, Working boots, Jackets) most of the time as his work involves field (on site) work. He is most comfortable when he is among friends or at an informal gathering as he doesn't have to worry too much about what he is wearing. Shrestha likes to call himself old-fashioned. A family man to the core, he draws inspiration from his wife, She always gives me positive vibes. Whenever he is short on motivation, he looks up to his father from whom he learnt the tricks of the trade. He has always been my role model, he says. </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: 14.15pt; vertical-align: middle;"> <span style="font-size:12px;"><span aldine401="" bt="" color:="" serif=""><br /> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: 14.15pt; vertical-align: middle;"> <span style="font-size: 12px;"><span aldine401="" bt="" color:="" serif="">Despite a busy schedule, Shrestha manages to find time to travel within Nepal as well as abroad. Whenever time permits, he sets along to tour a new destination, either with friends or family, in search of nature and adventure. He has already visited 50 districts in Nepal for work or purely on vacation. He has toured a host of foreign countries for business as well as leisure United Kingdom, Japan, Germany, China, Austria, Italy, and Korea to name a few. His favourite cuisines include Korean, Japanese, and Chinese he is only too happy that his favourite cuisines are available in some Kathmandu restaurants as well. Shrestha loves to cook as it helps him de-stress, keep healthy and relax. The best part is that my family loves my cooking too which makes me feel good, he chuckles. <br /> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: 14.15pt; vertical-align: middle;"> <span style="font-size:12px;"><span aldine401="" bt="" color:="" serif=""><br /> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: 14.15pt; vertical-align: middle;"> <span style="font-size: 12px;"><span aldine401="" bt="" color:="" serif="">You wonder if having achieved so much has made him complacent. On the contrary, Shrestha says that his job is far from finished. “I agree that when I think of my early days, I do feel I have achieved a great deal and am satisfied about the whole thing but it has also increased my obligations and responsibilities. To maintain the heights that we have reached is the current challenge, he explains. Shrestha says that wealth creation is not his sole objective. He has everything that a man can want in terms of material needs. He hopes that whatever he does, it should benefit the people of the country. <br /> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: 14.15pt; vertical-align: middle;"> <span style="font-size:12px;"><span aldine401="" bt="" color:="" serif=""><br /> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: 14.15pt; vertical-align: middle;"> <span style="font-size: 12px;"><span aldine401="" bt="" color:="" letter-spacing:="" serif="">Not the one to rest on his past laurels, Shrestha has several projects up his sleeve. Expanding Cable Car services is one. After the highly successful Manakamana Cable Car that connects Kurintar in Chitwan with Manakamana in Gorkha, there are at least two similar projects in feasibility study phase presently. He is optimistic that the proposed Cable Car projects in Pokhara and Kalinchok (Dolakha), when completed, will facilitate tourism development in the respective areas. He also plans to set up an agricultural machinery and tools enterprise which will import to begin with and get into manufacturing in due course of time. Chitawon Milk is another project that's close to his heart. The company produces skimmed milk powder, baby food, yogurt, butter, and ghee etc. He is hopeful that it will uplift professional cow farming and encourage milk farmers to produce more. This will benefit the economic condition of the farmers as well as the national economy.</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: 14.15pt; vertical-align: middle;"> <span style="font-size:12px;"><span aldine401="" bt="" color:="" letter-spacing:="" serif=""><br /> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"> <span style="font-size: 12px;"><span aldine401="" bt="" color:="" letter-spacing:="" serif="" style="line-height: 115%;">As if he was not finished yet, Shrestha revealed another aspect of his personality he is an Art Lover. He visits art exhibitions when he can and likes to collect Nepali art. He especially likes buying natural material and even designs them with help from his artist friend Shyam Lal Shrestha. When you step into his living room, you'll find it to be a work-of-art, literally. The ceiling has many blocks of Newari art, each of them symbolising a different meaning. Shrestha says he is very lucky to have a loving family as family binding is most important it helps him remain grounded. <br /> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"> <span style="font-size:12px;"><span aldine401="" bt="" color:="" letter-spacing:="" serif="" style="line-height: 115%;"><br /> </span></span></p>', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2011-02-09', 'modified' => '2012-09-17', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => 'Hailing from a business family, life was not exactly a bed of roses for Raju Babu Shrestha till as they say, lady luck smiled on him. Despite working very hard and giving it all he had, the period from 1982-1988 was', 'sortorder' => '144', 'image' => null, 'article_date' => '0000-00-00 00:00:00', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => false, 'in_scroller' => false, 'user_id' => '0' ) ), (int) 2 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '203', 'article_category_id' => '47', 'title' => 'Weaving Dreams & Carpets', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => null, 'content' => '<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; line-height: normal;"> <span style="font-size:12px;"><a href="http://www.newbusinessage.com/ckfinder/userfiles/Images/Senon D Lama.jpg"><img align="left" alt="" border="1" height="385" hspace="3" src="http://www.newbusinessage.com/ckfinder/userfiles/Images/Senon D Lama.jpg" style="width: 257px; height: 385px;margin:10px;padding:10px;" vspace="2" width="257" /></a><span color:="" franklingothic-medium="" sans-serif=""> </span><b><span bright="" color:="" lucida="" serif="">Senon D Lama</span></b></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; line-height: normal;"> <span style="font-size:12px;"><i><span bright="" color:="" lucida="" serif="">Chairman and Managing Director,</span></i></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; line-height: normal;"> <span style="font-size:12px;"><i><span bright="" color:="" lucida="" serif="">Senon Carpet Industries,</span></i></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; line-height: normal;"> <span style="font-size:12px;"><i><span bright="" color:="" lucida="" serif="">Hotel Shahanshah Int'l &</span></i></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; line-height: normal;"> <span style="font-size:12px;"><i><span bright="" color:="" lucida="" serif="">System Holder</span></i></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; line-height: normal;"> <span style="font-size:12px;"><span color:="" franklingothic-medium="" sans-serif=""> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; line-height: normal;"> <span style="font-size: 12px;"><span color:="" franklingothic-medium="" sans-serif="">When Senon started his business, the production in Nepal was very low as carpets were imported from India. The market in the beginning was non-challenging. We never had to worry that the products would not be sold. The supply was small and the demand was much higher.†Unlike today, his company used to decide on quality, design and size, and the buyers used to buy what was available.</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; line-height: normal;"> <span style="font-size:12px;"><span color:="" franklingothic-medium="" sans-serif=""><br /> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; line-height: normal;"> <span style="font-size: 12px;"><i><span aldine401bt-italica="" serif="">By Gaurav Aryal <br /> </span></i></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; line-height: normal;"> <span style="font-size:12px;"><i><span aldine401bt-italica="" serif=""><br /> </span></i></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; line-height: normal;"> <span style="font-size:12px;"><span color:="" franklingothic-heavy="" sans-serif="">W</span><span aldine401bt-romana="" color:="" serif="">hen Senon D Lama stepped into the carpet business, he had just a dozen of looms to weave his passion. Now he is a full-fledged carpet businessman with an annual turnover of USD 1 to 1.5 million a year. He has diversified also in hospitality industries. Thus he is the the Chairman and Managing Director of Senon Carpet Industries Pvt Ltd, Hotel Shahanshah International Pvt Ltd and a sports club called the System Holder Pvt Ltd.</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; line-height: normal;"> <span style="font-size:12px;"><br /> Born at the remote highland village of Lo Gaun in Gorkha district, Lama landed in Kathmandu in early 1960s when he was just about 10 years old. He is sorry that he could not get higher education due to the trouble he had to go through being away from home. So, while he was enrolled for the bachelor's level in management, he started work to earn his living at the age of 22.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; line-height: normal;"> <span style="font-size:12px;"><span aldine401bt-romana="" color:="" serif=""><br /> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; line-height: normal;"> <span style="font-size:12px;"><span aldine401bt-romana="" color:="" serif="">Lama had gathered some experience in woollen Nepali carpets business. So, he established his own carpet factory with about a dozen looms at Pulchowk. He also set up three carpet shops at the tourist hubs of Sundhara and Mahabouddha of Kathmandu and at the Golden Gate of Patan. Our primary customers were tourists,†he says. Lama claims that he was one of the pioneers in the private sector to begin with a carpet industry.<br /> <br /> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; line-height: normal;"> <span style="font-size:12px;"><span aldine401bt-romana="" color:="" serif="">I was, from the very beginning, passionate about colours and designs. I loved to play with them, he recollects the moment he began his career: One of my friends used to own a carpet shop. I used to see him having good time, going to movies and still making money. The tourists would visit his shop and buy the carpets as souvenirs paying handsome amount of money.He remembers yet another friend who was in the restaurant business and was having a tough time pleasing the customers. I compared them one watching movies, chatting and making money while another struggling to maintain his business. So, I ended up in the first business, Lama says. His same friend who owned the carpet shop was also in the car reconditioning business and he asked lama if he could buy the shop. He instantly accepted the offer and bought his friend's shop.<br /> <br /> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; line-height: normal;"> <span style="font-size:12px;"><span aldine401bt-romana="" color:="" serif="">His family back home had no idea as to what young Senon was doing. In the third year of the business, his father arrived Kathmandu unannounced.<br /> <br /> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; line-height: normal;"> <span style="font-size:12px;"><span aldine401bt-romana="" color:="" serif="">Seeing me travelling mostly by taxi, my father said I squander a lot of money At the same time, he was tremendously delighted as well as shocked to see that I was simultaneously operating three shops at three different locations of the city.<br /> <br /> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; line-height: normal;"> <span style="font-size:12px;"><span aldine401bt-romana="" color:="" serif="">When Lama started his business, the production in Nepal was very low as carpets were imported from India. The market in the beginning was nonchallenging. We never had to worry that the products would not be sold. The supply was small and the demand was much higher. Unlike today, his company used to decide on quality, design and size, and the buyers used to buy what was available. Gradually Nepal made carpets started to be viewed as fahion items. The foreigners were using them not as floorings but as pieces of art hung on the wall. International designers then started coming in with their own designs mostly the western ones.<br /> <br /> <br /> In the beginning of 1980s, the export of carpet kicked off. And Lama's business took off the major flight in 1982 when a big warehouse bought all the carpets from all his three shops. Lama never had to look back since then. In 1983, I did not have the time to pay attention to my local shops, as I was focused on the export business. His company, named as Senon Enterprise, expanded in the following years. In 1988, the company was renamed as Senon Carpet Industries.<br /> <br /> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; line-height: normal;"> <span style="font-size:12px;"><span aldine401bt-romana="" color:="" serif="">Lama's success reached a new height during the 1990s when the number of employees working for him reached 1400. Comparing the situation then and now, Lama says, There used to be the mass production and mass export then. Today's business is mostly order-based.<br /> <br /> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; line-height: normal;"> <span style="font-size:12px;"><span aldine401bt-romana="" color:="" serif="">He reveals that his company is now working for the year 2012. We completed our production last year for 2011 and the catalogue for that was ready in September 2010. Catalogue for 2012 </span><span aldine401bt-romana="" serif="">will be ready in 2011 September. He further says the planning and research for the design for 2013 is going on. He himself goes through hundreds of designs and decides which of them would suit for which of the quality of the carpets he will produce. We have to go into serious research before making any commitment. <br /> <br /> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; line-height: normal;"> <span style="font-size:12px;"><span aldine401bt-romana="" serif="">The wage rate, the labour law, and the price of the raw material have to be speculated for the coming years before making such commitment, he says.<br /> <br /> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; line-height: normal;"> <span style="font-size:12px;"><span aldine401bt-romana="" serif="">Today, Lama exports his carpets to Germany, the Netherlands, UK, USA, Mexico, Japan, and Australia, to name a few. From these destinations, the same carpets are exported to other countries as well.<br /> <br /> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; line-height: normal;"> <span style="font-size:12px;"><span aldine401bt-romana="" serif="">Apart from the carpet industry, Lama is also the proud owner of Hotel Shahanshah, System Holder, a sports club and some real estate businesses. Besides, he is into social work too. No matter how many ventures I do have, carpet business is the most precious one and close to my life. I am never going to detach it from my life though I may have to return back to a dozen looms again, he says. This is my religion. This business cannot be evaluated on mere profit and loss.<br /> <br /> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; line-height: normal;"> <span style="font-size:12px;"><span aldine401bt-romana="" serif="">For Lama, failure is not the reason to regret. He says he never regrets his past. He feels blessed to be able to see the whole world, though born in one of the remotest corners of the world. The excitement he had when he first bought the motorbike is the moment he never forgets. When I first bought my motorbike, I was so excited and felt the sense of achievement. I don't feel the same when I buy a new car now.Lama says work is his passion and hobby. He enjoys his work as much as the sports like football and hockey. There are professionals to look after his other businesses, but in the carpet business he insists to go through every minutest detail on his own. He has never fired any worker till date. He credits his success to his workers. He pays his staff at the production line on the weekly basis while those in other lines are paid on monthly basis. Altogether 700 persons work for him now though this number was about 1400 in the 1990s.<br /> <br /> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; line-height: normal;"> <span style="font-size:12px;"><span aldine401bt-romana="" serif="">Lama has worked for 36 years and says, every day, I have spent 12 to 16 hours in my work. He is already 60 but has not thought of retiring. I'm not tired, so no question of being retired, he quips. Retirement kills you psychologically, makes body slow and reduces the stamina.†He thinks he can work for the next 15 years.<br /> <br /> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; line-height: normal;"> <span style="font-size:12px;"><span aldine401bt-romana="" serif="">Lama says human body is a temple. We have to worship it. We should not put junks into it, he says revealing the secret of being healthy. Another secret is his regimen of physical exercises. In olde days, he used to spend at least one and half hour a day in sports. He used to wake up at 4 in the morning and rush to the tennis court at The Everest Hotel. Currently, he is spending at least 30 to 40 minutes a day exercising. In his free time, he loves listening to music of all genre from Nepali to English pops to fast beats. He says he is not able to give a lot of time to his family. He sometimes works on Saturdays too. I want to see them laughing. I have to listen to everybody to make them happy. Sometimes, there is a conflict of interest. But I try to address everyone's wishes, he says.<br /> <br /> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; line-height: normal;"> <span style="font-size:12px;"><span aldine401bt-romana="" serif="">Lama has plans to expand his business in the promising tourism sector. Now I have almost 12 years of experience in the hotel industry. I am quite confident about expanding it. Most probably he will set up a spa. </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; line-height: normal;"> <span style="font-size:12px;"><span aldine401bt-romana="" serif=""> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify; line-height: normal;"> <span style="font-size:12px;"><strong><span style="color: rgb(178, 34, 34);"><span color:="" franklingothic-heavy="" sans-serif="">PERSONAL SIDE</span></span></strong></span></p> <ul> <li> <span style="font-size:12px;"><span franklingothic-medium="" sans-serif="">Loves music. Narayan Gopal is his favourite Nepali artist. He also listens to Celine Dion, Mariah Carey, Eric Clapton, Bryan Adams and Michael Jackson among others</span><br /> </span></li> <li> <span style="font-size:12px;"><span franklingothic-medium="" sans-serif="">Likes collecting magazines from around the world </span><br /> </span></li> <li> <span style="font-size:12px;"><span franklingothic-medium="" sans-serif="">Tennis, squash, bowling are his favourite sports </span><br /> </span></li> <li> <span style="font-size:12px;"><span franklingothic-medium="" sans-serif="">Does not have passion for books but dreams to read them in future </span><br /> </span></li> <li> <span style="font-size:12px;"><span franklingothic-medium="" sans-serif="">Not brand conscious, very casual</span><br /> </span></li> <li> <span style="font-size:12px;"><span franklingothic-medium="" sans-serif="">Likes cars and currently drives Toyota Prado</span><br /> </span></li> <li> <span style="font-size:12px;"><span franklingothic-medium="" sans-serif="">Has driven fi ve different bikes until now </span><br /> </span></li> <li> <span style="font-size:12px;"><span franklingothic-medium="" sans-serif="">Also involved in social activities <br /> </span><br /> </span></li> </ul>', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2011-01-28', 'modified' => '2012-09-17', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => 'When Senon started his business, the production in Nepal was very low as carpets were imported from India. The market in the beginning was non-challenging. We never had to worry that the products would not be sold. The supply was small and the demand was much higher. Unlike today, his company used to decide on quality,', 'sortorder' => '141', 'image' => null, 'article_date' => '0000-00-00 00:00:00', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => false, 'in_scroller' => false, 'user_id' => '0' ) ), (int) 3 => array( 'Article' => array( 'id' => '198', 'article_category_id' => '47', 'title' => 'Saakha's Saga: Playing Safe In A Risky Business', 'sub_title' => '', 'summary' => null, 'content' => '<p> <style type="text/css"> <!--{cke_protected}%3C!%2D%2D%7Bcke_protected%7D%253C!%252D%252D%257Bcke_protected%257D%25253C!%25252D%25252D%25257Bcke_protected%25257D%2525253C!%2525252D%2525252D%2525250A.style1%25252520%2525257Bfont-weight%2525253A%25252520bold%2525257D%2525250A%2525252D%2525252D%2525253E%25252D%25252D%25253E%252D%252D%253E%2D%2D%3E--> </style></p> <p> <style type="text/css"> <!--{cke_protected}%3C!%2D%2D%7Bcke_protected%7D%253C!%252D%252D%257Bcke_protected%257D%25253C!%25252D%25252D%25257Bcke_protected%25257D%2525253C!%2525252D%2525252D%2525257Bcke_protected%2525257D%252525253C!%252525252D%252525252D%252525257Bcke_protected%252525257D%25252525253C!%25252525252D%25252525252D%25252525257Bcke_protected%25252525257D%2525252525253C!%2525252525252D%2525252525252D%2525252525257Bcke_protected%2525252525257D%252525252525253C!%252525252525252D%252525252525252D%252525252525257Bcke_protected%252525252525257D%25252525252525253C!%25252525252525252D%25252525252525252D%25252525252525257Bcke_protected%25252525252525257D%2525252525252525253C!%2525252525252525252D%2525252525252525252D%2525252525252525250A.style1%25252525252525252520%2525252525252525257B%2525252525252525250A%25252525252525252509font-size%2525252525252525253A%2525252525252525252012px%2525252525252525253B%2525252525252525250A%25252525252525252509font-weight%2525252525252525253A%25252525252525252520bold%2525252525252525253B%2525252525252525250A%2525252525252525257D%2525252525252525250A%2525252525252525252D%2525252525252525252D%2525252525252525253E%25252525252525252D%25252525252525252D%25252525252525253E%252525252525252D%252525252525252D%252525252525253E%2525252525252D%2525252525252D%2525252525253E%25252525252D%25252525252D%25252525253E%252525252D%252525252D%252525253E%2525252D%2525252D%2525253E%25252D%25252D%25253E%252D%252D%253E%2D%2D%3E--> </style></p> <div style="width: 595px;"> <div justify="" style="width: 595px;"> <div> <div align="center" class="style1" style="border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); padding: 5px;"> <strong>You may get on top, but you can't stay there for long without persistence, honesty and commitment, says Kiran P Saakha, the director of Saakha Group. A long established name in Nepal's ready made garment (RMG) industry, Saakha accredits all his success to the three virtues he learnt from his father and grandfather. These three virtues, shares Saakha, have helped him prevail for over two decades in an industry where many have perished.</strong></div> </div> </div> </div> <p> </p> <p> </p> <div style="width: 595px;"> <div justify="" style="width: 595px;"> <div> <div align="center" style="border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); padding: 5px;"> <strong>Abnormal profit always hides a trap. If anyone tries to attract you with huge abnormal profit, you have to be extra careful.</strong></div> </div> </div> </div> <p> </p> <p> </p> <div style="width: 595px;"> <div style="border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); padding: 5px; width: 47%; float: left;"> <div align="justify"> Born to Ganesh Bhakta Saakha and Late Janak Laxmi as the first child, Kiran was raised like any ordinary Kathmandu Valley child. He went to Nepal Adarsha Vidhyalaya, a normal government school where every other kid from the neighbuorhood went. Though he came from a well-off business family, he was never allowed to feel any more privileged than a kid from an average-income family. As a child, Saakha recollects, his biggest dream was to have a bicycle. I thought I would be the king if I had a bicycle, he goes down the memory lane.<br /> <br /> Unable to get one, he used to play marbles in the chowks and streets of old Kathmandu. Because of the time and environment back then, he didn't have big dreams as a child. And hobbies? I couldn't afford to have any, he puts it candidly. So he never thought of becoming a doctor or engineer or a pilot. But somewhere at the back of his mind he pictured himself as a businessman. <br /> <br /> After finishing school, he did his bachelors from Trichandra Campus and masters from the Central Campus, Tribhuvan University. Saakha thouroughly enjoyed his college days. He learned to play new sports such as table tennis, tennis and squash. He also learned swimming and started going to health clubs, a habit which has kept him fit and fine until now. <br /> <br /> Soon after leaving college, he found himself working in the factory his family owned. He was completely engaged in the company that manufactured adhesives and also carried out trade activities with China. But life had other plans for him. Young Saakha was gradually attracted to the RMG industry, a promising enterprise in the 1980s. The slow and steady player of the Nepali apparel business believes all the name and fame he has today is because of the RMG. He says he may not have made a fortune but is doing quite well in Nepal's RMG industry, perhaps the most hardhit sector in recent times. <br /> <br /> And the interesting thing is it was a betrayal, not an inspiration as many would think, that propelled him into the apparel business. Perhaps I wouldn't have been what I am today if it wasn't for a betrayal, says Saakha who got into the RMG business just to show to his betrayer. <br /> <br /> It was the early 80s and RMG was fast evolving into a lucrative business. Orders from neighbouring India were pouring in. Foreigners would come to Nepal, find a Nepali citizen and set up a factory as citizenship was mandatory to register a company. They would take care of everything else: investment, machines, technology, labour, orders, and shipments. He was lured into RMG by a friend and his relatives showing these possibilities. They promised him a joint venture. When the plan was ready for execution and he was expecting the business to start, they ditched him. The betrayal hurt Saakha very badly. And the best way he could answer them, he thought, was to start an apparel business on his own. <br /> <br /> This is how the foundations of what is today known as Prasuna Fashion were laid. Saakha started small, setting up his factory with just 50 sewing machines. He was a novice in the apparel industry, without much knowledge and experience. So at the beginning, he hardly got any orders as he had no major contacts abroad. <br /> <br /> Shipping was a major problem back then. The failure to complete the orders on time meant the products had to be sent by air instead of on a ship. This in turn meant not only giving away almost all the profit but also incurring a huge loss. Soon there was a tough competition with the mushrooming of many units. The companies grew greedier and greedier, trying to get as many orders as possible by overstating their production capacity. But most of them couldn't deliver the orders on time, leading to either the cancellation of the orders or the selling of the products for peanuts. This greed and overtrading, he believes, is the reason why many garment firms collapsed. But Saakha's strategy was different. <br /> <br /> <strong>PERSONAL SIDE</strong> <div> <div align="left"> <ul> <li> <strong>Loves music, watches MTV a lot </strong></li> <li> <strong>Loves long drives </strong></li> <li> <strong>Is scared of flights in small planes </strong></li> <li> <strong>Is religious but not superstitious </strong></li> <li> <strong>Loves to cook </strong></li> <li> <strong>Avoids nancial transactions with friends </strong></li> <li> <strong>Scared of atheist people</strong></li> </ul> <p> </p> <p> In the first place, he never tried to bite more than he could chew. He was also committed and honest, never exaggerating his production capacity to grab more business than he could handle. He discloses his success formula: At a time when most companies were overtrading, as a rule I always accepted orders slightly less than I could actually produce. Thus I was always able to make the deliveries on time by a ship, and never had to resort to delivery by air. And my clients were always happy This is a formula he has always adhered and it has always worked for him. </p> </div> </div> <br /> Having spent more than two decades in the RMG business, Saakha certainly knows most of the tricks of the trade. Saakha has a very sound advice</div> </div> <div style="border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); padding: 5px; width: 47%; float: right;"> <div align="justify"> <img alt="" src="http://www.newbusinessage.com/ckfinder/userfiles/Images/Kiran-P-Saakha--2.jpg" style="margin: 0pt; padding: 0pt;" /><br /> <br /> for those who are tempted to go for a quick, abnormal profit. An abnormal profit always hides a trap. If anyone tries to lure you with a huge abnormal profit, you have to be extra careful, says Saakha.<br /> <br /> Being on the safe side and avoiding risks is his philosophy, both in personal and professional lives. Clearly a safe player, he is never enticed by gains that involve risks. In all his undertakings, he moves ahead only after analyzing the worst case scenario. <br /> <br /> He has already held respectful positions in the Garment Association of Nepal as the treasurer, joint secretary, vice president and finally the president.<br /> <br /> No matter how busy he is, he always finds time to be with his family. If you don't give importance to your family, then you're finished. Having a rolling business and all the riches is of no use if you don't share a good bond with your family. The proud father of a son and a daughter, he is blessed with a very understanding wife, Kusum Saakha, an LLM from the Harvard Law School. The couple have been happily married for 32 years now. We are very much compatible with each other. Our marriage was an arranged one but I already knew her as we both were in the same college,recalls Saakha. Kusum is involved with several NGOs and also teaches in colleges. <br /> <br /> Saakha considers his bad temper a major drawback of his personality. As he can rarely control it, he doesn't go for inspection rounds in his factory. I know in advance that the carelessness of the workers will trigger my bad temper. He is occupied mostly by desk work and maintaining public relations. I don't get on well with many peple. I can handle everyone but cannot have a close relationship with everyone, so I have very few close friends. I only make friends with those who are on my wavelength, he reveals. Whenever he is free, he likes to spend his time with close friends and family at his own residence. Many would envy the fit body of Saakha, a man in his late fifties. He goes to the health club at Hotel Radisson every day and works out for about an hour. Paying for the health clubs is much cheaper than going to the doctors and paying for the medications. It is because of my regular workout that I have never been bed-ridden for the last 20 years, says Saakha proudly. <br /> <br /> He is not that brand conscious. As a student of economics, he looks for the value for money and utility in whatever he buys. I go for brands provided that I get them at a reasonable price, says Saakha. However, he accept that he always wears readymade suits from Menz. I have been wearing them for the last 20 years, says Saakha. He doesn't believe in showing off the brands. He just needs to feel comfortable in whatever he wears. But when it comes to watches and glasses, he always chooses the best brands. I am very fascinated by watches of different brands. I think of them as a status symbol. He loves Omega, Rolex and other top brands. <br /> <br /> Saakha, who currently drives a Toyota, doesn't allow anyone to drive his car, not even his family. The busy businessman doesn't go for holidays much. My holidays and business trips are tied up together, he says. Whenever it's possible, he goes with his family to Pokhara and Sauraha for holidays. He doesn't like to spend much on foreign tours but prefers going to Goa as it combines economy with utility. He prefers Vietnam, Cambodia, Bangkok and other Asian destinations to Europe and the USA as the Asian destinations are far more economic and equally entertaining. I like to keep a balance of what's coming in and what's going out in every aspect of life. <br /> <br /> The MD of the Saakha Group doesn't have any immediate plans for new investments. The time is not right for expansions. I think it is better to take care of and hold on to what you already have, he says. At present, his company is providing employment to around 400 people. From his long experience, he suggests that aspiring entrepreneurs should not overtrade. Although it can help you make quick money, if it backfires, then you're done. Believe in honesty and commitment as you cannot sustain without them, he concludes with a quote from his late grandfather.<br /> </div> </div> <div style="clear: both;"> </div> </div> <div style="width: 595px;"> <div justify="" style="width: 595px;"> <div> <div align="center" style="padding: 5px;"> </div> </div> </div> </div>', 'published' => true, 'created' => '2010-12-29', 'modified' => '2012-09-17', 'keywords' => '', 'description' => 'You may get on top, but you can't stay there for long without persistence, honesty and commitment, says Kiran P Saakha, the director of Saakha Group.', 'sortorder' => '136', 'image' => null, 'article_date' => '0000-00-00 00:00:00', 'homepage' => false, 'breaking_news' => false, 'main_news' => false, 'in_scroller' => false, 'user_id' => '0' ) ) ) $current_user = null $logged_in = false $xml = falsesimplexml_load_file - [internal], line ?? include - APP/View/Elements/side_bar.ctp, line 133 View::_evaluate() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 971 View::_render() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 933 View::_renderElement() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 1224 View::element() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 418 include - APP/View/Articles/index.ctp, line 157 View::_evaluate() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 971 View::_render() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 933 View::render() - CORE/Cake/View/View.php, line 473 Controller::render() - CORE/Cake/Controller/Controller.php, line 968 Dispatcher::_invoke() - CORE/Cake/Routing/Dispatcher.php, line 200 Dispatcher::dispatch() - CORE/Cake/Routing/Dispatcher.php, line 167 [main] - APP/webroot/index.php, line 117
| Currency | Unit |
Buy | Sell |
| U.S. Dollar | 1 | 121.23 | 121.83 |
| European Euro | 1 | 131.65 | 132.31 |
| UK Pound Sterling | 1 | 142.47 | 143.18 |
| Swiss Franc | 1 | 124.29 | 124.90 |
| Australian Dollar | 1 | 71.69 | 72.05 |
| Canadian Dollar | 1 | 83.90 | 84.32 |
| Japanese Yen | 10 | 10.94 | 11.00 |
| Chinese Yuan | 1 | 17.17 | 17.26 |
| Saudi Arabian Riyal | 1 | 32.27 | 32.43 |
| UAE Dirham | 1 | 33.01 | 33.17 |
| Malaysian Ringgit | 1 | 27.36 | 27.50 |
| South Korean Won | 100 | 9.77 | 9.82 |
Update: 2020-03-25 | Source: Nepal Rastra Bank (NRB)
| Fine Gold | 1 tola | 77000.00 |
| Tejabi Gold | 1 tola | 76700.00 |
| Silver | 1 tola | 720.00 |
Update : 2020-03-25
Source: Federation of Nepal Gold and Silver Dealers' Association
| Petrol | 1 Liter | 106.00 |
| Diesel | 1 Liter | 95.00 |
| Kerosene | 1 Liter | 95.00 |
| LP Gas | 1 Cylinder | 1375.00 |
Update : 2020-03-25
