Category: Leaders

The closure of his family business in India brought Harmeek to Dubai in 2003 to seek a job to support his family. 18 years ago, when he first moved to Dubai, he probably had no idea that he would eventually become the CEO and Founder of a homegrown company famed for revolutionising the UAE’s events sector. He managed to land a position in Dubai’s thriving advertising sector in 2003, earning only AED 2,000 per month. In 2004, he started his firm, Plan b Advertising, after working his way up to a monthly salary of AED200,000 in just two years.

Harmeek started as Plan b’s one-man army. The business owner admits that in the initial days, he had to juggle all aspects of the business all alone for almost a year before he could hire some help. However, those trying times have paid off as Plan b is now one of the most renowned advertising and events companies in the UAE. They provide various services, including marketing campaigns, experience-based event management, brand building services, promotional campaigns and launches, visual merchandising, and other projects. Harmeek’s active involvement, tenacity, and keen understanding of market fundamentals have earned Plan b distinction as a solution-driven partner for government and private sector events in the UAE.

The Plan b Group currently consists of 8 companies, including Plan b Advertising, Plan b Events, SiO2 Events (a boutique events agency), bSocial (PR, social media, and strategy arm), Next Door (a sports management company), bDecor (an interior design company), bMovies (digital media, application and technology), and bCreative (a boutique creative agency).

The Group is also actively growing due to the company’s multi-disciplinary teams that have over 100 years of combined experience. The company employs more than 500 people and has offices across three continents. In addition to its headquarters in Dubai, the company also has offices in Abu Dhabi, Delhi, and London, enabling it to operate throughout the Middle East, the UK and countries in the SAARC region.

The charismatic leader steers Plan b with a vision and passion that have helped the company become a market leader in delivering innovative, top-notch marketing and events services. Based on Plan b’s rapid expansion, Harmeek has received significant interest from foreign entities in a franchise system currently under consideration.

A NATURAL LEADER

Harmeek is a natural leader who leads with curiosity and wonder. His inquisitive nature inspires him to learn something new every day. His interest also contributes to his expertise in problem-solving. His strong suit is his creative approach to finding solutions to challenging situations. Despite going through difficulties during his initial days in Dubai, the astute leader persisted in his endeavour with tenacity and dedication, overlooking the financial challenges. His razor-sharp focus and self-assurance propelled him to success. Harmeek is a self-driven individual who is always at the forefront of delivering quality experiences at landmark events such as the Dubai Standard Chartered Marathon. His involvement in events such as Dubai’s Crown Prince annual heritage championship, Nad Al Sheba Sports Tournament 2016, FIFA, Bentley and Hyundai has garnered accolades and appreciation.

A PEOPLE PERSON

Harmeek’s efforts are directed toward serving his people, and he credits much of Plan b’s success to his team. Additionally, he values his team members and considers them the company’s cornerstones. The admired industry leader treats his team as his family and takes good care of them. Despite challenging market conditions posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, Harmeek kept his Plan b family united and constantly motivated them to complete projects on time. He prioritises employee engagement and goes to great lengths to recruit, develop, and retain happy and successful employees. According to him, happy work culture is vital to an organisation’s success. He underscores the need for healthy work culture, saying, “Keeping your employees content involves so much more than a pay cheque; you need to build a solid culture to drive your workforce.” Harmeek also prioritises his customers’ needs to keep them ahead of the curve. He keeps a finger on the pulse of his clients and devises expansion tactics accordingly. He spends considerable time trying to know or understand his clients’ requirements to build a long-standing relationship and gain their loyalty by setting new standards.

STELLAR ACHIEVEMENTS

In 2015, Harmeek was honoured with the ‘Business Innovator of the Year Award’ by Masala. He also appeared in the weekly celebrity magazine Ahlan! Hot 100 in March 2013, 2014, and 2015. In December 2013, the leader received the ‘Man at His Best Award’ by Esquire Middle East. In October 2014, Arabian Business ranked him among ‘The GCC’s 100 Most Powerful Indians.

Harmeek unwavering commitment has also earned several prestigious awards to the Plan b Group, such as the ‘Best Real Estate Agency of the Year’ by Property Times (2015): ‘The Hamdan Heritage Center Recognition Award (2009-2015), and a royal accolade for the sixth consecutive year of work delivered for the Fazza Annual Championship.

DEDICATED TO SOCIAL WELFARE

Harmeek remains heavily involved in community projects. In 2016, Sheikha Shamma bint Sultan bin Khalifa Al Nahyan applauded Harmeek’s commitment to the “Wanna Read?” initiative and appointed him as an official spokesperson for the charity. In the same year, the Goodwill Ambassador of the UN, His Excellency Dr Akram Sabry, honoured him with a certificate of appreciation for supporting the traditional souq and Ramadan activation in Abu Dhabi Mall. The company is also proud of the Box of Hope initiative, which has assisted and helped blue-collar workers since 2019. In August this year, Plan b Group will inaugurate the First Sikh temple, ‘Sri Gurunanak Darbar’ in St Petersburg, Russia.

Minhaj, through business expansion and diversification, is making a strong impact by promoting inclusive and sustainable economic growth, leading to significant employment opportunities in the Food & Beverages sector. As Minhaj states, his father’s persistence and hard work led the company to the pinnacle of success. He learnt the business fundamentals from his father, whom he considers to be his mentor and inspiration. He attributes his success to his father’s upbringing.

LEADING THE FMCG INDUSTRY

As the head of one of the oldest ventures in Bangladesh’s FMCG industry, Minhaj ensures meeting the rigorous quality standards and strict adherence to international manufacturing practices such as the Good Agriculture Practice (GAP), Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP), Good Handling Practice (GHP), and Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP). In addition, Ahmed Foods also implements the ISO and BSTI standards.

LEADERSHIP ROLES

Minhaj is associated with many governing bodies for implementing food standards. He is the Chairman of ‘Food Safety & Factory Development Sub Committee’ of Bangladesh Agro-Processing Association and ‘Fruits and Vegetables Products Sectional Committee’ and ‘Starch, Derivatives and their By-products Sectional Committee’ of the Bangladesh Standards and Testing Institution (BSTI). A few other prestigious positions he holds include that of the Convenor of the Dhaka Chamber of Commerce & Industry (DCCI), member of the Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MCCI), member of the e-Commerce Association of Bangladesh (e-CAB), and Vice President of the Junior Chamber International (JCI),Dhaka East.

RECOGNITION FOR EXCELLENCE

For his expertise and innovation in business, Minhaj has received the ‘Young Entrepreneurs Award 2021’ by JCI Bangladesh; ‘Manager of The Year Award 2020’ by the Europe Business Assembly, (EBA) Oxford, UK; and the ‘Young Asian Entrepreneur Award’ in 2020-2021. Receiving awards like ‘The Visionary Leader’ in 2019 and ‘Global Leader in Commerce Management’ 2020 -The BIZZ Award from the World Confederation of Business, Houston, USA have made Ahmed a renowned name in the global food and beverages industry.

GOALS FOR MILES AHEAD

Introducing top-quality foods and beverages has always been Minhaj’s priority. Alongside, he is focused on maintaining the position in the market and creating meaningful employment for the youth. Minhaj also plans to expand the company globally through his business ideas and innovations.

Tough times can never stop efficient and capable leaders like Minhaj. During the pandemic, Minhaj introduced Ahmed Xpress Delivery and Ahmed Xpress Chain Shop to help the customers buy the daily essentials without comprising on their health and safety. When most companies were facing depreciation because of the pandemic, Minhaj kept the company going through sustained efforts, teamwork, and by acclimatising to the changes brought on by the pandemic. He strives to move ahead while strengthening the principles, values and reliability of Ahmed Food Products.

Mother’s Public School was established thirty one years ago, in Bhubaneswar. A need of the society, the school was the perfect solution to the needs and challenges of working mothers. The institute’s first ever batch had just 14 students aged between 2 and 9 years. Initially, the aim was to provide a day-boarding with meal provisions so that working parents could be assured regarding the care and safety of their children. Since then, Mother’s Public School has grown and branched out to accommodate more academic and co curricular facilities for a wider range of age groups. With the recent opening of institute’s new branches in other geographic locations, Mother’s Public School is now reaching new and different parts of Odisha. No wonder, Sreejeet has been integral to this growth and success.

CHAMPIONING PROGRESS

The unique nature of the institution has also been a propelling factor in its increased demand across the state, and it has over 6000 students now. The Institution has grown in strength and stature since its humble beginnings. Adhering to the CBSE norms, Mother’s Public School priortises quality education and academic excellence through a structured curriculum.

Sreejeet feels that young people can be empowered to develop the skills and abilities that make them leaders of tomorrow. This sentiment is reflected in the school’s motto, ‘Service before Self.’ He also encourages the students to actively participate in socio-cultural activities that sensitize the students to respond to the needs of the society.

As a leader, Sreejeet ensures that the students gain knowledge and skills to become public-spirited. It would teach them to help others during difficult times such as a natural disaster, support and speak up for the less privileged, and contribute to humanitarian causes like funding and spending time at old age homes and orphanages.

FOSTERING GREAT MINDS

Sreejeet constantly works to broaden the students’ horizons on the stage, in the field, and in the classroom. He encourages creativity, expression and innovation through the integration of performing arts in the curriculum.

Mother’s Public School prides itself in fostering joy in education, independent thought, and supporting the passions and talents of its students. The after-school opportunities enable students to receive a rich and extended learning experience. Sreejeet and his exemplary staff’s collective efforts promote a positive school culture where everyone feels valued and respected.

He has created a community of passionate learners and truth seekers at the school, with each possessing a robust mind and creative heart. While following a curriculum aimed at the highest standards of academic excellence, the school ensures a congenial environment for the child’s overall development, under his exemplary guidance. In fact, he intends to create an atmosphere of growth that distinguishes students into becoming citizens of sound character, competence, creative leadership, academic excellence, and a genuine concern for people.

The flag of Mother’s Public School continues to soar under the outstanding leadership of Sreejeet. The school has set itself apart with a consistent record of top-quality education, co-curricular activities and social service.

Born at Cuttack in Odisha, Ms. Patnaik completed her schooling from Sonabera HAL VSV School in Koraput (Odisha) in 1979 and moved to Bhubaneswar to study Humanities at the BJB College. She also completed Post Graduation in Teacher’s Training from the State Council of Educational Research and Training (SCERT) in Bhubaneswar from 1981 to 1985. She chose this course by SCERT to realise her childhood dream of establishing a school some day. Within a few months, Ms. Patnaik got married to a well known Bhubaneshwar-based interior designer and joined Kamala Nehru College in 1987, where she taught Psychology for a few years. She then returned to Koraput and started working as a primary class teacher in the same school where she had studied.

TURNING HER CHILDHOOD DREAM INTO A REALITY

With a marked sense of purpose and determination, Ms. Patnaik turned her childhood dream into reality. In 1991, she laid the foundation of the preschool called ‘Prakrit,’ with an initial investment of INR 30000, strength of 14 students in the age group of 2-9 years, and 5 teachers only. Ms. Patnaik initially worked as a lecturer in a college and then put all her earnings into the running of the school. Over the years, Prakrit provided preschoolers with an intellectually and creatively stimulating social and educational environment, and was eventually restructured into Mother’s Public School (Senior Secondary School). The school now boasts of a total strength of 2000 students who have been proving their mettle in academics year after year. With a good return on investment from the school, Ms. Patnaik opened Mother’s Public School’s first branch in Puri in 2015. Over the years, she also managed to set up 3 more branches in Rourkela, Pahal (Bhubaneswar) and Khandagiri (Bhubaneswar).

FOCUSING ON HOLISTIC EDUCATION

Ms. Patnaik believes that Mother’s Public School is a sanctum where curious and creative minds are allowed to blossom in a system governed by educational equity. With a blend of theoretical learning, unique pedagogical methods including tutorials, and extra-curricular activities, Ms. Patnaik and her team of hardworking and dedicated faculties have managed to create a loving community of purposeful and constructive learning that focuses on the development of every child’s mind, body and spirit. As the school Principal, Ms. Patnaik is approachable to the students, parents, and the staff alike. She is a great listener and resolves their issues in a calm and composed way.

INCLINATION TOWARDS SOCIAL CAUSES

Ms. Patnaik is keenly inclined towards certain social causes. She ensures that the students actively participate in social activities regularly to get sensitized to the needs of the society in good and bad times. Besides, the school employs uneducated and poor single women and widows and helps them live a dignified life. It also includes their children in the mainstream education to help improve their future.

PRESTIGIOUS AWARDS AND ACCOLADES

Ms. Patnaik has been bestowed with numerous awards and accolades for her pathbreaking contribution and constant endeavors in the field of school education. Some of them are ‘Global Principal Award 2021’ by Star Global Awards, ‘Times Power Odisha Award 2021,’ ‘CBSE Teacher’s Award 2009’ by Kapil Sibal (Former HRD Minister), ‘National Award for Teachers 2012’ by Shri Pranab Mukherjee (Former President of India), and the ‘Rajiv Gandhi Rashtriya Ekta Samman’ in New Delhi on the 70th birth anniversary celebration of Late Shri Rajiv Gandhi.

Biplab, a Bachelor In Hospitality Management from Pailan College Of Management & Technology, started his career in August 2011 as a Marketing Executive at The Stadel Hotel in Kolkata. In 2013, he joined Bengal Shrachi Venture’s Red Cherry Hospitality as Senior Sales Executive. In April 2014, he launched Petuk, a restaurant that specialises in Chinese and Tandoor items. He had his fair share of challenges while running the business, yet his meticulous planning and thoughtful execution have helped him succeed and become one of the most successful foodpreneurs in Kolkata. He says, “Our journey has been tough since we started it. We have experienced failures in every step and we have learnt from it and grown.”

In his opinion, everyone fails at some point in their lives, but only those who are brave enough to learn from their failures succeed in life. “Though we failed countless times, we were resilient enough to learn from them, and we make sure that we learn something new every day”, adds the humble entrepreneur.

A FUTURE-ORIENTED ENTREPRENEUR

Biplab is a future-focused entrepreneur who believes in setting the right kind of goals to reach new heights of success. Aside from setting goals, he also discusses the steps to achieve them and accomplish them. He says that future-oriented business planning helps him to be ready to capitalise on chances when they may arise.

While his short-term goal is to perform well consistently, his long-term plan is to establish himself as a pioneer in the hotel industry. He is also hoping to expand his restaurant chain to international markets with the help of investors.

“Currently, the hotel industry is stagnant and facing a lot of hurdles because of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. I am nevertheless optimistic that shortly, the level of competition in the market will grow by five times as compared to the pre-pandemic levels.” Biplab is currently chalking out a solid strategy to make his business future ready so that he can adapt and evolve easily and stay ahead of the curve in the face of the new normal.

Biplab is a people-centric leader who takes the initiative to build lasting relationships with his staff in the hope of creating overall success. He works in collaboration with his staff members, cracks jokes with them, and when necessary also gets strict with them.

EMBRACING THE EBBS & FLOWS IN BUSINESS

Biplab’s entrepreneurial journey has been really tough. Having seen a lot of failures, he has gained a lot of experience from them. Not long after he opened his restaurant, a fire engulfed the eatery. Despite his efforts to restore the restaurant, he was short of funds to take care of the operations. Despite this tragedy, he did not give up hope and remained optimistic.

After slowly coping with the downturn, he decided to start afresh without looking back. However, demonetisation in India in 2016 was another major blow to his business. Even though sales were low for four to five months during that period, he didn’t give up and again came out as a winner.

Another bolt from the blue was the unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic, which had an unpredictable impact on entrepreneurs. After the first lockdown was imposed by the government in 2020, all his staff members left and his restaurant was shut down for months. To let the public know that he is still in business, Biplab decided to run the business on his own. He had another restaurant that was closed for almost six months. He eventually reopened the restaurant with the help of his mother and wife. They ran it for six months before things began to settle down, and his staff started rejoining him.

A catering wing was also started by him in 2018, which was running successfully until March 2020; however, due to the coronavirus-induced lockdown, he started losing confirmed events. Still, he stood his ground and survived the wrath of COVID-19. The secret to his success, he says, is hard work paired with smart work.

His message to young entrepreneurs is to follow their hearts instead of giving up due to risk or failure. Although they may fail in the beginning, they shouldn’t be demoralized or let other people demoralize them. He asserts, “Entrepreneurial journey is always uncertain as there is never any way to predict what the future will bring; thus, it is better to be prepared for it rather than giving up. Therefore, when you fail, keep a strong head and always remember that you did your best, but things didn’t work out.” He continues, “one should learn from one’s failures, figure out what went wrong, close the gap, and then try again as hard as one can to achieve success.”

HIS INSPIRATION

Biplab credits much of his success to his mother who is a renowned gynaecologist. He takes inspiration from his 75-year old mother Dr. Archana Basu, who works enthusiastically throughout the day without getting exhausted. He says, “She diligently performs all her household chores when she gets home from work. Despite suffering twice from COVID-19, she still works hard and sets an example for others. I believe that if she can work hard at this age, I can work even harder and achieve even greater heights”.

GIVING BACK TO SOCIETY

Biplab is a socially conscious leader who aims to make a positive impact on society. With the broad goal of contributing to the well-being of the community in particular and society in general, he ensures his business practices reflect some form of CSR and environmental responsibility. He believes that CSR plays a much more crucial role during the pandemic when people are struggling to survive. To do his bit for the community, he initiated the No-Spitting campaign to discourage people from spitting in public places. The campaign is his attempt to create awareness among citizens of the dangers of spitting, which can also lead to the spread of infectious diseases, including COVID-19. He asserts, “I believe that it is everyone’s responsibility to keep the city clean. Spitting in public places not only degrades the aesthetics of a city but also spreads several infectious diseases. We should all stop this practice in order to build a Swachh Bharat.”

GLORIOUS ACHIEVEMENTS

Biplab received 45 Under 45 (Indian Edition) 2022 Award from WBR CORP UK Ltd. The Bengal Pride Awards organised by Eventbox in association with Brajvandana Foundation, UNICEF and International Chamber of Commerce awarded him the Best Emerging Entrepreneur 2021 Award in the hotel industry for building a successful business amidst the challenges posed by the COVID 19-induced pandemic. He considers these achievements as his career highpoint and hopes to achieve many more milestones in the years to come.

A well-versed leader, Dr. Ujwala has an MD and Post-Graduate Diploma in Hospital Administration. She earned her medical degree from the Sri Devaraj Urs Medical College in Kolar (Karnataka). Following her MD degree in Physiology at the University of Bangalore, she pursued a Post Graduate Diploma in Hospital Administration. She began her entrepreneurial journey at a young age. Initially, she worked in her family-run pharmaceutical company and introduced several pharmaceutical and Ayurvedic products that led to the company’s steady growth. She spent almost 15 years in the pharmaceutical industry before joining RDPL (Raj Disle Private Limited), a company with diversified divisions under its wing.

A MULTI-FACETED PERSONALITY

Besides being a doctor, industrialist, sportswoman, and pioneering philanthropist, Dr. Ujwala has also made a mark in the education sector. A visionary and a dreamer, she established Marigold International School (the education division of RDPL) in 2020 to offer students quality and holistic education. In just two years, the determined leader expanded the school from 56 students to over 900 students, which is indeed a commendable achievement.

Dr. Ujwala is also the Managing Director of Marigold Hospital, the healthcare division of RDPL, established in 2017. The hospital began with a few employees and a skeletal infrastructure. Under her stewardship and unwavering commitment, it has now grown to be a 50-bed NABH accredited hospital handling a broad range of specialities. Within five years, the hospital has carved its name as a leading provider of comprehensive diabetes, metabolic, neurologic, cardiovascular, dental and metabolic diseases associated with diabetes and other endocrine disorders.

With her visionary and astute leadership skills, Dr. Ujwala Jagdale has pioneered a variety of enterprises, including Marigold Clinics & Diagnostics, Nagi Farms, Chikmagalur Coffee Estates, and Sri Sabarimala Temple Trust, among others.

A COMPASSIONATE INDIVIDUAL

Dr. Ujwala is widely respected and admired by her staff and community for her generous nature, clear insight and humility. Over the years, she has made commendable contributions to the community and served as an inspiration to others. She actively participates in CSR activities under the RNR Foundation, a charitable institution started in the name of her late father, Sri Nagaraja Rao. The charity runs various community development programmes to assist marginalised sections of society. Her work ranges from organising rural healthcare camps for the poor to providing scholarships to aid underprivileged children in advancing their education and careers.

Additionally, Marigold Hospital was turned into a Covid-19 centre under her leadership so that coronavirus patients could obtain prompt treatment. In addition, 400 construction workers and their families received food and shelter during the pandemic. Furthermore, about 150 plantation workers infected with the lethal coronavirus were offered medical assistance.

BRILLIANT ACHIEVEMENTS

In recognition of her entrepreneurial brilliance and selfless service to society, Dr. Ujwala has been honoured with several prestigious awards, including the International ICONS 2022 award, K12 Leadership award, and Women Achiever award from Kotak Mahindra, to name a few. The versatile leader has also won state and national awards for rifle shooting.

A multitalented leader, she enjoys reading and writing poetry. She has written several poetry books. She is also a trained pianist and a talented cook.

With extensive experience in formulating marketing and branding strategies for numerous national and global brands, Mandhira has been efficiently spearheading SMPL as Chairman & Managing Director. The company, located in Gurugram (Haryana), is one of the leading automobile spare parts brand in India. Her adept leadership has spurred 100% growth for SMPL, which is indeed a remarkable achievement. She is currently driving the organization’s transformational initiatives to make the brand shine bright in the aftermarket segment by creating unparalleled value for the consumers.

Mandhira is known for her dynamic skills and charismatic persona. Despite the fact that the Indian automotive market suffered a severe blow due to the onset of the pandemic in 2020, she never lost hope and stayed strong. When even the most powerful leaders in the country struggled to deal with the ongoing pandemic, she was able to guide SMPL to expand beyond its current geographic scope and cater to a broader audience during lockdown 2.0.

ENCOURAGING TEAM SPIRIT

As a leader, Mandhira exemplifies incredible team spirit. Growth in SMPL was stagnant when she took reins of the company. To combat this situation, the determined leader rallied her enthusiastic team and got SMPL back on track, eventually achieving the highest sales figure in the company.

Moreover, during the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, her primary concern was her team’s well-being. In addition to implementing standard operating procedures to secure employee safety, she ensured that employees attending duty adhered to all safety protocols, social distancing norms, and hygiene requirements. Similarly, vaccination campaigns were also conducted in collaboration with local health authorities.

Mandhira believes that people, processes, and values are the foundation of an organization’s success. She believes that, in order for any organization to succeed, all employees must feel empowered and motivated to assume ownership of the tasks assigned to them. SMPL has open door policy where every employee is free to provide their inputs. The company treats them equally and considers them as a family, “Sona Mandhira Parivaar.” She regularly engages with her employees and guides them and they also put their trust in her leadership and direction.

HER ROLE MODEL

Mandhira credits most of her accomplishments to her father, the Late Dr. Surinder Kapur, who instilled in her the spirit of integrity, commitment, and hard work in life.

He propounded that success is not a coincidence, but the result of striving and hard work. He believed that success only favors those who are true to their dreams. As a daughter, Mandhira seeks to uphold her father’s glorious legacy by following his priceless ideologies.

TRANSPARENT AND RESPONSIBLE GOVERNANCE

Mandhira believes in promoting employees of her organization which has added a lot of confidence within the “SMPL Parivaar.” Each employee is treated as the owner of his respective function and is rewarded to improve the same.

Similarly, the heads of each function are directly involved with the decision making processes. The proactive leader is hands on with various processes and her involvement leads to faster decision making and turnaround.

Mr. Mustafa started his professional journey after graduating from the University of Southern California where he was a Rotary International Scholar in Engineering and Computer Science. As soon as he graduated, he landed his first job at Symantec Corporation. He was working at the global headquarters located in California and was in a lead position fronting the product lines. It is here that the very foundation of his entire career in Cyber Security was laid. This was just the beginning for a zealous guy who wanted to make it big in the techie world.

In the next two decades or so, Mr. Mustafa would go on to work in various leadership positions, spearheading many teams to build Cyber Security systems and products from the ground up. Several of those products will also go on to win industry recognition as the leading Cyber Security products. But, none of the accomplishments would dim the burning passion to keep on doing more for Mr. Mustafa. He didn’t stop at just building immensely robust and trustworthy products, he also went on to invent several key patents and algorithms which are recognized as significant breakthrough technologies in Artificial Intelligence and Cyber Security.

His latest venture, GhangorCloud’s Fourth Generation Data Leak and Exfiltration Prevention (DLEP) Cyber Security Paradigm is based on his vision of the future. He believes that the cyber warfare will forever keep evolving into a complicated and increasingly sophisticated challenge. The industry now recognizes the challenge and with the help of leaders such as Mr. Mustafa, there has been a whole paradigm shift in the industry and how Data Security products have been traditionally built. Mr. Mustafa started GhangorCloud in 2014. Headquartered in Silicon Valley, GhangorCloud is a leading provider of next-generation Information Security & Compliance solutions. The company is backed by a team, board, and advisors that include leading authorities from companies like Symantec, McAfee, Trend Micro, VeriSign, Cisco, Juniper, Alteon & Array Networks. Under Mr. Mustafa’s leadership, GhangorCloud has become one of the most powerful and best in-class providers of Information Security and Compliance solutions. Before starting his entrepreneurial journey, he has worked with companies like nexTier Networks, Artiman Ventures, Nevis Networks, Andes Networks, Network Utilities, DHL IT Services, Symantec, and others.

A PROFESSIONAL PAR EXCELLENCE

Mr. Mustafa who is currently the CEO and founder at GhangorCloud, Inc., is an industry-renowned Cybersecurity expert with demonstrated extraordinary innovative abilities in the areas of information security.

Mr. Mustafa is a serial entrepreneur with 2 more companies under his belt that he started, scaled, and successfully exited. He likes to keep up to date with all technological trends and possesses deep knowledge and understanding of a broad range of areas, especially security and database design. It is his passion to keep up with the ever-changing technology and provide the best possible, dynamic solutions. His technical expertise has been deemed incredible by his peers as he has often become the go-to person for technical know-how. In his entire career, he has worked in leadership roles where he has built Cyber Security systems and products from the ground up. Several of those products have won industry recognition as the leading Cyber Security products. He also has multiple patents (approved and pending) with USPTO and has published many research publications in the areas of Information & Data Security, Computer & Network Security, Software Architecture, Database Technologies, and Artificial Intelligence. Apart from being awarded the prestigious Rotary International Scholarship for his Doctoral Studies University of Southern California (USC), Mr. Mustafa also holds a Master’s Degree in Engineering and Computer Science from University of Southern California (USC), and a Bachelor’s Degree in Mechanical Engineering from NED University of Engineering & Technology.

Mr. Mustafa is someone who enjoys his work well beyond the realm of office or just the professional space. “To me, my work is my life and I enjoy every moment of it. The thrill and excitement of creating truly “cutting, bleeding-edge technology” are exciting like nothing else.” He also has a very unique hobby – amateur competitive ballroom dancing. While he likes to indulge in different hobbies to unwind and recoup, ballroom dancing is his favourite hobby. As per him, it gives him the opportunity to keep physically active and emotionally creative. “It is a great “art form” and a highly competitive sport,” he shares.

THE “SECURE” ROAD AHEAD

Mr. Mustafa is deeply passionate about building Cyber Security solutions that address Data Leak and Exfiltration Cyber Attacks in a holistic and conclusive fashion. His sole objective is to address the Cyber Security challenge effectively and create new technologies that in fact address this lingering perpetual problem. As Cyber Attacks are getting progressively more sophisticated, it is becoming imperative to tackle the cyber attackers with advanced technologies such as Artifcial Intelligence and Military Style Stealth. Mr. Mustafa with his highly capable team at GhangorCloud wants to address these cyber threats with a complete overhaul of the Cyber Defence Strategy.

“Cyber Insecurity poses existential crisis and must be addressed holistically from the ground up – that will require a paradigm shift based on Classical AI and System Theoretic Design,” he shared. Under his mentorship, GhangorCloud’s product has been recognized as the “Best of the Breed” solution in the data leak and exfiltration prevention (DLEP) category. The company has earned a well-deserved customer base in multiple verticals. It has been delivering solutions to IT organizations, pharmaceuticals, government agencies, national security agencies, and hi-tech companies for intellectual property protection. In the future, he just wants to constantly keep creating newer and better technologies that will not only increase his company’s footprint but benefit the whole industry.

VISION TO OFFER INVALUABLE SERVICES

Known for his charismatic personality, Amit is a prominent name in the logistics industry. A graduate from the University of Delhi, Amit earned his Master’s degree in Business Management in 2004. He has worked for well-established and reputable companies which have helped him gain a wealth of experience and exposure in the field of logistics.

Asia Shipping was established by Amit in 2012 in New Delhi with branch offices in major export centres in India. As part of its efforts to provide its customers with the best services at the most competitive rates, it offers advanced shipping services, customs clearance, warehouse management, and other logistics support products.

DEMONSTRATES AN INNOVATION-DRIVEN MINDSET

Amit’s dynamic leadership approach and innovative business development policies have helped Asia Shipping achieve and surpass all its targets over the years. In a short span of nine years, the organisation has grown from a simple start in freight forwarding services from India to Latin America, to one offering a wide array of logistics services from the Indian sub-continent to the rest of the world.

In addition to being registered with the Federal Maritime Commission, USA and CBSA, Canada, the organisation has membership in several international associations, including IATA, WCA, EAN, and FIATA.

The AEO (Authorised Economic Operator) and GDP(Good Distribution Practices) certified company was launched in collaboration with M/s Asia Shipping, Brazil [Asia Shipping Transportes Internacionais Ltda], a multinational logistics provider, which has been ranked the number one logistics organisation in Brazil for over 17 years, and operates through its 40 branches in 12 countries. Currently, it is rated among the top 30 logistics companies in the world.

ON AN EXPANSION SPREE

Under Amit’s stewardship, Asia Shipping, India has expanded its footprint across several cities in India, including New Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, Pune, Gandhidham, Ludhiana, Jamshedpur, and in the India sub-continent, Bangladesh and Dubai . Besides developing its own international network of agents and correspondents around the globe, the organisation, under his leadership, has been active in exporting and importing across all major trade lanes worldwide.

The ambitious leader also plans to continue expanding his organisation by strengthening the existing branches as well as opening new ones. Additionally, he is already involved in expanding the organisation’s international network to strengthen its global presence.

Also, he plans on adding new products and verticals to his organisation’s inventory in the coming years. Moreover, he hopes to be able to capitalize on the newly emerging opportunities that are arising from the change in the international trading environment resulting from the opening up of world markets following the after-effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.

A FUTURE-FOCUSED LEADER

Amit is a visionary leader who is always ready to face the uncertainties of the future. International cargo movement has been adversely affected by the COVID-19-induced pandemic in a variety of ways, including decline in production, inland transport constraints, storage capacity constraints and limited loading/unloading capacity at ports as well as airports.

His creative strategies and out-of-the-box thinking and proactive approach have helped his organisation to persevere and progress through the COVID-19 crisis also.

The water technology leader started his career with Dorr Oliver. He then worked for John Brown Engineering, Glasgow, before joining WABAG in the UK. In 1996, the firm deputed him to India to create a Strategic Business Unit. His stellar leadership has transformed WABAG from a subsidiary into a true Indian multinational with operations in over 25 countries across 4 continents, as well as R&D centres in India, Switzerland, and Austria, and more than 100 IP Rights. In 2005, he led the first management buyout in the history of the water industry. He then orchestrated WABAG Group’s historic reverse takeover from Siemens in 2007.

DRIVEN BY GOALS

Rajiv is a goal-oriented individual focused on reaching a planned outcome. With the motto “Sustainable solutions for a better life”, he reiterates his commitments to the UN Sustainable Development Goals and environmental, social and corporate governance. In his current role, he is working towards increased overseas orders and diversify the company’s global footprint and revenue streams. His priority is to acquire more industrial orders. He is also focusing on service businesses (operations & maintenance) to eventually contribute over 20% to the company’s top line. His main emphasis is on high-technology projects that can benefit from WABAG’s process integration and optimization capabilities. Rajiv’s future strategy is to adopt groundbreaking enterprise technology for seamless water management. In the long run, he desires to make WABAG one of the world’s top 3 water technology companies, ensuring clean water and sanitation for people all over the world. He also believes in generating wealth and sharing it with all his stakeholders. His goal driven leadership enables him to strategize in advance, which in turn helps him face even the toughest situations smoothly. For instance, during the COVID-19 pandemic, he had surefire strategies in place to keep his site employees safe with measures such as mass vaccination, safety accessories and protocols to enable them to serve millions across the globe.

EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT

Rajiv believes that a company’s strongest asset is its workforce. As a result, he continually concentrates on mentoring and directing them toward a sustainable organisational vision. Also, he is accessible to all of his coworkers and offers advice on a variety of management topics. Moreover, he believes that the best governance should be implemented with the least amount of intervention. A proponent of workplace diversity, the leader believes it is more important to emphasize principles rather than rules to create a positive work culture.

CAREER MILESTONES

When asked about his career milestones, Rajiv says his journey with WABAG has been adventurous and astonishing simultaneously. Under his leadership, the company has achieved several historic milestones over the past two and a half decades. Several of them were rare events in the world of global corporations, and he is proud to have led his crew during those times. The management buyout of WABAG India, the reverse acquisition of erstwhile parent WABAG Group, and the dream listing in stock exchanges are just a few of the many things he will always cherish. He was a young man and hardly had any entrepreneurial skills when he got involved in these opportunities, but he dared to seize those opportunities with his total belief and the support of his colleagues.

GIVING BACK TO SOCIETY

Rajiv considers CSR an integral part of his business. He is consistently focused on producing clean and safe drinking water, preventing pollution, and preserving the environment around us. As an advocate of sustainability, he encourages people to harness alternative sources of water, such as seawater, and used water as a sustainable alternative to purified water. In addition, he strongly supports efficient wastewater treatment, as well as water recovery and reutilization. Furthermore, he has been proactively advocating advanced technologies for water treatment solutions at an affordable price for municipal and industrial applications. Under his guidance, WABAG implements CSR programmes for water augmentation, water conservation, water use efficiency, water reuse, restoration of water bodies, watershed development and provision of potable water through building water treatment plants. In addition to reviving 88 open wells, Rajiv led WABAG restored more than 285 acres of rain-fed lands owned by 131 small and marginal farmers in 14 villages. Under his direction, WABAG had also created and dedicated an STP to help Adyar Cancer Institute reach its pollution control standards. Additionally, the company has developed a decentralized STP with a recycling facility at Warangal, Telangana, to benefit around 5000 urban poor. WABAG and BRLF are currently collaborating to develop watersheds in six West Bengal districts, which will benefit about 5 lakh households. WABAG also regularly participates in children’s welfare programs. For instance, in 2008, WABAG headed the Children Health Project in Cherthala, Kerala, by setting up mobile clinics for 40000 children suffering from chikungunya in 60 villages. What’s more, under his guidance, WABAG recently aided Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) in restoring normalcy to the city, which had been ravaged by floods caused by heavy rain. WABAG is also actively involved in the GCC announced Chennai Sanitation Plan.

ACCOLADES

Rajiv’s unique leadership skills and unwavering commitment have earned him myriad plaudits and accolades. He was recognized amongst World’s Top 20 Most Transformative Leaders in Water Sector by the Global Water Intelligence in 2021. He was ranked among the top three most influential global water leaders by WWI, UK for two consecutive years in 2017 and 2018. He was also ranked among the top 100 CEOs of India, and 4th in the Infra and Engineering Sector by BT-PWC, in 2018.