Moti Lal Dugar

Chairman

TM Dugar Group

Moti Lal Dugar, Chairman of TM Dugar Group, is a third generation entrepreneur,who is successfully continuing a legacy of 127 years old industrial family Dugar. He never imagined a career beyond business. Dugar feels fortunate to be born in a business family and takes pride in the fact that his group tasted success  in whatever business it ventured into.

Dugar is now Chairman of TM Dugar Group that has a wide array of interests ranging from banking, hydropower, automobiles, agro solutions, life insurance, FMCG products, agro based industries, consultancy to automobiles, among others. He is also Chairman of Sunrise Bank Ltd and Gurans Life Insurance Co Ltd, two public limited companies promoted by TM Dugar Group with some friends. Dugar says he does not like to be involved in any politics of business and never wished to be a front runner in any association. However, he feels it is okay to be associated with those forums which are directly related to his business and trade. He is the Treasurer of Nepal-USA Chamber of Commerce and Industry and Forum of Nepalese Banks.

Dugar was born and educated in Biratnagar. He went to Adarsha Vidyalaya, a school that has produced a number of prominent entrepreneurs and politicians. He received education till BCom at Mahendra Morang College. The Dugars were one of the well-off families even during those days. He recalls the range of luxuries available at his home those days bullock cart, horses, maids and servants. During his college days, Dugar used to ride a Honda 250cc motorcycle imported from Japan. He remembers the first family car a Land Rover. During his student days, he was one of the good students in class though he never stood among the top three. Sport was not his cup of tea either. However, as a child, he was fond of traditional children's games like marbles and dandi biyo among others.

He was in his early teens when he began working in his family business. At the age of around 17, he took up full responsibility and started looking after some of his companies. At that time, Dugars were in a joint family and living in Biratnagar. His elder Brother Tola Ram Dugar was looking after the business after their father died. After Tola Ram Dugar passed away in May 2011, Moti Lal has taken over the lead of the TM Dugar Group. Moti Lal was just 11 when his father passed away. Young Dugar began his career at the textile shop. Gradually, he started visiting industries and understood the knots and bolts of handling a business. He took up the responsibility from keeping accounts to making contracts, looking after exports, export-import contracts and even LCs. The initial business of the Dugars was textiles and agro products. The business was later expanded to jute export, steel factory, rice mills and others.

The process of expansion in fact never stopped. In the same course, the family shifted to Kathmandu. The family business was sector-wise divided among four brothers. Among those, Moti Lal got the automobiles business for which he was working since the beginning. It has been four decades since he began working in this sector. Now, he is also a specialist in automobile, banking and insurance. He is planning to venture into hydropower. The Dugar group has always been the leading industrial group of Nepal. Dugar is content with the growth and development of the company. He says, “Our family always aimed at taking the business to next level. So far, we are satisfactorily moving ahead. We are successful in maintaining the leadership position in every business we ventured into.He adds that his company has been successful in sticking to its principle. Maintaining the status achieved in the course of 127 years is what Dugar feels is a matter of satisfaction and an achievement in itself.

He feels he inherited the success that was accomplished by his parents and senior family members. He gives the credit of his company's success to them, especially his eldest brother late Tolaram Dugar whom his regards as high as his father not only as elder brother. More importantly, he feels he inherited the trust and belief of Nepali people in his group. He expresses pleasure to be born as a business person. He does not have any regrets about having the career that he thinks was destined for him. According to Dugar, job satisfaction is the most pleasing aspect of the business.

Dugar claims that honesty is the everlasting principle of the Dugar group. Dugar explains, “High degree of honesty must be maintained. Customers should not be cheated. A business can never sustain without customer's trust. The group has been working with such vision and belief.Dugar believes clients are the incarnation of Goddess Laxmi Goddess of wealth and she should not be cheated. He says thanks to such principles, the group is valued high in the market today.

For Dugar, profit, loss or big money is not the measure of success. He says, There are many other groups who have more money than us. We began from scratch and achieved this status. We are satisfied with this. Our business image has never been lower than others and that has been a matter of pride for us. He identifies success in the manner the people recognise and trust the group. Profit and loss is something that keeps changing but the recognition does not and it will lead to profit and stability of the company. He feels his next generation has a ready path shown by the long history of the group. They don't have to work too hard. They just need to add cherry on top, he says. Fifth generation of the Dugar family his grandchildren will soon join the business after their education.

The group that was initially into the food grain and agro based industries stepped into the service industry through banking and insurance around five years back. Dugar sees the future of Nepal in three areas hydropower, tourism and agriculture. He says Nepal cannot compete with India and China with a high cost of production by subsidising industries with a bundle of discounts and waivers. Although the Dugar group does not have any plans to venture into tourism sector, it will soon be developing hydroelectricity projects. The group is planning to develop more than 170 Megawatts of hydroelectricity in the near future. Pan Himalaya Energy Pvt Ltd, Global Hydro Power Associate Pvt Ltd and Numbur Himalaya Hydropower Pvt Ltd have been established by the group for tapping hydropower potentials in the country. He thinks hydropower is a money-making industry that has huge export potentials although it is a capital-intensive sector. He says hydropower is liked by the world for its environmental benefits and sustainability.

On Nepal's failure to develop hydroelectricity sector despite huge potentials, Dugar says, All political parties must have genuine commitment for the development of the nation. Everyone must shed his leg-pulling attitude and should respect others' ideas if they benefit the nation. Such massive projects will not be possible without foreign investors. They must be welcomed anyhow. Investment worth billions of rupees will not come just with phoney speeches.

While deciding anything about the companies in the group, one person looking after a particular sector never interferes with another. He reveals that there will be discussions on visions and plans and anyone in the family can invest if he has interests.

In the TM Dugar Group, 1,500 employees are working. Dugar says a separate committee looks after the human resource management. He says human resource is the real capital of any company. So, we provide handsome salary as motivation. People working here have a distinct and prestigious life, he says. He reveals that employees are quite steady with the companies. He shares numerous examples of people working in the group for as long as three generations.

Dugar says he does not have uber luxury in life. He likes to lead a simple life and does not have any luxurious demands. Dugar gets up at six in the morning and goes to health club. For remaining healthy, he exercises everyday and is conscious about food habits. After having breakfast, he goes to his office between 10 and 10:30 in the morning and returns home at around 8 pm. He does not have much interest in social parties and rather feels annoyed if he has to frequently attend them. He thinks partying more than once a week is too much. He loves watching television, chatting with family, reading newspapers and listening to music. These are his favourite pastimes. He does not work on Saturdays. His mornings and evenings are dedicated to his family.

When he has to suggest anyone who wants to follow his footsteps, he says: Do anything with dedication, focus and honesty. Do not dive into anything seeing someone else making profit. It is wise to focus on expanding what you already have. The competition is so tough so you must be careful while investing. You may lose your hard earned money. In this regards, I am quite conservative.

When it comes to charity and philanthropy, he believes in building hospitals rather than building a temple. When we have some problems (health) we need hospitals as temples cannot cure us. Building a hospital is more spiritual than a temple. It does not mean I am atheist but I believe more people will benefit from a hospital,” he opines. He adds hospital is for service while a temple is for satisfaction. A hospital built by his late elder brother has been handed over to Koshi Zonal Hospital in Biratnagar.

Dugar does not believe in a retired life. Though 65, he looks much younger to his age and is actively involved in business. He says, Retirement makes one feel old and weak. It diminishes the capacity as well as the prestige. Everyone respects active person. I believe one should not retire and should work as long as one can.

An active and youthful attitude of Dugar is certain to lead his companies to greater success in the days to come.