An admirer of Steve Jobs, Binay Bohra believes in living by creativity. He feels proud to be able to give something back to the society through his contribution to the IT sector. A computer engineer by profession, Binay likes to explore the tremendous potential of the Internet. Steve Jobs once said, “Creativity is just connecting things. When you ask creative people how they did something they feel a little guilty because they did not really do it, they just saw something. It just seemed obvious to them after a while.”

Binay Bohra, Managing Director of Vianet Communications Pvt Ltd, one of the leading Internet service providers (ISP) of Nepal finds a connection to the creative forces of cosmos. He sees new creations going on constantly in the universe. He has understood the life’s purpose – to create something new in life. He says, “We are part of the universe where creative energy is in abundance. I have always had a healthy feeling that I must create on my own and do something new.” Looking at his ISP business, he has created a link for people to connect to the vast internet that quenches people’s thirst for information, knowledge and entertainment. Moreover, he has also created employment opportunities for people in his organisation through the Internet services he offers.

Having completed his higher studies in India from Bangalore University in 1995 in Computer Engineering, he returned to Kathmandu and joined Mercantile Communications. His parents had migrated from Darchula, a district in far western Nepal. Bohra says his father, who made a big contribution in the telecommunication sector of Nepal himself, had also inspired him to become a computer engineer.

While working for three years at Mercantile, he developed the confidence to do something on his own. The Internet boom was gradually catching up in Nepal, however, there were few ISPs to cater to the growing demand of the Internet. The knowledge Bohra gained in the classroom was juxtaposed with the experience collected via his work. Vianet Communications was created in 1999 after he joined his hands with his likeminded friends. Ever since the company was conceived, Bohra and the company have been constantly moving towards the vision that was envisaged in the beginning.

Vianet was one of the pioneers to offer dial-up Internet in the Kathmandu valley. The company now offers the Internet through the latest technology such as fibre optics to those who want to get connected to high speed Internet. Likewise, it offered cheap and reliable Internet at a time when slow and costly dial-up and NTC’s leased lines were the only options, claims Bohra. He says his company was also the pioneer in offering the Internet over Wi-Fi in Nepal. Today, he says, his company has the robust network to reach offices and homes everywhere.

Whenever Bohra was asked in his childhood what he wanted to be, he used to say that he aspired to become a scientist. “Though I did not grow up to become a scientist, I am still into a creative field,” he says. He completed his schooling and college from St Xavier’s in Kathmandu. He says he possessed leadership quality since his childhood. Bohra used to be the captain of the football and athletic teams during his school days. “I have always believed in having a leadership role so I was interested in doing something on my own. I had always dreamt that I would be an entrepreneur with specialisation in a certain sector,” he recalls.

Bohra has received a lot of support from his family too. Though his spouse runs a firm of her own, she also helps him in his work. “We have our separate businesses and are entrepreneurs in our own right. We are happy that we are into a creative sector that creates jobs and is an interesting world, similar to the creation going on in the universe,” he says.

Bohra does not exert pressure on his offspring to follow a specific path. He would like to see his son grow into a balanced person. “It is not necessary that he should become a doctor or an engineer. I will support him in whatever he wants to become according to his personal interest. He should have that confidence to do what he wants to do,” he says.

Bohra who is also the President of Internet Service Providers’ Association of Nepal (ISPAN) feels that this is the age of the Internet as our lives revolve around it. According to him, it is the source of educational materials, entertainment and various activities like listening to songs, radio, reading newspapers and magazines, watching TV, shopping, e-payments etc. Therefore, he has further plans on offering the Internet with ease to his customers. “Our aim is to make this service reliable and provide high speed network facilities. We are working on it and will come up with various applications and uses for customers,” he shares. He says that the competition is too tough and ISPs have to compete with the telecom operators too as they are also offering high speed Internet.

He thinks that the current political environment is not favourable for doing business. Nevertheless, he feels nobody should stop working because of the external factors. “It has discouraged those who want to do something on their own. But, we have to go on working at our end,” he says. Being from an IT sector he admires Steve Jobs, co-founder of Apple Inc. Bohra likes his way of working – hearing to his inner soul without caring what others say rather than following somebody else. He considers Jobs as a successful and visionary leader. Similarly, he also admires Mahatma Gandhi as a fighter who overcame challenges.

Bohra believes that management philosophy varies from personto- person and also the nature of projects. He believes that there is no shortcut to success and taking up leadership position requires dedication, understanding and intense involvement in the project. “One must work extremely hard because the world has become so competitive. It’s good to be smart, wealthy and lucky but the most important one is the self-belief and confidence,” he opines. He believes mistakes made could be corrected midway. “Mistakes are our learning opportunities but the focus should always be on the target,” he adds. For Bohra, success is multifaceted. He believes that success cannot be measured with the rise and fall in career only. “A person may have a highly successful business but what if his family life is wrecked? Likewise, a person may work hard and earn a lot of money. But it is of no use if his health does not favour him. So, a balanced life is a must and most importantly, you must do something that satisfies your heart,” he explains.

Bohra thinks that the human resource is the most valuable asset for any organisation. “Leaders cannot perform alone. If a team works as a single entity with the dedication on a single mission without refining human resources and rightly managing and understanding the value of people, it is impossible to achieve success,” he says. In his company, Bohra ensures that he hires better people every time. He thinks that intellect should be the basis of recruitment and a team should not be formed based on recommendations alone.

Bohra thinks that working within the country is the biggest contribution to the society. “We live in a society where we may have been doing some creative work and it might have benefited many. It is also possible that people are inspired and enjoying work because of us. So, working here with our own people is more important” he opines. Bohra wishes to diversify his area of operations and is looking forward to work in newer sectors apart from the IT industry. Similarly, he also wishes to take out more time from his routine work and do something more interesting in life.


PERSONAL SIDE

• Likes watching football

• Loves travelling

• Pokhara is the favourite destination within the country

• Not so fond of accessories like watches

• Not so brand conscious; quality is more important. Interested in value more than the brand.

• Carries Samsung Galaxy mobile phone

• Fond of dogs and has a Labrador

• Was a keen sportsman once