CG Corp Global’s Nirvana Chaudhary talks expansion, wealth and uplifting Nepal

The Chaudhary Group conglomerate he heads not only contributes more in tax revenues than any other company in the country and accounts for approaching 10 per cent of the economy, it is also one of the South Asian nation’s biggest employers.

And right now, jobs are exactly what the young people of Nepal need, as they continue to leave the country in their droves in search of a better life – hurting both the economy and society, Chaudhary says.

According to local media, employment and education are the main reasons for the exodus. Chaudhary says a recent political reshuffle also contributed.

“So we need to multiply jobs, multiply our growth, create more industries,” he said, adding that he “wasn’t going anywhere”.

The 41-year-old, who is based in Nepal with his wife and two children, leads the Chaudhary Group as its managing director, with direct control over 11 of the conglomerate’s businesses while his two younger brothers manage the others.

The family’s business interests span banks, hotels, factories and industrial estates, as well as the popular Wai Wai brand of instant noodles.

Chaudhary told This Week in Asia that his dream is to “create small universes under a big universe”, vertically integrating the family’s businesses to eventually create a one-stop shop for customers.

But he says he wants to expand the Chaudhary Group in a measured and disciplined way. For starters, he is bound by governance rules set by the group’s family-run investment council, as well as “standard operating procedures” for everything he does with the business.

There is also a professional wealth management team that advises the family on a regular basis.

“Maybe 10 years ago, we used to ‘catch’ any business that came our way, not any more. Today we