Submit your Article

Engineer’s Quality Nepal Pvt Ltd (EQ Nepal) is Nepal’s authorized distributor of household home appliances for Midea. It has been bringing luxury, premium, and high-end products for smaller domestic appliances in the Nepali market since 2020. “EQ Nepal believes in enhancing lifestyles and offering clients brand-name services at reasonable prices,” says Gyanendra Raj Luitel, president of the company.  Luitel spent more than 20 years living in China, where he gathered knowledge and exposure for starting the business in Nepal. After returning home, he started his business despite the Covid-19 pandemic.  He says many of his friends and relatives advised him against starting a business during the low times of the pandemic, but his thinking was exactly the opposite.  He saw it as a personal challenge with a potential to become a game-changer in Nepali home appliance market. “I thought it was an opportunity to grow because post-covid the market scenario was going to change,” he says. EQ Nepal deals in must-have kitchen products, like the cooking hob with a timer system, the first ever in the Nepali market, and the kitchen chimney unit that guarantees better suction power and less noise.   “We are bringing trending products to the Nepali market,” says Luitel. “And so far, they have been received well by our customers, without any complaints.” Next, the company is planning to introduce a dishwasher that can be controlled by the so-called ‘internet of things’ (IoT) through the Midea app.  “We plan to be the first company to bring new technologies to Nepal, and we are working really hard towards it,” says Luitel, who believes that brand value is the key to long-term satisfaction and quality of life.  “We are dealing with branded goods that are also affordable,” he adds. Vinay Kumar Shah, vice-president of EQ Nepal, says the company wants to upgrade the lifestyle of not just one section of Nepali society, but everyone.  “We all deserve a comfortable life and we aim to provide that with quality and range. Midea is for all of us,” he says. The company believes that when people buy low-quality products from the market, the longevity of the product is not enough. Also, a non-brand product does not have spare parts available in the market if they get broken.  “I agree that branded products come at a bit pricier end, but to look at this in the long term,” says Luitel. “Non-brands have a short life span and they are hard to fix. This will eventually cost you more.”  The company places high trust in Midea products and it is here to prove that to the Nepali customers. So far so good.   

Bishal KC, executive director, Career Point Education Services Pvt Ltd, believes youngsters need to be nurtured to live up to their potential. Nepal Teen Leaders (NTL), an exclusive student-centric year-long program designed for teenage students, aims to hone them into smart, talented, and creative individuals. The goal of the program is to ensure the students have bright futures. KC says fostering young people’s development helps build future leaders and the nation, which is why he is so keen on it. Career Point Education Services Pvt Ltd is basically an educational consultancy for higher studies. NTL, an initiation of the consultancy, was started in 2018 and is currently in its fourth year. From choosing the right career to developing their personalities and improving their social skills, NTL focuses on many different aspects of career-building. KC believes good communication skills help people make better decisions and develop an analytical viewpoint. Thus, working on public speaking and communication skills is an important part of the program. Additionally, the program brings in experts from different fields under whose mentorship or guidance the students get to learn. To be eligible for the program, the candidates must have cleared grade 11 or equivalent level and should show an avid interest in working on pressing social issues. [caption id="attachment_32179" align="alignnone" width="300"] Bishal KC[/caption] The program, which is KC’s brainchild, came out of his desire to work towards a better tomorrow. This, he says, can only happen if the new generation is exposed to new things and opportunities and are able to compete in this fast-paced world. For that, one needs to be focused and confident and that’s where NTL comes in. “I did my schooling in Nuwakot and I didn’t have a lot of opportunities and facilities. I realize the importance of them now, of how it can shape one’s life,” he says. He moved to Kathmandu to pursue higher education and later on got involved in politics. He became a member of the US Embassy Youth Council and that’s when he felt driven by the need to start his own project that could help other students like him. “I thought even if I could impact the lives of say 10 students, I would have done something good,” he says. But nothing of consequence can be done overnight. KC’s goal was to establish a platform that would help shape students' futures but a lot of things needed to be worked out for that. KC faced a lot of challenges. From sponsorship to branding issues, it was a struggle to give form to NTL. The initial budget, of Rs 500,000, was a meager amount but KC persevered and NTL is where it is today. Educative director of Career Point Shiva Danai says they are committed to contributing to the society by preparing teenagers to be the best versions of themselves. Danai feels there’s a gap between what we are taught in classrooms and its practical application in daily life. NTL aspires to bridge that gap. Besides training students, NTL also holds various awareness programs. They did the ‘No Tax on Pad’ and ‘No, Not Again’ (a campaign asking not to repeat old faces in politics). [caption id="attachment_32180" align="alignnone" width="300"] Shiva Danai[/caption] The good thing is that it’s the students who organize these campaigns. They also do career fests, set up libraries in schools that need them, and plan other similar events. This, KC says, allows them to learn through practice as well as work on their networking skills. Sahil Das Kushwaha, a member of NTL’s first batch, says NTL gave him the opportunity to do things he wouldn’t normally get to do. It also made him confident and gave him a chance to meet people from different walks of life. Similarly, Chetana Shrestha, who was a part of the second batch, says it was a great experience, one that helped her enhance her skills and discover some hidden talents as well. Shishir Marasaini, NTL third batch member, agrees with her. He says he has realized being creative fuels confidence. It also makes you curious and thus knowledgeable, he adds. Students today generally follow trends. They are largely driven by peer-pressure. This makes them unable to form solid opinions and ideas. Their minds are always changing. KC believes the right guidance can help them be true to who they are and thus able to make better decisions. “Parents and teachers only focus on academics. Good scores are all that matters for them. But along with academic success, creativity and skills are equally important in life. The sooner we all realize this the better,” says KC.

Prasid Group of Companies was founded in 2007. It consists of three business entities: Prasid International, Prasid Pashmina, and Prasid Water Solutions. Each of them operates in entirely different sectors. Prasid International is the distributor for Eureka Forbes, India (Eureka Forbes Ltd is an Indian multinational consumer goods company). They import and market water purifiers, vacuum cleaners, etc. Prasid Pashmina manufactures premium cashmere/pashmina products that are exported to Europe, the US, and some Asian countries. Likewise, Prasid Water Solution provides natural spring drinking water. Its plant is based in Godawari, Lalitpur. “Our vision is to establish a conglomerate with interests in diverse industries by implementing a corporate culture through innovation, passion, quality, and empowerment,” says Ajay Singh Karki, chairman and founder, Prasid Group of Companies.  The group is currently planning to add more consumer durable products and get into export starting with its Forbes Spring Water. Previously, Karki used to work for multinational corporations in India, such as Tata Group’s Eureka Forbes Ltd, DCM Shriram Consolidated Ltd, and HCL Group. He returned to Nepal in 1994 to work with his uncle who had a carpet export business.  He parted ways with his uncle in 1997 to work for the NGO, Nepal Goodweave Foundation.  The foundation rescued child laborers working in the carpet industry and rehabilitated them by providing them education and shelter. Karki also started his pashmina business around this time. And in 2004, he was appointed as the country head for Eureka Forbes Ltd, earlier known as Euroguard. He went full-time with his business only in 2007.  Karki believes the ‘Make in Nepal’ initiative by the Confederation of Nepalese Industries could immensely help Nepali the industries if only the quality of the products sold in the Nepali market is adequately regulated.  “Water jars are being sold at Rs 45-50 in the market when the transportation cost itself is Rs 20, but nobody is questioning the quality of the water,” he says. “Low-quality products are going with the wrong labels.” According to Karki, Nepali carpets used to hold premium status at one time, but then carpet makers started compromising on the quality of their products. “This malpractice is the reason why the export of Nepali carpets took a serious hit. The same thing is happening with pashmina and other products, no matter if they are of export quality or for selling locally.” Karki believes in serving consumers with the right quality of products. “That's how the Nepali market can flourish,” he says.  As a landlocked country, Karki adds, Nepal should focus on manufacturing its own products and depend less on imports. “Nepali industries are already going through rough times. First, there was the 2015 earthquake, which was followed by the border blockade in the south, and then Covid-19 pandemic.” Karki laments the fact that the government is not doing enough to help industries start self-production at a time when the import of numerous goods has been banned, citing depleting foreign reserves. He adds the undeclared border blockade from China has made the situation worse.  “China's border is not open like India's, so only a limited amount of goods can be transported through it,” he says. “The government should step up to encourage domestic production and export.”

Kapil Mani Dixit is an extremely skilled figurative artist. He is well-known and well-received for his nude figure paintings drawn with the help of live models. The talented artist is a pioneer of nude artwork in Nepal and has been successful in shining the spotlight on nude figurative artwork in conservative societies, such as Nepal. By showcasing his figurative paintings, he hopes to spread the word that nude art isn’t vulgar. It’s rather about appreciating the human body in its purest and most natural form. In his opinion, the human body is magnificent in every manner and even its flaws are to be celebrated. His work makes a bold and impactful statement but it has never been easy as Dixit has often been on the receiving end of a lot of scorn. Dixit was interested in art since childhood. He says he was pretty sure art was what he wanted to pursue when he was just six years old. He took a nine-month training program after high school. His father, who was a government official, used to draw nude paintings as a hobby. “His sketches used to be so perfect and beautiful. I think that stayed in my subconscious mind,” he says. A brief period of confusion followed when he chose to study commerce, but he was never particularly interested in it. He then got enrolled at the Lalit Kala Campus, a fine arts campus in Kathmandu, for a two-year course. After that, he traveled to the United States of America and got a degree in fine arts from the University of Texas, Arlington. Dixit was in the US for 11 years before “finally realizing that it wasn’t the place for him”. He returned to Nepal in 2008. According to him, nudity is not and should not be glamorized. It’s the most natural thing in the world. “The models talk to me and I capture their feelings. I use male, female, and trans models. Size and gender are no bar. I just want to portray the human body,” he says. There are many models who are insecure about their bodies but still want to pose for him. They are trying to become comfortable with themselves. Sometimes even rape survivors approach him. Everyone always has a story to tell. “These models don’t do it for a paycheck. It’s a cathartic process for them where they try to accept their bodies,” he adds. He believes the human body is a beautiful thing and no one should be ashamed of their body, no matter what others tell us. “Our society’s definition of beauty constantly changes with time. Instead of dwelling on our insecurities, we should celebrate what we already have,” he says. You could say Dixit’s clear beliefs have been shaped by the criticism he received for his work. From being blamed for ruining the Nepali culture to excluding him from functions and gatherings, he has had to steel himself against a lot of testy times. But nothing people have said can change his relationship with art. He has also been lucky because his family has always supported him. His wife, he says, is his biggest cheerleader. Even when people have made fun of him at family functions and he has felt embarrassed, he has taken comfort in the fact that his wife has always understood and applauded him. He laments that his work, however, makes things difficult for his family too. He realizes this is inevitable but it’s sometimes hard to let things slide when people, who are closed to new, different ideas, are mean to his loved ones. Dixit has two daughters, and he gives his girls the necessary exposure to his works. He thinks parents and children should be able to talk about anything. He wants normalcy in his line of work and thinks change should start at home. “When my daughter was really young, she looked at one of my paintings and said that the subject wasn’t wearing a diaper. I found the comment hilarious. But it was also a good step towards normalizing nude paintings,” he says. In addition to talking about awareness, he also aims to influence youth to take up figurative paintings. His heart swells with pride when young people say his works inspire them, it feels like his hard work and struggles haven’t been futile. Dixit wants to open a school for figurative drawing in the future so that the new generation can normalize and popularize this artform. “If you are closed to ideas and concepts that aren’t in line with yours, everything you don’t understand will seem like a big deal. Nude painting is one of the many examples of that. There should be more conversations on taboo subjects and these conversations have to first happen at home,” he says. Dixit is currently working for the exhibition ‘Nude’ that will be held in October this year. It’s a series of quick nude gestures.  

Avinash Narayanaswamy, founder of the start-up Green Law, is an environmentalist, philanthropist, former assistant professor, and social volunteer. He was selected as one of 172 people to participate in the 2041 Climate Force Antarctica Expedition dedicated to climate change and sustainability leadership. At present, Narayanaswamy is on a quest to promote the concept of a sustainable lifestyle with ‘Bio-diesel Odyssey 2022’. He is on a car journey to promote sustainable practices using fuel that is eco-friendly. The trip is sponsored by Aris Bioenergy, a company that provides renewable solutions and helps generate biodiesel from used cooking oil. Accompanying him is 23-year-old Aakankash NM who is a product designer by profession, besides being a student and a social volunteer as well. NM is on the same mission as Narayanaswamy. During the expedition they will cover three countries (India, Nepal and Bhutan) traversing approximately 10,000 kms in 30 days. They started the expedition on August 24 from Bangalore, flagged off by a member of the Indian parliament, Tejasvi Surya. Kathmandu was one of the many stop points. This isn’t his first expedition. He has previously traveled across Europe and South India as well. “This time, we crossed international borders with a car running on self-made fuel. This fuel is supposed to be eco-friendly,” says Narayanaswamy. The main objective of the mission is to promote a sustainable lifestyle and it’s mainly targeted towards youth so they don’t repeat the many mistakes (like deforestation, burning of fossil fuels, etc.) the generation before them made. The purpose of the expedition is to show you can have as little impact as possible on the planet if you are conscious of your actions. Narayanaswamy tries to live as sustainable a life as possible. Besides operating his car with self-made biodiesel, he’s into rainwater harvesting, has rooftop solar setups at his home, composts kitchen waste, rides an electric two-wheeler charged by the rooftop solar, and is involved in tree plantation drives, and solid waste management practices. “Nobody can live a completely sustainable life with zero impact. But you have to start somewhere. Reducing consumption, I believe, is a great way to begin your journey towards a sustainable lifestyle. And it’s very doable,” he says. He gives an example of his own vegetarian to vegan transition journey. He slowly cut dairy products from his diet to become vegan until it felt like the most natural thing to do. “You can’t make big changes overnight. But taking small, easy steps and working on one thing at a time can ultimately bring about the change you want,” he adds. Narayanaswamy’s fascination and dedication with leading an eco-friendly lifestyle goes way back. He got a bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering from Rashtriya Vidyalaya College of Engineering, Bengaluru in 2004. In 2006, he started working for a multinational company that produces paints. Paint industry creates a lot of pollution and Narayanaswamy witnessed that when working for one. That’s when he realized he wanted to do something that didn’t negatively impact the environment. “I thought that it was the correct time to switch to doing something closer to my heart,” he says. Rampant cutting of trees in Bangalore was also another trigger point for him. So, he went to The Netherlands to do his masters in Sustainable Energy Technology in 2009 which he followed up with a second masters in Environmental and Energy Management from the University of Twente in 2015. He has been working in the field of biodiesel for a decade. Transesterification is a chemical reaction used for the conversion of triglycerides (fats) contained in oils (feedstocks) into usable biodiesel. Biodiesel produced by transesterification has a much lower viscosity, making it capable of replacing diesel in diesel engines. “What I have done is nothing innovative but there is a modification in the technique,” he says. Whatever waste he generates in the process of making biodiesel, he converts it into other products like herbal floor cleaners and soaps. Green Law, thus, strongly emphasizes the concept of circular economy. “Climate change isn’t a myth as people would like to believe. It’s a reality and I experienced it when I was in Antarctica,” says Narayanaswamy. He witnessed animal migration, warmer waters, and also rainfall. It almost never rains in Antarctica but it happened for the first time when Narayanaswamy was there. “Climate change is going to cause havoc on our planet unless we do something about it. Our mission highlights how you can live sustainably to help save the planet,” he says.

Quest Pharmaceuticals is a WHO-GMP-certified science-based healthcare company. Established in 2001, the company is currently celebrating its 20th anniversary. As per the study of IQVIA, a leading global provider of advanced analytics, technology solutions and clinical research services to the life sciences industry, Quest is placed second in the ranking of pharmaceutical companies in Nepal in the year 2021. Quest was jointly founded by Prithvi Rajbhandary, Uttam Kumar Shrestha, Shailendra Prasad Verma, and Umesh Lal Shrestha. They continue to form the core company members. “Quest is a ‘family-friend business’ founded by the unison of friends. We are the second generation,” says Aseem Rajbhandari, associate director of strategy and operations. The major inspiration behind establishing Quest, he adds, was the idea to contribute to Nepal’s economic sector and make it self-reliant and independent. Before Quest, there were already many pharmaceuticals producing medicines under general category and only one company manufacturing specialized medicines. The company started out by manufacturing and marketing highly specialized cardio and diabetic medicines. Today, Quest manufactures over 100 medicines; nearly 90 percent of them belong to the chronic disease segment. “We envision Nepal to be self-sufficient in international standard quality healthcare and medication, which are safe, affordable and easily available,” says Rajbhandari. The company places high priority on R&D and investing in innovative machines and reverse engineering equipment to produce high quality products. Besides overseeing the strategy and operations, Rajbhandari also looks after the HR and IT departments, strategic planning, financial risk management, and regulatory compliance for Quest. “I used to work in the US as a financial analyst before coming to Nepal to join the business,” he says. “It has been five years since I joined Quest and I have learned a lot over these years.” Rajbhandari likes to believe that he and the other second-generation leaders at Quest are in the transition phase. The Covid-19 pandemic was a huge learning experience for them. Supply of raw materials, most of which come from India, was heavily constrained due to the border closure. “It was an unforeseen challenge for the company,” says Rajbhandari. “But we managed to overcome the challenge because we had a system in place.” He says the current challenge for Quest is the hike in the price of raw materials, while having to adhere to the price cap. “It has always been a major issue for us, given we are highly dependent on imports.” Another challenge is cyber security threats and growing market competition. But Rajbhandari feels challenges and difficulties have made Quest and its team stronger and resilient. “They push us to come up with good strategies to improve ourselves.” Rajbhandari is grateful to the Quest staff members for the company’s success. “We have a great working culture. We have over 500 employees and as a brand, we are one of the preferred ones in the market,” he adds. Quest plans to expand into new markets, such as dermatology, in the near future. To this end, the company is conducting industry-relevant feasibility studies. The company is also focusing on the export of its products. Rajbhandari is confident that Nepali products are as good as foreign ones and more affordable. “Since we are planning to enter the export market, we have to meet additional quality parameters,” he says. “This will further increase our product quality.”

Arun Sainju leads the volunteer group RNA16 that worked closely with the Nepal Army during the height of Covid-19 infections in Nepal. The group handled coronavirus casualties without a moment’s hesitation because ‘someone had to do it’. RNA16 that stands for Rescue and Awareness in 16 Types of Disaster also helped rescue people during the 2015 earthquakes. The team conducted rescue missions in Sindhupalchok during last year’s monsoon as well. Thirty-three-year-old Sainju says the team helps people during emergencies and does so free of cost. Sainju is motivated by empathy and a need to provide help, without any delay and clauses, when it’s required. He says the army and other government rescue teams have to go through many protocols before they are finally able to attend to an emergency. “I’m not bound by red tape and protocols so that saves valuable time,” he says. Sainju also believes money isn’t a priority when lives are at stake. It’s an issue that needs to be worked out before or after an emergency, not during it, he adds. “During an emergency, you just act.” Sainju is a Microsoft-certified system engineer. But he admits he didn’t have a clear direction about what he wanted to do in life. It was during the 2015 earthquake when he started helping out at a hospital that he realized he liked being of service to those in need. Sainju had high fever and was admitted at the Bhaktapur Hospital when the earthquake struck on April 25. People flooded to the hospital as it was a safe space. Many people were gravely injured, some had minor cuts and bruises, and others were just panicking. It was a Saturday so there was only one doctor (his friend) on duty. The few nurses who were there weren’t in any state to help. His friend asked Sainju to step in and that’s how he started volunteering at the hospital. “You could say the incident changed me. I decided to continue helping people in whatever capacity I could,” he says. Currently, he is also the head of a social service unit at Bhaktapur Hospital that helps people with their medical bills. It makes use of government-allotted funds to do so. Work, Sainju says, is definitely taxing. It takes a toll on him mentally and physically. But Sainju is determined to do whatever it takes to alleviate people’s pain and suffering during disasters. His mother died two months after giving birth to him and he lost his father when he was just a boy. The unfortunate events have given him the courage to handle death and dead bodies. The RNA16 team was also active during the Covid-19 pandemic. The team lived in the first base camp (at 6,065m) for over a year and helped transport 5,000 patients. Amazingly, none of them ever tested positive for Covid-19. They were also the first ones to ready vehicles to carry dead bodies. Sainju says people mocked them at first, said they were taking unnecessary measures. But when people started dying, they were the only ones prepared to handle the crisis immediately. “Right before the lockdown, we had even started conducting classes at around 128 places on precautions and safety measures,” says Sainju, adding he believes training is of paramount importance in disaster response. When he started out, he rescued first and trained later. It was the need of the hour. But, in hindsight, he could have done better had he had the necessary know-how on disaster management. He has since then trained himself with the help of the army. Sainju laments Nepal isn’t ready for disasters. It’s not equipped to handle large-scale crises. It’s mostly because of lack of trained manpower as well as facilities, he says. RNA16 provides training for free and has, so far, taught over 6,000 students the basics of disaster management. One of the major issues during any emergency is lack of proper response. Untrained rescue operators can do more harm than good. Sainju aims to change that. He also wants to open a school that specializes in rescue and disaster response. “I want to establish a system that will produce trained manpower and prepare Nepal to face any disaster.”