Chairman | Nikai Group of Companies
Paras Shahdadpuri is a prominent and seasoned businessman with over three decades at the helm of Nikai Group of Companies. As a former diplomat with the Indian Foreign Services, he is an active participant in community development initiatives in India and the UAE.
Adored by many, Shahdadpuri is fondly referred to as Mr Reliable for establishing a brand that has won the trust of over 60 million consumers in 50+ countries in the Middle East, Africa and CIS. Under his stellar stewardship, Nikai Group of Companies has emerged as a regional leader in consumer electronics and home appliances, FMCG distribution, staffing and outsourcing, third party logistics and digital transformation solutions.
Birth of the Conglomerate
The Nikai Group of Companies was established in 1987 by Paras Shahdadpuri. Setting up the company wasn’t easy at all. Shahdadpuri had to take a massive leap of faith by quitting his career as a diplomat with the Indian Foreign Service to pursue his entrepreneurial journey. Today, he recalls this moment as the most significant decision of his life.
Nikai Group is now widely known in the UAE as a trusted brand of the region and a global conglomerate with business interests in consumer electronics and appliances, information technology, staffing and outsourcing, general trading, FMCG, logistics, etc. with international operations. Their electronics vertical exports over 400 products to more than 50 countries.
The group has over 6,000 employees. Shahdadpuri still looks forward to furthering greater growth and innovation. Thanks to his relentless zeal and pursuit of innovative ideas, the group has succeeded in being a recipient of the Dubai Quality Appreciation Award (DQAA), Shaikh Khalifa Excellence Award (SKEA) and various other awards on multiple occasions in the recent past.
A Journey of Growth and Integrity
Paras Shahdadpuri’s leadership drove Nikai Group of Companies from its humble trading practices into an international operations enterprise, with business interests spanning electronics, home appliances, FMCG, digital transformation solutions, staffing and outsourcing, general trading and third party logistics, to name a few.
Enabled by his propitious vision and a deep conviction in human possibilities, history has it, he decided to embark on an adventurous business venture, leaving behind a prestigious position in the Indian Foreign Services as a diplomat.
With plans to set up a business base in the UK, amidst which a coincidental journey to Dubai left him captivated with the possibilities he foresaw in the Emirates. Soon, he set up his business base in the UAE and established the Nikai Group of Companies.
The company began by dealing in general trading and bulk movement of commodities like tea, coffee, rice, detergents and fertilizers, to various global destinations. They then broadened their horizons in the arena of consulting and staffing by setting up TASC, which provides outsourcing and staffing services to global business giants in a variety of industries like banking/finance, energy, engineering, telecommunications and various sectors of the economy.
Nikai has various warehouse setups in the UAE: a flagship logistics hub in Dubai Investment Park, a warehouse in Jebel Ali North and a logistics facility in Umm Al Quwain, besides similar facilities in other countries in which they operate. In addition to the large storage capacity provided, N1ka1 also offers customised and cost-effective integrated logistics solutions to clients. Not to mention, its logistics services come with the highest level of safety standards given during the cargo handling process.
The latest addition to the group is Spotnik. Spotnik Technologies presents 3 main Business Lines: Services, Products and Consulting. They provide end-to-end capabilities from design to development using the latest and most innovative technologies and have a wide spectrum of products and solutions that span across AR, VR, Al and !OT, to the latest in sustainability and smart city management that help businesses in optimising their resources and ensuring enhanced customer experience.
It specialises in building creative business applications that utilise location-based processes with zero infrastructure deployments, real-time indoor navigation mapping, and augmented reality enhancements. Nikai is a socially responsible group and has always led with compassion by supporting groups like Dubai Cares, Al Noor Training Centre, Rashid Centre for People of Determination, Dubai Autism Centre and many charities in the UAE and back home in India, under Chairman Shahdadpuri’s philanthropic efforts.
Over the past two decades, under the leadership of Shahdadpuri, the company has blossomed into a diversified conglomerate, catering to various services, with offices spread across Oman, China, Saudi Arabia, Georgia, Egypt, Qatar and other countries. Shahdadpuri, with skill and qualities that reflect integrity, will power and fortitude, continues to shine through his desire to give back to the community in service and trust.
He served as President of IBPC (Indian Business and Professional Council) and has been a contributor to the growth of India UAE economic, investment and trade relations, nurturing close ties with UAE authorities and local business houses.
Even though he has been honoured with multiple accolades including the prestigious Bharat Shiromani Award in 2005, he believes that the group’s biggest success story is not an event or an award, but the feeling that their customers associate the name Nikai with reliability.
Shahdadpuri emphasizes when saying, “Nikai does not sell products, it sells an experience.” He elaborates: “A can of Pepsi costs you half a dollar, but in a restaurant, it costs 10 dollars. Nothing added to it, no sugar, no water, nothing; then why 20 times more cost? A good restaurant simply offers an experience, and that is what the Nikai Group does for its products and services, but without adding any significant premium.” Amazing, isn’t it?
Strengthening Diplomatic Ties
For almost three decades now, Shahdadpuri has contributed to the economic and investment growth of both India and the UAE. In a recent meeting with Dr. Thani Bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi, UAE Minister of Foreign Trade, Shahdadpuri shared extensively many ideas and thoughts that contribute to the economic growth, as well as the economic relationship between India and the UAE.
He believes that CEPA (Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement), the recent agreement signed by India and the UAE, is a significant and unique step in strengthening ties between both nations. CEPA is not a simple FTA, but a very comprehensive and inclusive cooperation agreement with many unique features.
As the relationship between India and the UAE deepens, Shahdadpuri expects the relationship between the peripheral countries in the Gulf Cooperation Council to further enhance qualitatively. He is confident that 100 billion dollars in trade between the two countries will materialise soon, buoyed in no small measure by the whopping success of Dubai Expo 2020.
Shahdadpuri’s Advice for Startups
Shahdadpuri is convinced that founders like Bill Gates and Elon Musk are regular people like all of us. The key difference is their initiative to nurture their ideas and the effort they put in to make those ideas happen.
He believes that this education is vital and encourages the next generation t o use every resource at their disposal to convert their fledgling ideas into successful prototypes.
An example of this hard work is reflected in his own story. As a young boy, he travelled 15 kilometers to access a library! And in the books that he read there, he found space to nurture his own ideas from a young age. He believes the upcoming generation should consider working on their ideas and grow them to their ideal potential.
The Journey of Growth
Shahdadpuri doesn’t subscribe to one’s only motto of becoming a billionaire, although he is one. Money is a by-product of ideas, efforts, passion, hard work and integrity, and making it should not be the only motto for an individual. He believes that accomplishment lies in supporting someone with thoughts, ideas and inspirations. True enrichment lies in our own minds and thinking.
Making the most of life that God has blessed us with and living happily is his mantra. He professes that God is gracious and has bestowed good fortune on everyone. According to him, it is up to each person to make things better and make the best out of the given situation.
Achievements
- Bharat Shiromani Award, presented by former Prime Minister of India, Shri I.K. Gujral
- CEO Awards for International Achievement by the reputed group ITP
- Industry Ingenious Award by Power Brands Hall of Fame
- Business Excellence Award 2016 (IBPC)
- Distinguished Fellowship 2016 – 100
- Indian Innovator Award 2016
- Recognised as Superbrands for quality by world renowned organisation Superbrands 2011; 2016 to 2022 – Nikai
- ISO 9001- 2008 AND IS09001-2015 by TUV Nord – Nikai
Diversification is Key
Being operationally involved is critical for the success of an organisation. In today’s market with its rapid technological disruptions, getting outdated is an ever-present danger, and an entrepreneur should not rely solely on one line of business. In this direction, Shahdadpuri took measured and timely steps.
This was why right after he had established one vertical, he began diversifying. Explaining the importance of diversification, Shahdadpuri states that even if one line of business fails for any reason, the other industry can still bear fruits. For example, the Nikai Group of Companies. due to its diversified portfolio of companies such as IT, electronics, and fastmoving consumer goods, came out unscathed from the pandemic.
Moreover, since the group company predominantly dealt with fast-moving consumer goods, there was sufficient demand even during the tough times. The need for home appliances and electronics escalated during lockdowns and the Nikai Group of Companies tapped into this opportunity by being ready to deliver to meet this emerging demand. Clearly, a success was brought on by Shahdadpuri’s strategic foresight.