Chairman & CEO | MedTech Corporation Trading
Dr M. P. Hassan Kunhi stands tall among the savvy business giants of the Middle East.
A tycoon with an astonishing range of interests and conquests, he is prominent for his work in the healthcare, hospitality, aviation, construction, logistics and real estate industries.
His life is marked by moments of courage and resilience in the face of challenges that made him the remarkable man that he is today.
An inspiring tale of reaching the top through stellar work that got the recognition it deserved and then going on to head the very same organisation that it was recognised in, Dr Hassan’s life reads like a fairy tale.
His hard work and incisive mind changed the direction of the business completely, guiding it to the highest echelons of success.
A Smooth Cut Above The Rest
The MedTech corporation is now renowned for its superior quality of products and services in the healthcare industry.
Decades of experience in the region have served to make it the leading medical, scientific, and laboratory supplies and services company in the region.
Peopled with efficient and highly trained staff, it works as a harbinger of new technologies and products in the industry through training programmes and educational awareness.
Looking at his business from the viewpoint of knowledgeability in service provides some insight into the standards of readiness and the necessity of expertise that he himself has gathered over four decades of experience in the medical apparatus industry and as a business leader.
While the corporation is synonymous with outstanding, state-of-the-art medical products today, it had seen its fair share of struggles in its early days.
After an initial break that helped them charter a path to growth after months of trouble with funding, it was immediately plunged into turmoil with the rest of the region at the outbreak of the Gulf War.
Perhaps, it is here that Dr Hassan’s strength of character and beliefs showcase themselves most. Struck at the very start of MedTech’s consolidation and rise to the top, this would be the second big blow the firm faced.
And through it all, Dr Hassan remained unfazed. Forged in the heart of strife, he had already weathered perilous storms with his company and guided it so that it rode the waves of turmoil smoothly to emerge as a world-class enterprise, here to stay for the long run.
Hastening Growth
Once established and steady, the expansion of MedTech was inevitable and rapid, because of the hard work that Dr Hassan poured into the company. The year 2000 saw it diversify into its sister sector, the pharmaceutical industry.
This was followed swiftly by the launch of Hala Pharmacy, Freedom Pharmacy, Sheehana Pharmacy and Corniche Pharmacy.
After the success that came with owning and managing them, he turned his attention to the fashion industry. It was from this interest that he launched the clothing boutique Planet Fashion.
A true business connoisseur, he then expanded into the trading, roadwork, logistics, and cargo industries in 2005. The same year also saw him venture into construction, via the creation of HK Builders and Developers in India.
Now an accomplished company, the construction company can boast many feathers in its cap, ranging from multistoried commercial complexes to elegant and popular residential spaces.
These include high-rise apartment buildings constructed in his native state of Kerala, in Kannur, as well as the Indian capital, Delhi, to luxury villa projects based in Kannur and Kottayam, all in collaboration with reputed builders.
Banking on their original medical industry expertise, HK Builders and Developers are also a part of the huge World Class Medical City Project named Cochin Medical City and Tourism, and the Cancer Hospital and Research Centre in Cochin.
Dr Hassan’s interest in uplifting society does not start or stop at the medical facilities he plays a part in constructing.
A keen and hands-on philanthropist, his social influences start with being President of the Ideal Indian School in Doha, Sir Syed Alumni College, and the Qatar chapter of the Muslim Education Society.
He is also the Chairman of the Anti-Smoking Society’s Qatar Chapter and Director of PMS Dental College in Thiruvananthapuram. Needless to say, both Qatar and India benefit from his humanitarian contributions on a community level.
The Man Behind The Brand
The ownership and running of MedTech Corporation did not fall into Dr Hassan’s hands. Born in a small town in the state of Kerala to P. V Abdurahiman and M. P. Kunhipathuma, he watched his parents face repeated hardships to ensure that everyone in the family received all that they needed.
After graduating from Sir Syed College in Kannur, he decided to venture into the Gulf in order to find his career. The year 1976 saw a young, 22-year-old Dr Hassan arrive in Doha and find employment as a cashier at a leading retailer.
He later moved to the Reliance Electro Mechanical Company, where he worked as an accountant, unknowingly honing skills that would come in handy later.
Intelligent, talented, and efficient, he quickly caught the eye of a manager in another department named Surinder Samudre who worked to bring him into his own division as Administration Manager.
Reliance Electro Mechanical Company went on to sell the division to the business that would eventually be known as MedTech Corporation.
However, at that time MedTech was called SciTech Arabia, and it was bleeding money due to the unending bureaucracy that was part of the medical equipment industry.
The detailed and synchronous management of bank transfers, principal advances, and government customers while maintaining smooth cash flow and turning a profit was a cumbersome and difficult task, and the owners chose to close the division down rather than continue down that treacherous path.
Unwilling to lose the company that he had grown to relish working at, Dr Hassan made the choice that would prove to be pivotal for his career. He decided to purchase the business and run it himself.
While his knowledge of running the business was now honed to a sharp edge, he would still need a partner he trusted to share the tasks of running the company with him.
The man he joined hands with was none other than Samudre himself, his previous manager, who had recognised his efforts earlier and promoted him.
Hence, did the purchase of SciTech Arabia occurr in 1980, with Ali Bin Nasser Abdulla Al Misnad as Chairman, and Samudre as partner.
A medical, scientific, and laboratory equipment supplier, it was poised to take over the fledgling medical health and industrial sector of a fast-growing Qatar.
However, it was not a smooth ride to the top. Almost fully dependent on business from the burgeoning government medical industry, every tender and purchase order required funding.
As a start-up with no capital, banks were not keen on extending their support. The power of Dr Hassan’s character shines through in the fact that the firm was initially backed financially by their incredible friend circles, who supported them during their banking troubles.
As time passed in the same environment and their borrowings increased without many projects on the horizon, their will was severely tested until a single order delivered the salvation the company needed.
Hamad Medical Corporation placed an order for their entire medical laboratory to be supplied, and against the grain, their suppliers saw fit to support this determined little firm by waiving the mandatory advances. Their time had come. In Dr Hassan’s own words, “Had that not happened, I might not be in this position today”.
The Support of a Bright Future
The sacrifices his parents made have led to his eternal gratitude and respect. Having witnessed their struggles and experienced his own as he forged ahead to the great successes under his belt today, he strongly believes that a good life is crafted day by day, through hard work, and that patience is an important quality when one aims for it.
Perhaps, that is why he cares for his body through regular exercise, or perhaps it is his thorough and meticulous nature that drives him to swim often and play badminton.
Dr Hassan credits his beloved wife, P. V. Zuharabi’s perpetual support with everything he has achieved today. The couple are blessed with four children, their three daughters, Zahira, Haseeba and Ameera, and son, Hafiz.
All Dr Hassan hopes is for his lifelong efforts to lead to decent, socially inclusive lives for his near and dear ones.
He values the hard work and sacrifice he put into growing his three-person start-up into the massive conglomerate it is today, and would not have his success any other way.
With a solid wall of trust from the industry and a good reputation cultivated over many years, Dr Hassan has many achievements in him, yet.