Always planning, right from his student days, to make his family business more successful, under the younger Malhotra’s leadership, IMS Group is gaining new heights.

--BY AASHIYANA ADHIKARI

A famous saying of the late Steve Jobs goes, “Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do.” This philosophy of the Apple Inc founder is what Dikesh Malhotra, president and CEO of IMS Group believes and strives for. “Success is no accident. It is hard work, perseverance, learning, studying, sacrifice and most of all, love of what you are doing or learning to do,” says Malhotra. Under the IMS Group he is leading 13 business entities including Integrated Mobility Solutions (IMS), IMS Care, IMS Connect, IMS SMart, IMS Group, IMS Consultancy, IMS Motors, IMS Telecom, IMS Teletime, IMS Developers, IMS Energy, Silver Valley Developers and Ashtanga Education.

Born in 1987 in Kathmandu, Malhotra was raised in Kathmandu. He completed his school level education from Modern Indian School where he studied for thirteen years. After completing his 12th grade in 2005, he went to United States to pursue an undergraduate degree in Business Admiration from George Mason University, Virginia. According to Malhotra, he always wanted to be a businessman so looking out for any other career choice had never been an option for him. “While I was in the United States, my relatives staying there used to tell me that once I get used to the American environment, I would not go back,” he recalls, adding, “I always wanted to continue my family legacy and expand my family business, so I stood firm and came back to Nepal after completing my undergraduate degree in 2011.” In 2012, Malhotra joined the University of East Anglia , Norwich, United Kingdom, to complete his MBA. After achieving his degree, he returned to Nepal and immediately joined the family business. 

“Expanding the legacy of your family business is always tough, people look at you expecting you to grow your business better and bigger,” thinks Malhotra. But he feels lucky enough to have people around to guide him from making mistakes. When his father Deepak Malhotra, chairman of IMS Group, started the business, there was no one for guidance. But now Dikesh Malhotra has the privilege of learning from his mistakes. He stresses that one should not join a family business however big or small it is unless and until they are completely ready to take up all the challenges and risks. “In my case while I was pursuing my MBA, I always used to link all projects with my company and connect theories to the business needs of my firm,” he shares.  

For Malhotra the lack of proper internal management is the biggest challenge not only for his group, but also for all big businesses in Nepal at the moment. “The work culture is still laid back and people are not willing to take up work unless and until they are directed to do something,” mentions Malhotra. He believes that a country will prosper if people take a proactive and aggressive approach towards. Likewise, he sees the brain drain as a serious issue for Nepali businesses. “It is very difficult for us to place right people for specific works. Many people go abroad seeking for jobs and companies are gradually being left without young minds,” mentions Malhotra. “With this problem increasing many companies have already started employing people from India to do certain jobs,” he adds. He stresses that Nepali educational institutions should motivate young people to start working early even if it is just for internships. “This will enable the youth to adjust to the work culture here and get experience beforehand which will help them to secure good jobs in Nepal,” he suggests.   

In early 2016, Malhotra and former Miss Nepal Zenisha Moktan tied the nuptial knot. He became a father to a daughter a year ago. A passionate movie watcher, he enjoys travelling to new places and spending time with his family. Also, a sports and fitness enthusiast, Malhotra loves watching football, working out and recently has also started to play golf every morning. 

He has been an active part of EO for the last two years. EO is a global peer-to-peer network of over 12,000 influential business owners with 160 chapters in 50 countries. Founded in 1987, EO is the catalyst that enables leading entrepreneurs to learn and grow, contributing to greater success in business and beyond. EO Nepal, which was established in 2003, is one of the 160 chapters of the global organisation. Currently, it has 61 members.

According to Malhotra, he joined EO without any specific motives and only thought it as an opportunity to connect to new people. “Upon joining the organisation, I realised how useful it was for me personally and professionally. There are many events held in EO where experts speak about strategies, work-life balance, and motivation, among many others, which are applicable in real life situations.” EO for him has been a delightful learning experience and he looks forward to staying connected with it for a long time.

Ten years down the line, Malhotra sees IMS Group spreading everywhere. “We have started diversifying our business and have stepped into different sectors. But with diversification comes a lot of challenges,” he says. “We are working towards addressing the challenges and thriving to expand the IMS Group,” he concludes.