Babulal Chachan, born in 1993 BS in Birgunj, Parsa is widely regarded as one of the foremost industrialists in southern Nepal. A high achiever from his school days, he topped the board in his School Leaving Certificate (SLC) examinations from Trijuddha Secondary School in 2009 BS. At that time, only two schools in the country—Trijuddha in Birgunj and Durbar High School in Kathmandu—were authorised to conduct the SLC exams.

Babulal had once dreamt of becoming an engineer. After completing his SLC, he travelled to Patna, India, to pursue his aspirations. However, fate had other plans. His father, Mahabir Prasad Chachan, wanted his son to join the family business. When a college admission letter arrived from Patna, it landed in his father’s hands and was never delivered. As a result, Babulal missed his chance at engineering school and instead earned a bachelor’s degree from Birgunj.

Despite this detour, Babulal found immense fulfilment in business. By 2014–15 BS, he was already deeply involved in the family’s textile trade. As the eldest son, he bore the responsibility of expanding the business and supporting a large household—including marrying off nine sisters and creating jobs for his younger brothers.

His early ventures included trading in textiles and construction materials imported by the state-run National Trading Limited from Russia. By the late 2010s BS, the Chachan Group had diversified into cement manufacturing. Today, it produces cement under the Trishakti and Bajrashakti brands from plants in Birgunj and Nepalgunj. The cement business is currently overseen by his nephew, Satish Chachan.

With years of experience in wholesale, Babulal launched a premium clothing business under "Shree Store," which once served Queen Ratna herself. During a visit by King Mahendra, Queen Ratna bought sarees from the store to distribute in Devghat.

In 1972, he briefly entered the grocery business, but by 1973 had pivoted to industrial production. He founded Adarsha Oil Mill in 1973, a lentil mill in 1974, and over the years continued adding rice, leather, and sack manufacturing businesses. Each venture was entrusted to a family member, expanding both the enterprise and employment opportunities. Today, the group is active in a wide range of sectors, from food and agriculture to banking, insurance, and fertilisers.

Export Pioneer and Architect of Nepal's First Dry Port

Babulal's vision extended far beyond domestic trade. As early as 2024–25 BS, he began exploring export opportunities. While jute was being exported from Biratnagar, Morang–the eastern part of the country, the Birgunj region had no export track record. Determined to change that, Babulal approached the Ministry of Commerce with a plan to export leather. His proposal impressed the officials, who promptly issued a license.

"We received our first export LC on 31 March 1967," he recalled. Initial exports proceeded smoothly, but complications soon arose in Kolkata.

Frequent travels to Kolkata exposed Babulal to the inefficiencies at the seaport. On one such trip to a trade fair in Delhi, he saw containers stacked at a facility he later learned was a dry port. That moment planted the seed for a dry port in Nepal.

As president of the Birgunj Chamber of Commerce and Industries from 2052 to 2058 BS, Babulal led the push to institutionalise the development of a dry port in Birgunj. He successfully garnered support from Indian counterparts, donors, and the World Bank.

Nepal’s first dry port became operational in Birgunj in 2060 BS. Babulal also played a key role in the 1997 Value Added Tax (VAT) protest. As the central business federations failed to take effective action, he led Birgunj’s industrial corridor in a mass shutdown and protest. This forced the government to form a 12-member task force, including Babulal, which ultimately led to a Rs 4.5 million threshold for VAT registration.

Legacy of the Chachan Group

The roots of the Chachan Group stretch back over 125 years to a time when Babulal’s grandfather, Lakhiram, migrated from Rajasthan, India to Chhapkaiya, Birgunj in 1955 BS with INR 8,000. He traded textiles, transporting goods by horseback to surrounding towns like Alau, Jitpur, Parwanipur, and Birtabazar.

With the expansion of trade, his brothers joined him in Birgunj, and a cloth shop was established in Mahabirsthan. By 2004 BS, the Chachan brothers had already entered into wholesale trading. At one point, three of Birgunj's five textile shops were owned by the Chachan family.

Given its status as Nepal’s main trade gateway with India, Birgunj became a hub for commerce. "Even textile industries in Bombay and Ahmedabad had liaison offices in Birgunj," Babulal recalled. In 2001 BS, local merchants formed the Birgunj Cloth Merchants Association, which later evolved into the Birgunj Chamber of Commerce and Industries.

From a mobile textile business to a Rs 15 billion-a-year industrial empire, the Chachan Group stands as a testament to generations of entrepreneurial foresight. And at the heart of that story is Babulal Chachan—visionary, reformer, and builder of modern Birgunj.

For his outstanding contribution to the development of trade and commerce in Nepal, Babulal Chachan was honoured with the Lifetime Achievement Award in Business Leadership at the 9th NewBiz Conclave & Business Excellence Awards, held in Kathmandu on Thursday, June 26.