Lying between two of the fastest growing economies of the world, India and China, Nepal is entitled to preferential treatment in a number of rich markets.
With the access to low-cost and non-hostile workforce, Nepal although being a least developed country, people see lots of opportunities here.
Furthermore, the natural as well as cultural assets of Nepal, adds more opportunities to the investors.
Although Nepal depends a lot more on imported products and services, there are some top corporate houses in Nepal which has been gaining rapid success.
Be it production and manufacturing, marketing of products or sales of products, these corporate houses have started beating even the biggest multinational companies of Nepal.
At present, some of the leading Nepali conglomerates have set their footprints into diversification.
From banking, insurance, tourism, hospitality, education, real estate, IT to hydropower, Nepal’s top corporate houses have it on their portfolio.
These corporate houses have not only benefited Nepal economically, but have been successfully transitioning from one generation to next by allowing room for fresh and innovative ideas for the future.
Fortunately, expecting brighter investments prospects in the future, almost all corporate houses are ready to expand their portfolio by investing in new fields.
With any luck, such investment plans done by these corporate houses are expected to generate more employment, and make the Nepalese market livelier.
It has been a remarkable journey for Nepal’s leading corporate houses and hopefully, every Nepalese expect Nepal to be one of the top business hub in the world one day.
Here are the top 10 corporate houses successfully operating in Nepal which are listed below:
Chaudhary Group
Chaudhary Group, popularly known as CG, is one of the most popular and leading corporate houses in Nepal.
Chaudhary Group kept its foot on business when Bhuramull Chaudhary opened a shop on Juddha Sadak on a yearly rental fee of Rs 200. The busines idea was to import textiles from various parts of India.
Currently led and managed by Binod Chaudhary, the first billionaire of Nepal, CG operates in all five continents of the world.
Chaudhary Group’s progress over the last sixty-seven years has been a trail-blazer on the Nepalese horizon.
Since, its inception, Chaudhary Group has not only been contributing on uplifting of the nation’s economy, but also equalizing the infrastructure and entrepreneurial capability of Nepal.
Owning over 76 brands spread over 30 different countries and giving job to over 4,500 staffs, this corporate house has investment outlays of over $1Billion.
Today Chaudhary Group has over 100 companies under its umbrella with a diversified business portfolio in sectors such as consumer electronics, financial services, hospitality, travel, education, health, real estate, housing, and many more.
Talking about the finances, the net worth of CG Group Global is USD 2.5 billion excluding the net worth of Binod Chaudhary and his family which is USD 1.37 billion.
The leading corporate house of Nepal, Chaudhary Group is planning to invest over Rs 50 billion in existing business in Nepal within three years to generate new opportunities.
Additionally, Chaudhary Group is planning to invest around Rs 17 billion into a 60MW storage hydroelectric project and Rs 10 billion in the real estate sector within 2020.
Similarly, Chaudhary Group is planning to complete construction of Panchakarma, a wellness center with 18 villas, in Nawalparasi at a cost of Rs 500 million.
Bhat-Bhateni Group
The owner of Bhat-Bhateni Group, Min Bahadur Gurung was holding a master’s degree in economics and had a banking job at Nepal Bank Ltd. in Nepalgunj.
He was juggling the obligations of his banking career. Hence, he gave up his banking career to fully focus on his business.
In 1984, Min Bahadur Gurung started Bhatbhateni Cold Store, a small retail grocery shop with an initial investment of NRS 35,000.
From the opening of the first store at Maharajgunj, Kathmandu in 2008 till now, Bhat-Bhateni has become one of the top corporate houses of Nepal and has set a benchmark for all businesses.
With over 13 store, 4500 combine staffs helping customers choose between 200,000 products across a 10,00,000 sq.ft. sales area, Bhat-Bhateni has become a leading retail chain of Nepal.
This leading corporate house has a daily combined footfall of more than 50,000 people and daily turnover of USD 350,000.
Min Bahadur Gurung has further diversified his business interest with investments in the 42 MW Mistri Khola Hydropower Project developed by Robust Energy and Chandragiri Hills Pvt. Ltd.
Chachan Group
Chachan Group is one of the leading corporate houses in Nepal involved in a wide spectrum of activities.
Initially, Chachan Group used to trade range of commodities such as leather, cement, vegetable gherr, food grains, lentils, oil seeds, and many more.
Later, the company evolved into a manufacturing and trading house as it changed its course into manufacturing from the family owned trading business.
Today, Chachan Group imports spices, fertilizers, sugar, cement and coal and argo-equipments through its four different trading firms.
The corporate house has also diversified itself in various sectors such as banking, trading, and insurance.
Additionally, this corporate house is known for manufacturing different popular brands of cement such as Trishakti and Jay Bageshwari.
Chachan Group is strongly focused on its cement industries and plans to establish several clinker plants.
Now, Chachan Group has further planning to expand Jay Bageshwori Cement Industry along with cement grinding plant in Nepalgunj and acquire a limestome quarry in the hilly area of Makwanpur district.
The annual turnover of Chachan Group exceeds Rs 4 billion where 70% of the contribution is done by the cement wing.
Dugar Family
The journey of one of the top corporate houses, started when Chandan Mal Dugar started trading in fabrics at a haat bazaar in Biratnagar.
Carrying a 137 year old legacy in business, the Dugar family widened the business by stepping into agro products.
Initially, the corporate house had a presence in textiles and agro products. Later, it diversified into jute exports, steel, rice mills, and many more products.
Late Tola Ram Dugar and his younger brother Moti Lal Dugar are the ones who played major role in diversifying the company.
At present, the legacy of Dugar’s business is carried out by four Groups, each handled by the four brothers.
In 1962, the Group separated into two Groups- TM Dugar and HC Dugar. Later, TM Dugar also separated into TM Dugar Group and KL Dugar Group.
Motilal Dugar, the other son separated from TM Duagar and formed MV Dugar Group.
Among all the businesses, KL Dugar is a leading business house in the food industry with brands like Dhara Oil and Gyan Rice.
However, the annual turnover of KL Duagr is 20 billion.
On the other hand, MV Dugar focuses on automobiles and has plans for massive investments in hydropower sector.
Currently, three hydropower projects, totaling 157 MW amounting 21 billion, are under construction.
Jyoti Group
One of the leading corporate houses in Nepal, Jyoti Group was founded by Bhajuratna Kansakar.
The family business started with the establishment of a cloth shop and production of copper items.
Bhajuratna Kansakar started exporting household utensils to Tibet from Kalimpong in 1921.
In 1961, his son Maniharsha Kanaskar stepped his foot on production of Himal Iron and Steel.
From the 1960s, the corporate house diversified itself into production of cement, textile, steel and wires, and delivery of services such as engineering import-export, logistic solutions, and many more.
Jyoti Group has also maintained a strong presence in the two-wheeler industry ever since it established the Syakar Company in 1976.
Currently, Syakar serves as the authorized distributor of Honda two and four-wheelers and Philips home appliances.
Apart from service, trading and manufacturing, this corporate house is a business promoter at Sagarmatha Insurance Company and Grande International Hospital.
With the estimated annual turnover of USD 150 million and employees over 3,000 people, Jyoti Group has set its benchmark in the business.
Sharda Group
Being one of the top corporate houses of Nepal, Sharda Group has been able to earn itself quite a reputation.
More than six decades ago, Duli Chandra Sharda set up a rice mill in Lahan namely Pashupati Rice Mill.
In the subsequent years, he added three more rice mills in Lahan and a sugar mill.
Later, the son of Duli Chandra, established two rolling mills in Nepal, Everest Iron and Steel Industry in Biratnagar and Hetuda Iron Industries in Hetuda.
Since 1970, this corporate house has been involved in production and marketing of carpet and wool, cement, flour and rice, homecare, noodled and snacks, oil and ghee, plastic, and many more.
Apart from that, the Group also owns Pioneer Carpet Industries as a solo project, Shangrila Housing, Infratech and Shivam Cement Industries as joint ventures.
Sharda Group is also involved in export-import of a wide variety of products like copper and brass, food products, chemicals and other miscellaneous items under the company name of Pioneer Marketing.
With the annual turnover of more than USD 150 million, Sharda Group is a leading promoter at Kumar Bank and is present in NMB Bank and Sunrise Bank too.
Vidya’s Organization
One of the most dynamic corporate houses in Nepal, Vidya’s Organization of Industries and Trading Houses represents a wide range of integrated trading houses, industrial enterprises, and services.
It all started at the age of 29 when Suraj Vaidya invested USD 700 in establishing United Traders Syndicate (UTS) that became the sole distributor of Toyata Motors in Nepal,
With five decades in Nepal, Toyota has won hearts of many and has solidified VOITH’s reputation in the automobile industry.
Apart from automobile industry, VOITH has diversified into agro processing, tea, construction, insurance, animal husbandry and technical education.
With the annual turnover of USD 20 billion, this corporate house has had a robust presence in the tea industry since 1999 with subsidiary companies.
VOITH’s portfolio also includes the insurance sector with Suraj Vaidya as one of the promoters of Lumbini General insurance Company.
Universal Group
Universal Group was started by Late Noor Pratap Rana in 1970s, and is considered a pioneer in the Nepali footwear industry.
The Group established a factory in Hetuda and started producing “Hathi” brand slippers in the early 80s and is believed to be the first pair of slippers manufactured in Nepal.
Today “Hathi’ has become Nepal’s premium footwear brand known for its design, durability and quality.
This corporate house also produces Goldstar brand shoes under Kiran Shoes Manufacturer and Hathichapp brand sandals under Modern Slipper Industry.
Apart from footwear, the Group has diversified into the dairy industry by establishing Integrated dairy and Agro Products Pvt. Ltd in 2004.
The corporate house is the producer of the famous milk brand ‘Anmol’.
The Group is one of the major promoters of Kumari Bank. NMB Bank and Shikhar Insurance Co.
With the annual turnover of Rs 15 billion and 2,850 people working in the company, Universal Group is another benchmark setter as one of the leading corporate houses of Nepal.
Khetan Group
The foundation of Khetan Group was laid by Kishun Ram Khetan some 170 years ago.
He uses to supply rice and salt to the Nepali soldiers and import fabrics from India.
Later, Khetan Group was started in Nepal by his son Shree Purna Lam Bihari Lal Khetan.
In 1970, Khetan Group started its first business diversification by exporting jute and lentils.
Now, this corporate house has succeed in finding itself a niche in Nepali business with its diverse interest in food stuff, beverages, banking and financial services, telecommunications, and many more.
The Group in the mid-1970s commenced Bottlers Nepal Limited thereby beginning the bottling and supplying of Coco-Cola in Nepal.
It established Gorkha Brewery Private Limited in 1989 as a joint venture with Danish multinational company Carlsberg Breweries.
Khetan Group has been brewing and marketing the Filipino beer and brand San Miguel beer by acquiring Mount Everest Brewery since 2004.
On October 2000, the corporate house established Himalayan Snax and Noodles Pvt. Ltd in technical collaboration with Thai President Foods Plc of Thailand.
The Group has also stepped in many establishments such as Himalayan Bank Limited with Employees Provident Fund of Nepal and Habib Bank limited of Pakistan.
Similarly, Laxmi Bank, Prime Life Insurance Company Limited, Everest Insurance Company (EIC), are some of the establishments of this corporate house.
Besides these, the Group is involved in bottling and refilling of Liquefied Petroleum Fas, drilling and boring deep tube-wells for irrigation, consultancy and representation in field of Power and various other import and exports.
Some of the other companies associated with Khetan Group are Mutual Trading Company Private Limited, Himalayan Petrochemicals Limited, and Himalayan Agriculture Private Limited.
The net worth of this corporate house if Rs 50 Billion with annual revenue from shareholder fund of Rs 3 billion.
Golchha Organization
The Golchha Organization is a pioneering industrial Group in the country and is one of the leading corporate houses as well.
It all started in 1931, when Ram Lal Golchha started the Hansaraj Hanuma Mal as his first company in Biratnagar to export jute from Nepal to India.
Almost 90 years after the establishment of this corporate house, now the Golchha family operates over 100 companies.
Golchha Organization is regarded as the first Group in the country to start overseas exports of Nepali products.
In 1981, Hulas Steel Industries was jointly established as a Greenfield venture by Golchha Organization and Comfcraft of Switzerland.
Later, in 1988 the Group commenced Him Electronics to produce and supply electrical utilities.
Apart from those, other major business of this corporate house includes two-wheeler brand Bajaj.
With the annual turnover of Rs 45 billion and 20,000 staffs, Golchha organization is further planning to invest in life insurance companies, education sector and in motorcycle assembly plants.
