A reluctant teenage entrepreneur makes a 'safe' bet
Dr Diwan Rahul Nanda, Chairman, Topsgrup, India's largest security agency, on how he started off very early in life and what it takes to be a successful leader
November 13, 2013 / 14:46 IST
Nivedita Jayaram Pawar
Like many teenagers growing up in Mumbai, Dr Diwan Rahul Nanda too dreamt of making it big in Bollywood. But fate had other plans. Just when he turned 16, his father suffered a paralytic stroke and he had to take over the ailing restaurant business, Tutkuks. After turning it around, at age 22, Dr Nanda then took up the challenge to resurrect the ailing security business of his family – Topsgrup. Today, Topsgrup is India's largest security organisation and is valued at over Rs 2,000 crore, with 93,000 employees and 8,000 clients in India, Israel and the United Kingdom. The company provides security to some of the world's biggest events such as the IPL, World Cricket Champions League and also to international celebrities and VIPs. In a candid chat, Dr Nanda, still only in his early 40s, recounts his amazing journey. Excerpts from an interview:The shortest, plumpest and most-bullied guy in school goes on to own the largest security firm in India. Sounds like the perfect revenge story! Unarguably, I was a fat, short kid in school, and had plenty of tiffs with my peers and seniors. But as soon as I hit my teens, I started working out to lose weight. At 22, when I took over our family's ailing security business, I saw huge potential for growth in the then virginal security space in India. The industry was plagued by lack of awareness, illiteracy issues with employees, corruption, the looming presence of the mafia in Bollywood, etc. I took it up as a challenge to make security a household name in India.
You took over the family restaurant business when your father suffered a stroke. What were the early lessons you learnt?The restaurant staff refused to accept a 16-year-old as their new boss. The customers too weren't happy to see a young boy trying to take their food orders. But with persistence, knowledge and my man-management skills, they started accepting me as their leader. This was my grounding in the business world. It taught me one vital leadership lesson – that to be a successful leader, you need to know more than your team, be more committed than your team and work harder than your team. At the age of 22, you took charge of another ailing family business – Tospgrup. From having just eight customers, you turned it into India's top security firm What changes did you bring about?
In 1993, security was not recognised as an industry in India. Most security firm owners were either ex-defence people or miscreants who did a whole lot of illegal things in the garb of running a security company. The key challenge was to raise awareness of the security industry and make consumers desire a professional, ethical and quality-conscious security provider.To revitalise the company, I decided to offer quality services through trained and motivated personnel, run the business in an absolutely transparent manner, pay employees on time, comply with government statutes and be accountable to all our customers. What's your advice to fledgling start-ups?
My advice is, make sure your business meshes with your long-term goals, your business philosophy and most importantly, your personality.What do you love most about your job?The ability to contribute to the livelihood of our 400,000 family members and save thousands of lives through our Emergency Response Services in India. When the 26/11 terrorist attacks took place in Mumbai, our Topsline paramedics and commandoes helped evacuate and save over 150 lives. That is what makes it all worthwhile.Is there something about your job you could do without?Corruption in India! If our country has to become a first world entity, corruption has to be rooted out at all levels, starting at the top.What is the most important thing in the security business?Trust. Our customers trust us with their possessions and their lives. Similarly, our employees trust us with the lives of their families and their future.When you got into the security business in the '80s, you acquired clients in the Hindi film industry. What were the challenges then, and how is it different today?In the '80s, Tops secured nearly every single producer, actor and celebrity in Bollywood against the mafia and general crime. In those days, the mafia was at its peak and we worked with the law-enforcement and intelligence agencies to ensure we stayed ahead of the game. Not a single actor or filmmaker who hired us was harmed in any way. Today, the threats in Bollywood relate more to information, movie piracy and general crime as the mafia has been virtually eliminated from Mumbai.What mistakes have you made in your business?
One mistake we made more than a decade ago was to try and enter the UAE market through an unsuccessful JV. We lost time and money but it made us realise that one should not do business in unknown countries without researching the business and laws of the land, and without a committed shareholding.You look very fit. How important is to look the part?
Just like a dentist cannot have rotten teeth, the owner of a security business cannot look incapable of protecting his customers.What's your fitness routine?I eat healthy, hit the gym every day, practice martial arts and keep away from tobacco and drugs. I also like to play tennis, football, swim and dance with the five beautiful ladies in my life – my mother, my wife and my three girls.In 2012, you debuted in the Sunday Times Rich List, valued at GBP 168 million. What does money mean to you?At the cost of sounding cliched, I honestly don't think money means much. But it does help me achieve my goal of making my organisation the most-respected security group in India and the United Kingdom.Four years ago, you shifted base to London. Do you miss Mumbai?Without a doubt! Mumbai is my first love and always will be.What's your morning ritual?I wake up at 6.30 am every day. My first priority is to handle my Indian business and finish my video and audio conference calls. After that, I head off to my gym for an hour, followed by a swim.What are you currently reading?The Oracle Speaks by Warren Buffett.What's your favourite movie?I am a die-hard fan of Bruce Lee, and with my years of practicing Jeet Kune Do, I love Enter The Dragon.What's playing on your iPod?Songs by Kishore Kumar and Mohammed RafiWhat do you like to splurge on?Holidays with my family and cars.Are you a foodie? What's your favourite cuisine?Who isn't? I love Thai and Chinese food.What's your favourite drink?Single Malt Glenfiddich WhiskeyIf you were to write a book, what would you title it?'At The Top' – this is a book my eldest daughter wants to write on me.When was the last time you took a vacation? My last vacation was to Tenerife. It was pure bliss. We went snorkelling with turtles, saw humpback whales and spent lazy days swimming in the sea.If not the head of a security firm…?An entrepreneur no doubt but probably in a creative field such as films and entertainment.What's that one thing we don't know about you? I'm a very good cook. On weekends, I am usually the in-house chef at home.Time for dessert... What will you have?Gajar ka halwa made by my mother…nothing beats that.You can send your feedback on smementor@moneycontrol.com or simply post comments below Discover the latest Business News, Sensex, and Nifty updates. Obtain Personal Finance insights, tax queries, and expert opinions on Moneycontrol or download the Moneycontrol App to stay updated!
