Harmeek Singh Chugh
Founder & Chairman
Plan b Group | Dubai (UAE)
Ancestry
Amritsar (Punjab)
Birthplace
New Delhi (India)
Residence
Dubai (UAE)
A POETIC ENTREPRENEUR
Coming from a well-to-do family to almost working as a manual labourer, and now the king of a company with presence in many countries, his is a roller coaster ride from hero to zero and then super-hero.
Born with a silver spoon, I was living a carefree life. All I loved to do was write poetry, spend time with my friends, and attend my father’s office as a formality – in compliance with Dad’s orders. He was a different kind of a man. After completing his education from Delhi, my father, Sardar Manmohan Singh, made the capital his home. He was the Chairman of Casio Enterprises, a company that manufactured and sold electronic products in India. My mother, Sardarni Charanjit Kaur, a highly educated lady for her times, helped him expand his business across Asia.
Born on 26 October 1973, and as their only son, I was pampered in excess and never felt the need to work at all. And yet in sports it was an altogether different story: I was captain of my school’s Cricket and Soccer teams. English Literature was my best companion; I also loved to flip through the pages of the English dictionary and pick up some new words.
After finishing school from Guru Nanak Public School, Punjabi Bagh, in 1991, I studied English Literature from Khalsa College, University of Delhi. As soon as I was done with college, I started going to Dad’s office, which was just a charade.
When no one shows you the way, He does!
In 1996, I met Arneet through one of my friends. It was beautiful morning when I first saw her jogging. It was certainly love at first sight. But it was challenging to woo her. While I was a free-spirited person, she was responsible and focused on studies. She was a Commerce student at the University of Delhi. I put in all my energies to convince her and finally we got married on 27 September 1998.
The luxuries of life blinded my judgment, totally preventing any kind of focus on hard work. Cocooned in this illusory world of happiness, I had no inkling of the impending storm brewing around me. With the Chinese entering the Indian market, our business slowed down in the 1990s, and by mid-90s, it had collapsed. Conditions deteriorated so much that we had to think about where the next day’s food was coming from. My parents could not accept the failure and left India to avoid shame. They moved to New Zealand, plucking apples in the orchard on hourly wages. This was a big slap in my face… by time and God!
I was shaken from the inside when my extended family came forward to help me financially. For the first time in my life, I began to question my true worth. The answer, of course, jolted me terribly. I forgot who I was and how I had lived the first two decades of my life, and decided to begin from ground zero.
As an entrepreneur, I acquired a cold storage in Delhi. My job was to get storage for raw foodstuff. I was new there, the whole environment was new to me. But six months down the line, I created my market and earned my respect. In a year, I rented out a cold storage. We called it Sundar Cold Storage.
God was kind to give me lessons the harsh way. Had I been focused, maybe things would not have been so difficult, I started thinking. The guilt that I was somewhat responsible for breaking the family hurt me every day. It was now that I got my wake-up call left India in 2003 to find myself. I landed in Dubai, where my younger sister Nikita was living after marriage.
Heat and sweat made me strong
Now I began to plod the hot streets of Dubai daily, in search of work. But all I got was rejection, rejection and more rejection. I was told that with a turban, I would be considered nothing more than a carpenter. I took all the racist remarks. I remember in my last interview that I gave for Pakistan-based company, Color Blind, they asked me if I had a driving licence or any experience in the UAE. I spoke my heart out that day and told him he owed me an opportunity because if he didn’t give me a chance, I would never get experience. I added that he must give me the opportunity because once he too was given a chance by someone. After that I walked away. About an hour later, I got a call from him with job confirmation.
My role was to bring the company printing jobs. The beginning was not easy but it came as an excellent lesson in my life. I worked hard – almost 16 hours a day – for 10 straight months, yet they did not pay my salary on time or commissions at all. I resigned and received a no-entry ban into the UAE for several months.
I was in India with my wife and two children, Naunidh and Harnoor, until an Australia-based company, Free Zone (UAE), offered me a job. They had been my clients earlier and had always appreciated my hard work. Accepting the offer, I returned to Dubai to work in the advertising field. Some months later, I started working freelance. My day began at 3 am, and I slept late at night. In the whole of the UAE, it was said that if you wanted to get something done in advertising or printing, go to Harmeek Singh in Dubai. I created credibility in six months time, and now my earning was 10 times more. This became a piece of news.
In 2004, I started my company, Plan b, initially venturing only in printing. Following Mom’s words that there are no shortcuts to success, I gave my work my best shot. I was the driver, the designer, the accountant – all by myself in my company. I had my first employee, Hardeep Singh, recruited in 2005, who is still with me. We have never looked back since. From advertising, we ventured into printing, production, marketing, strategy, technology, construction, fabrication, events & turnkey brand building campaign. Now I have eight offices in the UAE, Russia, England, Congo, India and now opening in Saudi Arabia as well. My team has given me its support, which is why we have been able to come this far. I have over 60 nationalities working with me which has given me a broader vision and a global mindset. I have created the bandwidth: we Sikhs acknowledge what comes and accept the change. And I am proud of it.
I have been appointed as the official Chairman, representing regions in the Middle East. Today I stand here with the blessings of my grandparents and parents. I am happy that soon after starting Plan b, I could support my parents to settle in London and UAE.
A cause well-done is a message well-passed on
I remember my grandfather, Sardar Harnam Singh, who introduced me to Gurbani. He educated me about Sikhism being more than just visiting the temple. Once I was happily settled in Dubai, I set up a gurudwara in the Plan b premises for the company’s blue-collared workers and neighbourhood workforce who couldn’t visit the gurudwara during weekdays. It welcomes and serves langar to everyone regardless of their faith. Every Friday, we hold free sessions for the workers educating them for legal rights and also teach them English, Arabic and turban-tying.
To ensure that I never miss any opportunity to serve the needy, I have developed a specialised charity arm registered with Dubai and Abu Dhabi Police departments who can keep me informed when they come across someone in need of help.
I am honoured that for my services to humanity, I am being included in the Ahlan Hot 100 for three consecutive years. I was also voted as an Indian Icon of Innovation & Entrepreneurship, Best Innovative Businessman of the Year, NRI Achiever of the Year, Pan Asian Young Leader and many more to name.
Although I believe I have achieved enough, my hope is my children. Naunidh is 19 and is studying at Birkbeck, University of London, to be a nutritionist, with Music as her minor. She is an outstanding singer and is quite a popular YouTuber. Harnoor is studying to be a mechanical engineer in the International Baccalaureate curriculum. He wants to do something of his own and is very focused, completely unlike me.
Philosophy
Three H’s: Honesty, hard work, humility.
I love…
Literature. When I write, I get a big high. It is my source of solace.
I’d suggest the youth…
To have a clear understanding of what they want to do in life. They shouldn’t change their directions watching others. FOCUS should be the buzz word!
Success Mantra
Keep your feet on the ground. Shed your ego and expectations.
The world doesn’t know that…
I am the first to represent the UAE government in Athletics globally. I am the Strategy and Marketing Director of the UAE Athletics Federation and the Chairman of Dubai Women’s Run and Women of Substance.
AKA
Plan B Group UAE Founder | Business leader Harmeek Singh Chugh UAE
Gallery
ISBN : 9788193397695