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Satpal Malhotra The Visionary Founder of Weikfield

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Weikfield

The Weikfield brand is synonymous with quality custard powder in India, but its journey from a small room in Pune to becoming a household name was not without its challenges. The man behind this remarkable success story is Satpal Malhotra, a visionary entrepreneur who founded Weikfield over six decades ago. Satpal Malhotra’s entrepreneurial journey is a testament to resilience, innovation, and a commitment to providing affordable, high-quality products to consumers.

Here’s a glimpse into the life and legacy of the man who built a business empire worth Rs 300 crore:

From Rawalpindi to Pune:

The Malhotra family’s journey began in Rawalpindi, where Satpal’s grandfather ran a department store. Tragedy struck when Satpal’s grandfather passed away, leaving a 15-year-old Satpal to take over the family business. However, in 1947, the family had to leave everything behind due to the Partition and move to India. With just Rs 10,000 in hand, Satpal embarked on a new chapter in Mumbai, eventually settling in Pune. It was in the 1950s that he came across Brown and Polson custard powder, a UK-based brand gaining popularity in India. Satpal’s curiosity led him to experiment with the product at home, and he succeeded in creating a delicious custard.

Weikfield’s Humble Beginnings:

Recognizing an opportunity, Satpal, along with his brother and sister-in-law, decided to create their own custard powder. In 1956, they launched Weikfield Vanilla Custard Powder, one of the first ‘Make in India’ variants of custard powder. However, the challenge was to compete with established brands like Brown and Polson. Satpal’s strategy was brilliant—he introduced affordable 100-gram packs, making custard powder accessible to more consumers. This move disrupted the market and catapulted Weikfield into the limelight. Satpal’s entrepreneurial acumen and the family’s dedication to producing quality products laid the foundation for Weikfield’s success.

Diversifying the Product Portfolio:

While custard powder remained at the core of Weikfield’s offerings, the company recognized the need to diversify as consumer preferences evolved. In 1997, Weikfield expanded into sauces and dips, offering a range of flavours to cater to different tastes. In 2006, the company introduced Eco Valley, a healthy food brand known for its green tea. Recently, Weikfield ventured into imported products like pasta and oats, sourced from countries like Australia, Ukraine, and Canada. The company maintains a strong focus on using locally sourced raw materials, except for specific international flavours.

A Commitment to Quality and Innovation:

Weikfield’s commitment to quality extends to its manufacturing process, with three plants located in Pune and Himachal Pradesh. Notably, the Pune manufacturing units are powered by solar energy, reflecting the company’s commitment to sustainability. The brand has a widespread presence, with over 60,000 retail stores, including major chains like Reliance, More, and Nature’s Basket. Weikfield’s distribution network covers more than 400 towns directly, and it also exports products to the Middle East, West Africa, and the UK. The COVID-19 pandemic brought unprecedented challenges to businesses, but Weikfield adapted quickly. While traditionally, 20-25% of its sales came from the HORECA (Hotels, Restaurants, and Catering) sector, the pandemic shifted the demand to the consumer front. Baking became a popular pastime during lockdowns, leading to a surge in demand for Weikfield products.

Weikfield‘s flexibility allowed it to meet this increased demand during the early days of the lockdown. However, the company now faces the challenge of connecting with millennial consumers and competing with larger multinational players in categories like sauces and dips.

A Legacy of Resilience and Innovation:

Satpal Malhotra‘s legacy is one of resilience, innovation, and unwavering commitment to quality. His journey, from the challenges of Partition to building a Rs 300 crore business empire, is a testament to the entrepreneurial spirit that drives India’s success stories. Weikfield‘s future plans revolve around product innovation and development, with potential new products and variants in existing ranges. The company aims to strengthen its brand communication to resonate with millennial consumers while continuing its tradition of delivering high-quality, affordable products to households across India. Satpal Malhotra‘s vision and entrepreneurial journey will continue to inspire generations of entrepreneurs in India and beyond.

Entrepreneurs

Rising with Ras Al Khaimah Cement: 26 Years of Innovation and Sustainability

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Ras Al Khaimah Cement Company has grown into a leading player in the construction sector of the UAE. Over the 26 years since its inception, Ras Al Khaimah Cement Company has managed to remain as a respected cement producer that has significantly contributed towards the development of the UAE and the broader region within the Middle East.

The main reason for the success of RAKCC is its strategic location in Ras Al Khaimah, which makes it easy to gain access to high-quality raw materials, and the fact that the Emirates of Ras Al Khaimah have a lot of limestone-which is one of the products most needed in cement production. Acquisition of raw materials within the region leads to a minimal risk of causing harm from environmental damage due to transport and the guarantee of better quality products. RAKCC can enjoy proximity to Saqr Port. The company could quickly and easily load vessels up to 40,000 dwt, on which exportation of cement to international markets is eased. The task of handling voluminous shipments within a minimum time frame has simply propelled the company to become one of the leading suppliers in the GCC region and elsewhere.

RAKCC was a plant based on the best technology back then to ensure cement to be of the international finest class. The pursuit of state-of-the-art technology leads its activities to date. Of raw material processing, from start to finish, each step to the final stages of production is carefully controlled for consistency and quality of the final product produced. Such dedication to excellence has helped Ras Al Khaimah Cement Company establish long-term relationships with its customers, who are mostly reliant on the company for quality, dependable cement for use in any construction projects. From infrastructure and residential to commercial developments, RAKCC cement products have become synonymous with strength and durability.

The greatest achievement of Ras Al Khaimah Cement Company is customer satisfaction, where the company creates a mutually beneficial partnership with clients through quality products delivered at the right time. The approach of its customer-centric focus towards its customers has made RAKCC a dependable company, which is now on top of the list for many contractors and construction companies in the UAE as well as the whole GCC region.

Management and employees share the same close contact with their clients to understand their needs and give them solutions tailored to their requirements. The whole idea behind this form of cooperation is it creates trust and leads to long-term relationships, which in turn continues to add growth in a company’s success and longevity. Ras Al Khaimah Cement Company also commits to environmental mitigation. The company invested on various initiatives that will make it go green and will ensure that the operations of the plant are environmentally sustainable. These include the modern technologies in the reduction of emissions and wastes, and conservations of water and energy on the production process.

RAKCC also takes its responsibility to the surrounding communities very seriously. The company works to protect the environment in Ras Al Khaimah by strictly adhering to environmental regulations and continuously improving its process to reduce its carbon footprint. With such initiatives, RAKCC aims at being a model to other companies in the region that one can balance industrial growth with concern for the environment.

Ras Al Khaimah Cement Company has been playing a pivotal role in the development of the UAE for the past 26 years through superior cement quality that has assisted in shaping the modern landscape of the nation. RAKCC focuses on achieving technological innovations, customer satisfaction, and environmental sustainability. Ras Al Khaimah Cement Company is more than just a cement producer-it’s an integral partner that will guarantee steady growth in the economy of the UAE. RAKCC is poised as it goes forward into the future, building on a legacy of quality and excellence prepared to face the challenges of tomorrow.

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Entrepreneurs

Strengthening Insurance Through Partnership: Arig’s Impact on Afro-Asia’s Markets

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Arig, as a specialist reinsurer in the Afro-Asia region, has over 36 years of honing that craft. As a trusted partner with an intimate understanding of the dynamic regional economy, Arig brings much more than security. It brings much-needed knowledge, commitment, and local know-how into the support of your growth. Arig delivers a unique level of understanding of risks in the Afro-Asia region, varying in countries with emerging economies, different regulatory regimes, and specific forms of risks. This reinsurer is relatively conversant with the risks involved with these countries and hence truly satisfies the needs of those operating in such markets. With this proactive nature, Arig can serve up custom reinsurance solutions that fit the dynamic nature of the respective economies.

Launched in 1980 and based in the kingdom of Bahrain, Arig has transformed itself not only as a regional leader but also as a truly global brand name in the field of reinsurance. Listed on both the Bahrain and Dubai stock exchanges, Arig boasts more than 6,000 institutional and private investors, signifying full backing and sound financial security to qualify as a reliable reinsurer. Among the foundations of sound security, customer-centric service, and in-depth market expertise, it has built up the reputation of the company. What stands out for Arig apart from its contemporaries is the particularity concerning how it addresses a client’s specific needs. The company provides reinsurance products with wide choices that ensure flexibility and adaptability on its side to let insurers be well-equipped to respond effectively to market demands. Whether it is property, liability, motor, or marine, Arig’s solutions are built with the insurers in mind – to help them grow and win within the ever-changing landscape.

Arig’s people are product specialists and experts in technical fields as well as deep indigenous knowledge of the regional markets of Africa and Asia, making the company uniquely positioned to add real value to clients with predictive market change signals. From regulatory movements to economic developments, the team of Arig collaborates closely with clients to help them prepare well for the future. At the core of Arig’s operations is a very strong commitment to long-term partnership. Transactions are clearly not an option, but mutual trust and shared growth into the future. Clients of Arig will benefit from the fast response time and a customer-centric approach so that customers will receive support toward the fulfilment of business objectives.

In addition, Arig has a vision for the future that also includes operating with respect for the environment. With regard to sustainable business practices growing in prominence on the global scene, the reinsurance industry is no exception in this regard. The work done by Arig is aimed at ensuring that the company’s operations are modern and up-to-date with the expectations that exist when it comes to environmental stewardship, yet always maintaining the high level of service it provides.

Arig understands that no partnership is possible without good communication. A reinsurer with deep roots in the Afro-Asia region, Arig communicates in its markets, not just literally, but certainly figuratively by being conversant with the nuances surrounding culture, economics, and regulation, all of which are shaped into nuances around insurance. This kind of expertise permits Arig to offer invaluable support to insurers: support over whether it is possible to respond to local market demands confidently.

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Entrepreneurs

Jumana Khan: Fashion, Fun, and Influence Across Social Media

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Jumana Khan is famous for her success as an oriental model, Dubai-based fashion blogger, and social media influencer. She is a raging tornado in the digital world, being a household name, mainly because of her fashion tips and trend-setting styles inspiring millions of followers in her 5.8 million followers on Instagram. She has bagged 9.2 million followers on TikTok where her creativity knows no bounds. There she showcases lip-syncing, dancing, and comedic sketches garnering a whopping 213.6 million likes. But her road to stardom on social media is not only a testament to entertainment; it is a path of hard work, fashion forward-thinking, and the authentic connection she has made with her fans.

Jumana Khan was an ardent fan of fashion; she went to Instagram, then sort of leaned into everything there while fostering an online presence that is now taking on a life of its own. From street-style styling to glamorous evening wear, Jumana’s effortless sense of style quickly captured the attention of fashion enthusiasts across the UAE and beyond. She can easily mix high-end pieces with affordable fashion and is making it possible for her style to reach a wide audience, giving her an enticing appeal in the world of influencers. Joining TikTok made her diversify her content on Instagram. She started making entertaining lip-sync videos and uploading dance routines and comedy clips that helped propel her into new levels of fame, making her one of the most recognizable faces around the world on the app. Her creativity defines her presence on TikTok, and with a very authentic and fun-loving personality, she has become relatable to millions of fans.

Major social media followings have not gone unnoticed by big brands. Jumana’s influence, especially within the fashion and lifestyle sectors, has led to collaboration projects with various high-profile companies. Some of her most notable partnerships include brands like Alhaji Perfumes, Oppo, Splash Fashion, and Intel. Every collaboration spotlights Jumana’s product integration, ensuring that her audience is engaged with the content but, more importantly, aligns with the brand message. It also opens up new avenues in the markets where she will expand while further proving her versatile facet as an influencer. To get more information on the latest of products, be it the latest gadget in the tech world or high-end fragrance, Jumana Khan has proven how flexible she can be and will continue to do so as a partner in demand by global brands.

In 2019, all the hard work and newfound popularity had finally led Jumana to an award-the Dubai Wow Award-for a very reputable accolade that honours those influencing agents whose works make a difference in their respective fields. This then spelled out a further stance where she is now placed as one of the top influencers in Dubai, opening doors to many more different opportunities in the niches of fashion and lifestyle. Her influence grows with every new post, video, and collaboration that pushes her into the spotlight. It is a quality of staying unique in this fast-changing world of social media, channeled through innovation and creativity in her craft.

Engaging is one of Jumana Khan’s strengths.  For she’s not just concerned with the content being focused on fashion or promoting a product. The important thing is to connect with people. And how does that get done? Her Instagram stories, for instance, are akin to another part of her writing down her every day; her TikTok videos, at the same time, fusing entertainment with style; Jumana makes the fans feel that they are part of her journey. This connection and appreciation keep driving her. Her fans are welcome to her sincerity and do not hide behind the fact that she responds to comments, messages, and questions that help her bond with the fans.  Such levels of interaction make her audience very loyal to her content.

Jumana Khan is one of the largest influencers in Dubai and continues with an unstoppable pace. Her style evolves as she introduces newer collaborations and fresh ideas to keep the users hooked with her. As social media continues to grow and trends keep on emerging, Jumana will stay ahead of the game being flexible. In a social media landscape characterized as fast-paced and where “likes” can dramatically change overnight, Jumana Khan has kept up with-and even stayed ahead of-her curve. Jumana has been taking the internet by storm with her interesting fashion blogs on Instagram and quirky lip-sync, dance, and comedy videos on TikTok and has earned millions of followers.

With over 9.2 million fans on TikTok and 5.8 million followers on Instagram, her magnetic presence, and relatable content have crowned her one of the top influencers in Dubai. Yet, it is the ability with which she can combine fashion, fun, and authenticity that makes her quite a beloved figure across platforms.

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