Nipun Anand: Taking father's legacy ahead from trucks to airlines
It’s always a difficult proposition, at least for some fathers to hand over the reins and pass down a self-made business legacy to their sons, but for Mr. Panna Anand, the self-made transport and supply chain baron, witnessing his son, Nipun Anand , Director of Zeal Global Group , accomplish success and milestones and taking his legacy forward in such a small span of time, is a matter of great personal pride.
The father-son dynamic is admittedly, a complicated one. At one end, your son and you can have disagreements and differences of opinion unlike, say, a non-family member working under you. But at the other end, despite having liberties that an ordinary person wouldn’t have, your son also gives you unquestionable loyalty as the face of the brand you build from the scratch. He’ll go that extra mile for you and your company because it’s his business too. He is just as involved and concerned as you are.
The rise of Mr. Panna Anand can outrival any rags-to-riches Dickensian tale. He started off in Mumbai during the 80s, called Bombay at that time. Mr. Panna who came from modest means started a transportation business with nothing more than just a truck. Slowly but surely his business began to prosper but Mr. Anand had bigger aspirations for himself so he sold off all the trucks he had and with that money, moved to the capital, New Delhi. He then reinvented himself as he started undertaking several civil construction contracts as a builder, and developed many prominent residential projects in the South Delhi and Gurgaon region, this business became a tremendous success. Meanwhile, Nipun Anand after pursuing his management degree from the University of Bradford wanted to start on his own, just like his father did before him. Nipun Anand started Zeal Global in 2012, a Delhi-based cargo firm which specifically delves into the GSSA Cargo business. Zeal Global offers a host of extensive services to its partnered airlines which include the sales, marketing, and distribution. Headquartered at the Delhi Airport, Zeal Global has been single-handedly responsible for establishing a number of international airlines across India. Some of the airlines they represent are Air Asia, MIAT Mongolian, Copa Air, Arik Air and Asky Air. On the 19th of April, on the occasion of Global Convention of NRIs, hosted for delegates in the house of Lord’s London, UK, Nipun was conferred with the prestigious “Mahatma Gandhi Leadership Awards 2018”. Mr. Panna Anand was named as the chairman of the company, and fittingly so, considering his 40 odd years of transport, construction, exports, and logistics experience and invaluable counsel he provides to his son and the other key stakeholders in the firm.
When asked about his father, Nipun turns very deferential and officious, owing to the immense respect and adoration he has for the man who taught him everything about business and life. “Out of all the things he has taught me over the years, humility is a big one. Despite attaining dizzying heights in his career as a powerhouse business magnate, he continues to be grounded and humble, not just with the family but everyone around him─ His peers, subordinates, friends, colleagues, anyone who has ever had the fortune of knowing him can feel that personal touch, positivity and affability radiate from him. He’s like a magnet that pulls all the right kind of people towards him and inspires them to be a better version of themselves. I hope in business and in life, I am able to emulate that same aura, myself,” Nipun said. Nipun also added, “In terms of the way he goes about his business, his work philosophy is deeply rooted in trust, credibility and well-preparedness and a meticulous attention to detail. He has always been extremely strong and adept in all matters finance, be it spending or control. He’s through and through a numbers man and he always told me to have the figures, charts and data points thoroughly revised and on my fingertips before any dealing. My interest in finance and numbers is something that is inherited.”
When asked about future prospects, the father-son duo is currently laser-focused on hospitality─ Hotel business. They have acquired pieces of land in Goa and have started a series of five-star hotels under the flagship of Ziv hotels, which is a subsidiary of their construction business, Citi constructions. They intend to grow and expand upon these properties and further their footprint across the Goan territory.
It’s safe to say that this dynamic son-father duo is here to stay and set a sterling example for everyone in the years to come; just like that fresh-faced novice did when he started with just one truck in Bombay.
