Selfless, disciplined and confident. Nawaz Gobindram, the new Managing Director of Velogic India, has made these values his strength. From Vacoas to New Delhi, via France and Madagascar, this husband and father of three realised that the essence of a successful business lies in the well-being of its employees.
Promising beginnings
At just 19, Nawaz flew to France to study Transportation Engineering and Logistics Management at the Lille University of Science and Technology. It was a very ambitious choice because, even though this sector was booming in Europe in the 80s, it was little known on Mauritian soil. When he returned seven years later, the situation was still the same. However, the young graduate soon found himself propelled to the position of hotel manager and later became a founding member of the Medisave Clinic in Quatre Bornes.
These initial professional experiences allowed him to refine his critical thinking abilities and develop a relationship with customers from all over the world. The lessons he gathered over his five years in the medical sector, such as humility and empathy, became a part of his philosophy. “I had some great moments, including births, but also deaths. It allowed me to understand that life hangs by a thread and that every action must contribute to improving the lives of others,” he theorises. For this reason, Nawaz is passionate about sowing seeds of happiness, going beyond Mauritian borders to carry out this mission.
In 2007, patience and determination guided this philanthropist to Velogic. He went from studying the development of the transport and logistics sector at 19, to finally joining a company which specialises in it. Shortly after proving himself in Madagascar as Deputy Country Manager, he climbed the ladder and joined the New Delhi branch in 2009, two years after its rocky beginnings. It took Velogic India eight years to build a solid reputation on the local and international scene, going from five to 75 employees and from two to six offices across the country. In 2017, they earned themselves Rogers’ Inspiring Beyond Award, which was shortly followed by rewarding Nawaz’s entrepreneurial qualities with a promotion to Managing Director in March 2018.
« A chain is only as strong as its weakest link. The same applies to a company where every employee has a key role to play. »
A human enterprise
Our Managing Director is the complete opposite of those tyrannical business leaders from the past. Every morning, after greeting his team, Nawaz chats with the Human Resources Manager to ask about staff news and make sure everything is going well for them. “A chain is only as strong as its weakest link. The same applies to a company where the role of each employee is central to the proper functioning of its operations. Here, nobody is left out, we are all strong links,” says Nawaz. A friendly working environment, duly celebrated birthdays, Employee of the Month Award, promotion opportunities for all, an open door policy and attentively listening to employees, all contribute to the strong corporate culture of Velogic India.
If this management model values employees and places them at the heart of their decisions, it must extend beyond the professional realm. “Employees cannot perform at their best if they are in poor health or constantly worried about family matters,” says Nawaz, aware of the social and economic difficulties affecting India. “Whether it’s contributing to the medical expenses of an employee’s child or housing the employee after his house burns down, we are always ready to reach out and provide the necessary assistance,” he said. “It is indeed these actions that make all the difference.”
And it’s this difference that helps the employees of Velogic India confidently rise to new horizons, even inspiring other companies along the way.
