by Việt Dũng

When Indian businessman Mohan Ramesh Anand first arrived in Việt Nam in 1993 for a company assignment, he had not thought that the country would become his second home.

The 58-year-old Indian expat in HCM City was deputed by a Singapore-based trading company to be Việt Nam chief representative and country head.

Usually, executives in such positions stay in a location for a few years before being deployed to another country, and Anand thought at first it would be the same in his case.

However, he came to realise the boundless opportunities offered by Việt Nam in the early days of its global integration process.

“Việt Nam was opening itself to foreigners, welcoming foreign companies to invest and operate under its Đổi Mới policy.”

In 1998, he decided to strike out on his own, with a restaurant he took over from a friend which then became Saigon India Restaurant and entering commodity trading, pharmaceuticals, animal feed, and several other industries.

He currently runs four companies, with branches in many countries.

Anand tells Việt Nam News that HCM City is a fast, vibrant commercial hub, and he had a lot of learning opportunities here thanks to his occupation and the fact that the recently-opened country was importing products from many industries, which allowed him to experiment with various businesses.

He attributes his success to the support he has received from Vietnamese – from his staff who support him all the way, the Government with its helpful policies, and friends who showed him the ropes at the start of his journey.

Anand fondly recalls the first time he met a 50-year-old Vietnamese businessman back when he was only around 30, apprehensive about the age gap and how he might be treated as a result.

But the man showed but nothing but warmth and friendliness – something that he also attributes to a lot of Vietnamese he has worked with since.

Then there was the friend who gave him a scooter for free to help him move around when he had just started venturing on his own. Another gave him a place to stay so he could use his funds for his new business.

There were many other friends who helped him in smaller ways, but Anand says all played a big role in building his confidence and getting him to where he is today.

“I never dreamt that I would be able to do this much. Việt Nam has given me a lot."

​He was one of the founding members of the Indian Business Chamber in Việt Nam (Incham), which promotes trade between the two countries.

After being its chairman twice in the past, he is currently a member of the working group, helping Indian businesses find success in Việt Nam and vice versa.

The non-profit also holds cultural and culinary events, helping bring the two countries closer.

Việt Nam and India share a good business relationship and friendship with each other, and Incham would like to do more to help strengthen this bond, he says.

​A new home

For Anand, Việt Nam is not just a lucrative business opportunity, but also a home – a place where he has spent more of his life than in his native country.

He has been living in Việt Nam for more than 33 years, is married to a Vietnamese woman, has a son who he hopes can take over his businesses some day, and has established close connections with Vietnamese people who treat him like a brother, some of whom have remained with him since his early days here – people who he says made him realise Việt Nam was the place to be.

Not stopping with helping the friends who had backed him, Anand has also taken it upon himself to repay his adopted country, doing charity both personally and through Incham in the form of donations of essential goods and cash to organisations in need, blood donation, and even contributions of medical equipment and free meals during the turbulent COVID-19 times.

He and other Indian expats also help organise festivals at Hindu temples in HCM City every year, himself contributing money or food from his restaurant.

Vietnamese and expats partake in traditional rituals and ceremonies to pray for peace and wellbeing, and spend time with one another like a close-knitted communtity.

He adds with a smile: “I have made a lot of good relationships and have unforgettable memories. My early days in Việt Nam were my best days.” — VNS