May 2012
Within a short span of 18 years, Al Jassar Group has established itself as a fast growing multi divisional firm with strong presence in trading, manufacturing, real estate, contracting, health etc. VT Saileswaran, Managing Director, who has been in the vanguard of this journey, talks about the success, values and vision of his business. Muhammed Nafie reports
It all started with one man who stepped out of the comfort zone of a senior management position with a leading Kuwait-based company to venture into an own enterprise in the Sultanate in 1994. Over the last 18 years, it has grown to a group of diversified companies establishing itself as a pioneer in providing multiple services to a wide range of industries in Oman, as diverse as trading, construction, manufacturing, infrastructure and telecommunication. In addition, it runs one of the leading private hospitals in the city and signed JVs with several international companies to manufacture and supply their products in the Middle East and North African (MENA) region. It was the vision and strong minded-pursuit of its managing director VT Saileswaran that enabled Al Jassar Group, which had a humble beginning as a trading company, to emerge as a multi divisional firm with 500 plus employees.
Sailsweran started his career in early 80s with Danish giant Rockwool for which he worked at Copenhagen for two years looking after its Middle East marketing; he later joined the Kuwaiti major Al Gahnim Industry where he was the regional manager for Kimmco Insulation for 15 years. "When I started Al Jassar Trading it was virtually a one-man company. Later, we grew and branched out to different areas launching Al Jassar Telecom, Apollo Medical Centre, Muscat, Habitat International, Habitat Furnishing, Group VTS SBN, Malaysia, Baek Suk Engineering & Partners, Dura Line Middle East etc.
A leap forward
Al Jassar Trading, the first venture of the group, has gained a good reputation since its inception for offering high-quality and highly reliable engineering, industrial and construction materials backed up by excellent sales support. It represents many well-reputed manufactures from across the globe in construction, water & waste water conveyance, roads etc.
Al Jassar Telecom which was set up in 2008 has partnered with internationally renowned telecom and IT vendors and was able to provide the telecommunication solutions with advanced technologies like GPON-FTTH, Wimax, GIS, integrated security solutions, intelligence building solutions, LED lighting solutions, IP telephony solutions, geographical information system etc. "We are the first Omani company to do FTTH network projects for Haya Water, Omantel and Nawras. WE have connected 2000 plots as well as 200 houses," says Saileswaran.
Habitat International provides services in property management, real estate and housekeeping. It serves commercial buildings, serviced apartments, residential buildings, guest houses, shopping malls etc. undertaking administration, management, maintenance, security operations and space planning.
Al Jassar Group has a well-equipped manufacturing unit and joinery division to produce a variety of furniture to cater to the needs in interior designing, furnishing and space planning. In addition, there are two state-of-the art- furniture showrooms in Watayah for readymade office furniture from Canadian leader Global Furniture and for sofas made by renowned German manufacture Hilker. Saileswaran also informed that he is looking forward to entering into a JV with Global Furniture to manufacture some of their products in Sohar for Middle East market.
Quality health care
Apollo Medical Centre (AMC), Muscat was set up in 2005 in association with Apollo Hospitals Group, India, Asia's largest and most trusted healthcare group, setting new benchmarks in providing the most advanced and state-of-the-art healthcare services in the Sultanate. Equipped with modern and state-of-the-art operation theatres and modern Intensive Care Unit (ICU), AMC is the only centre in Sultanate offering regular superspecialty consultation clinics by visiting doctors from Apollo Hospitals Group -India in Spine, Orthopedics, Arthroscopy & Knee, Neurosurgery, Liver, Cardiology etc.
"According to me, health care is not a big money making business," says Saileshwaran. "It is rather a service for the nation. We require high-value equipment for everything and getting doctors is another difficulty as it entails a protracted recruitment process lasting up to six to eight months."
AMC renders speedy treatment to all critical illnesses in cardiology, general medicine, diabteology & endocrinology, ENT, general surgery, gynecology and obstetrics, orthopedics, ophthalmology, plastic & cosmetic surgery, dermatology, dentistry, neurology and neo-natology and paediatrics etc. "We have achieved another landmark with the launch of telemedicine facility, the first installation in the Sultanate, whereby people living in Oman can access the best of healthcare services from the world-renowned Apollo Hospital's doctors in India," adds Saileswaran.
Way to go
The latest venture of Al Jassar Group is Dura-Line Middle East (DLME), a JV with Dura-Line India to produce cable ducts and high-density polyethylene (HDPE) pipes for water, wastewater, and natural gas pipelines and other industrial applications, in Sohar. With an installed capacity of 6,000 tonnes a year, the plant combines the technological strength of Dura-Line and A-D Technologies with the local market service support of Al Jassar. The company has invested $7.8mn in setting up the plant. "The entire plant, covering a built-up area of 7,000 m2, was completed within 90 days. The plant and machinery and the quality systems are exactly identical to the Dura-Line India facilities," avers Saileswaran.
Dura-Line Middle East currently has two extrusion machines capable of producing in the size of 20mm to 250mm and the sizes beyond 250mm can be easily complemented from the Indian units to provide the full size range to the end users in the Middle East. "Our major customers in Oman are organisations that are engaged in building water, wastewater, natural gas pipelines and irrigation systems such as Haya Water and Public Authority for Electricity and Water," Saileswaran added. On the advantages of setting up the project in Sohar, Saileswaran said that it was a strategic location for exporting the products to the Middle East and North Africa region. "We are aiming at exporting 60 per cent of the company's products."
Baek Suk Engineering & Partners is another contracting arm of the group in cooperation with the Korea-based principal. Saileswaran says the company has currently got a subcontract from Hyundai Rotem which was awarded the contract of Al Khoud sewage networking project.
Exuding confidence about the upbeat prospects of the company in the coming years, Saileswaran says, "My future outlook is to do the best to strengthen the business. Our vision is to be one of the most successful companies in the region and the mission is to give quality service to the customers." He also informs that Al Jassar Group is seriously considering launching a bigger multispecialty hospital in association with Apollo India to give all secondary and tertiary care facilities under one roof.
Within a short span of 18 years, Al Jassar Group has established itself as a fast growing multi divisional firm with strong presence in trading, manufacturing, real estate, contracting, health etc. VT Saileswaran, Managing Director, who has been in the vanguard of this journey, talks about the success, values and vision of his business. Muhammed Nafie reports
It all started with one man who stepped out of the comfort zone of a senior management position with a leading Kuwait-based company to venture into an own enterprise in the Sultanate in 1994. Over the last 18 years, it has grown to a group of diversified companies establishing itself as a pioneer in providing multiple services to a wide range of industries in Oman, as diverse as trading, construction, manufacturing, infrastructure and telecommunication. In addition, it runs one of the leading private hospitals in the city and signed JVs with several international companies to manufacture and supply their products in the Middle East and North African (MENA) region. It was the vision and strong minded-pursuit of its managing director VT Saileswaran that enabled Al Jassar Group, which had a humble beginning as a trading company, to emerge as a multi divisional firm with 500 plus employees.
Sailsweran started his career in early 80s with Danish giant Rockwool for which he worked at Copenhagen for two years looking after its Middle East marketing; he later joined the Kuwaiti major Al Gahnim Industry where he was the regional manager for Kimmco Insulation for 15 years. "When I started Al Jassar Trading it was virtually a one-man company. Later, we grew and branched out to different areas launching Al Jassar Telecom, Apollo Medical Centre, Muscat, Habitat International, Habitat Furnishing, Group VTS SBN, Malaysia, Baek Suk Engineering & Partners, Dura Line Middle East etc.
A leap forward
Al Jassar Trading, the first venture of the group, has gained a good reputation since its inception for offering high-quality and highly reliable engineering, industrial and construction materials backed up by excellent sales support. It represents many well-reputed manufactures from across the globe in construction, water & waste water conveyance, roads etc.
Al Jassar Telecom which was set up in 2008 has partnered with internationally renowned telecom and IT vendors and was able to provide the telecommunication solutions with advanced technologies like GPON-FTTH, Wimax, GIS, integrated security solutions, intelligence building solutions, LED lighting solutions, IP telephony solutions, geographical information system etc. "We are the first Omani company to do FTTH network projects for Haya Water, Omantel and Nawras. WE have connected 2000 plots as well as 200 houses," says Saileswaran.
Habitat International provides services in property management, real estate and housekeeping. It serves commercial buildings, serviced apartments, residential buildings, guest houses, shopping malls etc. undertaking administration, management, maintenance, security operations and space planning.
Al Jassar Group has a well-equipped manufacturing unit and joinery division to produce a variety of furniture to cater to the needs in interior designing, furnishing and space planning. In addition, there are two state-of-the art- furniture showrooms in Watayah for readymade office furniture from Canadian leader Global Furniture and for sofas made by renowned German manufacture Hilker. Saileswaran also informed that he is looking forward to entering into a JV with Global Furniture to manufacture some of their products in Sohar for Middle East market.
Quality health care
Apollo Medical Centre (AMC), Muscat was set up in 2005 in association with Apollo Hospitals Group, India, Asia's largest and most trusted healthcare group, setting new benchmarks in providing the most advanced and state-of-the-art healthcare services in the Sultanate. Equipped with modern and state-of-the-art operation theatres and modern Intensive Care Unit (ICU), AMC is the only centre in Sultanate offering regular superspecialty consultation clinics by visiting doctors from Apollo Hospitals Group -India in Spine, Orthopedics, Arthroscopy & Knee, Neurosurgery, Liver, Cardiology etc.
"According to me, health care is not a big money making business," says Saileshwaran. "It is rather a service for the nation. We require high-value equipment for everything and getting doctors is another difficulty as it entails a protracted recruitment process lasting up to six to eight months."
AMC renders speedy treatment to all critical illnesses in cardiology, general medicine, diabteology & endocrinology, ENT, general surgery, gynecology and obstetrics, orthopedics, ophthalmology, plastic & cosmetic surgery, dermatology, dentistry, neurology and neo-natology and paediatrics etc. "We have achieved another landmark with the launch of telemedicine facility, the first installation in the Sultanate, whereby people living in Oman can access the best of healthcare services from the world-renowned Apollo Hospital's doctors in India," adds Saileswaran.
Way to go
The latest venture of Al Jassar Group is Dura-Line Middle East (DLME), a JV with Dura-Line India to produce cable ducts and high-density polyethylene (HDPE) pipes for water, wastewater, and natural gas pipelines and other industrial applications, in Sohar. With an installed capacity of 6,000 tonnes a year, the plant combines the technological strength of Dura-Line and A-D Technologies with the local market service support of Al Jassar. The company has invested $7.8mn in setting up the plant. "The entire plant, covering a built-up area of 7,000 m2, was completed within 90 days. The plant and machinery and the quality systems are exactly identical to the Dura-Line India facilities," avers Saileswaran.
Dura-Line Middle East currently has two extrusion machines capable of producing in the size of 20mm to 250mm and the sizes beyond 250mm can be easily complemented from the Indian units to provide the full size range to the end users in the Middle East. "Our major customers in Oman are organisations that are engaged in building water, wastewater, natural gas pipelines and irrigation systems such as Haya Water and Public Authority for Electricity and Water," Saileswaran added. On the advantages of setting up the project in Sohar, Saileswaran said that it was a strategic location for exporting the products to the Middle East and North Africa region. "We are aiming at exporting 60 per cent of the company's products."
Baek Suk Engineering & Partners is another contracting arm of the group in cooperation with the Korea-based principal. Saileswaran says the company has currently got a subcontract from Hyundai Rotem which was awarded the contract of Al Khoud sewage networking project.
Exuding confidence about the upbeat prospects of the company in the coming years, Saileswaran says, "My future outlook is to do the best to strengthen the business. Our vision is to be one of the most successful companies in the region and the mission is to give quality service to the customers." He also informs that Al Jassar Group is seriously considering launching a bigger multispecialty hospital in association with Apollo India to give all secondary and tertiary care facilities under one roof.
© Oman Economic Review 2012
