Wai Wai, dream and a ruthless, shrewd businessman

The journey of a businessman from New Road in Kathmandu to New York in the USA, ‘Binod Chaudhary Atmakatha’ – autobiography of Binod Chaudhary – gives different readers a different taste.
Going through autobiography, readers not only get to know the industrialist Binod Chaudhary and his struggles and success but also political and economic development of the country from the 60’s to the present date.
Reading the ups and downs of a successful industrialist will definitely inspire the younger generation but more than that it will also teach them how can one achieve success in life.
The book describes how Chaudhary continued his journey step by step, from the first fashion boutique to Copper Floor Disco, to multinational hotel chains.
His affiliation with royal palace, politics, politicians, music and his hobby, which almost killed him, of bikes reflect a boy next door image behind a ‘ruthless and shroud businessman’.
Though, the book revolves mostly around relationships between business and politics, it also has reflected the last six decades and country’s changing consumerism to rising private sector’s lead in policy level.
Chaudhary describes the story of Wai Wai – his flagship noodles brand – that according to him was one of the key turning points of his business plan – is one of the lessons to be learnt from going through the book as most of the readers might not know the story behind the starting of Wai Wai – that changed the today’s eating habit – in Nepal.
Chaudhary dared to dream and turn his dream into reality too. From Arun Emporium (1968) to Chaudhary Investments, Himalayan Intercontinental to Chaudhary Foundation, CG Education, CG Finco, Hospitality, Energy and Infrastructure to Financial Services to Telecom and recent agreement with Grammen Bank of Bangladesh for Social Business Fund, he has left not a single sector untouched.
The readers might not believe every word in an autobiography because sometimes autobiographies turn into self praise. But Chaudhary has also tried to clarify from his side on certain issues that he was involved in, may it be Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FNCCI) politics and establishment of Confederation of Nepalese Industries (CNI), or his relationships with the royals, Nepali Congress, CPN-UML or deal of Nabil Bank, Mahalaxmi Sugar Mills or the latest controversy of VAT scam.
The book is also a nice read to know how an industrialist turns his failures into a steeping stones and how one major turning point changes the whole universe of business and leads to corporatisation of Bhuramal Lunkarandas Chaudhary to Chaudhary Group and establishment of Ganga Devi Chaudhray Uddhyog Gram, the model Special Economic Zone of the private sector.
Some claim autobiographies could not be true, others take it as a lesson and inspiration but Binod Chaudhary Atmakatha, is the first of its kind of book in our part of the world that is completely obsessed with politicians and politics and feels ashamed of talking of money, though everyone dreams of becoming rich over night.
Some of the readers might feel that the book is filled with much self praise, whereas others might take it as an inspiration. But as Chaudhary himself claims, he wants everything in his one life, not sacrifice something for the other. May be that’s why he is ‘ruthless and shrewd businessman’.

BOOK REVIEW
BOOK: Binod Chaudhary Atmakatha (An autobiography of Binod Chaudhary)
AUTHOR: Sudeep Shrestha and Binod Chaudhary
PUBLISHER: Nepa-laya
PAGES: 327
PRICE: Rs 395