Friday, May 31, 2019

Business icon Prabhakar Rana passes away

A pioneer of Nepali tourism industry Prabhakar SJB Rana passed away while undergoing treatment in New York yesterday. Rana, 84, was admitted to the hospital one year ago.
Starting his career in the hotel industry, Rana built an empire with his honesty and moral in business. Engaged in multiple business including tourism, trade, automobiles, and hydropower, Rana believed in earning credibility and transparency in his business rather than making profits because ‘that’s what makes businesses successful’, according to him.
The first generation of Nepali entrepreneurs, chairman Emeritus of Soaltee Crowne Plaza, Rana was not only recognised for his initiative to bring an international hotel chain to Nepal but also for promoting tourism through hotel.
Rana was the founding chairperson of Soaltee Crowne Plaza and later on the chairman emeritus of the five-star hotel, though Soaltee was founded in 1966 by late prince Himalaya Bikram Shah and late princess Princep Rajya Laxmi. Rana later converted the hotel to a public limited company in 1975. Soaltee Crowne Plaza is one of the three hotels listed in the Nepal Sock Exchange (Nepse).
Until recently he was working on Soaltee Westend Hotel in Nepalgunj expanding the Soaltee brand outside the Kathmandu Valley.
Starting from the hotel industry, Rana expanded his business to travel and trekking, automobiles, tea garden and hydropower projects. He is also the founder president of Hotel Association Nepal (HAN) and Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) Nepal chapter.
Issuing press notes, both HAN and PATA said Rana could solely be credited for introducing international standards in the hospitality sector of the country.
Rana established Sipradi Trading – the authorised dealer of Tata Motors in Nepal – in 1982. In 1986, he invested in Surya Nepal, a multinational undertaking in joint partnership with firms of India and UK. Likewise, He started Bhotekoshi Power Company (BPC) – the first privately funded, run-of-the-river (ROR) power project in Nepal – in 1996.
Besides, he has also invested in Himalayan Tea Garden and Amravati Travels.
Rana was both professionally and personally close with late kings Mahendra and Birendra and in recent times with former king Gyanendra. But he never misused the power as usually is seen. He kept his freidship and professionalism separate though he was business partner of forme king Gyanendra.
He is survived by a son Siddhartha and a daughter Maya. Siddhartha Rana is currently looking after the entire business operations. The final rites of Rana will be performed in New York tomorrow.

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