Guest Info
Vimal Shah is one of the core entrepreneurs of Kenya and a gifted philanthropist. He is the chairman of Bidco Africa, which was set up to spread the true spirit of Kenyanness and to clean out the misconceptions associated with Kenya. He is also one of the wealthiest industrialists living there.
He attended the United States International University, Nairobi Campus, after graduating with a degree in Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and Finance. From humble beginnings, he, along with his father and brother, set up Bidco Africa, which has now become one of the largest companies of its kind across the region. He supports local communities through employment in addition to inspiring entrepreneurship.
About the Show
In this episode of the Global Indian Podcast, Chief Explorer Rajan Nazran engages with Vimal Shah in a conversation to understand the various elements involved in owning up to a Kenyan consciousness while being an Indian.
From a deep dive into his voyage to his advice to immigrants and what they need to do to feel a real sense of belonging, Vimal Shah provides an extraordinary glimpse at business, individuality and the legacy of change.
Vimal Shah was born and brought up in Kenya and has Kenyanness naturally grown inside of him. This is a very original thought and is by no means forced so that he could easily fit into society. He discovered there is so much more to being an African, as there is access to quite an exciting space to venture out and harness all the available opportunities. He would never wish to relocate to any other place.
He stresses the importance of mingling with the locals and adapting to their lifestyles instead of coming in as an immigrant group and settling among themselves. All the other countries view Africa as an opportunity to grow their economy. The Chinese and the Europeans are avidly acting on it. He finds Kenyan society much more amicable and trustworthy than the Indian one, as in present Kenya, there are very minute traces of caste and class discrimination.
Even while the others thought of securing new places and money for security, his family seemed to emulate a profound sense of positivity related to Kenya. His idea was to think and operate differently, and Africa had the resources.
Listen to this podcast for a much clearer understanding of how beyond the barriers, Kenya has a kind, beating heart.
Produced by Global Indian Series for the Global Indian Network.
Script by Rajan Nazran
original idea: Rajan Nazran
Introduction music: (Music credit: https://freesound.org/people/Drakensson)
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