Is the Chairman of Global Malayalee Council, an organization established in 1999 spread all over the globe for uniting the Malayalee community under one umbrella and striving for the socioeconomic development of India.


Global Malayalee Council is organizing a Global Meet and Expo in Cochin from 8th August.

He also is the first Indian to invest in the Kingdom after the door was opened for foreign investors in the Kingdom. Mr.Varghese is the man behind the Moolan Group, whose network of branches spreads across 24 countries around the world, with diversified interests ranging from spices to information technology.

For him, spices are part of his family business. His grandfather was a reputed spices wholesaler in the Cochin area. Moolan Group’s Vijay brand spices are well-know in the Gulf.

Mr.Varghese, who graduated from Sri. Shankara College Kalady in 1977, holds a P.G. Diploma in Management and Administration (D.M.A) from Aligarh Muslim University. He started his career as a private secretary for Mr.Saroj Goenka of Indian Express group at Chennai. Later, he joined Sandeel India Ltd as a Sales Manager. During one of his business trips, he accidentally met Mr. Khaled Al-Saleh at a restaurant in Bombay, who offered him a managerial job in his company in Dammam.

Mr.Varghese is happily married to Mrs.Jane Varghese, a postgraduate in economics. She is the niece of Ex-Central Minister Mr. A.C. George. His son Vijay is in the final year of engineering at Michigan University and daughter Jaishree is studying in the 12th standard at International Indian School Dammam.

Mr.Varghese, who believes in simple living and high thinking, says he has not even fulfilled 25 percent of his aspiration.

Following are the excerpts from an Interview with Yahind.com

Yahind: What is Global Malayalee Council?

Varghese: It is an organization to bring the South Indian across the globe under one umbrella and strive for the socio-economic development of India, mainly in five fields-- Business Enhancement, Social Welfare, Health awareness, Cultural propagation and charity.

Yahind: What is the criterion for the Membership?

Varghese: The details are on our website, but mainly there are five points. Like if you are interested in interacting with Global Malayalees. Preference is for those who can share part of their blessings with less fortunate brothers etc. We welcome those who have a flair for social work.

Yahind: In what way is GMC helping the Malayalee Community ?

Varghese: We have about 1400 members all over the world, mainly Malayalees and GMC act as an umbrella. The members interact with one other and explore the business possibilities. The global meet and expo are mainly for this purpose. We are also helping the financially disadvantaged by building houses, conducting free medical camps, etc.

Yahind: What are your activities in India?

Varghese: We are setting up a company especially for South Indians. This will be declared during the Global Meet. The main aim is to help the farmers, who constitute the backbone of India. This company will venture into soft drinks market to replace the colas with organic coconut juice. The name of Kerala derives from the word Kera (coconut). There are nearly 16 crores coconut trees in Kerala. Every poor man’s house in Kerala has 5-10 coconut trees. We are planning in such a way that these coconut trees become the backbone of Kerala’s economic structure. There is a special type of sap taken from the coconut tree. Each tree yields about 4-5 liters per day. The wholesale value of this organic juice is 30-40 rupees. With the help of technology developed by the Coconut Development Board of Kerala we can prevent the fermentation of this sap. We also want to start an aviation company. We are applying for a license for operating a low-cost airline for the passengers. This company will also venture into the production of Bio-Diesel. Another aspect of this company is to promote our ayurvedic medicines in the US and Europe.

Yahind: In what way is your Organization different from other Malayalee Associations?

Varghese: There are Associations, which are based on region or religion and some have political affiliations. But GMC has no political allegiance and has no boundaries. Even though presently we are concentrating on the South Indians, we have plans to make it Global Indian Council.

Yahind: Keralites are said to be the biggest expatriate community in the entire Gulf. What is the reason for this phenomenon?

Varghese: Ex-Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh Mr. Chandra Babu Naidu has asked the same question in the Dubai meet. And he said “You are leading in Mid Management in Gulf, you are there in Europe and the US with a lot of achievements to your credit, but why are you not achieving the same success in your home State”?

Every sensible man is asking this question. The main reason is the leadership gap at the political level compounded by the problem of meddlesome politicians and bureaucratic hurdles. Owning private property is the fundamental right assured by Indian constitution but in Kerala this is the most contested fundamental right. Trade unions have also added to the problem. Those who are looking for better life face obstacles in Kerala. Those who cannot afford to go to foreign countries have migrated to other states of India and proved their abilities there.

Yahind: Kerala is the only state in India where there is a separate Ministry for NRIs. How does this ministry work and what are the issues they take up ?

Varghese: It is just a show. I have attended a few Samavayams (meetings) organized by this Norka. This is ridiculous; they are just squandering the people’s money unnecessarily.

Yahind: GMC is not getting any help from this Ministry?

Varghese: Nothing so far. We did not even register with them, it is of no use, and we want to work independently.

Yahind: Kerala has become a favorite destination for international tourists. Could you elaborate on this?

Varghese: Kerala has been declared as one of the 50 best tourist locations by the National Geographic Society and it was described as “God’s Own Country” by the International Tourism Board. The long mountain ranges and breath-taking sea shores, together with the climatic conditions throughout the year, have made it the most sought- after tourist destination. It has a great potential but it has not been tapped even by 10%. The airfares from Delhi and Bombay to Cochin are so high that for the same fare one can fly to Singapore or Malaysia. If Cochin is declared an entry port by the Aviation ministry and if the same fare to Bombay and Delhi is applied to Cochin, the tourism potential will be doubled. Kerala can also carve out a niche market for medical tourism due to the Ayurvedic treatment available in our State.

Yahind: What is your message to other communities?

Varghese: Unite and grow is my basic message. In India we are already bound by state or language, religion or race. We are already united in so many ways with so many people. So now we are looking for more meaningful ties with fellow beings. That is why we are seeking cooperation with other organizations. Every organization has to have an ideology, and to strive to achieve it. The basic aim of all the organizations is the socioeconomic development of India. We are ready to co-operate with any organization and for any meaningful dialogue in this regard.

Yahind: You are one of the Indian Investors in the Kingdom. Tell us about your experience as an investor?

Varghese: I am probably the first Indian investor in the Kingdom under this investment scheme in 2002. From the business point view, the Saudi market has not been tapped even by ten percent. There is a huge potential for foreign investment here.

Yahind: What are the facilities available here for the foreign investors?

Varghese: Here we can start our business confidently. The Government is allotting land at nominal price and providing complete infrastructure facilities for investors. Of course, Saudi investors are given preferential treatment in everything.

Yahind: What are your products?

Varghese: We are mainly dealing in spices, nuts and almost all the Indian food products.

Yahind: Which are you popular brands?

Varghese: Vijay is our popular brand. We have been sponsoring for the last four years a half an hour program daily called “Global greeting “ on AsiaNet Channel to promote our products.

Yahind: Other than spices what are your other products?

Varghese: We are in furniture business, exporting leather goods to the USA and other countries; we are also dealing in IT. In the K.S.A and other gulf countries we are marketing the spices under the brand name Nice.

Yahind: What is the scope for Indian investors in the Kingdom?

Varghese: If you know your field well there are many opportunities for Indian investors. The Kingdom is the only country where there is no sales tax, wealth tax or Income Tax. Moreover, there are 1.5 million Indian expatriates in the Kingdom. Indian investor feel at home here. In the Kingdom, Government officials not only visit you to check but also to understand your problems. Sometimes they specially visit you to know about your problems and to solve them.

Yahind: Which are the best areas to invest for Indians?

Varghese: IT and construction are among the best fields for Indian investors to venture into.

Yahind: How do you describe success?

Varghese: I am not successful yet. I have not achieved even a quarter of my inspiration and ambitions. I have many miles to go. But success to me is achieving the targets set.

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