Sunil counting on drive and passion

By Sharen Kaur
sharen@mediaprima.com.my
Published in NST on July 31, 2014

ENTREPRENEURS need to evaluate their economic activities and focus not just on numbers, but also the qualitative aspects of the business, says a former DiGi Telecommunications Sdn Bhd staff-turned-entrepreneur.

“Anything can be a business and it must be legal. Anyone can become a businessman with drive and passion. But one must first strengthen competitiveness, foster greater capacity for technology and innovation, and have financing in place,” said Sunil Sachdev. 

Sunil left DiGi after 13 years to pursue his own business, moving from telecommunications to more leisurely ventures. 

Prior to DiGi, he had worked at Telekom Malaysia Bhd for eight years.

Sunil said what inspired him to move forward was the farsightedness of two businessmen, Tan Sri Jeffrey Cheah and the late Tan Sri SM Nasimuddin SM Amin, and their drive to succeed.

Nasimuddin founded Naza Group in 1974 as a used-car dealer. He was 19 when he used the RM80,000 he had saved up from helping his contractor father to start his automobile business with an allocation of Approved Permits (APs) to import foreign cars. 

He made his first RM1 million in about a year.

Today, Naza operates more than 14 businesses.

Cheah, meanwhile, bought a tin mining area in Bandar Sunway for RM100,000 in the 1970s to build Sunway Resort City, an award-winning integrated township development.

“They both went on to build an empire. They believed in what they were doing and that has inspired me,” Sunil told Business Times, in an interview here, recently.

Sunil currently operates restaurants under the Restaurant Chappatidotcom Group (CDC) and consultancy and real estate services where he works with property developers on projects and land matters.

He also runs Classic Floral Services, an event management company founded in 1998, which manages large-scale private and corporate functions.

Most of the businesses are operated by Sunil and his wife, Cindy.

CDC was founded by him and his partners Updesh Gill, Harry Sidhu and Sanjit Sidhu two years ago.

According to Sunil, CDC plans to expand its Restaurant Chappati.Com chain within the Klang Valley due to popular demand, and venture into other businesses. 

“We hope to make Chappati.Com a brand that lingers in people’s mind, and one to be proud of as this is a Malaysian brand. We believe we can achieve this with our expertise in this industry,” he said.  

Combined, they have almost 40 years of experience in the food and beverage, and entertainment industries. Sunil through Classic Floral Services and Updesh via her family-run business, Hasheel Sidhu. 

The Chappati.Com restaurant. (top). Sunil Sachdev (inset) says one can become a good businessman by being competitive and innovative.