Vijay Eswaran wins Special Award for Education Entrepreneurship and Leadership

QI Group Executive Chairman, Vijay Eswaran was bestowed the ‘Special Award for Education Entrepreneurship and Leadership’ at the 18th Malaysian Education Summit, organised by the Asian Strategy & Leadership Institute (ASLI).

Malaysia’s Minister of Education ll, Dato Seri Idris Jusoh presented the award held at the SWAN Convention Centre here.

The award recognises Eswaran for his vision, innovation, leadership and success in navigating Quest International University Perak (QIUP) to rapid growth during the last three years. Notably, the university, a joint venture between the QI Group and the Perak state government, is expected to surpass the 1,000 mark student population and extend the programmes offered to 24 by end of this year.

“While I am thrilled to be an award recipient for education entrepreneurship and leadership, this achievement could not have been possible without QIUP’s dedicated teaching staff, our trusted council members, and our students who challenge us daily to improve the way we do things at the university.

“I am also very honoured to receive this award alongside the rest of the accomplished entrepreneurs such as Dato’ Peter Ng of UCSI Unversity and Tan Sri Ir Othman Merican of Sri Kuala Lumpur School, who are all working diligently for the transformation of the education sector as well as to build innovative private education in Malaysia and globally,” said Eswaran.

Eswaran, who is also the University Council Chairman for QIUP, wins this award for showing fine entrepreneurial skills and exceptional management expertise as well as for his role in the development of professional education, education reforms and innovation.

Under the leadership of Eswaran, QIUP is today one of the fastest growing universities in the country, currently offering 20 programmes including medicine and post graduate.

“From its humble beginning in 2011, the QIUP saga is a story of the hunger for excellence and the thirst for achievements. The far-sightedness, courage and determination on the part of the University’s management team in identifying an industry niche and capitalising on core competencies are the mainstay in our quest to turn QIUP into an education hub in the country.

Speaking as a Panelist at the Summit on the topic of “Transforming Malaysian Education in the 21st Century, Eswaran said English language proficiency is fundamental to the transformation of the Malaysian education sector.

“English proficiency in the country has reached a critical level that it can undermine the well-being and international standings of this country in the absence of genuine efforts to curb its decline. It is difficult to conduct economic and commercial activities without a strong command of English.

“The poor, especially those in the rural areas, will suffer from the lack of proficiency in English. Malaysians need to be able to find employment anywhere in the world and proficiency in English can provide access to the international job market, which undoubtedly can help the poor get a decent, good paying job,” explained Eswaran.

The Malaysian Education Summit brought together key stakeholders in Malaysian Education to brainstorm on how best to further enhance the quality of education as well as to discuss critical issues on the implementation of the new education blueprint. The Summit also discussed key trends and identified new opportunities in the education sector.



Receiving the Special Award for Education Entrepreneurship
and Leadership from Minister of Education, Dato Seri Idris Jusoh.

Vijay Eswaran conferred SSAP

At the investiture ceremony in Abu Bakar Palace in Pekan, Vijay Eswaran is conferred the SSAP by Sultan Ahmad Shah

On Feb 2, 2013, Vijay Eswaran was the recipient of yet another honour. In recognition of his contribution to the development of the State of Pahang, he was conferred the royal honour SSAP which carries the title “Dato’ Sri” by  Hi Royal Highness Sultan Ahmad Shah of Pahang on the occasion of His Royal Highness’ 82^nd Birthday.
The investiture ceremony took place at the Abu Bakar Palace, Pekan in the state of Pahang in Malaysia.

Source: http://www.vijayeswaran.com/2013/02/vijay-eswaran-conferred-ssap/

An important tip for your next presentation.

Vijay Eswaran - Executive Chairman

Vijay Eswaran
Executive Chairman

Leaving corporate America and returning to his roots in Asia, Vijay Eswaran turned his entrepreneurial skills into what is known today as the QI Group.
He is not only the founder of this multimillion dollar conglomerate, but also a successful businessman, best-selling author, philanthropist and accomplished motivational speaker who lectures around the world on a wide variety of topics.
Being a philanthropist at heart, Eswaran has established two Foundations that work on numerous projects in the area of education, women empowerment and youth development worldwide. His charitable efforts around the world were internationally recognised when he was listed by Forbes Asia in its annual list of Heros of Philanthropy in 2011.
He has also been awarded the lifetime achievement award in Regional Philanthropy by leading independent think tank Asian Strategic Leadership Institute in Malaysia and the International Leader in Global Business Strategies award by the GOPIO, the Global Organisation for People of Indian Origin.



To learn more about Eswaran and read his multiple digital profiles, please visit his website www.vijayeswaran.com

Source: http://www.qigroup.com/about/leadership/leadership-2/

Special needs kids flex entrepreneurial muscles

Children with special needs from the Rashid Centre for the Disabled will soon have an opportunity of a unique partnership with e-commerce platform, the QNET, ready to sell their products globally and earn a respectful recognition for them.In this regard, a partnership between the Rashid Centre and the QNET was signed to utilise the potential of special needs children in designing and manufacturing products like abayas and traditional fragrances. Khaled Diab, Regional General Manager at Mena, QNET told The Gulf Today an agreement with the centre has been completed and will support these children.

The Rashid Centre has a huge training workshop on its premises. Many students with special needs are producing a number of products and learning skills from their teachers. The product range is photo frames, tableware, decoration items, wooden fancy boxes, abayas, ethnic jewellery products and a number of bakery items.“During a recent visit to the Centre, we found that children with special needs at the centre manufacture abayas with unique designs which could easily be sold online. Through this partnership, we will ask these children to create more designs every 3-4 months, and these new designs will be showcased online as well as the perfumes being manufacturing by the centre’s students,” he added.QNET will buy products like abayas, perfumes and Oud, a traditional fragrance, designed and manufactured by the Rashid Centre students, and then sell them on the platform of QNET’s direct selling.

He also informed them that a couple of varieties of perfumes made by the Rashid Centre’s students are in the testing phase by a group of users, and soon the line of perfumes will also be on sale at QNET’s platform.
“The Rashid Centre through its comprehensive approach has honed the skills of these special needs children. Many young students are capable of designing abayas in many different ways and could be sold easily worldwide through the internet. These children have the power of designing, and we have the power of marketing and selling, and the joint venture will capture the attention of the entire world,” he said. The long-term partnership will also help the centre raise funds for itself as well as recognise its talented students who possess a variety of capabilities. A portion of the proceeds from the QNET sale will be handed over to the Centre, he said. Khaled Diab added that last year on its 15th anniversary, QNET has launched 15 campaigns in 15 countries. “In the UAE, we provided 5 water purifiers to a number of labour camps and portable water to over 15,000 workers,” he added. Besides these partnerships with local organisations, QNET has also been extending its support to orphans and monthly food packages to deserving families in Ramadan.

Source: http://gulftoday.ae/portal/8d9c3f29-78f2-42ba-b340-61f5571c2725.aspx

The Quality of Excellence

Excellence is striving for quality or merit in all that we do with awareness and attention. It must be tempered by balance, because when we seek excellence in one area, we risk neglecting our other values and priorities. Excellence does not mean being perfect; it means using our abilities and opportunities to their fullest potential. Excellence is not a skill but a habit with the right attitude.It is a spontaneous performance that one prepares for well before hand. It is an art wrought by sustained training that has evolved into habit. One achieves excellence by paying attention to every detail with a focused awareness. Exellence is simply doing ordinary things extraordinarily well. Excellence is a brilliant outstanding quality that is superb in its application and sterling in its finish. Excellence does not fade, it just becomes greater by day. In true excellence the path is continuously upward. It means surpassing all others in merit and brilliance.

Excellence in principle is competing against yourself. It is about being better than you were the day before. Excellence is not what you do, but how you do it. It is the best that is in a person. Excellence is not a skill but an attitude. It is clearly habit which builds into a character of excelling. It becomes spontaneous as we progress eventually becoming effective while appearing effortless. It is the demonstration of championship. Excellence is an art perfected by long training, practice, patience, persistence and peseverence . Excellence always excels more in action than in speech. Excellence is unleashing the almost unlimited ability within oneself driven by will power. It raises the quality of every action. Life is like a play, it is not the length but the excellence(as in the quality) of acting that matters. Excellence is always in the details, Excellence is doing even ordinary things in an extraordinary way. It requires the same arduous, patient and painful process of preparation to achieve excellence in all fields. The first sign of excellence is almost always a higher, refined moral sense.

Source: http://www.vijayeswaran.com/2010/07/the-quality-of-excellence/

The essence of network marketing

If you have been in this business for awhile, let me ask you something. What is the essence of network marketing? Is it trust? Integrity? Freedom?

All of these count, but ultimately the essence of network marketing is service. In fact, if you understand what it means to be in service, you will understand network marketing. And if you understand network marketing, you will know how to achieve your goals in this business.

Essentially, service means serving without quantifying, serving in a selfless manner — service above the self! Service is about giving, not taking, because that is where true strength lies.



Let’s be honest here. How many of you are too preoccupied with when your next cheque will come? Are you sometimes so engrossed in calculating profits that you forget what it means to be a leader?

If you keep focusing on the small things, your mindset will remain small. Remember, wealth is not your bank statement; wealth is a state of mind. If the most successful men were suddenly robbed of their riches, do you think they would stay broke? Of course not, because they know exactly how to return to that state of success.

For a network leader to reach that state of success, you must first pass the ultimate test of strength: learning to be in service. Why? Leadership is also about service: you have to carry your team members and serve them willingly, patiently, persistently. When you serve them, they will serve you. That is why true leaders are called servant leaders, and why I am first and foremost a network marketer, not Managing Partner or Executive Chairman.



A fine example of leadership through selfless service is our In Service Brotherhood, comprising our own brothers and sisters in the network who readily volunteer their services for free at each V event.

Being part of the InService tests their level of commitment to humble servitude, an essential lesson to be learned before they can become great leaders and guide their teams to success. It is more than a tradition, it is the way of life of a true servant leader!

Tell me, my fellow networkers: Do you truly understand the essence of network marketing? Are you doing what you must to be a good leader? How can you be of better service to others? Do share your stories with me.

Believe, and the world is yours

Belief is the single most powerful force.

When you believe, you can achieve anything. Great inventors believed in what they were doing. Although failure after failure came, they kept going, driven by the belief that what they were doing had to work. Success does not stem from the belief that something can work; it’s the belief that somethingmust work!

Let me tell you a great story I heard long ago that still resonates with me today:

The power of belief

Once there lived a monk on an island in the middle of the Ganges River, which floods every seven years. Frequent travellers across the river would stop to pay their respects in return for the monk’s blessings. Among them was a milkman who would always leave a pot of milk behind. One day, the milkman grew ill. On his death bed, he told his daughter to continue this tradition as their way of
serving the Lord. And so she did.

When the flood began, the boats stopped, but still the milk arrived. On one of her visits, the milkmaid sought the monk’s advice for a dilemma: the flood made it impossible to deliver the milk, yet she wanted to keep her promise to her father. The monk told her to believe in the Lord and everything would be fine.

Over time, the flood worsened and the monk had to leave, so he asked to leave with the milkmaid. She agreed, and to his surprise, she began to walk on the water. “How do you do that?” he cried out. She replied, “You taught me to just believe and walk.”

Shocked, the monk lifted his dhoti and tried the same but sank in to the water. “Why am I sinking?” he demanded. The milkmaid answered, “You said His name, but you also lifted yourdhoti so you wouldn’t get wet.”

Beyond belief

When the milkmaid believed completely, she did something incredible. People do incredible things every day. I am where I am today because of belief. Many a time, I was won over by the belief of the person before me. How is this person so interested, so convincing, so powerful? Their passion comes from belief.

When you climb a mountain, the mountain is just incidental. What you have conquered is your greatest obstacle: you with your fears and weaknesses. Will the journey be long? Probably. Will the challenges be great? Absolutely. But is it worth it? Without a doubt.There is no shortcut to financial freedom. To be truly successful, we have to work very hard. Anything you have achieved in life that is worthwhile, you earned by working incredibly hard. What you struggle and sacrifice to get, you fight to keep.

When you work hard at something every day, you get better at it. The better you become, the easier it gets. But it stops being work altogether when you learn to love what you do. When you learn to make your team the best they can be, and take pride in that, you grow as well.

And that is the true power of belief.

Source: http://www.vijayeswaran.com/2011/06/believe-and-the-world-is-yours/

Love and Belief

My thoughts on the power of belief.

V-Indonesia 2012 was a great success. For those of you who missed it, next year there will be three V-Cons: in Egypt, India and Malaysia. If someone you know cannot make it to V-Con, bring V-Con to them.

One group that I missed at the event this year are the hearing and speech impaired, who taught me a very important lesson: Noise is not the greatest way to express love and admiration.

There is nothing we cannot do when we come together. The power of belief is one of the most powerful forces in the world. Everything we talked about, we achieved, and that is because we believed in our dreams. We believed we would have 10,000 people at V-Con; we believed we would have a tower and now we have the QI Tower in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; and recently, we reached 100,000 Likes on Facebook.But the single most powerful force in the world is love. Helen Keller, Mahatma Gandhi, Nelson Mandela, Mother Teresa… they all achieved because they chose to love. Love what you’re doing in life, love where you’re going, love your team. When you become a part of QNET, you join us for life, and that is the way to success. We stand here year after year because we are family and we love like a family.

There is a war we are fighting now and that is the Economic War, a war to become truly independent. Here at QNET, we give you the power of hope. With every V-Con you attend, you take back what you learn to change your lives. You attend not just to survive but to revive.Make this pledge to yourself:


Renewing our belief with a pledge for a another year of success.

A question you must ask yourself is, “Why am I here?”
The answer to that must be “I am here because I am still not where I am supposed to be.”

If you want to achieve success, you must live life every day like it’s your last. Every day, choose one target that must be reached. There are two simple steps if you want to become a successful person: (1) Believe and (2) Work like there’s no tomorrow. There is only one language I speak, and that is the language of love. There is only one way, and that way is up.

Were you at V-Con this year? Share your experience and what you learned in the comments section below. You can also follow me on Twitter or Facebook.

Source: http://www.vijayeswaran.com/2012/09/love-and-belief/

Stepping Stones to Success

Embrace your challenges, for they can become your stepping stones to success. Once you learn to embrace small challenges, the big ones will be no different and you’ll be ready for them. Nobody wants problems in their lives, but they happen every day in network marketing.

With every challenge there is an opportunity. It is not during the good times that we grow and become stronger. It is only when we are pushed to the brink of existence that we truly learn and become better people. Even in nature, it is during a famine or a drought, that the strongest animals and trees survive. We are here today as man because we survived every challenge that was put forward to us. QNET is here as a company today because we survived challenges.

To be afraid of challenges is to be afraid of life. Every challenge has to be welcomed and embraced with passion. This sounds easier than it actually is; the moment a challenge hits you and you are deep in pain, you won’t want to listen to this advice and you’ll want the pain to stop at once, but that is the time to be strong because in that challenge are so many blessings.

When you join the business, the first thing you must recognize is that you have to be in service to your network. You have to raise your team – guide, build, and uplift them – and be their mentor, shepherd, and light in the dark. You have to be all the things you have avoided in life; you have to stretch every muscle in your being. For muscles to be strengthened, they first have to be torn, like when one lifts weights in the gym. When a string breaks, you knot it and it becomes many times stronger. Likewise when we work together, our challenges become lighter and lesser. Our strength lies in when we work together, united, in dealing with our challenges.

Source: http://www.vijayeswaran.com/2012/10/stepping-stones-to-success/

Lifetime Achievement Award for Dato’ Vijay Eswaran

Just two months ago, Dato’ Vijay Eswaran was ranked amongst the top philanthropists in the region, when Forbes magazine’s Asia edition announced its annual list of 48 Heroes of Philanthropy. And now, our Founder makes us proud again by being recognised for the Lifetime Achievement Award for Corporate Philanthropy as part of the 3rd World Chinese Economic Forum (WCEF) to be held in Malaysia in November this year.

Most importantly, Dato’ Vijay Eswaran is the only non-Chinese individual to be bestowed this honour amongst several other noted Chinese personalities from Malaysia, Singapore, China and Australia.



The WCEF event will be officiated by the Prime Minister of Malaysia, Dato’ Seri Najib Tun Razak and Dato’ Vijay will receive this award at the Gala Dinner on the opening night from the Deputy Prime Minister of Malaysia, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin.

The year 2011 has truly been a very exciting and remarkable year for Dato’ Vijay Eswaran, who has a string of achievements to his credit in just the past eight months alone! Starting with the international business excellence award by the Global Indian Diaspora in January, he moved on to receiving an Honorary Doctorate in Management by the Swiss Management Center university in recognition of his success as an entrepreneur in May. In July, as you all know, he was named by Forbes Asia as a prominent philanthropist who has contributed to charitable projects worldwide through his two foundations – RYTHM Foundation and the Malaysian-focused Vijayaratnam Foundation.

And now, please join us in congratulating Dato’ Vijay Eswaran for his very first Lifetime Achievement Award, as he makes us proud yet again, for being a part of his family.

Reach out and touch 100 hearts, together we’ll touch a billion – Dato’ Sri Vijay Eswaran

“Our legacy will be to touch a billion hearts” proclaimed QNET founder Dato’ Sri Vijay Eswaran, at the 15th Anniversary gala event in Malaysia this evening.

To a large audience Dato’ Sri explained, “financial goals are important but instead of setting QNET’s sights on becoming a billion dollar company, we want to be a company that touches a billion hearts.” The financial goals will follow, he explained.

Already the company has touched nine million directly through it’s successful network marketing business, QNET, over the past 15 years.

“Over the years, we have surmounted everything, all the naysayers, that came along the way and we are here today! We know we already have touched many through the people that have heard of us and the people that have benefited from our commitment to improving communities.”

Tonight, QNET sets a new aspirational goal of touching not 9 million, not 100 million, but one billion hearts.

“The way we will touch a billion hearts will be in any way, subtle but sure. Not conquering, just touching hearts so people know that they’re not alone. As we grow stronger and bigger, we realize our battles cannot be fought alone, we need each other. We are more than a passing trend and we will touch more and more hearts through not just network marketing, but everything we do” says our QNET Leader.

His message to Independent Representatives was, “however great you are, we must remain simple at heart. Simplicity is our power. When you reach out and touch a hundred hearts, then together we will touch a billion.”

Chief Pathman ended the live online broadcast with a message for Dato’Sri, “We are with you 100%, you have our hearts.”

Earlier, the formalities started with VP Kuna Senathirajah inspiring the many Malaysian Independent Representatives in the crowd.

“Malaysia is where people come to from around the world to feel the power!” said Kuna.

This special event is held in Qi Tower in Malaysia because it is QNET’s tower, our headquarters – it is home and all our Networkers worldwide recognise this as home explained Kuna, referring to V-Malaysia that happens almost every year.

Big News: Dato’ Seri Vijay Eswaran and QNET in Forbes Magazine!

Forbes Magazine, an international business publication, featured our mentor and V Managing Partner’ Vijay Eswaran in a riveting article entitled “Selling A Better Life” about his journey to founding QNET and turning it into the successful global multi-level marketing company it is today.

The article is refreshingly honest about QNET’s history, Vijay Eswaran and other senior directors’ experiences, and the controversial industry of network marketing, highlighting the key highs and lows of building such a business that is close to achieving US $ 1 billion in sales in coming years.

Touching on the unique values, strategies and product lines that set QNET apart from competitors and also contribute greatly to the company’s overall success, the article is an informative and insightful read for everyone.

It’s your hard work, belief and dedication that has and will continue to drive the company’s incredible growth and amazing success!

Read-more: http://blog.qnet.net/2012/10/big-news-dato-seri-vijay-eswaran-and-qnet-in-forbes-magazine/

Selling A Better Life - Vijay Eswaran

In the Rough-and-Tumble Business of Direct Sales, Malaysia’s Vijay Eswaran Learns from Mistakes and Builds a Movement.

Thousands have come to Jakarta from all over Asia, waiting with patience and anxiety for this moment. At last the music swells. An excited murmur arises; he enters behind a phalanx of bodyguards, and the crowd parts. People strain to touch him or at least his high-collared tunic. Spotlights cast him in a golden glow. He raises a hand in benediction, utters a few unheard words and lets the rush carry him on. Vijay Eswaran has arrived.

It’s a triumphant return to Indonesia for the Malaysian founder and chairman of the Qi Group, a young giant of multilevel marketing with sales that could approach $1 billion in the next couple of years. His annual three-day convention, training session, pep rally and lovefest, the VCon, has attracted more than 8,000 of his company’s so-called IRs. These are some of the 4.5 million independent representatives who buy and sell his products, creating networks that they call a chain of prosperity, giving them a business of their own and a vision of a better life.

Wrapped up in the adulation, it’s tempting for Eswaran to forget the last time his event was held here, in 2007. An obscure lawsuit in the Philippines had mutated into an Interpol arrest warrant, clapping him and three senior executives in jail for three weeks. Indonesian courts scoffed and set him free; a Manila court dismissed the charge soon afterward. But Eswaran remembers it as one of the consequences of building a business in which some people expect a get-rich-quick scheme and feel cheated when they don’t get one.

Or as one reveler put it, “Just because there’s no limit on what you can make doesn’t mean you don’t have to work. Some people don’t, some do.” A young man from Malaysia, Omar, was without prospects in 2009 when he joined Qnet, the company’s keystone division, to sell personal-care products to a few friends, who told other friends. It was tough going at first, but now he can afford to move out on his own and wants to get married next year. “It has changed my life, and it has changed me,” he says. “For all of this I thank Vijay Eswaran.”People such as Omar have helped Eswaran emerge as one of the most charismatic of Asia’s self-made businesspeople over the past 20 years. Selling the simple things of day-to-day life such as cosmetics and discount phone cards, while also building a thriving gold coin business, has made the 52-year-old one of the richest people in Malaysia. Forbes Asia estimates his net worth at $500 million, based on his stake in the unlisted company as well as holdings in real estate and fine art on display in his lavish homes in Kuala Lumpur, Bangkok, Sydney, Hong Kong–where the Qi Group has been headquartered since 1998–and London. (The company won’t divulge his stake, saying only that it’s a majority share, but insiders there indicate that it’s between 70% and 90%. Qi also won’t disclose its annual profits.)

At the same time he has been the target of dozens of accusations of everything from sketchy dealings to outright fraud. There have been outraged postings on the Internet and short-lived government crackdowns. Rumors of shoddy dealings can be the kiss of death in a business where word of mouth is all-important. So Eswaran decided to defeat them openly, with an aggressive campaign of newspaper ads, a website devoted to debunking the claims, and lawsuits. Now many of the claims have been retracted, and the online slurs have faded.

Feeling vindicated, Eswaran is remaking the much maligned multilevel marketing industry, bringing in corporate-style management, information technology and new product development. He’s diversified into areas such as telecoms, travel and meeting management. He’s brought business skills, energy and jobs to developing parts of Asia where they can be scarce. And he’s done this with a company culture that stresses spiritual growth, positive intentions and service to others (see sidebar) . “This is a very difficult part of the world to operate in,” says Charles King, an academic at the University of Illinois who has studied direct sales for 25 years. “I don’t know of any other company in Asia that has been able to master the subtleties of the multilevel marketing structure so well, continually adapting it to produce sustained growth.”

Readmore: http://www.forbes.com/sites/donaldfrazier/2012/10/24/selling-a-better-life/

Vijay Eswaran’s reflections on Success

The difference between success and failure is simple; the one who makes it to the top is the one who lasted, pushed and survived just that little bit longer. Giving up is easier to do that holding your ground. The only difference is now I’m not going to give up when others do. There’s nothing secretive about it – it’s about being able to complete the process.

If only there existed a secret, someone would have found it by now. The real secret is that each person must find his own recipe. The problem is not with the success itself. The most dangerous is to be successful the very first time. It’s better to fail before one succeeds because that is the best way to learn. The most important thing whether you succeed or fail is always what you learn along the way. The worst failure is to be trapped in success. I would define this process as crossing a mountain and a valley. It’s necessary to leave the valley to cross the mountain. For me, the mountain and the valley are both beautiful. Usually, I leave one and enter the other. The mountain is now very high and we just have to work towards getting to the top.

There is no efficient way to success though. The effective path is more likely to be paved with failures and anguish. Experts are usually the last to perceive success as the facts tend to get in the way.

The right time and place meets you half way. You don’t move, it will not come. Success does not respond to wishes. It responds only to definite plans, backed by definite desires, through constant persistence, perseverance and patience.

Vijay Eswaran Gives Keynote Speech at World Muslim Leadership Forum

QNET’s very own Vijay Eswaran was a keynote speaker at the second World Muslim Leadership Forum held in London on 26 September 2012, where he delivered a thought-provoking speech entitled, “The New Hope for the Next Generation”.

The World Muslim Leadership Forum connects the leaders of today and tomorrow to discuss and debate issues that affect the global Muslim community and its future. The forum also highlights positive government initiatives and leadership, as well as the contributions of Muslims from across the globe.

In line with this year’s theme, ‘World Muslim Leaders: The Next Generation’,  Vijay Eswaran spoke about the importance of soft power — the ability to achieve desired outcomes by co-opting people instead of coercing them.

“It takes great courage to be a great moderate,” said  Vijay Eswaran, emphasising on the need for people to co-exist peacefully. He pointed out how soft power was exercised by famous Muslim leaders of the past: Saladin (founder of the Ayyubid dynasty) defeated his enemies yet won their respect through his honourable deeds; Akbar the Great treated religious leaders of non-Muslim faiths with much consideration.


 Vijay Eswaran went on to cite his home country of Malaysia as a classic role model of a gentler Islam, having embraced a culture of welcoming in a borderless world. “’I leave the doors open to all winds of the world, but I let my feet remain embedded in my motherland,’” he stated, quoting Gandhi.

When asked about his thoughts on media from an Islamic perspective,  Vijay Eswaran replied, “Media (and social media) today has become the fastest way to communicate, an instantaneous way to engage people. The youth of today have opportunities to become successful if they were gaged by what they make of themselves. With the power of media and technology at your disposal, it’s all about ‘you’ and how you empower yourself to better yourself.”

The forum also explored other topics by renowned speakers, such as H.E. Shaukat Aziz, the former Prime Minister of Pakistan; and Lauren Booth, an English broadcaster and journalist.

Vijay Eswaran helms a business empire that spans the globe

Vijay Eswaran helms a business empire that spans the globe, but the Mahatma’s principles are among his most treasured possessions

He is a Malaysian by nationality and prefixes his name with the title “Dato’”, the equivalent of a knighthood, bestowed in Malaysia. But what is most striking about the man is his claim that he follows the principles of “ahimsa” (although it technically means non-violence, the scope of this connotation is widened to include ethical behaviour) which Mahatma Gandhi, the apostle of peace, not only preached but also practised.

The entrepreneur says he practises Gandhian principles even in today’s corporate world, known for its dog-eat-dog notoriety, where ethics tend to recede into the background and profits reign supreme.Meet 52-year-old Vijay Eswaran, a Malaysian of Indian descent, who has set up a business empire that stretches across many parts of the world. He was recently in New York to receive the New Global Indian (NGI) award for business excellence and philanthropy from the global Indian diaspora that descended on New York for the gargantuan Global India Business Meet (GIBM) 2012. Penang-born Eswaran is also an author, speaker and philanthropist.

He graduated with a degree in socio-economics from the London School of Economics in 1984. Thereafter he stayed on in Europe for a year and did several odd jobs. In 1986, he obtained an MBA from the Southern Illinois University. Finally, Eswaran worked towards creating his own business; he is today the executive chairman of the QI group, founded in 1998, an e-commerce based conglomerate with businesses diversified into retail and direct sales, technology, lifestyle and leisure, luxury and collectibles, education, training and conference management, property development and logistics.

The QI Group has regional offices in Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand, besides having a presence in nearly 30 countries through a wide range of subsidiary companies. The chairman of the Council of Quest International University in Malaysia, Eswaran is also on the advisory board of the Global Business Council and Corporate Malaysia Roundtable. In addition to the GIBM award conferred on him, Eswaran was given the Outstanding Entrepreneur of the Year award at the Asia Pacific Entrepreneurship Award 2012. He arrived in New York as one of Forbes Asia’s top 48 philanthropists.

Readmore: http://gulfnews.com/about-gulf-news/al-nisr-portfolio/weekend-review/malaysia-s-gandhian-entrepreneur-1.1097017#.UJNHpkjbJkc.facebook

Vijay Eswaran- Qnet Founder Eswaran Extolled, Vilified as Readers Weigh In

November story on Vijay Eswaran (“Selling a Better Life”), who makes the Malaysian Rich List for the first time, at No. 25, prompted an outpouring of reader reaction. It’s drawn more than 35,000 views online and 167 comments, and nearly 5,000 people had shared it on Facebook as of February 22. Most of the feedback was full of praise. Some of it was downright slanderous, not only toward his multilevel marketing company, Qnet, but also toward FORBES ASIA.

“Dato Vijay is one of the most incredible, successful entrepreneurs in the world,” according to Mohamed Abdullah, posting a comment. Egidius Mwabuki said, “Unbelievable!! … with this, business life has changed. I have started to dream again and my dreams have begun to come true one after another.” Prashant Sharma offers, “Big thanks to Dato Vijay” and compares Eswaran with Mahatma Gandhi, Mother Teresa and the like. Qnet executives logged on as well; so did a number of academics in a debate on whether any such company that enlists an army of independent representatives to pitch its products to friends and neighbors can be a legitimate business.

Others had a darker view. Pawan Sood said, “One doesn’t need to be a rocket scientist to figure out why Qnet is a scam.” Juliet Thomsen goes further: “Wow!!! FORBES promoting a fraud; I guess true journalism is indeed dead.” And Ashu Dutt claims, “Qnet openly uses your article to mislead people on their credibility. … Hundreds of homes have been destroyed.” He didn’t provide evidence.

Sucheta Dalal, an Indian financial journalist who crusades against scams and promotes workshops on how to avoid them, made the most of our story, flatly calling Eswaran’s company a fraud in her Moneylife blog. In a Twitter post she laments, “It’s pathetic how Qnet is leading people to financial ruin.” And in another she suggested we had been bribed to run the story. We offered her a chance to make her case by debating Eswaran’s chief lawyer online. She ridiculed the offer and refused to accept it.

Malaysia’s Vijay Eswaran gets philanthropy and business excellence award from NY Indian diaspora

Penang-born Malaysian entrepreneur Datuk Vijay Eswaranwas honoured Saturday night with the New Global Indian (NGI) award for philanthropy and business excellence at the Global Indian Business Meet (GIBM) 2012 in New York.

Eswaran is the founder and executive chairman of the QI Group of Companies.At the award ceremony, Eswaran was cited by many speakers as a “renowned Malaysian entrepreneur, author, speaker and philanthropist”.

The QI Group, founded in 1998, is an e-commerce-based conglomerate with businesses diversified into retail and direct sales, technology, lifestyle and leisure, luxury and collectibles, education, training and conference management, property development and logistics.

Eswaran’s QI Group has regional offices in Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand, besides having a presence in nearly 30 countries through a wide-range of subsidiary companies.

As chairman of the University Council of Quest International University in Malaysia, Eswaran is also on the advisory board of the Global Business Council and Corporate Malaysia Roundtable.

In addition to the GIBM award, Eswaran was given the Outstanding Entrepreneur of the Year award at the Asia Pacific Entrepreneurship Award 2012.

Eswaran arrived here already decorated with another award by Forbes Asia as one of the top 48 philanthropists. The audience, comprising largely senior leaders of the globally-spread Indian diaspora, had eagerly waited to hear his views on the subject of the Indian economy and the political landscape in India.

Vijay Eswaran Does QI Proud with CEO of the Year Award

Vijay Eswaran was awarded the Malaysian Business Awards (MBA) “CEO of the Year 2013” by the Asean Business Advisory Council Malaysia on November 8, 2013. Eswaran, who is the co-founder and Executive Chairman of the QI Group of Companies, received the coveted award from Dato Sri Mustapa Mohamad, the Malaysian minister of international trade and industry at the 5th MBA Gala Dinner held in Kuala Lumpur.
The MBA awards recognise excellence, innovation and best practices in business entities and are widely regarded as the ultimate showcase of outstanding businesses and personalities in Malaysia.
Eswaran, a well-known philanthropist and speaker, established the multinational QI Group in 1998 which includes a diverse range of businesses including e-commerce, hospitality, retail and financial services. Most recently, he established the Quest International University in Perak in 2011. He has also been recognized for his extensive philanthropic activities in Malaysia and abroad.
“I am humbled to receive an award that has in the past recognised some exceptional individuals who I personally admire. It is an honour to be recognized by my peers in Malaysia.”
“My gratitude goes to everyone at the QI Group who has stood by me and helped us grow from a small group of dreamers to a 1000+ multi-business, multi-national organization with a global footprint. Although I am the one holding the trophy, this award belongs to a larger community of talented, supportive and passionate individuals. We are only as strong as our teams and in that regard, I have been very fortunate,” said Eswaran.
Other notable recipients of the night were Tan Sri Yeoh Tiong Lay (Lifetime Achievement Award), Tan Sri Lim Kok Wing (International Excellence Award), Tan Sri Bashir Ahmad and Tan Sri Francis Yeoh for industry excellence.