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Keeping time with
cricket
Madhursinh Jesrani, Incharge, Khimji Watches division, is batting
for Oman’s cricket to make it big, says Joseph Benny
 Madhursinh Jesrani is nursing a dream. And since his dream is
associated with cricket, he does not want to sit on the oars giving
complacency a chance. Come April, Madhursinh Jesrani – who is
incharge of Khimji’s watches division – and his boys will fly to
South Africa to play the qualifying matches for the upcoming World
Cup. Apparently, he has made it a point to visit the training camp
of Oman’s national cricket team at least once in a day. “A sixth
position will enable us to play ODIs (one day international’s) but
what we want is a place among the best four so that we can take part
in the World Cup in the subcontinent,” quips Jesrani, the manager of
Oman’s national team and one who has been a sports champion from his
school days at Shree Arya Kelvani Muscat Shala.
A childhood passion
Ask him about his favourite players and the 58-year-old, who
jogs over five kilometers and visits the gym daily, says: “Of
course, Sachin is all-time great. It is pleasure to watch Kevin
Peterson, Flintoff and Ponting playing. However, when it comes to
style, I will go for Imran, Vivian Richards and Sunil Gavaskar.”
Jesrani is confident that Oman, which is ranked 18th by the
International Cricket Council, the governing body of world cricket,
will make it to the top four this time. Jesrani, has redrawn the
team’s strategy by appointing a native coach so that players feel
free at home.
Simple living
 Jesrani’s office timing starts at 9 am, though his day starts at
6 in the morning. Once in office, he gets busy with his work. He
sifts through the daily reports, contacts his high-profile clients,
including CEOs and royal family members, and heads for the gym in
the afternoon. In 1972, Madhursinh entered the family business after
finishing his college in Mumbai. While in India, he had a stint with
Sharda Ashram started by Mahatma Gandhi, which helped him inculcate
values of simplicity. “In 1972, I was looking after the general
stores of Khimji. By 1978, I moved to the watches division and the
Rolex watch I am wearing is as old as my association with the
division,” he says. As the years went by, Khimji’s added more luxury
brands, including Cartier, Bell and Ross, Orbita, Tudor, and Piaget
to its stable. “The customer preference is changing. To keep
floating one has to innovate.” He is also busy with the work of the
new outlet coming up in Qurum.
True to his roots
A strict vegetarian by choice, Jesrani’s favourite food is
Gujarati dishes. However, he will fall for South Indian dishes at
any point of time. In case of western food, he goes for Italian
cuisine. Madhursinh Jesrani often goes to Switzerland for business
purposes. One of his daughters is staying in Mumbai and the other is
championing the cause of cricket in Oman.
How was life in Oman during his childhood? “It was moving at a
snail’s pace. There were no cars and roads, for that matter. During
the summer, we were sleeping on roof tops. ACs were conspicuous by
their absence. Life was in a way a bit difficult.” Jesrani is happy
with the way Oman has developed and shaped up. His message to the
youth of Oman echoes this mood: “Keep up the way it is growing.”
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January - 2009 |
| Cover
Story |
PREVENT
OR PERISH
Heightened stress levels and unhealthy lifestyle choices make
executives vulnerable to a host of fatal ailments and diseases. As
hospitals and polyclinics focus on providing the best-in-class
facilities for executive health, the onus of making the most of
these rests solely on executive doorsteps. Mayank Singh reports |
| Other
Headlines |
Well oiled
One of the major
casualties of the financial meltdown was the oil price which
crashed to abysmal depths. Despite the scare, Oman’s economic
outlook is still cheerful, writes Visvas Paul D Karra |
Investment
strategies for troubled times
Will things get worse in 2009? As the world economy staggers
we ask five of the markets sharpest minds to put things in
perspective and offer their views on the road ahead
|
Showing the way
As Al Habib & Company
completes 30 years of rendering service to the real estate
sector, Chairman, Ali Malallah Habib Al Lawati, talks to
Mayank Singh and Sunil Fernandes on the company and the
reasons for its success |
AGCC Muscat Summit
2008 – Tough task ahead
Though the monetary
union agreement has been approved at the Muscat Summit, the
launch of a common currency by January 1, 2010, is going to be a
tough task for the AGCC states. Akshay Bhatnagar reports |
Trillion a day keeps
the bears away
David Bloom, global head of foreign exchange strategy, HSBC
Bank shares his views on what went wrong and the way ahead for
the global economy with Mayank Singh |
Values come first
Candid and unpretentious Virendra Agarwal, CEO, Moosa Abdul
Rahman stands apart in a crowd. By Mayank Singh |
Doing business in
South Africa
South Africa has built a modern economy primarily around the
three sectors of manufacturing, mining and agriculture. the
country provides a number of opportunities for enterprising
investors and entrepreneurs |
Ready to Ring In
Mazoon Mobile, one of
the five Class II license operators in Oman, has quietly worked
behind the scenes for its final launch. Mohammed Alhashili, CEO,
speaks to Visvas Paul D Karra in his first media interview |
FORGING A TEAM OF CHAMPIONS
In his first media interview, Bruce Hall, CEO of Sohar Aluminium,
talks to Jessica Brookes about his plans for the aluminium major
|
Keeping its promise
Oman Oil Marketing Company has set new benchmarks in the oil
retailing business in a short span of five years. Joseph Benny
reports |
Golf Phoenix
Muscat Hills, the first freehold property developer in Oman,
is on course after suffering numerous hiccups since it was
launched in 2003. Visvas Paul D Karra takes stock of the project |
A Year of Two Halves
High economic growth and soaring oil prices helped the capital
market to soar during the first six months of 2008. the MSM was
quick to shed its gains in the second half as worries about the
global meltdown spread |
EMERGING HEROES
Tapping into the right opportunities promises investors a chance
to make good returns even in these troubled times. Stocks like
galfar engineering and qatar telecom being sure shot bets |
Africa seeks GCC investments
African countries are sparing no opportunities to entice
investments from Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries. The
drive is partly meant to counter adverse effects of the global
financial crisis amid concerns that Western countries would
devote more resources to solve local economic challenges rather
than address international problems |
Made in Taiwan
Taiwan’s expertise in technology remains underutilised and
Oman should take advantage of this, finds out Visvas Paul D
Karra, after a candid chat with Jackson T C Lee, representative
of Taipei Economic & Cultural Office |
Multiplying
footfalls
The addition of new high quality retail developments is not
just improving the shopping experience of consumers but is also
forcing existing retailers to upgrade their offering, writes
Ahmad Ayyub |
Life made easy
As National Life & General celebrates a major milestone in
its ongoing journey, Joseph Benny catches up
with its general manager, S Venkatachalam for a tête-à-tête |
Keeping time with
cricket
Madhursinh Jesrani, Incharge, Khimji Watches division, is batting
for Oman’s cricket to make it big, says Joseph Benny |
THE PEOPLE’S COUPE
Following in the
vein of the Mercedes CLS, while not actually competing against
it, is one of the latest entries to the VW stables – the Passat
CC. MALCOLM XAVIER CRASTA WRITES |
|
How important is
marketing for companies during an economic slowdown?
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| Regulars |
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