From Pune to Burj Khalifa
Niikhil Ballal / Juili Kulkarni
He always dreamt of being an entrepreneur. Seeing his grandfather blossom into a successful businessman, his desire to become rich and prosperous became stronger. “I vividly recall my childhood days when my grandfather used to drop me to school in his Mercedes. I was looked upon with awe in the school, thanks to the luxurious car. It was around that time, I made up my mind to become a successful entrepreneur like my grandfather. He was the Chairman of Gultekdi Market Yard, which was Asia’s largest vegetable market then, and he owned three wine shops as well,” reminisces Mayur Ghule, a boy from Pune, who is now a proud owner of an office in the world’s tallest building.
In his quest to make it big in life, Mayur went abroad to pursue his Masters in International Finance. He stood second in his University and through campus placement bagged a job with OPEC (Oil Producing and Exporting Council). During his Masters, he interned with Goldman Sachs, which turned out to be a life changing experience. “Till that time, I had no idea how the finance world works. The first two months were really tough. Slowly and steadily I started finding feet. I made good connections there and I am still in touch with my colleagues,” he says. Living and studying abroad is not as glamorous as it sounds. To meet both ends, Mayur had to work as a server in a restaurant and sometimes as a security guard on a construction site. “At that time, I understood the importance of money,” he adds.
After graduating in 2007, he started working with OPEC. He was there around for a year or so and in his brief stint he struck gold. He successfully completed a deal which paid him a handsome amount of USD 10 million. With this, he had the capital to start his business, a dream which his eyes always carried with them. However, there was a twist in the tale. To set up his business he came to India, however, the beginner’s luck eluded him.
The failure did not deter him. He decided to go to Dubai, which was his frequent holiday destination. He had friends there, who were rays of hope for him. Suddenly there was a change in fortune. He started meeting the right people at the right time and gradually things started falling in place. “There was a major crisis in the UAE in 2008 as a result of which people were moving out. However, I saw this as an opportunity. Through one of my friends, I got a chance to meet his Highness, who owned an oil and gas company. When I met him for the first time, I had money but no visa. After a brief meeting, his Highness assured me that he would arrange for my visa through his company and also opened a bank account. He did what he said and made me a 60% owner in one of his companies,” elucidates Mayur.
Between 2008 and 2013, Mayur slogged hard, working for 16 hours a day. His hard work and dedication was rewarded as he became very successful in the oil trading business. After tasting some success, he decided to go upstream. “The experience at the oil trading company gave me the confidence of trying new things. I decided to buy an oil block. During this process, I understood the nuances and the intricacies of raising finance to fund the oil block. After this deal, many institutional investors came to me,” he explains.
With a principal investment of USD 100 million, RPMG was born. Named after his wife Pranali Mayur Ghule, RPMG is headquartered in Dubai. It is a multicultural organization, which focuses on investment management, private equity, asset management and proprietary trading. The company offers a delectable platter of investment opportunities to its clients, which include sectors like, Energy, Financial Services, Infrastructure, Leisure, Logistics & Transportation, Education, Healthcare, Sports & Entertainment, Housing, and ITES (IT Enabled Services). It specializes in both debt and equity financing structures. Arguably, it is second to none as far as in-depth industry expertise, long-lasting connections with highly diversified funding sources, and an in-house talented team is concerned. The RPMG family comprises seasoned professionals from various industry segments. The investment management committee adds value through its expertise and experience and it is helped by a team of investment analysts whose aim is value investing, that maximize the stakeholder’s value.
The first deal that the RPMG did was the takeover of Royale Partners Investment Fund (RPIF) Limited, Mauritius. After that, the company was involved in the buying and selling of a 5-star hotel and a gas block. What gave an impetus to the company was the deal of Grosvenor House Hotel, a Sahara Group hotel in London, which hosts royals from the UK. This deal put RPMG and RPIF on the global map.At present, RPMG and RPIFhandles a portfolio of a whopping sum of USD 13.5 billion. Over the last two years, the company has developed partnerships with industry leaders to support its growth strategy and is growing by leaps and bounds. It has its presence in the Cayman Islands, Hong Kong, Mauritius, London, Singapore and will soon venture into the USA.
RPMG and RPIF are now seriously looking at India. Mayur Ghule has developed a very large network of relationships in India which provides him access to investment opportunities which will fuel the future growth for RPMG, RPIF and its investors. RPIF is actively looking at distressed assets in India and is bidding for various companies through the IBC process.
Taking a leaf out of Mayur Ghule’s inspiring journey from Pune to Burj Khalifa, it is clear that if you work hard with dedication, then there is no dream that is unattainable.
