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I had to do a better job or return to India - Chaplot
President Yoweri Museveni (left) unveils Rajesh Chaplot’s book titled ‘Wheel and Compass of Life, on February 17, 2023. Chaplot has played a big role in Uganda’s business space, serving a number of companies at both management and board level. PHOTO/COURTESY
What you need to know:
Divided into 13 chapters, the biography - the Wheel and Compass of Life - shares Rajesh Chaplot’s lessons learned at every stage of his 25-year business journey, the mistakes he made and how he has corrected himself.
When Rajesh Chaplot, 57, first arrived in Uganda, he was only 29.
He was a young accountant barely out of his youth, seeking opportunities in a country thousands of kilometres away from home - India.
Before coming to Uganda, Chaplot had worked in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo, which around the time, was known as Zaire.
Thus, aware of the challenges and opportunities at the same time, here he was on a new adventure, whose exploits would re-write the story of a young man out in a new world he knew so little about.
That was 26 years ago. Indeed, Chaplot’s story has been re-written and engraved in the story of Uganda and is likely to be retold for the years to come.
His zeal and focus have seen him walk through the thick walls of Uganda’s business journey, yet his ambition makes him believe there is still a lot more that can be achieved.
In fact, to him, Uganda is almost a virgin market where every business you choose is a goldmine waiting to be mined.
Chaplot was born on July 18, 1965 in Udaipur, informally known as the City of Lakes.
The city, he writes in his book - Wheel and Compass of Life - is envied for its stunning architecture, history and romantic aura, which he thought he would leave.
In Udaipur, Chaplot started on the journey of life, attending St Paul’s Udaipur for both his early and senior education.
He later joined Mohan Lal Sukhadia University, where he did a Bachelor of Science.
After graduating from Mohan Lal Sukhadia University, Chaplot enrolled in a new course, which would allow him to become a Chartered Accountant.
Life had shaped out just like he had expected.
Immediately after school, he landed himself a job at Vikram Ispat before going on to marry, and starting a family.
However, he would, and his family, later leave his beloved Udaipur for Mumbai, India’s financial capital before he ventured into uncharted territories, particularly in DR Congo in 1996.
After 18 months in Kinshasa, he moved to Uganda, a country in which he describes in his book as: “bruised, yet mostly peaceful, intent on recovering from its own ravages of internal conflict”.
Life in DR Congo was difficult for Chaplot. Apart from facing months of unrest and life-threatening episodes of violence, Chaplot was also arrested.
Therefore, when an opportunity to move to Uganda arrived, he took it with open arms. He had been offered a job before in Uganda before but had chosen DR Congo.
“It was a significant opportunity to advance my career. So, I confidently told [my boss] that I would go to Kampala. However, I also told him that returning to DR Congo in the event of things not going well would not be a viable option for me. If things did not go well, I would either find other work in Kampala or go back to India,” he writes.
Thus, once in Uganda, Chaplot started exploring. Before long, he had settled in so well into his new job at Graphic Systems Uganda.
He had been appointed in a managerial position in March 1998 and had now started getting a feel of the country that would be his home for now more than two decades.
However, the position of general manager came with new responsibilities, for which he had to adjust to.
Nevertheless, Graphics Systems quickly started growing and the need to expand its product portfolio was beginning to be a realistic necessity.
Therefore, with the understanding that there was a growing products market, it was necessary that Chaplot steers a journey of products growth and company expansion to serve the increase in demand and an expanding products and service market.
“It was not easy at the beginning. But because I wanted to grow in my career, I knew this was the chance God had given me to do just that,” Chaplot writes in his book.
However, the dynamics of operating a business needed a lot of time and dedication. There were various elements that needed to be in one place for the business to operate efficiently.
Thus, Chaplot writes that as he looks back, he has achieved most of it and learned many lessons along the way.
“I can remember how much every small success meant to us at the time when we had just started. And this is what has built me,” he says.
For years, Chaplot has been part of a changing industry that has gone through several revolutions. However, he has made Graphics Systems one of Uganda’s largest outdoor advertisers, printing and packaging company.
Beyond this, Chaplot has played a big role in Uganda’s business space, serving a number of companies at both management and board level.
Among these include Graphic Systems, Crown and Packaging Uganda, Fusion Africa Uganda and East African Packaging Solutions, among others. For this, he has been awarded and recognised at various levels.
In 2020, he was awarded the Golden Jubilee award, the highest civilian award in Uganda by President Museveni while in 2018, he was awarded an International Leaders award by the Institute of Chartered Accounts of India. He was also awarded the Pravasi Bharatiya Samman award, the highest non-resident Indian award by the President of India in 2019.
Chaplot’s work has brought him close to many including government officials, among whom include former Prime Minister Ruhakana Rugunda and State Foreign Affairs Minister Okello Oryem.
Divided into 13 chapters, the biography - the Wheel and Compass of Life - shares lessons Chaplot has learned at every stage of his 25-year business journey, the mistakes he made and how he has corrected himself, and lessons he believes can guide Ugandans to grow their businesses.
In the book, he argues, God gives equal opportunities to everybody irrespective their class in society. Some, he says, grab these opportunities while others negotiate with them, delay to make decisions while others hand over the same opportunities to others.
“Some ignore these opportunities completely and do not realise they are there. But those who grab an opportunity become successful,” Chaplot writes.
What they say
Singling out Chaplot who has been working in Uganda since March 1998, Minister Oryem urged Ugandans to emulate Indian’s work ethics to realise success in their businesses.
“At his age, he has accomplished what most people have not accomplished and will die without accomplishing. His book is so inspiring. This book will open your eyes to hard work, discipline, and commitment as some of the values of being successful in any business,” Oryem says.
