PETALING JAYA: Prominent Malaysian entrepreneur Datuk Sri Vijay Eswaran and his wife, Datin Sri Umayal Eswaran have been recognized in the 2021 Indiaspora Philanthropy Leaders List that spotlights 100 global leaders from the Indian diaspora for their contribution to making the world a better place.
The Malaysian entrepreneur who divides his time between his company’s headquarters in Hong Kong and his native Malaysia is the founder and executive chairman of the QI Group, which has its operational headquarters in Petaling Jaya. His wife Umayal Eswaran is the Chairperson of RYTHM Foundation which serves as the QI Group’s social impact initiative. Vijay and Umayal joined other well-known and prominent business leaders from India and around the world in being recognized for their philanthropic contributions towards making a positive social impact.
A jury of 9 members made of eminent personalities from different industries voted on the selection of the list.
A proponent of value-based leadership, Vijay has ensured the QI Group, a multinational conglomerate, adheres to sustainable practices in business, making a positive impact in the communities it operates in. He has committed 10% of the Group’s revenues towards RYTHM Foundation. He has also instituted a company-wide policy of plant-based meals, as well as a ban on single-use plastic in all offices of the Group.
Since growing the QI Group into a successful conglomerate, he is now focused on his legacy project, the Quest International University (QIU) in Malaysia, which he aims to turn into an Ivy League institution of the East.
Umayal spearheads RYTHM Foundation’s global projects that focuses on contributing to the UN Sustainable Development Goals on Gender Equality, Quality Education and Sustainable Community Development. The Foundation has also funded and supported COVID relief projects in more than 30 countries around the world since the beginning of the pandemic.
Under the aegis of the Foundation, Umayal has realized her dream to help children with special needs through the establishment of Taarana, a school for children facing challenges with delayed development in academic, social and adaptive skills. Taarana is the first of its kind in Malaysia and Umayal is a prominent advocate of driving awareness for the cause through workshops and fundraisers.
The Foundation has also recently marked the 10th anniversary of its flagship Maharani programme in Malaysia that works with at-risk adolescent girls from low income and vulnerable communities to support and guide them through their formative years and give them access to skills training, academic coaching, and personal development opportunities to enable them to realise their potential.
Indiaspora is a US-based non-profit community of powerful global Indian leaders from diverse backgrounds and professions who are committed to inspiring the Indian diaspora to be a force for good by providing a platform to collaborate, engage, and catalyse social change.
The complete Indiaspora list is available here – https://lists.indiaspora.org/philanthropyLeaders/2021
Vijay and Umayal’s listing can be seen here – https://lists.indiaspora.org/philanthropyLeaders/2021/bio/Vijay-and-Umayal-Eswaran
