LC Well DMCC promotes an attitude of gratitude

Lal Chand, Chairman of LC Well DMCC

As a primary objective of Dubai's ongoing smart transformation and the 'Year of Tolerance', the city promotes a happiness agenda for its residents and visitors. Dubai-based businessman Lal Chand, Chairman of LC Well DMCC is on a quest to bring about a change and transform the lives of people through his wellness initiative. He dons several hats - entrepreneur, businessman, stock exchange dealer and a humanitarian. The meeting with Khaleej Times was at his office on the 35th floor of the HDS Business Centre, Jumeirah Lake Towers in Dubai. The panoramic view of the new developments in the city add to the wellness ambience to the entire floor that the company occupies.

LC Well, a well-being organisation, is a Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiative that aims to empower people on a personal, community and global level. Simple and sincere in his thoughts, words and action, Chand says that revolutions have made a difference to the world, leading to a fundamental transformation of society; they include the Agricultural, Industrial and Information Revolutions. Chand wants to spearhead the fourth one, the Well-being Revolution, for a happier, peaceful and better world. He believes that happiness is an attitude that should be encouraged and he is currently working on a book that is scheduled for publication on December 25.

He believes that business trends are constantly evolving. The key to success for a better business experience in modern times is the use of digital technology. It is the way forward in every field of life, namely banking, shopping, and even university education. LC Well is planning an online store in June/July as it is cost-effective, fast and durable, and the profits will be handed over to non-profit organisations in the UAE.

Initial years

Chand hails from the Sindh Province in Pakistan, but his journey in life was not an easy one. The little village of Bathoro is his home where he was born in June 1960 and lived till he completed Class 10. He remembers his childhood days when the family had financial difficulties. "My father was involved in general trading. My mother was very ill and needed bypass surgery," he notes. "Due to the ups and downs in business, my family did not have the money for the surgery and she passed away. This experience taught me the value of money, and in my heart, I had the desire to do business and earn money."

Following his heart's desire, Chand graduated in civil engineering from Mehran University in Hyderabad, Sindh, then worked as a lecturer in the same university. Soon he was involved in the construction sector, and in five years, he started his own business Lal Associates dealing in construction and also the stock exchange. After getting enough capital, Chand moved from Hyderabad to Karachi, which has Pakistan's main stock exchange. "In the initial years, I handled construction and development along with dealing in stocks and shares," he says.

Business in Dubai

Certain circumstances forced Chand to move to Dubai in 2000. "I started Bathoro General Trading in 2001 dealing in foodstuff, electronics and textiles, three sectors that were very successful. In 2008, I started LC Well Limited as a JAFZA company and was involved in construction and development, property and software," he recollects.

Why choose Dubai? Chand replies, "There was no tax here, and I built up my property portfolio. Within four to five years, the value of property doubled. Soon, I opened a restaurant and general trading company in Hong Kong. Then it was business from Hong Kong to Dubai and vice-versa. Dealing in property in Dubai brought me a lot of success," he reveals.

Expanding worldwide

Soon Chand expanded his business network covering the West Indies. In 2015, he entered Cyprus, where he invested in property when the prices were down, and got a European passport as well. Today, his operations are in Dubai, Hong Kong, the UK and Cyprus.

Chand stresses that the secret to his success is hard work, being clear about goals and continuous learning. At 58, he does not want to retire but rewire through well-being. He plans to do a PhD in positive psychology and the science of happiness. "In two or three years, I plan to start a well-being institute in which I will get scientists from all over the world to share their thoughts on well-being," Chand confirms.

Elaborating on what he feels is his greatest achievement, Chand remembers the time that the late Benazir Bhutto made him Honorary Member of Parliament (MP) in Sindh. He says that the government allocated Rs5 crores (Rs50 million) every year for development. Over and above this, he used personal funds to transform vast areas of his village and made sure that funds were utilised appropriately. Chand confirms that he treasures this developmental experience.

Sufism

Though Chand dabbled in the stock exchange and general trading, the Sufism concept encouraged by his father continued to have a significant place in his heart and mind. "After personal business successes for myself and family, I want to do something for the world, for the betterment of the community. So, I did courses from Peninsula University, US, on positive psychology and social well-being, and positive well-being from the UK. I learnt the concept of Sufism in a scientific way."

"Today, this world has more than seven billion people. I believe that 20 billion can live in harmony if people have the strength of character -  kindness, optimism, love and gratitude. We have a free survey on our website. I believe that individuals can be happy. I researched on this topic and discovered that the solution to this is the well-being revolution," says Chand.

He opened LC Well in 2018 in London, and registered the company for a peaceful and a better world. He began a sister company LC Well DMCC in Dubai. His website lcwell.org offers online lectures. He has a studio and meditation centre on the 35th floor and membership is free of cost. He says that there are already 10,000 registered members. Soon Chand plans to start neuro-linguistic programming (NLP) and other courses.

Wellness concept

According to Chand, the LC Well concept has three parts. The first one is positive psychology, the science of happiness, emotional intelligence and others. The second one is mindfulness and neurosciences, meditation, yoga and counselling, and the third is Campaign Sustainable Positivity 2030.

Chand confirms that Dubai is poised to take the future of wellness forward. "His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, opened the International Humanitarian City, an independent Free Zone authority that fosters partnerships, social responsibility and global change. There is a lot of awareness about wellness and well-being here. Next July, we will register in the free zone to make use of the facilities and improve awareness in the field."

Speaking about the time when he had felt low in life, he replies, "There was a recession in the Karachi Stock Exchange in which I had a big portfolio. At that time, by positive thinking, listening to positive lectures and trends, I came up again and told myself that it was not the end."

On the importance of health, he adds that his cholesterol and sugar levels were high. For the past year, he has been getting up at 5am for yoga and meditation. Now both his cholesterol and sugar levels are under control. For the last year, he has not been using any medication.

Business philosophy

As for his business philosophy, Chand stresses that he depends on the science of probability. He made use of this in his property and stock exchange endeavours. He comes up with different indicators and does research to enhance knowledge.

Due to Brexit, property prices are low in the UK. Chand feels that it is the right time to invest there. In 2008, the market in Dubai was down. People were leaving. That was the time he invested more in real estate in Dubai.

Chand has been a winner all along. A consistent topper in his class, he would also indulge in sports and was the captain of the cricket team. He has received business awards from the Karachi Stock Exchange. With his humanitarian well-being work, he is looking forward to winning more awards and accolades in the future.

His family consists of wife, son and two daughters. His son is married, and he has one grandson. All of them live in Jaffliya in Dubai. He is now constructing a villa in Nikki Beach near Pearl Jumeirah, Bur Dubai. Way to go for the humanitarian to fulfil his dreams.

- suchitra@khaleejtimes.com

Suchitra Steven Samuel

suchitra@khaleejtimes.com