--By Sujan Tiwari

 

Prithivi Bahadur Pande, Chairman of Nepal Investment Bank Limited (NIBL), says his life is spent in three different phases. He worked in Nepal Rastra Bank (NRB) for around 13 years, which he calls his share for the government. Then he started Himalayan Bank Limited, and another 12 years, his second phase was spent there. He was the Founder Promoter of the Bank. After leaving Himalayan Bank, Pande gave another 12 years of his life to NIBL.

 

Lately, Pande has shifted his focus to infrastructure development. “I am very passionate and enthusiastic about infrastructure development and I feel that the nest big investment has to be in the area of infrastructure. Tourism and hydro power are Nepal’s two greatest potentials, so I am focusing on the both,” says Pande. Pande is the Chairman of Himalayan Infrastructure Fund through which he and his team invest in the projects. Pande also chairs Nepal Feedback Ventures, an infrastructure development institution. 

 

Current Ventures

Chhaya Centre Shopping Complex and Hotel, which is under construction at Thamel is Pande’s first tourism venture. Construction of the Hotel is going on for last 8 months, and it will be complete within the next two and a half years, says Pande.  According to him, the hotel will have around 200 rooms, multiplex with 3 cinema halls, and shopping complex among other services. Pande has plans of establishing a hotel chain, and also wishes to start high end hotels in Nagarkot. “Nagarkot has more charm for tourists than Kathmandu as it is near from airport, is clean and pristine and not congested. One of my aspirations is to develop Nagarkot,” says he. 

 

Pande is also putting his efforts to develop the hydropower sector of Nepal. His company is working with Indian and Chinese companies to construct hydropower projects. “Through my life, I have worked with a lot of people and I believe people trust me. Trust is my biggest asset, and I think I can support Nepal with that trust I have gained,” says he.  He says that close coordination with India and China can be instrumental in changing the hydropower scene of Nepal. “In the next 10 years, our company will be able to generate 1000 MW of electricity,” says Pande ambitiously.  

 

Early life

Pande was born to Sardar Bhim Bahadur Pande and Chhaya Devi in August 1954 in Naya Bazar of Kathmandu. His father was a government officer who worked as secretary at various ministries and later became the ambassador to India and German. Due to this, Pandey spent a lot of his childhood in Germany and in India.  

 

Pande, third among five brothers, says he enjoyed a happy and well-off childhood. “Our father educated us in the best places possible.  We didn’t have to face any difficulties as children,” says he.  He didn’t know what  he wanted do as a young boy, and his father advised him to do CA. his father always taught them to help the country, and that’s one lesson Pande never forgets. 

 

He was in Nepal only till the age of ten, and went to St Xaviers School. Then he went to Germany for a year, and did the rest of his schooling in UK. After his O levels, his father had to go to India and he also went with him. Pande recalls not having definite career goals as a young boy. His father advised him to pursue CA, and so he completed his CA degree in 1978 from Delhi. “CA was a very prestigious degree back then, and there were very few Chartered Accountants. The demand for CAs was very high, so I immediately got a job in NRB,” recalls Pande. 

 

Moving Ahead

During his 13 years in NRB, he learnt everything there was to know about banking, received numerous trainings and his contacts also improved. Later, he dreamt of opening a Bank by himself, which was quite a big dream back then. With all his effort, Pande started HImalayan Bank Limited in 1992. “There were a few private banks at that time, but all of them were foreign led. Himalayan Bank was the first Bank with majority share of Nepalis and managed by Nepalis,” says Pande.  Many people told him not to start the bank, and someone he knew even asked his if he was in the right mind. But the Bank turned out to be very successful. It was opened at an investment of 30 million rupees. 

 

According to Pande, the most important thing in life is to move ahead. Being the same position for a long time makes the job boring and less creative, says he. “There are always greener things to look for, and that is the important thing. You need to move ahead towards newer things. New challenges excite me,” says Pande. The new thing for him after Himalayan Bank was NIBL. He joined the bank as Executive Director, and was later the Executive Chairman of the bank.

 

The same thirst for finding new avenues has landed him now into infrastructure development. “Infrastructure is Nepal’s real need right now. Later, I might move on to other new things,” says he.  Pande says that he would like to be known as a banker who concentrated on infrastructure development. “Infrastructure development is the key to establish a country and is the foundation and backbone for any economy,” says he.  

 

On management, Pande says that one needs to trust his employees. He believes that life is all about maintaining the right balance between things, and so is management. “I don’t believe in micro management. You have to trust people, but have to oversee at times. There should be right balance between trust and overseeing,” explains Pande.  

 

Personal Facets

Pande married Pratima Rana in 1979, and the couple is blessed with a son and daughter Shivanth and Sophiya.  Pande says he is extremely busy every day, and has been so his entire life. He believes in hard work, and says all of his life is an extended office. “I have to attend a few parties every day, and I am busy socializing too,” says Pande. Whenever free, Pande loves to go trekking.  

 

One of Pande’s hobbies is collecting paintings of local artists. “I want to promote art in my own way, and I am interested in heritage conservation. Pande raises funds through NIBL Heritage Run and utilizes that money in restoring and renovating old heritages. Kathmandu Durbar Square, Sundari Chowk of Patan, Kal Bhairav and other heritages are restored with his effort.  Pande, an avid art collector and heritage conservationist, says culture is very important for a country, and it must be maintained it. “I try my best to raise awareness among people to conserve their cultural heritage.  Art, infrastructure and heritage conservation are three major themes of my life,” says Pande. Pande has numerous paintings hanging all over his office. 

 

Epilogue

At the end of the day, Pande says that success comes only from hard work. “I am where I am because of my hard work. I don’t believe in luck, it might play a little part, but it is your effort that matters the most. If you want to achieve something, set a goal and you can do it,” says he. According to him, one doesn’t need to go abroad for success. “You won’t find fortune in USA or Europe, there is fortune in Nepal itself. You can do anything here. It might be hard, but good things usually are. It is our home after all,” says Pande. 

 

Setting a goal and working to achieve that goal is most important for this multi-dimensional banker. “Even if you fail, it is always good to have a goal. If you don’t succeed, try again,” advises he.  In his experience, people only see your success; they don’t see your failures. “Behind every success, there are many failures. But again, there should be right balance, success should be more than failures,” says Pande.