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Mediworld thriving on multilateral ties
Friday, 04 June, 2010 07:17:10 AM
Ikram Khan is a successful expatriate Pakistani businessman who is running Mediworld, a company dealing in medical, surgical and health care instruments. He is the President of UK Pakistan Cultural Foundation and an ex chairman of UK Pakistan Chamber of Commerce and Industry (UKPCCI). The Asians recently interviewed him about his early life, business ventures and his urge to help Pakistani businessmen in widening their horizons.
The Asians: What made you to come to the UK?
Ikram Khan: I came here from Pakistan for advanced studies some fifty years back and got admission in Lincolns Inn but then decided to try some other profession. I opted for computers field for being a new profession and became a computer analyst.
So far as my family is concerned my ancestors belonged to Hoshiarpur in Jalundhar where they owned agricultural lands. I was 11 year old at the time of partition. My siblings and I got early education in Amritsar and Lahore. My father Rao Muhammed Khan was Inspector Cooperative Society. After partition, my family was allotted lands in Faisalabad. We were three brothers and three sisters. One of my brother and a sister are alive. I am the youngest of all my brothers while two sisters were younger than me. I have two sons and a daughter all married in family relations in Pakistan.
The Asians: Why didn’t you return to Pakistan after completing your education?
Ikram Khan: I married with an Irish lady and settled here. However, I visit Pakistan off and on.
The Asians: What problems you experienced in establishing your business here?
Ikram Khan: I started my career as computer analyst in an Insurance company. Meanwhile, I also attached myself with medical and surgical instruments business to gain some hands-on experience. At that time this company was in business by the name of Panservico Surgicals Limited with Asghar Khan as its Managing Director. I had been working with him as a part-timer at its computer bureau in 1973. Asghar left for Europe to open company’s office there and handed over the charge of London office to me. I had no experience of running business but learnt it over a period of time and change the company’s name to Mediworld. Since then it is running with great success.
The Asians: Did you rely on Pakistan in surgical instrument business?
Ikram Khan: Financing was the main problem at that time to start a business. It made no difference whether you were a Muslim or an Asian as the British companies were only interested in procuring quality material on reasonable price.
My competitors had their own manufacturing units in Pakistan and therefore I had a very tough time to compete with them. As Pakistan made medical instrument were not of required European standard, we started importing surgical instruments from Germany, Sweden, France and United Sates. I had been importing instruments from Japan as well but they are now proving costlier. I tried to bring Pakistani instruments to European specifications but sorry to say they are yet to reach that mark. I myself travelled to Sialkot with all necessary information as they were making these instruments with old methods. I gave many suggestions to help the Pakistani manufacturers. In Britain our community businessmen have been doing this business at a small scale but they were facing language problem. I united them to make Pakistan Slika Trade Association to help them out in broadening their business horizon.
The Asians: Do you think you have been more successful in Pakistan?
Ikram Khan: Had I been in Pakistan I would have become a politician.
The Asians: In your opinion which of the two countries is more fertile for business opportunities?
Ikram Khan: There are more opportunities in Pakistan but here in the UK we have a system. There is labour exploitation in Pakistan which is not possible in this country. Situation could be improved in Pakistan if a system like the one we have in Britain be introduced there. Pakistanis here have earned goodwill through their hard work. Europe cannot do without Pakistan’s surgical industry as it depends on imports from Pakistan for its 90% surgical requirements. But Pakistan is making only basic instruments. I gave all necessary information from Japan, Germany and France to manufactures in Sialkot but to no avail. I myself placed order to them but they failed to meet the required standard and all supplied material was rejected for one reason or the other as the importers are very strict in following the required specifications and standard. I think Pakistan has to do a lot more to reach European standard in this field.
The Asians: What is the business position of Mediworld?
Ikram Khan: We supply different instruments to NHS at local and national level. My elder son looks after the international side. I had been supplying medical equipments to NHS but stopped business with them. However, my son is now trying to re-establish business with NHS. I am Director of South Side Chamber of Commerce and tour with them on various trade missions. My son is a nuclear engineer and he has started several projects with the United Nations. We are currently supplying medical equipments to hospitals, laboratories and research and education centres in forty countries. At the moment we are also working in Iraq and Afghanistan.
The Asians: Which community do you find the most organised in Britain?
Ikram Khan: In my opinion, Indian business community is the most organized community. Pakistani businessmen prefer bilateral business with Pakistan which I don’t consider totally wrong as it should be our foremost preference. But we should promote business contacts with other countries as well, as it would promote Pakistani products. This would also be a service to the country.
The Asians: What shortcomings do you find in our business community?
Ikram Kan: Unfortunately our community avoids sharing information with others so that no other person could enter in that business. There is nothing wrong in hiding trade secrets but they lack mutual spirit of goodwill. I enjoy doing business with the Indian and Jews community. I see Indians helping each other but we never discuss our business problems in the chamber.
The Asians: Did the present economic crisis cast any negative impact on your business?
Ikam Khan: No, our business did not feel any impact as no country compromises on health and defence expenditures, no matter to what extent the conditions turn adverse.
The Asians: It is being feared by some corners that the economic policies of the coalition government might have adverse effect on business. How do you apprehend this situation?
Ikram Khan: My business suffered during the Margaret Thatcher’s tenure as the hospital administrations preferred repairing of old instruments to their replacement with fresh supplies. There must be some fall out of the budget cuts announced by the new government but as a Muslim I believe that money should be kept rolling. Cuts would prove harmful in the long run.
The Asians: Would you like to give some advice to a new businessman?
Ikram Khan: I would advise them to turn to business instead of looking for employment and earn their bread with honesty. Our prophet himself had been a trader.
The Asians: What made you to come to the UK?
Ikram Khan: I came here from Pakistan for advanced studies some fifty years back and got admission in Lincolns Inn but then decided to try some other profession. I opted for computers field for being a new profession and became a computer analyst.
So far as my family is concerned my ancestors belonged to Hoshiarpur in Jalundhar where they owned agricultural lands. I was 11 year old at the time of partition. My siblings and I got early education in Amritsar and Lahore. My father Rao Muhammed Khan was Inspector Cooperative Society. After partition, my family was allotted lands in Faisalabad. We were three brothers and three sisters. One of my brother and a sister are alive. I am the youngest of all my brothers while two sisters were younger than me. I have two sons and a daughter all married in family relations in Pakistan.
The Asians: Why didn’t you return to Pakistan after completing your education?
Ikram Khan: I married with an Irish lady and settled here. However, I visit Pakistan off and on.
The Asians: What problems you experienced in establishing your business here?
Ikram Khan: I started my career as computer analyst in an Insurance company. Meanwhile, I also attached myself with medical and surgical instruments business to gain some hands-on experience. At that time this company was in business by the name of Panservico Surgicals Limited with Asghar Khan as its Managing Director. I had been working with him as a part-timer at its computer bureau in 1973. Asghar left for Europe to open company’s office there and handed over the charge of London office to me. I had no experience of running business but learnt it over a period of time and change the company’s name to Mediworld. Since then it is running with great success.
The Asians: Did you rely on Pakistan in surgical instrument business?
Ikram Khan: Financing was the main problem at that time to start a business. It made no difference whether you were a Muslim or an Asian as the British companies were only interested in procuring quality material on reasonable price.
My competitors had their own manufacturing units in Pakistan and therefore I had a very tough time to compete with them. As Pakistan made medical instrument were not of required European standard, we started importing surgical instruments from Germany, Sweden, France and United Sates. I had been importing instruments from Japan as well but they are now proving costlier. I tried to bring Pakistani instruments to European specifications but sorry to say they are yet to reach that mark. I myself travelled to Sialkot with all necessary information as they were making these instruments with old methods. I gave many suggestions to help the Pakistani manufacturers. In Britain our community businessmen have been doing this business at a small scale but they were facing language problem. I united them to make Pakistan Slika Trade Association to help them out in broadening their business horizon.
The Asians: Do you think you have been more successful in Pakistan?
Ikram Khan: Had I been in Pakistan I would have become a politician.
The Asians: In your opinion which of the two countries is more fertile for business opportunities?
Ikram Khan: There are more opportunities in Pakistan but here in the UK we have a system. There is labour exploitation in Pakistan which is not possible in this country. Situation could be improved in Pakistan if a system like the one we have in Britain be introduced there. Pakistanis here have earned goodwill through their hard work. Europe cannot do without Pakistan’s surgical industry as it depends on imports from Pakistan for its 90% surgical requirements. But Pakistan is making only basic instruments. I gave all necessary information from Japan, Germany and France to manufactures in Sialkot but to no avail. I myself placed order to them but they failed to meet the required standard and all supplied material was rejected for one reason or the other as the importers are very strict in following the required specifications and standard. I think Pakistan has to do a lot more to reach European standard in this field.
The Asians: What is the business position of Mediworld?
Ikram Khan: We supply different instruments to NHS at local and national level. My elder son looks after the international side. I had been supplying medical equipments to NHS but stopped business with them. However, my son is now trying to re-establish business with NHS. I am Director of South Side Chamber of Commerce and tour with them on various trade missions. My son is a nuclear engineer and he has started several projects with the United Nations. We are currently supplying medical equipments to hospitals, laboratories and research and education centres in forty countries. At the moment we are also working in Iraq and Afghanistan.
The Asians: Which community do you find the most organised in Britain?
Ikram Khan: In my opinion, Indian business community is the most organized community. Pakistani businessmen prefer bilateral business with Pakistan which I don’t consider totally wrong as it should be our foremost preference. But we should promote business contacts with other countries as well, as it would promote Pakistani products. This would also be a service to the country.
The Asians: What shortcomings do you find in our business community?
Ikram Kan: Unfortunately our community avoids sharing information with others so that no other person could enter in that business. There is nothing wrong in hiding trade secrets but they lack mutual spirit of goodwill. I enjoy doing business with the Indian and Jews community. I see Indians helping each other but we never discuss our business problems in the chamber.
The Asians: Did the present economic crisis cast any negative impact on your business?
Ikam Khan: No, our business did not feel any impact as no country compromises on health and defence expenditures, no matter to what extent the conditions turn adverse.
The Asians: It is being feared by some corners that the economic policies of the coalition government might have adverse effect on business. How do you apprehend this situation?
Ikram Khan: My business suffered during the Margaret Thatcher’s tenure as the hospital administrations preferred repairing of old instruments to their replacement with fresh supplies. There must be some fall out of the budget cuts announced by the new government but as a Muslim I believe that money should be kept rolling. Cuts would prove harmful in the long run.
The Asians: Would you like to give some advice to a new businessman?
Ikram Khan: I would advise them to turn to business instead of looking for employment and earn their bread with honesty. Our prophet himself had been a trader.
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