The founder of the Chaudhary Group, which is the only Nepali company that has made it to the Forbes' list of billion dollar companies, Lun Karan Das is viewed as the pioneer of international trade and industralization in Nepal. According to the president of Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FNCCI) Pashupati Murarka, he is one of the last entreprenuer from the Marwadi community who envisioned that the private sector could be a part of Nepal's economic development. "He was a religious man and an honest entrepreneur," he added.
Lun Karan Das expanded his family business of trading to jute and spinning mills, stainless steel production and construction company. At a time when the government was pushing for industrialization, he was instrumental in establishing Biratnagar Jute Mill, Modern Hosiery, Nepal Spinning, Ratna Stainless Steel, Flooring and Furnishing and United Builders, among others, which inspired the growth of private sector in Nepal. He is also credited for opening a departrmental store in Nepal around 50 years ago in Kathmandu.
He has many firsts to his credit establishing not just new business entities but also founding institutions for strengthening the private sector. He was a member of FNCCI, Nepal Chambers of Commerce and Marwadi Sewa Samiti, among others.
According to Nepal Chambers of Commerce president Rajesh Kazi Shrestha, Lun Karan Das was a benign industrialist, who envisioned the private sector role in Nepal's economic development.
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