Ritchie Nanda
My entrepreneurial journey
It's been a very long, arduous yet blessed journey, that started in 1986 when I was only 16 years old and fresh out of college. During this journey ecompassing 36 years, I have seen a lot of ups, and many downs. I have seen true friends who remain loyal to you irrespective of how much money you have in your bank, and have also unfortunately met fake acquaintainces who only want to know you and celebrate with you when you are the top. Life is a rollercoaster as it should be. Believe in God, stay close to your family and true friends, and never forget, to keep on dreaming and living.
Joined Tutkuks Chinese Restaurant and Bar, Mumbai (1986)
As soon as I started my college life in Narsee Monjee College, my father got a brain stroke rendering him paralysed for 2 years. He had just separated from his partnership, and he couldn’t take the stress.
I started working at our family restaurant in Hughes Road, Mumbai. It was a unionised set up and I was not welcomed there. Rather than acting as an owner, I started spending my time learning the ropes of the restaurant business. Be it cooking dishes, picking up plates, or serving food to our customers, I did it all.
Soon, the entire team started realising that I was a part of them and accepted me as one of them. That helped me turn the business around. From doing a daily sale of Rs 10,000 / £100 daily, in 3 years we grew our daily sales to Rs 10,00,000 / £10,000.
Our customers loved the food, ambience and service at Tutkuks but I decided to quit the business in 1992 because I did not have sufficient capital to expand which was the need of the hour.
Joined Tops Security Services, Mumbai (1992)
I joined Tops Security Services in July 1992. I had got recently married in Feb 1992, and I wanted to work in a business where capital was needed.
At that time, the private security industry was extremely disorganised. Most companies used 'chowkidaars' for guarding their factories, offices and no one wanted to try using private security officers.
It was a very uphill task for me. When I joined, the company was rather sick. We only employed a handful of security guards and there was no efforts being made to increase or grow the business.
The above picture is us doing Diwali pooja at our first office in Juhu, Mumbai. My papa, Late Major Randhir Chander Nanda (Retd), my wife, Winnie and our first daughter can be seen in this awesome pic.
I joined TOPS on a meagre salary of Rs 600 / £6 per month but I was confident that I will grow, build and create something special.
My 1st press coverage in Business India (1995)
This is my first press coverage in Business India. A friend of mine who worked at Business India was impressed at how I had started making inroads into the private security business and TOPS as brand was slowly but steadily growing in Mumbai.
We had secured a difficult industrial strike situation where we had deployed 100 men and helped the company and its employees from external forces who were threatening them. This industrial contract gave us some moderate funds which we used to improve the condition of our office and make it more habitable.
This picture also shows the first computer that we acquired. I remember this incident. When I asked the man selling me this computer what does it do, he said that it retrieves files that you have stored and I cheekily said that I have my secretary, Juliet who does that so very well, why do I then need a computer??
Those were the heavy learning days for us Gen X people who had never seen or interacted with tech in our whole life 🚀
Building TOPS as the 'Number One' security brand in India
MIchael Jackson visited India for his first performance in Andheri Sports Complex, Mumbai in 1996. TOPS was selected for securing the entire event. I personally led the whole team and ensured that the mega event went off swimmingly well. My team and I personally rescued over 200 people who fainted due to excitement and exhaustion.
Cindi Crawford visited India in 1998 and the organisers selected TOPS to plan and manage the security and safety arrangements for her entire trip. I remember I personally led the team for 7 days and escorted her and her entourage safely all over India.
These events led to other event companies choosing TOPS for managing the security of all large, international events. We went on to secure Beyonce, Katy Perry, Dua Lipa, U2 and many many more.
In the pic above, you can see me in a beard and uniform, guarding Cindi during her tour in 1998
Fought the mafia in the nineties and saved multiple lives
In the 1990's, the mafia rule was at its peak in Mumbai. Successful businessmen, Bollywood producers, and rich HNI's were being targetted for extortion and were being gunned down openly on the streets of Mumbai.
I formed a large team of trained bodyguards (or bouncers as they are also known as) and armed protection officers, and started my fight against the mafia.
TOPS protected majority of the rich businessmen, film producers, celebs in Mumbai and India and ensured that they remained safe and alive. I remember once a famous mafia don called me and threatened to eradicate me if TOPS did not stop protecting these people. I nonchalantly told him that your job is to kill, mine is to keep them alive. Let the best man succeed.
During this very tough phase, I was stabbed in the back by an unknown assailant, and my office and vehicle were attacked by 30-35 goons. I survived so that I could go one to save thousands of lives!
Launched TOPSLINE 1252 and saved over 100,000 lives (2004)
As part of our endeavour to provide emergency services in Mumbai, we started TOPSLINE 1252 in 2004 with the aim of providing emergency within 9 minutes.
We collaborated with a 911 consultant from the USA and introduced 100 state of the art Life Brigades on the streets of Mumbai. These ambulances were equipped with the most advanced medical equipment like ECG, Vital Monitors Signs, Oxygen cylinders, Glucometers, Nebulizers, Life Saving drugs, Auto External Defibrillators (AED), Emergency Resuscitation Kits, Fire E, Fire hose, Snorkel, Fire suits, etc. and a highly motivated crew that can handle any crisis.
I introduced this service for the masses in Mumbai. We priced the subscription at a very economical price of Rs 99 / £0.99 per month. Every said advised me that not charging more money is a wrong move but I reminded them that this service was primarily conceived and started to save lives and not to earn money.
Within 10 years, TOPSLINE 1252 had saved over 100,000 lives and had more than a million subscribers using the services. Our slogan and motto was - "WE SAVE LIVES" and thats precisely what we did!
India under attack. Topsline 1252 to the rescue🚑
On 26th November 2008, terrorists attacked Mumbai and killed hundreds of innocent souls.
Along with the local law enforcement teams, TOPSLINE 1252 commandoes heroically saved over 150 lives fom the clutches of the terrorists without bothering about their families or their own lives.
Please click here or the image above to see the real video of how TOPSLINE 1252 went beyond their call of duty and saved 150 lives.
Acquired The Shield Group in the UK for £19Mn (2007)
In 2007, India's largest PE funds invested Rs 160 Crores / £16Mn into TOPS paving the way for the acquisition of the UK’s 10th largest security group called Shield. I became the Chairman of The Shield Group, and emigrated to the UK with my family.
Immediately after we acquired Shield, The Great Recession of 2008 happened and that caused many of our large customers to collapse causing unsurmountable cash flow challenges for the business.
In 2011-12, I supported Shield in raising £11Mn as working capital debt by giving my Personal GUarantee and the collateral of my family home in the UK to the lending bank. That was to become the BIGGEST mistake of my life!
By 2014, we were able to grow Shield's revenues to £80 Mn and take our operations across to 12 offices in the UK, France, and Spain, but our cash flow pains continued. Shield was sold to an Irish buyer in 2016.
Successfully launched a C2C home services app called Cheep (2017)
In 2017, we successfully launched Cheep as an online home services app, bringing consumers and home service professionals together.
Through this app, customers could connect with home service providers like plumbers, carpenters, electricians, electronic repairers, cleaners, etc at the tap of a button.
Cheep became a runaway success with over 500,000 downloads and started operations across 20 cities in India. We entered the AMC (Annual Maintenance Contract) space which was widely appreciated by the Indian consumers. For only Rs 199 / £1.99 monthly, home owners could take an AMC contract and use the services of Cheep for maintaining their homes.