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The eminent global citizen

Dr Bhupendra Kumar Modi is the epitome of the adage ‘age is just a number’. At 72, he has plunged into several fields. He holds a PhD and is a social entrepreneur, philanthropist and investor. Dubai’s business prospects are fascinating to him and he hails it as the number one city in his eyes

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The man is a business mogul and a digital pioneer. Dr Bhupendra Kumar Modi has been a key player in the technology sector in India. He was a part of the telecom revolution in India - right from office automation and now the digital revolution in other countries as well. He was instrumental in bringing the first copier, the first fax machine and the first computer to India. While he was the CEO of Modi Telstra, the first digital exchanges, such as the first mobile call, were made on the system at his company. He started the first chain of mobile phones in India, Malaysia and Singapore. Whenever he comes across new tech, he attempts to adopt it into his business and life. On his ventures, Dr Modi observed: “Singapore and Dubai are two major cities that have developed into global cities. These new powerhouses require a new strategy and new thinking. Now with the onslaught of a digital era, the world is going through an exponential technological revolution. My inspiration is technology and the perks that come with it.”

Business sustainability

Digitising the business in today’s world is paramount. It is evident in various fields, such as OTT platforms where, with the pandemic, the onslaught of quality content increased ten-fold, virtually killing the television industry. “When technology advances and businesses don’t advance along with them, they are shut down and wealth is created in new businesses. So today, if your business does not at least have a mobile app or mobile payments, then that business will sink. Countries that do not adopt changing technologies will be left behind,” said Dr Modi.

Wellness business

New York for six years, then Beverly Hills for eight, London and now Dubai. In his travels, he has seen a lot of things around the world that need to be changed. He says that he realised his penchant for travel 21 years ago, and decided to change his life. The number of talented, intelligent and highly accomplished people he met were an inspiration for him to launch his business, High Life. It is a wellness-focused start-up that will encourage people to live their best life. “High Life is not about living a rich life; it is about living a life of wellness where you are able to live beyond 100 years in a happy, healthy and wealthy manner. It allows you to live in places with an environment that promotes good health, connecting with people and creating new wealth,” he said. Technology plays a part here as well. Using STEM cells, Dr Modi is able to achieve levels of energy that nobody at his age can. With it, he is able to live an easy and comfortable life and even start new businesses. According to him, inside people’s homes, the air, the water, and sunlight, all make a huge difference to a person’s lifespan. “You work so hard and you achieve so much, then you retire and none of it matters. If you can use your knowledge and continue to add to society even in your old age, that’s a great thing,” he said.

Dubai: A new home

The quality of life and the ease of doing business in Dubai makes it the number one city in many areas in Dr Modi’s eyes. “Dubai has new business scopes after the signing of the Abraham Accord agreement with Israel. I believe that this will leverage a new connection between India, Israel and Dubai as well,” he says. Dubai has the advantage of being in the centre and a global hub of connection between India and the rest of the world. Since he entered Dubai, Dr Modi has added three more companies to his name and is looking to acquire more. Wellness and hospitality sectors are prime areas of interest to him. “The way you can do banking and invest in various areas in Dubai, as well as raise money in the form of equity or loan, the city is a fantastic place. It has always been a frontrunner in many fields and is easily connected through technology,” he added.