Mr. Soukthavy Chowdhury (Sadik)
Vice Chairman of HSMM Group of Companies
Mr. Soukthavy Chowdhury (Sadik) Joined the HSMM Group of Companies on 2002. His zeal for learning, hard work and dedication rewarded him well and helped him to climb the corporate ladder fast. In a small time span he made his mark by becoming the Vice Chairman of the HSMM Group of Companies.
Mr. Soukthavy Chowdhury (Sadik) as the Vice Chairman of the HSMM Group of Companies and the Managing Director of the Lao Agar Development Co. Ltd., HS International Sole Co. Ltd. and HSMM Fragrance Co. Ltd. Mr. Soukthavy Chowdhury (Sadik) has more than ten years of experience in the Agarwood Business Domain extensively in Agarwood Plantations, Agarwood Oil Extraction Processing Units, Agarwood and related Products Manufacturing, Agarwood Products Sales and Marketing in competitive markets of the Middle East, China, Korea, Japan, Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore. Under his supervision, the Agarwood business achieved remarkable growth and success since 2006.
Master of a wonderful personality Mr. Chowdhury has excellent PR skills. He has made his niche among the diplomats and VIPs of the country. This is one reason that all VIP and VVIP delegates visiting Vientiane, Laos always visit the Lao Agar International Development Co. Ltd. and wanted to know more about this extremely expansive Agarwood and related products. This has become a trend since Mr. Chowdhury took the command of Lao Agar International Development Co. Ltd. The Government of Lao P.D.R have special place for Mr. Chowdhury and the Lao Agar International Development Company Ltd. The Government of Lao P.D.R always entrust Mr. Chowdhury to participate in various International Trade Shows and Expos as an Official Delegate of Government of Lao P.D.R and to showcase the Agarwood products of the company at various arenas.
Mr. Chowdhury initiated the L.A.I.D campaign “Giving Back to Nature” that planted 50,000 agar wood trees in 2007; 60,000 in 2008; and 75,000 in 2009 and 100,000 trees every year since 2010. In 2016 the company completed the plantation of 450,000 Agarwood trees in our own plantations.
As Managing Director of the Lao Agar International Development Company, Mr. Chowdhury is a personification of the values that the HSMM Group of Companies represents. “I have learned to love the business and the operations of L.A.I.D pervade my thoughts throughout the day. I tend to identify myself with the agar tree,” he said.
“The agar wood tree acquires value when it combines with a foreign object. It is a soft, fresh smelling tree not so good for firewood, to say the least, but once it merges with a foreign object such as a fungus, it becomes valuable.
“I had nothing of value until I was introduced to a foreign land, the Lao PDR. Like the wounded agar tree, I learned to cope with my share of life’s pains. Like the agar tree, I became accustomed with the foreign things around me and I managed to make myself better than who I was in the past,” Mr. Chowdhury said.
He organized the First Lao Agar Development Conference in Bolikhamxay Province, Lao PDR on 15 July 2013 jointly with the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry of Lao PDR.The conference was chaired by H.E. Dr. PhetPhomphiphak, Vice Minister of Agriculture and Forestry of Lao PDR (then) and Head of the Ministers of the Prime Minister’s Office of Lao PDR (now); H.E. Dr. Souvanny Saysana, Vice Governor of Bolikhamxay Province; H.E. C Gururaj Rao, former Ambassador of Republic of India to Lao PDR; and Mr.SoukthavyChowdhury (Sadik), Vice Chairman of HSMM Group of Companies. The conference brought together the farmers, traders, producers and policy makers. They drafted a framework aimed at enhancing the Agarwood business and uplifting the socio-economic status of the farmers in the country. All this became possible only due to the vision of Mr. Chowdhury. He proposed to the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry of Lao PDR that he have a proposal for the Farmers of the Lao PDR to engage in the Agarwood Business together with the Lao Agar International Development Company Limited. He proposed that the company will give free Agarwood seedlings to the interested farmers. The company will be entitled with an agreement from the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry to buy back the Agarwood trees after 8 years with profit sharing of 40% for farmers and 60% for company.
Mr. Chowdhury is now putting up a new perfume factory in Lao PDR and acquiring related projects in India. This will be the first Perfume Factory established in Lao PDR. The new venture will quench the increasing demand of the perfumes and fragrances in markets of Lao PDR, Russia, Middle East and South Africa. He is a visionary and with his competence and work ethic the group is expected to go far in its endeavors.
Mr.Soukthavy Chowdhury (Sadik) has represented the HSMM Group of Companies at various national and international events, trade expos and conferences. He attended the 2012 ASEAN-India Agriculture Summit and Expo in New Delhi, India where he was a delegate for the Government of Lao P.D.R with H.E. Mr. Vilayvanh Phomkhe, Minister of Agriculture and Forestry of Lao PDR. As a Special Delegate from the Government of Lao P.D.R, Mr.Soukthavy Chowdhury (Sadik) attended the CITES forum in Kuwait. CITES stands for Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora.
Mr. Soukthavy Chowdhury (Sadik) lead the HSMM Group of Companies to represent Lao PDR at the ASSAM International Trade and Industrial Fair, Jorhat, Assam, India from 19th to 25th Feburary 2015. Mr.Soukthavy Chowdhury (Sadik) received the Best International Stall Award on behalf of Lao P.D.R from ShriPradyutBordoloi Honorable MLA Margherita, Assam, India during the Closing Ceremony of Assam International Trade & Industrial Fair, Jorhat, Assam, India on 25 Feb 2015.
Mr. Soukthavy Chowdhury (Sadik), Vice Chairman of HSMM Group of Companies at 2016 The 7th China (Poly & Dongguan) International Agarwood Culture and Agri Expo.