A Journey of Resilience and Entrepreneurship

My name is Ramesh Shrestha, born in the year 2036 BS in Syangja district ward no. 8 of Bhirkot Municipality. My father, Gupta Bahadur Shrestha, served in the Indian army before transitioning into the world of business after his retirement. My mother, Sila Kumari Shrestha, nurtured our family with warmth and resilience. From an early age, I witnessed my father’s dedication not only as a businessman but also as a socially responsible individual. He was the ward chairman of our district and actively involved in social causes, a trait that ran in our family for generations.

I completed my School Leaving Certificate (SLC) in 1995 AD from a district school, but even before that, I was deeply involved in my father’s business, actively helping him run the business. After completing my postgraduate studies from Shanker Dev Campus in Kathmandu, my college days were filled with enthusiasm and purpose. I actively engaged in campus clubs and district-level organizations, carrying forward the legacy of social work I had learned from my forefather and father.

The Beginning of My Entrepreneurial Journey  

In 2001, I joined my father’s business, learning the ropes of entrepreneurship. By 2002, I ventured into business independently, taking up the distribution of Pepsi in my district along with Pokhara Noodles and Vision Liquor. Business was thriving, but then came a dark chapter in Nepal’s history the Maoist insurgency. It was during this turmoil that I faced a devastating loss from my business including vehicles worth nearly 20 lakh NPR. That loss shook me to the core, but fate had a different plan for me.

I had two drivers working with me in Nepal one operating a heavy vehicle and the other a smaller one. One day, one of them informed me about job opportunities in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) under the Road and Transport Authority (RTA). With my business struggling and limited options left, I decided to take a chance. In July 2008, both my driver and I set out for a fresh start as RTA bus drivers in Dubai, though only the heavy vehicle driver qualified alongside me. My monthly salary was AED 4,700. The shift from being a businessman to a driver was incredibly challenging it was one of the hardest phases of my life.

The Struggles of a New Life in UAE  

The first six months were particularly challenging. Despite the hardships, I believed in hard work and perseverance. Wanting to keep my family close, I called my wife to join me in Dubai, where she had experience as a beautician. Two years later, our two sons also joined us.

My daily routine was rigorous. I requested the duty officer to assign me to the morning shift starting at 3:00 AM or 4:00 AM and finishing at 12:00 PM or 1:00 PM. But I didn’t stop there. I had a keen interest in recruitment, so after my work shift, I would engage in part-time recruitment activities. Meanwhile, my wife would go to work after sending our children to school, and I would bring them home, feed them, and then continue my recruitment work. In the evening, I would pick up my wife from work and she made sure our children were asleep before she rested herself. Those were the true struggling years of our lives, but we endured.

Establishing Myself in the Recruitment Industry  

By 2010, I had gained enough experience and confidence to enter the recruitment business full-time. I had a strong interest in recruiting people, and being from Nepal, my proficiency in English set me apart. I used to visit various companies for recruitment and look for job opportunities. Finally, in 2011, I left my job and took a step towards business. Employers in the UAE highly valued my English skills, and there was significant demand for Nepalese worker. Additionally, Nepalese workers were known for their honesty and strong work ethic, making them highly sought after. I partnered with a company in Nepal called Destiny Human Resource, an investment that shaped my future. Back then, there were no formal demand letters for recruitment, so I would visit companies personally and recruit candidates sometimes just one or two candidates at the time.

Between 2013 and 2015, I devoted myself entirely to recruitment, expanding operations to bring manpower from India, Sri Lanka, Vietnam, and Indonesia to Dubai. I collaborated with local partners in the UAE, and we rebranded as Destiny Management Consultancy and business was growing steadily.

However, in 2014, I had to face another major setback. I repeatedly requested my partner to add my name to the company license, but he ignored me. This eventually caused a conflict between us, forcing me to leave the company. As a result, I lost all the money I had invested. Afterward, I registered my own company GCD Worldwide in Nepal, followed by GCD HR & Management Consultancy and GCD Document Services in UAE.

Leadership in NRNA and the Construction Venture  

My father and grandfather were both actively involved in social activities—my grandfather served as a Local Authority, and my father was a Ward Chairman. During my time in district and college clubs, I worked as Secretary, a role I was passionate about. With a strong interest in social activities from a young age, I became a Member of the Central Committee of NRN UAE in 2011. However, from 2013 to 2015, I was deeply engaged in business, which limited my time for social work. Later, I was able to return to my social activities. From 2015 to 2017, I was elected Vice President of the Nepalese Association under NRNA UAE. By 2017, I became the President of NRNA UAE and worked tirelessly for the community. In 2017, I also successfully registered NRNA UAE as an official community with the UAE government.

Despite these achievements, internal conflicts and challenges emerged within NRNA UAE. Around this time, I also ventured into “RTL Construction Company” in the year 2014 AD with a workforce of 220 people. Unfortunately, this was another painful chapter in my journey. My business partners began bringing in additional partners, increasing pressure on me. Ultimately, I was deceived by a local partner and sponsor, and in an effort to remove them from the company, I had to pay an additional 1 million dirhams on top of the 1 million dirhams I had already invested.

By 2019, I was drowning in financial losses, amounting to 3 million dirhams. I couldn’t even pay salaries on time. To make matters worse, I was jailed due to a legal dispute with my partners. When I finally came out, I decided to step away from construction and refocus on recruitment.

Rebuilding and Expanding My Business  

Despite the setbacks, I didn’t lose hope. In 2018, I expanded my business by founding GCD Cleaning Company LLC, which supplied cleaning staff to hotels and supermarkets. Slowly but surely, my business regained stability.

Even when COVID-19 struck, I continued my recruitment work and found a new opportunity in Europe. I started recruiting in high-demand countries such as Croatia, Poland, Lithuania, Hungary, Malta, Greece, Portugal, and Bulgaria. Today, we successfully send approximately 1,400 to 1,500 candidates per year to Europe, with a total of 6,000 people placed in jobs as of 2024.

Currently, my company operates in multiple countries with a strong and dedicated team. In Nepal, we have a workforce of 25 staff members, while India has 12. Our largest team is in Dubai, with 135 employees managing operations efficiently. In Qatar, we have 12 staff members, while Bulgaria is supported by a team of 6. Additionally, our presence extends to Greece and Croatia, each with 5 staff members, and London, where we have 2 team members handling business operations. Together, this diverse and skilled workforce plays a crucial role in driving the company’s success across different regions. I have also registered my company as GCD in Greece, Croatia, Bulgaria, and the UK.

Additionally, I launched GCD Global Consultancy in Nepal in 2023 to assist students seeking international education. To date, I have brought over 10,000 to 15,000 people from Nepal to reputable companies in the UAE, and the process is still ongoing. However, it is no longer as easy as it once was to place people in jobs in Gulf countries, as the government of Nepal has tightened its rules. Additionally, as a socially active person, it has become increasingly difficult to secure job placements for needy people where recruitment is a way of connecting people with employment opportunities. The government doesn’t directly provide jobs or send people for work it’s the private sector that plays a key role in this process. That’s why I believe this profession deserves respect from everyone.

Exceptionally, the government provides both institutional and individual labor permits for those seeking foreign employment. Institutional permits are required when workers go through manpower companies, but I’ve noticed that problems have increased when individuals apply for personal labor permits on their own.

I strongly believe that only institutional permits should be issued for foreign employment. Personal labor permits should be completely restricted, except in exceptional cases involving immediate family members.

My Passion for Sports and Community Work  

I spend most of my time flying for business. One day, I’m in the UAE, the next day in Malta, then conducting interviews in the Philippines, and the day after that, I’m back in Nepal. My daily life is always on the move and incredibly busy. Beyond business, I have always been passionate about sports. In UAE, I founded GCD Royal Gurkha Club, which recently organized the 1st GCD Cup 2025, where 16 clubs participated. The winners took home AED 8,000, while the runners-up received AED 4,000.

Since 2023, I have been serving as the Deputy Coordinator of the Middle East at NRNA. Furthermore, I am in the process of launching a new company GCD On-Demand Labour Supply, with an initial deposit of 1 million dirhams.

Lessons from My Journey  

Looking back, I realize that everything I have achieved is due to hard work, perseverance, and a never-give-up attitude. No one guided me; I had to carve my own path. Even after suffering a loss of 11 crore Nepali in the construction business, I refused to let it break me.

Today, my priority is transparency and honesty in recruitment. I strive to ensure visa success for candidates and happiness for my employees.

To those reading my story, I say this: Success does not come overnight. Stay focused, be diligent, and refine your skills. Do not quit in the face of failure. Believe in yourself, and success will follow.

Through it all, one person has been my unwavering pillar of support for my wife. Coming from a well-established family, she used to give me courage and encouragement and she stood by me during my lowest moments. She never wavered in her belief in me, and today, everything I have achieved is because of her support and sacrifices.

My eldest son Rujal Shrestha, now 21 has also inherited these values. Humble and down-to-earth, he has already started contributing to the business, which makes me very proud of him.

This is my story of resilience, sacrifice, and unbreakable determination. And the journey continues.