Page 66 - MASALA Magazine Vol.15 Issue 8 | December - January 2025

We were all facing

Is the business an extension of family enhancing the feeling of being part of a
endeavours or your own career path and supportive and close-knit group. similar challenges,
project? Being away from where you grew up,
Although this remains within the same alongside friends and family, how has the and this shared
industry as my family business, I had to family dynamic been over these years?
start my business from scratch. experience fostered
The family dynamic remained largely
Regarding the familial environment, can unchanged during my time in China. My
you speak about your experience with the parents would visit occasionally, as did my a strong sense of
local Thai-Indian or Indian community siblings and often my cousins from different
in China? parts of the world. Many of them came not community.
When I first moved to China, there were just to spend time with us but also to support
no familiar faces from Thailand, but I was us by sourcing products and placing orders
fortunate to meet Indians from various through our company. from the very beginning. These celebrations
parts of the world, including Taiwan, India, Surprisingly, I didn’t find the move to China brought everyone together and created a
Hong Kong, Indonesia, and beyond. This to be much of an adjustment—or perhaps strong sense of community. Some residents
immediately created a sense of belonging and I adapted to it quickly. I believe this was even set up apartments as makeshift temples
made me feel at home. One lucky encounter because, alongside focusing on building where weekly prayers and gatherings were
stands out—a lady we met at a shopping mall a business, we were fortunate to develop held, helping us maintain our spiritual and
mentioned that most Indians lived in a large meaningful friendships. These relationships cultural practices.
apartment complex called Regal Court. We helped us create a new version of home, Additionally, friends would often organise
decided to rent our first apartment there, and making the transition much smoother and outings to Indian restaurants or cook
it truly became our home away from home. more fulfilling. traditional dishes and gather in each other’s
At that time, most of us were relatively new How do you keep your cultural heritage apartments to enjoy meals together. These
to China, which made it easier to form alive in a foreign land? small but meaningful moments allowed
friendships. We were all facing similar Living in a building with many Indian us to keep our cultural heritage alive and
challenges, and this shared experience families, along with others moving into thriving, even in a foreign land. Fortunately,
fostered a strong sense of community. Later, Guangzhou over time, made it easy for us I am in Bangkok now and intend to be here
when some Thai-Indians moved to the area, to celebrate festivals like Diwali and Holi permanently – home is where the heart is,
it added an extra layer of warmth and comfort, and I am home!

AAKASH CHUGANI,
mainly apparel, dabbles in various ventures,
such as furniture and sourcing for
various inquiries since 2010.

I completed university in Australia in 2009,
my brother was already present in China
by 2004. We saw an opportunity to partner
up in Guangzhou and to start a new line of
work and grow our business. We’ve never
looked back.

How would you describe the Chinese
culture shock?
The language barrier, certain foods, and
slightly aggressive behaviour (but in a good
way). The locals are quick to get things done
and aren’t afraid to voice their opinions,
which is the complete opposite of how Thais
operate. If I want something done in China,
I’m given a price and delivery date – 9 out
of 10 times it’s accurate. Generally, my staff starts wrapping up at 7 Even in terms of getting things done from
pm, depending on their workload. However, a legal perspective, every one to two years
Are there stark differences in the work if they are busy, they stay until the tasks I have to renew my work permit and visa
culture, between Thailand and China? are complete. We don’t have any specific in China. It’s a very clear-cut process when
In terms of work ethic, the locals can work work hours; this is something I learned a you go through agents, and it is an hour’s
round the clock. In my company, my staff few years ago. You train your staff to take visit to the immigration office and it takes
gets in around 9.30 am to 10 am, Monday responsibility and let them make mistakes. about a week to process. Everything is very
to Friday. Mind you, we previously worked It’s all a learning experience. At times, my systematic and organised, which helps as
on Saturdays as well, but my staff deserved staff dedicated themselves to working until you know what to expect.
more family time, so we’ve agreed to extend 9 pm. They are aware of the urgency of their
their weekly schedule by four to five hours. responsibilities.

66 | MASALA MAGAZINE DEC 2024-JAN 2025