Mughal Mahal

Mr. Ashok Kumar Kalra, MIH, U.K.

Interviews

• Ashok Kalra, managing director of Mughal Mahal Group, is often referred to as the Ambassador of Indian food diplomacy in Kuwait. Since 1985, when he, along with his partners, set up the first Mughal Mahal outlet in Kuwait, Mr. Kalra has been an ardent advocate of strengthening relations between India and Kuwait, and building bridges of friendship between the Indian and Kuwaiti community through his unique blend of food diplomacy. 

  
  Since its inception Mughal Mahal restaurants have worked tirelessly to popularize and elevate the status of Indian foods in Kuwait. It is to the credit of this restaurant chain that today many Indian dishes have become household names among citizens and expatriates in the country. The 12 outlets of the restaurant spread across Kuwait are synonymous with quality and value, and the thousands of happy customers that dine at the restaurants each day are testimony to this popularity.

   
  Besides being a hotelier extraordinaire, Mr. Kalra is a well-known figure among citizens, and a respected member of the Indian community, who lends his wholehearted support to various social and humanitarian causes in Kuwait and in India. 

  
  Mr. Kalra previously served as chairman of the Indian Community School Kuwait - the largest and oldest Indian school in the region with 6,500 students and over 450 Indian staff. He helped develop the school into a strong and reputable educational institution known for its academic and co-curric­ular activities. He is currently the Country Coordinator Kuwait for People of Indian Origin Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PIOCCI). 

  
  During the ongoing COVID-19 crisis, Mr. Kalra has been at the forefront of humanitarian efforts to alleviate the plight of fellow citizens, many of whom were in the early days stranded in worker-camps located in outlying areas, without access to food, water and other basic needs. Mughal Mahal was among the first organizations to start distributing free meals to people who needed them. 

  
  He was also part of the Indian Community Support Group (ICSG) that was formed by the Indian Embassy in Kuwait to collect funds and distribute food kits to the needy, during the months when the country was in lockdown and mobility of people were severely restricted. 

  
  After the country began easing travel restrictions in August, Mughal Mahal was the first company in the country to organize a public display of thanks to the frontline workers in the fight against the pandemic. As a token of appreciation to all those who worked, and continue working, tirelessly to ensure the health and safety of residents in the country, MughaI Mahal wrapped the facade of their Sharq branch with murals of frontline workers to thank each and everyone of them personally. 

  
  Mr. Kalra's selfless social contributions over the years have endeared him to everyone who came to know, love and respect him. He stands tall as an exemplar of graciousness and compassion, and is a community leader worthy of emulation.