What Is the Business Model of QI Group? A Deep Dive Into Its Global Operations and Diverse Portfolio

In September 2024, the QI Group reached a 26-year milestone. The company has navigated economic downturns, industry shifts, and global disruptions, relying on the firm foundation set by its founders, Vijay Eswaran, executive chairman, and Joseph Bismark, deputy chairman, along with the unwavering dedication of its international team.

Established in 1998, the company has faced and conquered global challenges, emerging each time with greater strength and adaptability.

The enterprise has made strategic investments in various sectors across multiple countries through its investment arm, QI Capital. This approach allows QI Group to diversify its revenue streams and mitigate risks associated with market fluctuations in specific regions or industries.

The company set up its corporate headquarters in Hong Kong and its   global expansion strategy has been systematic. Starting in the Far East, QI Group established a strong presence in Hong Kong and in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, the site of its operational headquarters, before extending its reach into South Asia, the Middle East, Europe, Central Asia, and sub-Saharan Africa. Recently, the company has bolstered its European footprint with a presence in Frankfurt, Germany.

The multipronged plan has allowed QI Group to establish a presence in more than 30 countries, with a global workforce exceeding 2,000 individuals from 50 nationalities. The company’s business model combines direct selling, e-commerce, and traditional business operations across multiple sectors.

What Is the Business Model of QI Group?

The QI Group’s business model is to invest across lifestyle, education, and travel sectors. Through its investment arm, QI Capital, the group partners with portfolio companies in Malaysia, Sri Lanka, India, Hong Kong, New Zealand, the U.K., and the USA. Its diverse investments have included financial services, education, telecommunications, Swiss watchmaking, natural food retail, hospitality management, and an online marketplace.

At its core, QI Group maintains a significant direct selling arm that utilizes e-commerce to distribute wellness, lifestyle, and personal care products. This aspect of the business has been a critical driver of the company’s growth, with millions of customers and thousands of distributors across more than 100 countries. The direct selling model allows QI Group to reach consumers directly, bypassing traditional retail channels. This approach provides income opportunities for distributors and enables the company to maintain close relationships with its customer base.

QI Group’s business model also strongly emphasizes corporate social responsibility through its RYTHM Foundation. Since 2005, the foundation has collaborated with over 135 global partners on more than 75 projects. These initiatives have positively impacted 63,000 women and young girls and benefited over 80,000 across various communities.

Its initiatives range from building infrastructure for improved living conditions to holistic capacity-building projects that enhance social, economic, and environmental well-being. The overarching goal is to empower lives and create lasting positive change in underserved communities.

RYTHM Foundation emphasises self-empowerment, viewing it as essential for a progressive society. By supporting young girls and women, the organization aims to break cycles of gender inequality and poverty, enabling them to gain independence and advocate for change. Through the programs, the organization helps women become active contributors to their communities.

For example, since 2010, the Maharani Programme has supported over 8,000 girls from underserved communities in Malaysia. The program offers education on gender equality, sexual and reproductive health, and cultural awareness, equipping participants with the knowledge and confidence to reach their full potential.

Education, Luxury Goods, Natural Food Retail, and Hospitality Management

One of QI Group’s notable ventures is in the education sector. The company operates Quest International University in the state of Perak, Malaysia. Established in 2011, QIU offers a range of undergraduate and postgraduate programs across various fields, including medicine, engineering, business, hospitality, and information technology.

QIU’s approach to education emphasizes student-focused learning and holistic development. The university incorporates extracurricular activities, soft skills development, clinical and industrial experiences, and techno entrepreneurship training into its curriculum. Since its inception, QIU has welcomed approximately 7,000 students from nearly 39 countries, indicating its growing appeal on the international stage.

The QI Group’s commitment to education extends beyond QIU. The company recently partnered with a leading Malaysian bank to raise funds to expand QIU’s new campus through a $21.48 million (approximately 100 million Malaysian ringgit) Sukuk Ijarah program. This Islamic financing approach marks QI Group’s first entry into Malaysia’s capital markets.

In the luxury sector, QI Group owns Cimier, a prestigious Swiss watch brand with a century-long heritage. As Cimier celebrates its 100th anniversary in 2024, it continues to produce opulent timepieces that merge traditional Swiss watchmaking techniques with contemporary design elements. The company’s luxury portfolio includes the Bernhard H. Mayer Collection, which offers exclusive watches and jewelry through QI Group’s distribution channels.

QI Group’s retail branch includes Down to Earth, a health-conscious food chain located in Hawaii. Specializing in organic and vegetarian offerings, Down to Earth provides a diverse array of natural foods, supplements, and health products. The chain extends its impact beyond its stores by hosting community-focused activities like cooking classes and nutrition seminars in local schools and hospitals. This commitment to education and wellness aligns with QI Group’s broader vision of supporting sustainable living and healthier communities.

Expanding its operations into travel and leisure, the organization manages a selection of boutique hotels and resorts in regions including Thailand, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, and Turkey. The company places a high priority on eco-tourism, ensuring that its properties emphasize sustainability and environmental stewardship in their operations.

Prana Resort Nandana in Koh Samui, Thailand, is among its standout properties. It’s easy to see why the premier resort earned a gold rating from the Green Hotel Standard, a recognition by Thailand’s Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment. Prana is dedicated to offering guests an unforgettable vacation experience while minimizing its environmental impact. The resort integrates sustainable practices like paperless check-ins, biodegradable products, and locally sourced, farm-to-table ingredients for its food and drinks. Additionally, the staff conducts weekly beach clean-ups to prevent litter from becoming marine waste, ensuring the surrounding environment remains pristine.

QI Group is also dedicated to supporting the U.N.’s Sustainability Development Goals. Through its direct selling arm, the QI Group has collaborated with EcoMatcher, a tech-enabled social enterprise, to plant three new forests in Kenya, the United Arab Emirates, and the Philippines, each comprising 1,000 trees. The Group’s global reforestation program has since expanded with other partners to plant trees in Indonesia, Algeria, Turkey, Russia, Egypt, Morocco, and Malaysia, planting a total of 15,000 trees and counting. The program’s goal is to mitigate climate change while improving local ecosystems and fostering sustainable agro-forestry practices for community development.

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