In the competitive global marketplace, few companies have built a footprint as diverse as QI Group. This multinational conglomerate operates across continents, weaving together business interests from education to luxury goods. What is QI Group’s annual revenue?While that information isn’t publicly available, what’s clear is that the corporation maintains active investments through QI Capital, its investment arm, in various portfolio companies across Malaysia, Sri Lanka, India, Hong Kong, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and the United States. These investments span financial services, education, telecommunications, luxury goods manufacturing, natural food retail, and hospitality management.
Founded during the tumultuous Asian financial crisis in 1998, the Hong Kong-registered company has defied expectations to build a global presence. With headquarters in Hong Kong and a green-certified operational hub in Petaling Jaya, Malaysia, the business has expanded methodically across Asia, the Middle East, Europe, and Africa.
What Does QI Group Do?
The QI Group makes investments in wellness and lifestyle, education, travel and leisure, luxury goods, and retail. This diversified approach has allowed the company to establish a presence in more than 30 countries and to expand its global workforce to exceed 2,000 individuals.
The company’s business model blends direct selling, e-commerce, and traditional business operations across multiple sectors. QI Group maintains a significant direct selling arm that leverages e-commerce to distribute wellness, lifestyle, and personal care products. This aspect of the business has been instrumental in the company’s growth, reaching millions of customers and thousands of distributors in more than 100 countries.
Under the stewardship of founders Vijay Eswaranand Joseph Bismark, QI Group has grown from a startup into a global enterprise. Their commitment to principled leadership and innovative business strategies has driven success across the company’s diverse portfolio since 1998. The founders continue to guide the privately held organization’s direction — Eswaran as executive chairman and Bismark as deputy chairman — working alongside their board of directors to shape decisions.
Quest International University is the company’s flagship education venture. Located in the state of Perak, Malaysia, since 2011, QIU has welcomed approximately 15,000 students from 50 countries. The institution continues to grow through innovative financing — a $21.48 million Sukuk Ijarah program with a leading Malaysian bank marks the company’s first venture into Malaysian capital markets.
In the luxury sector, the acquisition of Swiss watchmaker Cimier, which celebrated its centennial in 2024, anchors the firm’s luxury division. The company also manages the Bernhard H. Mayer Collection of exclusive watches and jewelry, combining traditional Swiss craftsmanship with contemporary design sensibilities.
In 2010, the QI Group launched the Watch Academy, changing how people connect with luxury watches. At these workshops, customers build their own watches with guidance from experts. This hands-on experience creates a special connection between people and their timepieces that goes beyond typical luxury shopping.
“We created specific designs, worked with specific movements, and drew inspiration from its heritage while designing for a new generation of watch connoisseurs,” explained Eswaran.
The hospitality portfolio features boutique hotels and resorts across Thailand, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, and Turkey. These properties consistently earn four-star-plus ratings on major travel platforms, emphasizing guest satisfaction through personalized service.
Prana Resort Nandana in Koh Samui stands out as one of Thailand’s premier eco-friendly destinations. This thoughtfully designed property has implemented comprehensive green initiatives throughout its operations, eliminating single-use plastics, supporting local communities through sustainably sourced ingredients, and engaging staff in environmental conservation efforts. These pioneering efforts in sustainable tourism have earned recognition from Thai environmental authorities with the Gold for Green Hotel Standard.
Corporate Philosophy: RYTHM
The company’s operations are guided by the philosophy of RYTHM — Raise Yourself To Help Mankind) — inspired by Mahatma Gandhi’s values. This philosophical foundation shapes the four core values that define the organization: integrity, service, sustainability, and leadership.
The RYTHM Foundation serves as the company’s social impact initiative and channels resources into three critical areas aligned with the U.N. Sustainable Development Goals: educational access for children with special needs and in rural areas, economic empowerment for women, and sustainable rural development.
The company’s environmental commitment is the Green Legacy program, which has resulted in 25,000 trees planted across 10 countries with various environmental partners. Through its direct selling arm, QI Group has also collaborated with EcoMatcher to establish three forests of 1,000 trees each in Kenya, the United Arab Emirates, and the Philippines.
Additionally, employee engagement in community service has been remarkable, with staff contributing more than 120,000 hours since 2013 through the Employee Community Impact program. Employees are encouraged to volunteer for social causes in their local communities, creating unique solutions for regional challenges.
Eswaran’s approach to leadership emphasizes service above self. “Leadership is not about telling people what to do,” he stated. “A true leader is one who knows how to serve.” This philosophy has become foundational to the company’s management approach, creating an environment where employees feel like valuable stakeholders.
Bismark’s complementary leadership philosophy challenges traditional corporate hierarchies. His unique perspective, shaped by early education in an ashram and personal wellness practices, including 40 years of yoga, has influenced the company’s health-focused initiatives.
Together, these founders have built a corporate culture where diversity drives innovation. With employees spanning the globe, QI Group turns this cultural diversity into a competitive advantage, enabling the company to understand and serve diverse markets effectively.
While many corporations are now retrofitting sustainability and social responsibility into their operations, QI Group built these elements into their DNA from inception.
For business leaders and investors alike, QI Group’s model raises important questions about the future of multinational business: Perhaps the most successful global enterprises of tomorrow will be the ones that most effectively blend commercial success with meaningful impact and cultural fluidity. The company’s quarter-century journey suggests that embedding purpose and people-centered values into business fundamentals creates resilience that transcends market fluctuations and geographic boundaries.
