Britain's Top 100 Entrepreneurs 2014: No. 61 - Kuljinder Bahia, Southall Travel
The travel entrepreneur is worth £298m.
Southall Travel is a fast-growing operation originally based in the eponymous west London suburb, run by Kuljinder Bahia. Born in the Punjab, Bahia took over the firm in 1997 aged only 24. He made his name offering flights and tours predominantly in India, but also in Nepal, Bhutan, Tibet, Sri Lanka and Dubai. More recently, Southall Travel has branched out into corporate and wholesale travel and in 2013 launched its own website, Travel Trolley. Now headquartered in Buckinghamshire, in 2012-13 Southall Travel’s parent company, Onkar International, made £14.8m profit on £283.3m of sales.
Age: 41
Activity: Travel
Wealth: £298m
Latest turnover: £336m
Five-year rise in turnover: 66%
No. of employees: 38
Five-year rise in employment: 27%
Score: 165
