Founded by Vijay Eswaran, executive chairman, and Joseph Bismark, deputy chairman, the company operates across various sectors and is committed to innovation, sustainability, and social responsibility.
What Does QI Group Do?
The QI Group makes strategic 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.
Building on the success of its direct selling operations, QI Group has extended its reach into the education sector because it’s committed to fostering knowledge and skills for the next generation. A key example of this is 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 international appeal has grown, attracting around 7,000 graduates from nearly 39 countries since its inception. The university focuses on a student-centered education, offering hands-on learning and industry-relevant skills.
The company partnered with a leading Malaysian bank to raise funds to expand QIU to encompass a 10-acre campus equipped with state-of-the-art facilities through a $21.48 million (approximately 100 million Malaysian ringgit) Sukuk Ijarah program . It marked QI Group’s first entry into Malaysia’s capital markets.
Vijay Eswaran, CEO, QI Group Eswaran said, “As I often emphasize, education serves as the bedrock upon which great legacies are constructed. Complementing its commitment to affordable education, the group’s scholarship program has empowered thousands of deserving students since 2017 by providing significant financial support.”
In the luxury sector, QI Group owns Cimier, a prestigious Swiss watch brand celebrating its 100th anniversary in 2024. Cimier is known for its craftsmanship and quality, producing luxury timepieces that combine traditional Swiss watchmaking techniques with contemporary design. The company’s portfolio also includes the Bernhard H. Mayer Collection , which offers luxury watches and jewelry. These products are crafted with precision and are exclusive to QI Group’s distribution channels.
In the retail sector, the company operates Down to Earth, a health food retail chain based in Hawaii that centers around the core values and product standards of “Fresh, Local, Natural, Organic, Plant-Based.”
Down to Earth fully supports regenerative agriculture, emphasizing sustainable practices that restore and enhance soil health and farm ecosystems. Regenerative farming goes beyond organic standards by building topsoil, increasing biodiversity, improving water cycles, and supporting the overall well-being of all living entities in the farm system from soil microbes to animals and workers. Down to Earth values growers dedicated to these practices and encourages consumers to choose Regenerative Organic Certified products for a healthier planet.
The chain believes a plant-based vegetarian diet is the best choice for personal health, environmental sustainability, and animal welfare. The stores exclusively offer a variety of natural and organic foods, dietary supplements, and other health products free from meat, fish, eggs, gelatin, and any ingredients derived from slaughtered animals. The chain also engages in community education, offering vegetarian cooking classes and conducting nutrition seminars in schools and hospitals.
In addition to promoting sustainable choices through its grocery stores, the QI Group extends its commitment to environmental stewardship into the travel sector. The company operates boutique hotels and resorts in Thailand, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, and Turkey, focusing on eco-tourism.
One notable property is Prana Resort Nandana in Koh Samui, Thailand. This resort has achieved a gold rating from the Green Hotel Standard, awarded by the Department of Environmental and Quality Promotion under Thailand’s Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment. This certification recognizes the resort’s commitment to sustainability practices. The resort’s sustainable practices include digital check-ins, QR code menus to minimize paper waste, and using locally sourced ingredients to reduce its carbon footprint.
Corporate Social Responsibility and Ethical Expansion
Beyond its business operations, the company has made significant strides in corporate social responsibility through its RYTHM Foundation. To the QI Group, RYTHM is more than just a buzzword; it’s an integral part of the organization’s ethos. At its core, RYTHM emphasizes the importance of self-empowerment as a foundation for helping others. Since 2005, the foundation has collaborated with over 135 global partners on more than 75 strategic projects. These initiatives have positively impacted 63,000 women and young females and benefited over 17,000 youth and children across various communities.
Eswaran explained, “This philosophy has held us in good stead for over two decades because it is the driving force of everything we do and how we grew from a small Asian startup born at the height of the economic crisis in the region to a global multinational that today runs more than 10 businesses and employs over 2,000 people around the world.”
The foundation also established the Taarana School for children with special needs in Malaysia. Since 2011, Taarana has provided a holistic and inclusive learning environment for children with developmental delays and autism.
QI Group’s growth trajectory reflects its strategic approach to global expansion. The company established a strong presence in the Far East in Hong Kong and Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, before extending its reach into South Asia, the Middle East, Europe, Central Asia, and sub-Saharan Africa.
By 2025, QI Group aims to establish rigorous protocols for sourcing corporate gifts and branded merchandise, focusing on social consciousness and ethical practices. The company also sets stringent standards for eco-friendly packaging across its operations, reflecting a growing emphasis on sustainability in its business practices.
QI Group’s diversified portfolio and strategic investments position it for sustained growth and adaptability within the shifting global market. The company balances commercial success with a steadfast commitment to ethical practices and social responsibility, grounded in its core values of integrity, service, sustainability, and leadership. As it expands and diversifies, QI Group remains dedicated to empowering individuals and communities while fostering sustainable development across its varied sectors.
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