Migrant to mogul: How Vikas Rambal built a billion-dollar empire in Australia
'When I was asked about number of cars in India, it hit me hard because it made me realise that Indians had not yet made a strong mark here," Rambal, the Managing Director, Founder and Chair of Perdaman Group, said.
Vikas Rambal (second from R) with his wife Megha (second from L) and two sons during his early years in Australia. Credit: Perdaman's Office "That's when I decided I needed to establish myself.' Rambal migrated to Australia in 2000 and has since been passionately involved in developing and expanding chemical manufacturing facilities in the country. Today, he is known for his project to develop a multi-billion-dollar fertiliser plant on the Burrup Peninsula in Western Australia's far north-west. His net worth is estimated at $4.98 billion.
But, he says his focus lies beyond just accumulating wealth.
Perdaman chairman Vikas Rambal Credit: Supplied by Vikas Rambhal's office "Wealth isn't my primary focus—it's growth that drives me. My goal is to create more millionaires, and I believe that path will naturally lead me to becoming a billionaire," Rambal said. 'I initially came here with the idea of building a solar farm, but I believe manufacturing is the future for Australia and that's what I have been working towards," Rambal said.
Perdaman secured a $6 billion urea project which kicked off a few years ago and according to Rambal, it would be Australia's largest fertiliser manufacturing project.
Vikas Rambal with WA Premier and others. Credit: Supplied by Perdaman Group office The plant will convert natural gas from Woodside's Scarborough Gas Project into an estimated 2.3 million tonnes of urea per annum, for both domestic and international consumption.
Recalling his initial struggle to establish his Indian identity, he said he has since been actively working to build a bridge between India and Australia.
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13/07/2025 06:47 Hindi 'Many Indians who've migrated overseas have, by and large, acquired existing businesses, but we built projects from the ground up,' he says. 'But when I approached Australian lenders with my business proposals soon after I arrived here, they travelled to India just to verify my credentials." "I believe what we lack as a community is a strong identity, despite all the hard work we've put in here.' He now aims to create a pool of talent especially young and empower others to follow in his footsteps and become wealth creators in their own right.
"In my view if I am able to create more millionaires, I will improve my ranking as a billionaire automatically. And that's my vision for my future" he adds.
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07/05/2025 12:02 Hindi Find all our podcasts here at: SBS Hindi Podcast Collection.
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The Advertiser
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The United Kingdom has underscored its commitment to AUKUS after revealing it will sign a new 50-year treaty with Australia, amid questions over US involvement in the trilateral security pact. The treaty will be inked when Foreign Minister Penny Wong and Defence Minister Richard Marles host their UK counterparts David Lammy and John Healey in Sydney on Friday for regular Australia-UK ministerial meetings, according to British news agency PA. "This historic treaty confirms our AUKUS commitment for the next half century," UK Defence Secretary John Healey said. While the AUKUS nuclear submarine partnership involves the US, UK and Australia, the treaty is between the latter two nations, as a Pentagon review into the agreement threatens America's future participation. Australia and the UK are expected to lay out the bilateral aspects of the agreement and explore ways the two countries can work together over the next half-century. 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Defence analysts believe a likely outcome of the US review will be a request for more money from Australia to support its submarine industrial base. The Australian government has said it remains confident in the nuclear-submarine deal being delivered. The UK has fast become one of Australia's most important defence allies amid turmoil under the Trump administration, a security analyst says. Australian Strategic Policy Institute senior analyst Alex Bristow said holding ministerial meetings on a six-monthly cycle, rather than the traditional annual timeline, highlights strengthened ties between the two nations. "The tempo of it increasing, I think, is a signal that Britain is moving into an elite category," he told AAP. The UK was probably third behind Japan and the US in terms of how strategically significant the defence relationship was to Australia, Dr Bristow said. 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He said NATO had identified China as a threat to its interests as Beijing continues to collaborate with Russia and North Korea. "It's entirely in the interests of European allies in NATO to be working with Indo-Pacific allies," Dr Bristow said. with PA The United Kingdom has underscored its commitment to AUKUS after revealing it will sign a new 50-year treaty with Australia, amid questions over US involvement in the trilateral security pact. The treaty will be inked when Foreign Minister Penny Wong and Defence Minister Richard Marles host their UK counterparts David Lammy and John Healey in Sydney on Friday for regular Australia-UK ministerial meetings, according to British news agency PA. "This historic treaty confirms our AUKUS commitment for the next half century," UK Defence Secretary John Healey said. While the AUKUS nuclear submarine partnership involves the US, UK and Australia, the treaty is between the latter two nations, as a Pentagon review into the agreement threatens America's future participation. Australia and the UK are expected to lay out the bilateral aspects of the agreement and explore ways the two countries can work together over the next half-century. In a joint statement, Mr Marles and Senator Wong said the Australia-UK Ministerial Consultations, or AUKMIN, were critical to the two nations' shared interests. "We take the world as it is - but together, we are working to shape it for the better," Senator Wong said. Under the $368 billion AUKUS program, Australia will buy at least three Virginia-class nuclear-powered submarines from the US in the early 2030s. A new class of nuclear submarines will be built in Adelaide and delivered in the 2040s. 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While the AUKUS nuclear submarine partnership involves the US, UK and Australia, the treaty is between the latter two nations, as a Pentagon review into the agreement threatens America's future participation. Australia and the UK are expected to lay out the bilateral aspects of the agreement and explore ways the two countries can work together over the next half-century. In a joint statement, Mr Marles and Senator Wong said the Australia-UK Ministerial Consultations, or AUKMIN, were critical to the two nations' shared interests. "We take the world as it is - but together, we are working to shape it for the better," Senator Wong said. Under the $368 billion AUKUS program, Australia will buy at least three Virginia-class nuclear-powered submarines from the US in the early 2030s. A new class of nuclear submarines will be built in Adelaide and delivered in the 2040s. 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The UK was probably third behind Japan and the US in terms of how strategically significant the defence relationship was to Australia, Dr Bristow said. Meanwhile, the UK's Carrier Strike Group, led by the Royal Navy flagship HMS Prince of Wales, arrived in Darwin on Wednesday in the midst of the Talisman Sabre multi-nation military exercises being hosted by Australia. It's the first UK carrier strike group to visit Australia since 1997. The international task group includes five core ships, 24 jets and 17 helicopters, centred on the flagship aircraft carrier. On Sunday, Mr Marles and Senator Wong will join their counterparts in Darwin to observe the UK Carrier Strike Group in action at Talisman Sabre. UK High Commissioner to Australia Sarah MacIntosh said the arrival of the strike group was a demonstration of commitment to the region and the strong relationship with Canberra. "This is an anchor relationship in a contested world," she said. 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West Australian
12 hours ago
- West Australian
UK, Australia to ink new AUKUS deal amid US uncertainty, Penny Wong and Richard Marles host talks in Sydney
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