kopi-C is a regular column by SGX Research in collaboration with Beansprout that features C-level executives of leading companies listed on SGX. These interviews are profiles of senior management aimed at helping investors better understand the individuals who run these corporations. When it comes to business, change is inevitable, declares Inderbethal Singh Thakral, the chief executive officer and executive director of Thakral Corporation. Since he joined the family business more than 40 years ago in 1975, it has undergone several evolutions. Beginning as a textile store in 1905, it grew into a reputable trading firm in the sector before diversifying into consumer electronics distribution in China in the 1980s. Bethal, who moved to Hong Kong to assist in the expansion, recalls: “We went from VCRs to VCDs to DVDs, making a lot of strides in the area along the way.” Its listing on the Singapore Exchange’s main board in 1995…
