Like many entrepreneurs, Mr. Nachhattar Singh found Dashmesh in 1985. Today, Dashmesh is a top ethnic food distributor in Singapore. It has grown to have a team of more than 60 employees and logistics partners, sourcing and importing from more than 150 suppliers globally, distributing more than 1,000 items in Singapore. Dry food products include rice, lentils, spices, nuts and other non-perishable food provisions. Dairy products from New Zealand, Australia and more recently, India are also key products. These products are sold through its online and offline distribution channels that cover wholesalers, retailers, ship chandlers and restaurants. The trade has taken the business regionally to as many as 13 countries, as far as the Seychelles.

Dashmesh distributes for food manufacturers from India, Malaysia, New Zealand, Australia and Singapore. Such relationships go back 12 years, a testament to the strength of goodwill between the parties. While growing its portfolio of products, Dashmesh saw the opportunity to start its own brands, Temasek Gold and Malika in 2008. Temasek Gold has grown to become a standard in the premium basmati rice segment in Singapore, while Malika has been positioned as a brand, with over 170 items, delivering high quality lentils, nuts and spices.

An unchanging ethos of the company is to continue offering quality Indian food products at affordable prices. In the early years, the focus was on increasing its distribution portfolio of Indian food products and expanding its distribution reach. In 2004, Singh knew he needed help to bring the company to the next level of growth. Arthur Tan joined the company to professionalize the business operations. This has enabled the business to successfully continue growing, navigate the tumultuous growth path of recent years and emerged well-positioned to leverage on its existing capabilities for the next phase of expansion.

Revenue has grown at double digits in recent years to $40 million. While the business grew, Singh and Tan have not forgotten to give back to the community. The company is a regular donor to charitable foundations such as Jamiyah Singapore and Singapore Sikh Education Foundation. It also engages with Yellow Ribbon Singapore and other government agencies to provide employment opportunities.

Dashmesh is poised for further growth in Singapore as the region continues to grow economically. It hopes to continue contributing to improving the standard of living of the population in the region through its ability to offer quality food products at affordable prices.