Exciting FORTY

As it approaches the decade towards its golden jubilee, Seagull International Group is creating plans for the next 10 years. This initiative aligns with the vision set by Dr Sureshkumar Madhusudhanan and his mission for his team to pursue with edication and responsibility. As a modern talent recruitment group, Seagull has several long-term plans which will create a synergy across all its business verticals. A third of a million cheering families who Seagull financially empowered with well-paid placements preach for it. Now, Seagull’s Wings of Vision sums up the past success and plans on the anvil.

Seagull Group at forty makes a wonderful moment! That moment invites the Seagull team to reflect on the evolution of talent recruitment into a structured business model with a professional approach. Naturally, it becomes a moment of special celebration and an occasion to review the success and plan for the decade ahead. In the last 40 years, every day has been a celebration day for one or another person whom Seagull has helped rise in their career. The fortieth-anniversary event will feature the release of a commemorative volume of Wings of Vision. This volume will detail the timeline of Seagull’s evolution, reflecting on its milestones and honouring those who contributed to the foundation and growth of Seagull in any capacity alongside its founder, the late Shri K. Madhusudhanan.

Dr Sureshkumar, Chairman and Managing Director of Seagull International Group, considers it an opportunity to reconnect with his mentors, early-stage associates, clients, motivators, and business champions who have supported him in reaching his current position. While running the business independently, Dr Sureshkumar continued his education. He completed his postgraduate and doctoral degrees while managing the business, fulfilling his father’s dream. “My father strived to provide the best education and foster a strong business culture,” he remembers. With a doctorate in Human Resources, he has become a technocrat as Seagull transitioned from a travel agency to a talent recruitment firm through his hard work.

Today, Seagull International Group is the largest Indian recruitment consultant, sporting a Five-Star rating assigned by the Ministry of External Affairs. In the talent recruitment segment, Seagull has the highest number of branches in India and the fastest-expanding global network. In India, it has a branch presence in all major metropolitan cities, covering the north, east, south and west of the country. Seagull established its Overseas Recruitment Division in 2002 to enhance international recruitment with a more focused approach. The expansion of this branch gained momentum after 2019.

While focusing on network expansion, it also emphasised setting up the best recruitment infrastructure to meet the needs of its clients – Indian and foreign business establishments. As branch expansion in India continued, Dr Sureshkumar kept a watch on the European markets. Now its global network covers key European markets of the United Kingdom, Sweden, Lithuania and Germany (opening in July), the Middle East markets of Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Dubai, South Asian markets of Nepal and Sri Lanka, besides branches in India, making it a global HR firm with a strong Indian root and culture of ethical recruitment.

Seagull has placed more than a third of a million Indians in well-paid jobs abroad. The time ahead will see a much larger number of placements. The name of Seagull may not have decamped from their memory. “What we have accomplished is what we are meant to do, thanks to the blessings of my spiritual icon, Sree Narayana Guru, and the inspiration instilled in us by my father, who laid the foundation,” he humbly states. The better remuneration and the eventual savings ensured the financial protection of families, who otherwise would have been vulnerable to poor living conditions. “Here, our business turns into a humanitarian activity. Behind every action, there is a humanitarian gesture. That itself is a great homage to the founder of Seagull and our deeply revered Sree Narayana Guru Devan,” he says. Seagull is dedicated to doing more and will continue to satisfy job aspirants and the companies it serves through talent search, simultaneously, he asserts. The Seagull Group’s strong brand equity gives great hope to companies, which buy its recruitment services.

The size of foreign remittances generated by the Indian diaspora is huge, and not easy to calculate the value of the wealth they created and sent to their home. The frequent fluctuations in exchange rates and recurring remittances increased the wealth of NRIs and their families. The huge wealth they have amassed and transferred to India, the wealth they have invested in both big and small businesses to multiply their investments, the employment they have generated through their ventures, etc., are the results of talent export from the country. The purchasing power of the NRI families might also have created an inexplicable socioeconomic vibrancy. More precisely, the money the NRIs splurged boosted the local economy from retail to construction and jewellery to tourism. The talent export that generated huge foreign exchange revenue and employment, however, did not draw anyone’s attention. It is like any other foreign exchange earnings for the country. It deserves better attention and promotion, Dr Sureshkumar, a veteran in talent export service, rightly says. “I tried to bring glory to this foreign exchange earning-cum-job creating services when I was Secretary General of the Recruitment Association of India,” he points out.  

As the largest recruiter from India, Seagull becomes the largest foreign employment generator for Indians and, consequently, the biggest contributor to the country’s socio-economic growth. “My review of what Seagull has done to people and businesses gives me great gratification. Hence, Seagull at Forty tells a story of gratification and success both in foreign and domestic placements. These make its 40th Anniversary an exciting occasion; an occasion to begin chasing the next goal,” he says.

While engaged in preparations for the 40th Anniversary celebration, he keeps Ameya and Shreyas, the two executive directors of the company, in the loop with multiple aims of helping them learn everything from board-level to the last-mile job. He ensures Ameya and Shreyas learn the complete anatomy of the business and the nuances of modern institutional management that keep the institution ahead in the upturn and downturn of the global economy. Ameya and Shreyas combine their skills in organisational management with their prowess in technology to bring a new generation profile to the talent recruiting firm. This makes Seagull more of a system-driven organisation than a person-driven conventional model. As a veteran of talent recruiting with extensive practical and academic knowledge of HR management, he recognises the importance of nurturing the next generation of leadership. “Inside, we need cutting-edge skills. Foreign recruiters look at our skills, too,” Dr Sureshkumar points out. This approach will enable Seagull International to maintain its leadership position.

The success of Seagull, a pioneer in human resources recruitment, also uncovers how an entrepreneur’s calculation went right without having a similar model to learn from. It is a story of great metamorphosis from an unorganised travel service business to an HR service. The transition reveals how ethical recruitment and integrity can build lasting brand value. Maintaining a positive image is also a significant challenge.

In the days when finding a reliable placement promise was an ordeal and a litmus test of one’s luck, Seagull professionalised the task by bringing it under an organisational architecture. “Our service also has a wide socioeconomic connotation beyond its identity as a service establishment, as we have created opportunities for skilled and unskilled workers in foreign companies. They are all well-off now,” Dr Sureshkumar points out. There were occasions when a candidate failed in an interview despite being efficient, due to the fear of the interview, Seagull provided a second chance. There were candidates with extremely poor economic backgrounds.  Seagull has tried to create multiple chances for the candidates to convince the recruiters of their genuineness and competence. Many people, who are well-off now, still remember Seagull with gratitude, he says.

The involvement of Dr Sureshkumar in every aspect of its operation has made its transformation align with his vision. The fast-growing businesses worldwide require competent human resources, and India has a vast reservoir of efficient talent and skilled workers. “I decided not to make the recruitment service a shoddy business which people do not trust. Many people had a bitter experience with unkind recruiters. The absence of professionalism on the one hand embittered the job aspirants who come down to Mumbai with a Gulf dream and a wad of cash. Our candidates are required to pay no charges. It indicates the professional ethics we adhere to,” Dr Sureshkumar points out. When unscrupulous agents and black sheep embarrassed foreign job seekers in the 80s and 90s, Seagull stood up for its principle of ethical recruitment. That created a space for Seagull Group. “I found a huge space in this service for a professionally organised institutional model. Yet, I knew nothing was easy. Connecting the two ends of the business was challenging. The integrity that my father, the founder of this service, upheld helped me build good relations. The success depends on how well we reciprocate with the recruiters. Our professionalism and the corporate culture strengthened their confidence in us,” he says.

The growth of oil economies following the economic boom in highly energy-consuming Western economies led to increased industrial activity and employment generation. The visionary leaders of the six Gulf Cooperation Council countries, including the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, and Oman, committed themselves to developing their nations. The unprecedented growth at the cost of huge investments generated massive employment opportunities. Indians were the principal beneficiaries. Many Indians wanted to go to the region to find jobs. At the same time, many companies from the area began to enquire through reliable sources about the availability of blue and white collars. Late Shri K Madhusudhanan, who used to provide travelling services, established good contacts with foreign business clients. He knew the nuances of availing visas and the pattern of demand for jobs. The time went on. The demands grew larger since the late 80s. At that time, professionally managed businesses abroad began outsourcing the recruitment processes to trusted experts.

Dr Sureshkumar began to formalise the inquiries as serviceable business inquiries. That necessitated a corporate architecture because foreign entities are particular about professionalism and business ethics. It is a service that provides talent solutions. The service industry calls for professional excellence on par with the standard of the clients. Seagull’s professionalism cheered overseas clients how the Group is cheering large Indian business groups like the Adanis and Reliance by recruiting workers to their commercial sites. The business flourished. “Whatever good things my father did, we are harvesting now,” he recalls.

Honesty has a royalty. The beneficiaries of his big help would be more than willing to pay for his devoted service. The concept led to the development of a business model, and Dr Sureshkumar, who joined Shri Madhusudhanan a year after he established Sarita Typing Centre in 1985, skilfully guided the venture toward the destination he had envisioned: a new-generation business format. He peeped into the corporate world with curiosity about organisational management and learned about the changing business climate that laid greater emphasis on human resources.

Much earlier than Indian corporate entities began to contemplate the importance of human resources in business management, efficiency building to maintain an edge over their peers and industrial relations to save precious manpower days, Dr Sureshkumar shaped his company into a fully integrated HR conglomerate. HR has found an insatiable importance in future corporate management. Every industry has a scope for HR overhaul, and every business worldwide faces the challenge of rapid manpower churning. A vast database that continues to grow daily has become an invaluable resource for businesses to meet their short- and medium-term needs. Its system analyses the dossier of thousands of candidates to zero in on the right candidates.

Seagull has established associations with several top companies, including Saudi Aramco, Petroleum Development Oman (PDO), Qatar Energy (formerly Qatar Petroleum), and the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC). Additionally, they collaborate with various British companies and Indian infrastructure firms such as Larsen & Toubro and the Shapoorji Pallonji Group. Seagull Staffing Solutions focuses on sourcing talent for domestic companies.

The domestic talent-hunting business started around five years ago. “In this segment, too, we have already become a force to reckon with, thanks to the trust a large Indian business group has in us. Our domestic placement division operates from Mumbai, Delhi, Chennai and Kochi,” says Dr Sureshkumar. Seagull successfully managed manpower recruitment for Adani Vizhinjam Port Pvt Ltd, placing approximately 800 workers. Now, Seagull supplies manpower to 14 ports run by the Adani Group, besides other companies belonging to the same group and other large business groups like Reliance. Recently, Seagull recruited talents for a Mumbai-based educational complex, he points out. “Still, I see huge potential in the Indian market, especially in the post-pandemic atmosphere. Many global industrial giants’ keen interest in the Indian market also renders opportunities for domestic talent-hunting firms,” he opines. Gradually, India is becoming an international skills capital, he opines. Unless at least 50 per cent of India’s working population is equipped with employable skills through structured government-supported initiatives, the nation’s progress toward becoming an economic superpower would be a serious challenge, he says. “The world is no longer competing just on products but on skills and talent. Skilling is not merely about employment, it is nation-building,” he adds.

As a human resources consultant for highly competent international organisations, and with his experience in the industry, he finds the next big challenge in the availability of employable skills. “Skilling is a passion for me. The industries Seagull operates call for constant skilling and re-skilling. We understand the challenge and strive to acquire high-quality talent which modern corporate entities require. Unless at least 50 per cent of India’s working population is equipped with employable skills through structured government-supported initiatives, the nation’s progress toward becoming an economic superpower would be a serious challenge. But everything should begin at home. With this principle in mind, Dr Sureshkumar sponsored the construction of a 3-D education theatre with augmented and virtual support that has a 78-seating capacity for Shankukha Vilasam Higher Secondary School (SV Higher Secondary School), Clappana, in Kollam district of Kerala, the school where he studied. Inaugurated last year, that was the second school to have this high-tech classroom. The school was founded by Sree Narayana Guru Devan. Recognising that such infrastructure aids students in learning more easily and effectively, particularly in technical education, Seagull has established a 3-D education theatre for technical studies at our Kochi branch. This marks a significant advancement in technical education.

Skilling is not merely about employment, it is nation-building, he adds. Seeing this challenge, Seagull started the Seagull Institute of Management and Technology (SIMAT). It has a mission to contribute to the Skilling Capital of the World – India, where talent is abundant, adaptable, ethical, and internationally competent. SIMAT will be the leading modern institution for higher education in business management, training professionals in high-demand sectors such as oil and gas engineering, fire and industrial safety, and logistics and supply chain management. It will ensure 100 per cent placement of students and language training programs in German and English to make students globally employable. In a way, it is a backwards integration into Seagull’s core business and a part of the broader plan Dr Sureshkumar and his team have set in place.

Germany needs close to half a million workers. Recently, Dr Sureshkumar visited Moscow as a part of the Indian delegation of talent recruiters. The Indian Embassy arranged meetings in St Petersburg. Russia will need 10.9 million workers in the next five years. In all these markets, Indian workers will be in bigger demand. Indians are the first choice of companies in these countries. “But Indian workers will have to adapt to the requirements, which is possible only through technical and language training. We need to focus on these areas,” he says.

India is renowned for its world-class human resources pool, and an Indian HR firm undoubtedly has an edge over others due to the vast amount of data it has collected over the years. Seagull receives thousands of new entries annually from job seekers worldwide. Its system filters the right candidates and places them at suitable places according to the requirements of its business customers.  Seagull International Group has launched Seagull Jobs 4 U (https://seagulljobs4u.com/), an AI-driven online job portal that revolutionises the job search experience. A job aspirant can upload their curriculum vitae on the portal. Whenever recruiters demand talent placement, Seagull calls the candidates for an interview and further processing. The portal offers personalised and efficient job recommendations and seamless applications using artificial intelligence. It is designed for those who are looking for overseas employment opportunities in various industries.