As Malaysians, we’ve always been told to study hard, get a stable job and make lots of money to secure our future, resulting in a happier life. While our parents and elders had good intentions to ensure we have a good life, deep down inside us, we can’t help but feel like we should do something bigger than ourselves with the limited time that we have on Earth.
It’s a sentiment that 21-year-old medical student, Prathap David, relates to strongly. This is why he founded Harappan Ltd, to make a positive impact on the local community and (hopefully) the world via sustainable investing. Be sure to read until the end, because his story gets more interesting!
Changing the world for the better with Harappan
“I feel like there are so many things going wrong with the world like climate change, inequality and racism and the fact that many talk about changing the world but do not make proper change – it’s all talk and zero action.”
“A lot of people have been complaining about these issues without taking any action, so I thought, why don’t I take the initiative? I’ve been this incredible opportunity to make a difference, so I should at least try. By doing this, I can actually lead by example to show how we could approach problems and solve them – that’s how Harappan Ltd was born.”
Harappan Ltd. is an offshore equity holdings company owned by Prathap which invests in select companies and industries such as Tesla, Crypto, Crispr Technologies and more.
“With Harappan, my goal is to promote equity with companies that bring long-lasting change; just like how Tesla is creating electric cars which will drastically reduce carbon emissions.”
Clean and renewable energy is part of Harappan Ltd’s goal for sustainability
Prathap explains that Harappan Ltd. is a stepping-stone towards gaining the resources needed to have a positive impact on the daily lives of people.
“Once we have sufficient funds, I plan to invest in development towards clean energy, water and agriculture. I believe innovations in these areas will ultimately disrupt current norms and are capable of making our planet a better place, from making clean technology cheaper and accessible to everyone.”
“Rather than asking people to eat clean or use less plastic, making strides like this is how we can actually shift towards clean energy.”
How Prathap came to be
Before creating Harappan Ltd, Prathap David – armed with extensive knowledge of business and e-commerce that he amassed since he was 12, thanks to the Internet! – started his journey with his very own clothing retail brand, Black Wolf Clothing, at 17.
Though his venture didn’t take off initially (“I was operating at a loss.”), he was resourceful enough to pivot Black Wolf Clothing to be business-to-business (B2B)-focused and eventually, business started booming! He even formed partnerships with brands like iSarb, Nestle, Vivo and Mobile Legends: Bang Bang, just to name a few.
What came next, was the beginning of something new for Prathap – before COVID-19 landed on Malaysian shores, he was already hooked on learning the ways of investing and trading in the markets.
Where dreams are made: Prathap’s factory for Black Wolf Clothing.
So, when the markets crashed terribly during the pandemic, he saw this as an opportunity to make use of what he learned and invest RM150,000 of his own capital.
“Within eight months, my mere RM150,000 investment grew by over seven times to RM1,200,000.”
“I don’t want to sound like a “Get Rich Quick” guru and paint a false narrative about my easy 7x growth. These opportunities don’t come very often so no one should expect this kind of return. I took this as a blessing and a sign that I was moving in the right direction.”
Prathap is pursuing his Bachelor of Medical Science & Doctor of Medicine (MD), currently posted at Sultanah Aminah Hospital, Johor Bahru.
On a more personal note, Prathap also attributed the creation of Harappan to his beloved grandfather, who instilled the precious virtue of charity within him as a kid. “He always put the community’s wellbeing first” by donating to charities, helping his neighbours in need and lending a listening ear regardless of skin colour, race or religion.
After Prathap’s grandfather was recently diagnosed with critical illness, Prathap was even more determined to create Harappan, to continue his grandfather’s legacy at a bigger scale and create a ripple of positivity in the universe.
Right now, Prathap is also a medical student, which seems to be hereditary when his entire family is in that same field. “Even if Harappan does not make as much of an impact on humanity, I know as a doctor, I can certainly make a tremendous amount of impact on at least one person.”
What Harappan has been doing these days
Harappan X: “I have a farm that I’m investing in that adopts vertical farming.”
Aside from being certified as a bona fide company last month (congrats, Harappan!), Prathap shared that his company is embarking on two initiatives:
- Harappan X: The main project within Harappaninve, with the goal to reduce food costs with sustainable agriculture. Harappan X hopes to start their project on vertical farming by 2025 when funds are sufficient.
- Harappan Care: Focused on charity work and sustainable donations to help those in need.
For Harappan X, Prathap acquired a piece of land to kickstart this long-term campaign. “I have a farm that I’m investing in that adopts vertical farming, with the hopes of reducing food costs due to its sustainability and energy-saving advantages.”
“This is the long term goal, to provide food options that are not only healthier, but cheaper, faster and easier to grow, and more accessible as they can be done all over the city. These are the type of innovations that will really shift communities towards sustainable, cleaner options.”
On a more humble scale with Harappan Care, Prathap started their first – and definitely not last – project by donating funds to various charitable organisations, such as animal shelters and orphanages. He hopes to be able sponsor the orphans’ education in the future too!
“These may not be big projects, but if we ever fail, at least I know that Harappan still managed to achieve something greater than ourselves.”
Even though Harappan Care is helping an orphanage now, Prathap said that they’re actually open to assisting any charities that need help, regardless of whether they’re animal shelters, elderly homes, and so on. At the end of the day, it’s more than just simple donations.
“I don’t want to just donate food or other material items. Instead, I want to do charity sustainably through investing in education and providing people jobs so that in the long run, even when I’m gone, my legacy continues.”
No smoke and mirrors for hope
The biggest highlight of Harappan Ltd. that Prathap is proud of singling out, is how much his humble company emphasises transparency in their endeavours.
“All investments and purchase history by Harappan can be viewed by investors on eToro. They can see exactly what we are doing, everything we buy or sell is visible.”
Prathap recognises the distrust people have for charities and investments, not knowing if their money is being put to good use. With this transparency, he hopes to earn the public’s trust and advance everyone’s combined efforts to make the world a better place to live in.
The light at the end of the tunnel
Though Prathap’s pursuit of improving everyone’s livelihood is nothing short of a struggle, looking at the bigger picture makes it all the more worthwhile.
“I’ve had many challenges and failures but that is part of the journey. To achieve your goals is a series of problems and challenges. When we try to solve them and keep moving forward, we eventually arrive at the destination.”
If you’re interested to find out more about Harappan Ltd. and how you can join their pursuit of global improvement, check them out and give them a follow on Instagram!
