As our former commercial director of the newspaper, Ravshan Makhmudov remembers many successful projects, the very first team of the commercial service of “Asia-Plus”. And the experience that our media group gave him, Ravshan continues to use to this day.
Today Ravshan Makhmudov lives in Russia and holds the position of company director. But he remembers his former colleagues by name.
“I got acquainted with “Asia-Plus” back in the 2000s. When I was studying in graduate school, I decided to work in parallel and ended up in the team of Daler Nurkhanov, in the advertising agency at “Asia-Plus”. Later I worked in international organizations and after a few years, Nabi Yusupov invited me to open a sales department at the newspaper.
We assembled a team of professionals and newcomers and started earning very well. I remember the years when for very high company revenues we received decent bonuses. All this was thanks to our professional commercial service team: Zarrina Mirzoeva, Dilnoza Istamova, Umeda Davlatova, Bakhtier Khodzhakalonov, Farkhod Kholmatov, Akbar Tajiddinov, Sherali, Sukhaily and Sorbon Kalandarovy, Olga Filkova, Elena Batenkova, Malika Alieva, Bakhtier Sobirov and many others,” Ravshan recalls.
He worked in our media group for a long 10 years, but even nowadays he proudly notes – there are no former “Asians”.
Mentorship
With great respect, Ravshan Makhmudov remembers the founder of “Asia-Plus” and his boss Umeda Babakhanov, who at one time played the role of mentor for him.
“When I first became commercial director, Umeda Babakhanov started taking me with him to business meetings with partners or to his office when he received guests. The meetings were mostly with business owners, top officials of various companies and international organizations.
It was very pleasant when our boss was known in the republic and beyond as an authoritative businessman, a leader of a prestigious Media and an Intellectual with a capital I, who was greatly respected. I was also proud that soon I began to be recognized as his student,” Ravshan shares.
Over time, he began to resolve various issues with partners at a high level himself and in the process learned a great deal. One of the most useful skills Ravshan Makhmudov considers is the ability to resolve issues diplomatically, which Umeda Babakhanov also taught him. This skill helps him even today in his new endeavor.
“Of course, I learned a lot from other professionals at “Asia-Plus” as well: Ahmad Astanev, Nabidzhon Yusupov, Daler Nurkhanov, Daler Mannanov, Marat Mamadshoev, Olga Tutubalina, Parvona Akhrori, Zebo Tajibayeva, Nuriya Tagirovna, Sharaf Babakhanov, Yunuskhon Buzurgkhonov, Bakhtier Khoshimov, Ikrom Okhonov, Tatyana Ivanovna and more,” says Ravshan Makhmudov.
“Our Boss’s Generosity Knew No Bounds”
Ravshan remembers by name not only the “Asians”, but also the projects and partners through which various “Asia-Plus” products were born.
“Over these years we launched various successful projects: VIPzone magazine, projects with companies like Tcell, Beeline, MegaFon, Somon Air, Tajik Air, UNDP, “Russia Today”, “Kazakhstan Today”, “Dushanbe – Stalinabad – Dushanbe”, websites and much more. In general, we were first in everything, creative, ideological and therefore most chose us,” Ravshan Makhmudov says.
He doesn’t hide the fact that over the years there were failures, which subsequently also taught us a lot. One such project he calls the classified ads website www.24.tj, which at one time was something new and unusual in the Tajik segment of the internet.
“As always, we were first in this direction too. But, alas, we trusted a team of outsourced programmers who, you could say, “dragged out the project”, while simultaneously negotiating with investors, they opened another website.
Of course, we started to figure out the situation, but their investors remained unaware of these matters. Because our boss’s generosity knew no bounds. Even in this case, he said: “Okay, leave the young people alone, let them grow too”. And later he even ordered us to support this website,” Ravshan recalls.
Even though he is no longer among the “Asians” today, he is pleased to know and see how “Asia-Plus” continues to help domestic business grow. Introducing people to new products and services competently, accessibly and truthfully.
“This current anniversary is proof of that: how many friends-partners congratulate the “Asians”, a devoted audience, how many sincere and pleasant congratulations the team receives.
In turn, I congratulate the “Asians” on their anniversary and express enormous gratitude for maintaining high standards in the media and business sphere, for the enormous contribution to the development of new Tajikistan!,” concluded Ravshan Makhmudov.
