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{{primary sources|date=March 2026}}
{{Short description|Indian entrepreneur based in the United Arab Emirates}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2026}}
{{Infobox person
| name = K. P. Basheer
| image =
| caption =
| birth_date = 1963
| birth_place = Vadakara, Kerala, India
| occupation = Entrepreneur
| known_for = Founder of [[Nesto Group]]; chairman of [[Western International Group]]
}}

'''K. P. Basheer''' (born 1963) is an Indian entrepreneur based in the [[United Arab Emirates]]. He is the founder and chairman of [[Western International Group]] and the founder of [[Nesto Group]], a retail chain headquartered in the UAE.<ref name="Forbes2021">{{cite web |last=Shabbir |first=Ahsan |title=K P Basheer |url=https://www.forbesmiddleeast.com/lists/top-indian-business-leaders-in-the-middle-east/k-p-basheer/ |website=Forbes Middle East |date=23 January 2021 |access-date=29 March 2026}}</ref><ref name="FastCompany2026">{{cite web |title=Retail in the Middle East is being rebuilt in real time. These 60 leaders are designing what comes next |url=https://fastcompanyme.com/retail-in-the-middle-east-is-being-rebuilt-in-real-time-these-60-leaders-are-designing-what-comes-next/ |website=Fast Company Middle East |date=March 2026 |access-date=29 March 2026}}</ref> He has been included in regional business rankings including ''Forbes Middle East's'' list of top Indian business leaders in the Middle East.<ref name="Forbes2021" />

==Early life and career==
Basheer was born in 1963 in Vadakara, Kerala, India.<ref name="WIGAbout">{{cite web |title=About Us |url=https://www.westerninternationalllc.com/about.php |website=Western International Group |access-date=29 March 2026}}</ref> He established a shop in Bahrain called ''Gift Palace'' in 1986, before diversifying into multiple businesses later consolidated under Western International Group.<ref name="Forbes2021" />

Basheer moved to [[Dubai]] in 1998 and founded the consumer brand Geepas there.<ref name="WIGAbout" /> The company later expanded into electronics, household goods, fashion, retail, food, and e-commerce businesses.<ref name="WIGAbout" /><ref name="FastCompany2026" />

==Business career==
Basheer is the founder and chairman of Western International Group, a Dubai-headquartered conglomerate with operations in retail and consumer goods.<ref name="Forbes2021" /><ref name="FastCompany2026" /> In 2004, he founded [[Nesto Group]], which grew into a hypermarket and supermarket chain operating across Gulf Cooperation Council countries and India.<ref name="NestoAbout">{{cite web |title=About Nesto |url=https://nestogroup.com/about-us/ |website=Nesto Group |access-date=29 March 2026}}</ref>

In its 2021 profile of Basheer, ''Forbes Middle East'' ranked him ninth in its list of ''Top Indian Business Leaders in the Middle East'' and said that Western International Group comprised 14 brands spanning fashion, apparel, electronics, retail, and e-commerce. Nesto had 85 outlets across the GCC and India, while the wider group employed 15,000 people and sold products in 90 countries at the time.<ref name="Forbes2021" />

A 2026 profile in ''Fast Company Middle East'' described Basheer as founder and chairman of both Western International Group and Nesto Group, and said that the broader enterprise had grown to more than 30 brands operating across 90 countries with over 35,000 employees worldwide.<ref name="FastCompany2026" />

==Philanthropy==
In April 2023, ''Gulf News'' reported that Nesto Group, operated by Western International Group, pledged Dh10 million over five years to support the UAE's ''1 Billion Meals Endowment'' campaign. Basheer, identified in the report as chairman of Western International Group, said the contribution reflected the group's commitment to social responsibility.<ref name="GulfNewsMeals2023">{{cite news |title=Nesto Group supports ‘1 Billion Meals Endowment’ campaign with a Dh10 million contribution |url=https://gulfnews.com/uae/ramadan/nesto-group-supports-1-billion-meals-endowment-campaign-with-a-dh10-million-contribution-1.94992059 |work=Gulf News |date=7 April 2023 |access-date=29 March 2026}}</ref>

In March 2024, the [[Emirates News Agency]] reported that Basheer was among a group of business leaders who met [[Hamdan bin Mohammed Al Maktoum]] in Dubai in connection with philanthropic initiatives in the UAE.<ref name="WAM2024">{{cite news |title=Hamdan bin Mohammed meets with philanthropic businessmen in Dubai |url=https://www.wam.ae/en/article/b1zoxva-hamdan-bin-mohammed-meets-with-philanthropic |work=Emirates News Agency |date=5 March 2024 |access-date=29 March 2026}}</ref>

==Recognition==
Basheer was ranked No. 9 in ''Forbes Middle East's'' 2021 list of ''Top Indian Business Leaders in the Middle East''.<ref name="Forbes2021" /> He was also included in ''Arabian Business'''s 2024 feature ''UAE Indians: Meet the 50 Indian Aces you need to know'', a list highlighting influential Indian business figures in the Gulf region.<ref name="AB2024">{{cite web |title=UAE Indians: Meet the 50 Indian Aces you need to know |url=https://www.arabianbusiness.com/listing/uae-indians-meet-the-50-indian-aces-you-need-to-know |website=Arabian Business |date=8 March 2024 |access-date=29 March 2026}}</ref>

==See also==
* [[Western International Group]]
* [[Nesto Group]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* {{Official website|https://www.westerninternationalllc.com/}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Basheer, K.P.}}
[[Category:1963 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Indian businesspeople]]
[[Category:Indian expatriates in the United Arab Emirates]]
[[Category:People from Kozhikode district]]

K. P. Basheer - Revision history

SidneySorensen: Added The Stub W/ Refs