Jahangir Munawar

chief executive of Ronin

Compiled from 1 recorded interview. Every statement below is drawn from the passage cited beside it.

Jahangir Munawar is the chief executive officer of Ronin, a company he started in 2016 and has led since. He is a former Chartered Accountancy student who left his studies to focus on his father's retail shop, and who later moved the business into wholesale and the import of Chinese mobile phones. Ronin was started on bootstrap funding and is still bootstrapped.

Early life and background

Munawar recalled that his father went on Hajj in 2006, as far as he remembers. On his return, his father told him that he had prayed for his sons to have very large offices. At that time the family lived hand to mouth on the income of its retail shop. Munawar said he always believed the sky was the limit for him. [1]

Education

Munawar studied Chartered Accountancy (CA) but did not finish the course. He said he was studying for CA because his family had suggested it as a route to a good job. During his studies he worked part time in his father's mobile phone retail shop. He left his education to focus fully on the retail shop. [1]

Career

Munawar said he found gaps in how the shop operated, and that filling them raised profit and margin. He said the shop reached a limit and could not grow further. He tried several businesses, including going into the stock market. [1]

His mother sold gold to give him money to invest. He said almost half of his investment was lost. He also said that several earlier businesses failed but taught him lessons. [1]

Wholesale and mobile phone importing

Munawar asked his father to let him go on a trip with his maternal uncle, and his father sent him with a limited amount of capital. He visited Yiwu, Guangzhou and Shenzhen. He lived in a room to save money and ate one meal a day instead of three. At times he lived on biscuits alone. [1]

He started each morning at 8 AM and went shop to shop through the market. At night he did the checking himself to save money. He said his purchasing skills developed a lot because he spent from morning till night in the market. [1]

The business moved from retail to wholesale. His father and others were partners in the business. Munawar felt his skills were underused in the role he had. [1]

He asked for a three-month trial in which he would run both purchasing and sales. He said he proved the model within three months and the business made a profit. After the trial he was given control of both sales and purchasing. [1]

Munawar imported Chinese mobile phones into Pakistan. His company reached third place and could not move past it. He said the company in second place later defaulted, and that the company in first place also later defaulted, after which his company moved into first place. [1]

He said he wanted profit to come together with the ability to survive. He said duties on mobile phones became very high, and that business shifted toward smuggling, which he called a limited business. [1]

Mobile phone brand and accessories

After that, his company made its own mobile phone brand. He said the brand launched features that people did not understand at the time. He said it did not succeed because a lack of capital left it without awareness or marketing. [1]

After the phone brand stalled, the business shifted to mobile phone accessories. On a two-month trip as a tourist, Munawar saw many options in mobile accessories. He said Pakistan's market had a variety of options, but all of them were cheap and low quality. [1]

Ronin

Munawar started Ronin in 2016 and has led the company since. He said he wanted to launch a brand because Pakistanis deserve good quality products. In 2016 Ronin's 10,000 mAh power bank was priced at 1,800 rupees. [1]

He said that when Ronin approached Chinese factories for high-end products, they first showed him low-end ones. People predicted that his brand would fail within six months to a year. Ronin visited retailers and dealers in person to explain the product difference. [1]

He said Ronin has put its money into product quality rather than marketing since 2016. He said even a strong marketer can sell a product only once, so the product must earn repeat sales. Ronin was started on bootstrap funding and is still bootstrapped. [1]

The name Ronin

Ronin is a Japanese name, which Munawar describes as meaning an independent warrior with no master. He wanted a unique name that no other Pakistani brand had. He chose the name to fit a brand that aimed to break the market's conventional low-quality norm. [1]

Operations and quality

Munawar said manufacturing in Pakistan is easy because workers and most resources are readily available. He said a challenge is that one material has to be brought from China. He also said Ronin's workers can match the best workers in Asia. [1]

He said Ronin designs its PCBs in-house. Ronin has an in-house research and development department. Production, IQC and QC departments are all in-house at Ronin, he said. He said Ronin runs its tests in its own laboratory, including temperature tests. [1]

Ronin gives customers a one-year warranty on its products. He said Ronin's products rarely have problems because the quality is high. He said the few warranty claims mostly come from customers using products incorrectly. [1]

Management approach

Munawar said that on new work he goes first, learns, and then teaches his team. He said he built a proper system for each thing himself before handing it to the team. He believes every process should be systematic and follow SOPs rather than depend on mood. [1]

He said he questions conventional practice and follows it only when the logic is clear. He said he believes in win-win relationships, since no relationship lasts long unless both sides benefit. He also said he realised the company was fully dependent and had little in its own hands. [1]

Workforce

Munawar said Ronin treats its workers the same way it treats its employees and partners. He calls employees Ronin's partners and assets. He said only a handful of employees left Ronin in the previous year. [1]

He said Ronin's employee benefits aim to let staff enjoy their lives alongside work. He said the benefits were introduced within the last two to three years. [1]

He said fewer than 10% of people reaching the age of 18 each year go to university. He said Ronin also employs many workers whose schooling may be only Class 6 to 8. He said Ronin wants workers to have at least matric so they can be promoted. [1]

Views

Munawar wishes universities would add practical training alongside theory. He said university and industry collaboration is missing and should be win-win. [1]

He said a life without a vision is meaningless. He said he will build in Pakistan rather than move abroad, because his vision is Pakistan's growth. He said Pakistan has more opportunities than anywhere else in the world. He advises that people stay longer, for six months to a year and a half, so that they can learn something. [1]

Plans and outlook

Ronin's aim was to fully serve the Pakistan market before going global. Munawar said several countries have approached Ronin about distribution over the past two to three years. He said Ronin is moving toward exports very soon. [1]

He said Ronin's objective is to have Pakistan recognised globally in tech products. He said future investment will come from Pakistanis so that profit stays in Pakistan. He said a public limited company listing is part of Ronin's roadmap. He said the company is doing very well. [1]

Timeline

2006
Munawar recalls that his father went on Hajj.[1]
2016
Munawar started Ronin and has led the company since.[1]
2016
Ronin's 10,000 mAh power bank was priced at 1,800 rupees.[1]

Appearances

DateTitleWhere
2025-03-10 Why Ronin's founder bet on a Pakistan-built consumer brand Thought Behind Things

Frequently asked questions

Who is Jahangir Munawar?

Jahangir Munawar is the chief executive officer of Ronin. He started Ronin in 2016 and has led the company since.[1]

What does Jahangir Munawar do?

Jahangir Munawar is the chief executive officer of Ronin. He said that on new work he goes first, learns, and then teaches his team.[1]

What company did Jahangir Munawar found?

Jahangir Munawar started Ronin in 2016. Ronin was started on bootstrap funding and is still bootstrapped.[1]

What did Jahangir Munawar study?

Jahangir Munawar studied Chartered Accountancy (CA) but dropped out. He quit his education to focus fully on the retail shop.[1]

What did Jahangir Munawar do before Ronin?

Jahangir Munawar worked part time in his father's mobile phone retail shop, and the business later moved from retail to wholesale. He imported Chinese mobile phones into Pakistan. His company then made its own mobile phone brand and later shifted to mobile phone accessories.[1]

What does the name Ronin mean?

Ronin is a Japanese name, which Jahangir Munawar describes as meaning an independent warrior with no master. He chose it to fit a brand that aimed to break the market's conventional low-quality norm.[1]

What does Jahangir Munawar say about the quality of Ronin products?

Jahangir Munawar said Ronin has put its money into product quality rather than marketing since 2016. He said Ronin runs its tests in its own laboratory, and that it gives customers a one-year warranty on its products.[1]

Does Jahangir Munawar plan to move abroad?

Jahangir Munawar said he will build in Pakistan rather than move abroad, because his vision is Pakistan's growth. He also said Pakistan has more opportunities than anywhere else in the world.[1]

References

  1. Why Ronin's founder bet on a Pakistan-built consumer brand . Thought Behind Things , 2025-03-10.
Show the source passages (92 statements)
  1. Jahangir dropped out of his CA (Chartered Accountancy) studies. toh main basically CA drop out hoon.
  2. He was studying for CA because his family had suggested it as a route to a good job. Main CA ki education kar raha tha aur uska jo objective tha woh yahi tha ke CA karke koi achi job hasil kar lena. Ghar walon ki taraf se yahi suggest kiya gaya tha.
  3. During his CA studies he worked part time in his father's mobile phone retail shop. apne walid sahab ki retail ki shop thi, outlet shop thi wahan pe bhi jaya karta tha part time mein. Kis ki shop thi woh? Mobile phone ki.
  4. He says he filled gaps he found in how the shop operated, which raised profit and margin. maine dekha wahan kaafi conventional tareeqe se dealing ho rahi thi aur kaafi gaps nazar aaye mujhe. Toh jo ke gaps maine phir identify kiye aur unko fill kiya, toh usse profit aur margin increase hua, growth hui.
  5. He quit his education to focus fully on the retail shop. Toh phir maine apni education quit karke saara focus apne yahin par retail ki shop pe kar diya.
  6. He says the retail shop reached a limit and could not grow further. ek jagah pe jaake jo hai na woh saturated, aapko pata hai woh ek limit tak pahunch ke phir wahan se grow nahi kar pa rahe the hum.
  7. He tried several businesses, including going into the stock market. usmein se jidhar Joriya Bazar mein gaya, stock market gaya aur meri walida ne sone ki churi thi na unke paas woh bech ke mujhe investment di thi.
  8. His mother sold gold to give him money to invest. meri walida ne sone ki churi thi na unke paas woh bech ke mujhe investment di thi.
  9. He says almost half of his investment was lost. meri bhi jo investment thi woh bhi almost aadhi ho gayi.
  10. He says he always believed the sky was the limit for him. mujhe hamesha lagta tha ke main matlab mere liye jo hai na woh sky is the limit thi
  11. He recalls that his father went on Hajj in 2006, as far as he remembers. 2006 mein I guess mere walid sahab hajj pe gaye the.
  12. On returning from Hajj, his father told him he had prayed for his sons to have very large offices. unhone mujhe bataya ke maine dua ki hai ke mere beton ko Allah Taala bahut bade bade offices de aur itna bada kaam de.
  13. At that time the family lived hand to mouth on the income of its retail shop. halanki us waqt hamari retail ki shop thi aur hum hand to mouth chal rahe the
  14. He asked his father to let him go on a trip with his maternal uncle, and his father sent him with a limited amount of capital. Toh mamu ke saath maine walid sahab se zid ki ke mujhe bhi jaane do aur ek limited investment thi hamare paas, capital tha thoda sa. Toh woh leke mere walid sahab ne phir mujhe bheja.
  15. He visited Yiwu, Guangzhou and Shenzhen. Hum Yiwu gaye the aur Guangzhou gaye the aur Shenzhen gaye the.
  16. He lived in a room to save money. usmein us room mein main rehta tha kyunke mujhe paise bachane the
  17. He ate one meal a day instead of three. Khana main din teen time ki jagah ek time khata tha
  18. At times he lived on biscuits alone. Acha aur kitne time toh main khali biscuit khake guzara karta tha
  19. He started each morning at 8 AM and went shop to shop through the market. subah sabse pehle 8 baje subah uthoon, market jaaun, market mein ek ek shop pe jaaun.
  20. At night he did the checking himself to save money. raat ko baith ke check bhi main karoon kyunke mujhe paise bachane the
  21. The business moved from retail to wholesale. phir hum retail se wholesale ki taraf shift hue
  22. His father and others were partners in the business. woh mere walid sahab the, hamare partner the Aamir bhai aur sab the
  23. He says his purchasing skills developed a lot because he spent from morning till night in the market. purchasing ki abilities skills develop kaafi achi ho gayi thi kyunke main subah se raat tak market mein hota tha.
  24. He felt his skills were underused in the role he had. yaar meri skills toh utilize hi nahi ho rahi
  25. He asked for a three-month trial in which he would run both purchasing and sales. Purchasing bhi main karunga, sales bhi main karunga, mujhe sirf 3 mahine ka trial do.
  26. He says he proved the model within three months and the business made a profit. woh maine 3 mahine mein proof karke dikhaya aur itna profit hua tha 3 mahine mein
  27. After the trial he was given control of both sales and purchasing. bola haan theek hai ab tu sambhal, sales bhi tu sambhal aur purchasing bhi tu sambhal
  28. He imported Chinese mobile phones into Pakistan. Ji bilkul China ke mobile phones.
  29. His company reached third place and could not move past it. Lekin ab woh karte karte woh struggle karte karte hum third number pe toh aa gaye the. Third se aage nahi ja pa rahe the.
  30. He says the company in second place later defaulted. second number pe jo tha na woh defaulter ho gaya.
  31. He says the company in first place also later defaulted, and his company moved into first place. phir aur thoda time guzra toh pehla wala bhi defaulter hua. Acha. Aur hum is tarah first aa gaye.
  32. He says he wanted profit to come together with the ability to survive. lekin profit bhi saath mein ho aur survival bhi toh kar sake na aage hum. Aisa na ho ke itna log profit mein maal bechein ke hum survive na kar paayein.
  33. He says duties on mobile phones became very high. phir duties mobile phone ki bahut high ho gayi.
  34. He says business shifted toward smuggling, which he called a limited business. Ab saara business divert ho gaya tha smuggling ke upar aur woh bhi ek limited business hota hai
  35. After that his company made its own mobile phone brand. humne uske baad phir apna brand banaya tha mobile phone ka. Acha Stone ke naam se.
  36. The Stone phone brand launched features that people did not understand at the time. Aur usmein maine aise features launch kiye the ke us waqt logon ko digest nahi hue.
  37. He says the phone brand did not succeed because a lack of capital left it without awareness or marketing. lack of investment ya lack of capital ki wajah se hum usko awareness nahi de paaye, marketing nahi kar sake, logon ko samjha nahi paaye ke hum kya leke aaye. Toh woh phir nahi chal paya tha.
  38. After the phone brand stalled, the business shifted to mobile phone accessories. Toh phir uske baad phir hum mobile phone accessories mein shift ho gaye the.
  39. On a two-month trip as a tourist, he saw many options in mobile accessories. maine do mahine wahan par as a ek tour tourist tha toh jab maine wahan par dekha toh wahan par kaafi options maujood the mobile accessories ke andar
  40. He says Pakistan's market had a variety of options, but all of them were cheap and low quality. lekin jab Pakistan ko dekha maine toh wahan par toh koi options hi nahi the agar jo bhi options toh variety of options yahan bhi the Pakistan mein lekin saare cheap quality aur low quality ke the.
  41. Jahangir started Ronin in 2016. phir humne isko start kiya tha Ronin ko 2016 mein.
  42. He wanted to launch a brand because Pakistanis deserve good quality products. Toh us waqt mind mein aaya ke hum bhi aisa koi brand launch karein kyunke Pakistani jo hai woh bhi deserve karte hain achi quality ke products.
  43. In 2016 Ronin's 10,000 mAh power bank was priced at 1,800 rupees. hamara 10,000 mAh ka power bank us waqt 1,800 rupaye ka tha 2016 mein.
  44. He says that when Ronin approached Chinese factories for high-end products, they first showed him low-end ones. Hum Chinese factories badi badi factories mein jaake bole ke hum Pakistan se aaye hain aur humko high end product dikhao. Woh humko dikhaye low end product.
  45. People predicted that his brand would fail within six months to a year. woh shor the ke aapka brand maximum 6 mahine ya saal mein fail ho jayega. Aap nahi chala paoge.
  46. Ronin visited retailers and dealers in person to explain the product difference. hum retailers ke paas khud gaye, dealers ke paas khud gaye unko educate kiya, samjhaya, difference bataya
  47. He says Ronin has put its money into product quality rather than marketing since 2016. Toh humne apni hamesha start se leke 2016 se leke abhi tak sirf humne apni quality pe, apne product pe invest kiya hai. Humne marketing mein invest nahi kiya.
  48. He says even a strong marketer can sell a product only once, so the product must earn repeat sales. Marketer kitna bhi acha marketer ho, pure Pakistan ka nahi, pure world ka, woh aapki product ko sirf ek dafa sell kar payega.
  49. He says he realised the company was fully dependent and had little in its own hands. us waqt realize hua ke hum dependent, hum toh pura dependent hain. Humare haath mein toh kuch hai hi nahi.
  50. He says Ronin treats its workers the same way it treats its employees and partners. Aur unko humne wahi respect di, apne workers ko, wahi us tarah treat kiya jis tarah se hum apne employees ko, apne partners ko treat karte hain.
  51. On new work he goes first, learns, and then teaches his team. Koi bhi naye kaam ke andar sabse pehle main in hota hoon ke bhai main pehle in hoon, pehle main seekhoon, main samjhoon aur phir aapko sikhaoon aur aap karo us kaam ko.
  52. He says he built a proper system for each thing himself before handing it to the team. sab cheezon ko maine proper tarike se ek system banaya aur system bana ke phir team ke haath mein gaya
  53. He believes every process should be systematic and follow SOPs rather than depend on mood. har cheez systematic honi chahiye, SOP ke tehat honi chahiye aur jo matlab ek system hai na woh sabko usi pe chalna chahiye
  54. He says manufacturing in Pakistan is easy because workers and most resources are readily available. workers aapko easily mil jaate hain, theek hai, phir baaki saari resources jo bhi hain woh easily available hain Pakistan mein.
  55. He says a challenge is that one material has to be brought from China. woh ek material China se leke lana padta hai, toh wahan challenge aata hai
  56. He says Ronin's workers can match the best workers in Asia. humare workers ko aap pure Asia ke workers, koi bhi ho pure Asia ke worker challenge hai, unse match kar lo inshallah hum top pe aayenge.
  57. He says Ronin designs its PCBs in-house. PCB ki designing alhamdulillah hum in-house kar rahe hain
  58. Ronin has an in-house research and development department. humara research and development department humara in-house hai.
  59. Production, IQC and QC departments are all in-house at Ronin, he says. Aur baaki saare production ke, IQC ke, QC ke sab departments humare in-house hain
  60. He says Ronin runs its tests in its own laboratory, including temperature tests. laboratory mein saare test humare ho rahe hote hain. Acha. Ji, temperature test bhi ho raha hota hai
  61. Ronin gives customers a one-year warranty on its products. Ji bilkul, 1 year warranty.
  62. He says Ronin's products rarely have problems because the quality is high. Nahi bilkul nahi aate, alhamdulillah kyunki quality aisi hai.
  63. He says the few warranty claims mostly come from customers using products incorrectly. Aur bahut less minimal percentage aa rahi hoti hai. Woh bhi zyada tar hoti kya hai ki customer ke usage ki wajah se wrong use karte hain
  64. He says he questions conventional practice and follows it only when the logic is clear. Main pehle usko question karunga, sochunga, logic lag raha hai to saath jayenge, warna phir hum apna jo hai na raasta khud banayenge.
  65. He says he believes in win-win relationships, since no relationship lasts long unless both sides benefit. main win-win philosophy pe believe karta hoon. Mera manna hai ki koi bhi relationship us waqt tak long term nahi ho sakti jab dono end ka benefit na ho.
  66. He says Ronin's employee benefits aim to let staff enjoy their lives alongside work. benefits introduce karwane ka main maqsad yahi tha ki woh bhi apni life ko enjoy kar sakein.
  67. He says the employee benefits were introduced within the last two to three years. halanki pehle hamare paas aaj se 3 saal 2 saal pehle hamare paas bhi nahi thi, phir humne introduce karwayi saari cheezein.
  68. He calls employees Ronin's partners and assets. jo yeh employees hain na, woh hamare partners aur hamare hamara asset hain
  69. He says only a handful of employees left Ronin in the previous year. pichle saal mein to ek ek ya do ya char, shayad ginti mein aap kar lo kitne employees hamari organization se gaye
  70. He says fewer than 10% of people reaching the age of 18 each year go to university. Less than 10% of your average 18 year old, jo ki har saal ko 18 ko pahunchta hai, woh university ja raha hai.
  71. He says Ronin also employs many workers whose schooling may be only Class 6 to 8. Isse iske bagair bhi humne kaafi workers hamare paas hain jo jin ki taleem shayad 8 class ya 6 class hogi.
  72. He says Ronin wants workers to have at least matric so they can be promoted. minimum matric ho taake hum inko aage promote bhi kar sakein.
  73. He wishes universities would add practical training alongside theory. meri wish hai ki agar yeh ho jaye ki universities mein agar theory ke saath saath practical bhi thoda sa add on ho jaye na
  74. He says a life without a vision is meaningless. Kyunki main samajhta hoon ki vision ke bagair aapki life meaningless hai.
  75. He says university and industry collaboration is missing and should be win-win. Woh jo collaboration ka aspect hai woh missing hai, ki jiske andar industry Collaboration ke liye sabse pehli baat hai, main thoda sa aapko basic bata doon, woh win-win hona chahiye.
  76. He says he will build in Pakistan rather than move abroad, because his vision is Pakistan's growth. jab mera vision Pakistan ki growth hai aur Pakistan ko dominate puri world mein globally karwana hai inshallah, to main Pakistan se bahar jaake meri achievement matlab main kya karunga? Mujhe to karna hi Pakistan mein hai.
  77. He says Pakistan has more opportunities than anywhere else in the world. Pakistan mein bahut potential hai aur jitni opportunities Pakistan mein hai main samajhta hoon duniya mein aur kahin nahi.
  78. He advises that people stay longer, for six months to a year and a half, so that they can learn something. woh thoda sa long term rahein 6 mahina, saal, dedh saal taake woh kuch seekh sakein
  79. He says several earlier businesses failed but taught him lessons. maine kaafi saare business kiye, lekin woh unfortunately pass nahi, woh fail ho gaye. Lekin woh mujhe bahut kuch sikha ke gaye.
  80. Ronin was started on bootstrap funding and is still bootstrapped. yeh business humne apne ah bootstrap pe hi start kiya tha aur abhi tak yeh bootstrap pe hi hai.
  81. He says future investment will come from Pakistanis so that profit stays in Pakistan. hum Pakistaniyon se hi lenge. Taake hamara profit Pakistan mein rahe.
  82. He says a public limited company listing is part of Ronin's roadmap. hum ah public limited mein bhi jayenge aur phir jayenge that's part of the road map.
  83. He says Ronin is moving toward exports very soon. alhamdulillah ab very soon hum export ki taraf ja rahe hain
  84. He says several countries have approached Ronin about distribution over the past two to three years. kaafi pichle past 2-3 years se kaafi countries se humein approach kiya ja raha hai distribution ship ke liye
  85. Ronin's aim was to fully serve the Pakistan market before going global. lekin humara aim yeh tha ke hum pehle Pakistan ki market ko pura fully serve karein aur uske baad hum export ki taraf jayein
  86. He says Ronin's objective is to have Pakistan recognised globally in tech products. Ronin brand ka objective bhi yahi hai ke tech industry mein, tech products mein Pakistan ko globally acknowledge aur recognize karwayein.
  87. Ronin is a Japanese name, which he describes as meaning an independent warrior with no master. Lekin Ronin basically ek Japanese name hai. Acha. Aur iska meaning hai ke ek aisa warrior jiska koi master na ho aur woh independent ho.
  88. He wanted a unique name that no other Pakistani brand had. hum ek unique name chaah rahe the, jiska koi Pakistan mein us tarah ka koi naam ho hi na.
  89. He chose the name Ronin to fit a brand that aimed to break the market's conventional low-quality norm. toh hum usko todne ja rahe the. Toh naam bhi aisa hi chahiye tha jo usse relate kar sake, toh humne phir isliye Ronin ko choose kiya tha.
  90. He says the company is doing very well. Alhamdulillah, company is doing very well.
  91. Jahangir Munawar is the Chief Executive Officer of Ronin. Joining us today is Jahangir Munawar, the visionary Chief Executive Officer of RONiN
  92. Jahangir has led Ronin since 2016. Since 2016, Jahanagir has led RONiN in its mission to deliver high-quality, internationally competitive products