Most Australians would probably never have heard of Maninderjit “Mannu” Kala . But according to Instagram, the Indian-born businessman, who was named the Gold Coast’s young entrepreneur of the year in 2023, has a penchant for luxury cars and posing with Liberal Party politicians. High Rollers: Maninderjit Kala with Greg Hunt, Alan Tudge and George Brandis.
Credit: John Shakespeare In a recent social media video, Kala is seen exiting a Rolls-Royce; later he rubs shoulders with former PM Tony Abbott . Photos of Kala hobnobbing with Opposition Leader Peter Dutton and former deputy prime minister Barnaby Joyce adorn the feed alongside snaps of his McLaren. Oh, and Kala and chef Salt Bae .
“Purchasing expensive toys isn’t a display of extravagance; it’s an investment in expanding your mindset to exceed your own expectations,” Kala wrote in one post. He can indulge in expensive tastes thanks to the success of his company, KnG Group. Its website says the business was “heavily involved in strategy and policy development in close association with the federal government, state & territorial governments” during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The website says the company also had interests in vaccine booking platforms, and vaccine and testing hubs, and even manufactured test kits. From those humble origins, Kala and co-director Dr Anuj Gupta seem to be piloting KnG towards conglomerate status, with fingers now in healthcare, education, technology and even security pies. And KnG.