Asian Achievers Awards 2014

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GUJARAT SAMACHAR

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10 DOWNING STREET LONDON SW1A 2AA www.gov.uk/number10

I send my best wishes to everyone taking part in this year’s Asian Achievers Awards – a celebration of the outstanding achievements of the Asian community in Britain.

And there certainly are a lot of achievements to choose from. Every day across our country, British Asians are not only making their mark, they’re excelling – in business, in public services, in the arts, in sport and in so many more professions. It is great to see these awards recognise some of these people – for their personal achievements as well as for their fantastic contribution to our country.

For generations Britain’s Asian communities have given so much to the UK in so many ways. Not only are you playing an important part in Britain’s economic recovery by boosting jobs, skills and prosperity, your equally important cultural contribution has helped make Britain the vibrant, richly diverse and tolerant country it is today.

I’d like to congratulate CB Patel and his team for once again bringing about this great event. I’m sure that the success stories celebrated tonight will inspire tomorrow’s generations of British Asians in taking our whole country from strength to strength. To everyone involved in this year’s awards I wish you all a wonderful evening.

Rt Hon David Cameron, MP Prime Minister

DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER 70 WHITEHALL, LONDON SW1A 2AS

I want to wish everyone involved in this year’s Asian Achievers Awards the very best of luck for a successful evening.

All of those nominated are true success stories - leading their field in business, the public sector, sports, charity and community work and the arts, culture and media.

These awards give us a chance to recognise and celebrate both their incredible achievements and the wider contribution Britain's Asian community makes to our country.

Together, we can inspire more young people - from all backgrounds - to follow that example of aiming high and working hard to realise their ambitions.

Good luck to every nominee. Please keep up your fantastic work and have a great evening.

Rt Hon Nick Clegg, MP Deputy Prime Minister

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LEADER OF THE OPPOSITION

HOUSE OF COMMONS LONDON SW1A 0AA

I am delighted to send my best wishes to all finalists of the Asian Achievers Awards (AAA).

The AAA awards are important because they are an opportunity to recognise the hard work, entrepreneurial spirit and invaluable contributions that the British Asian community makes to the economy, to our businesses and diversity of the UK. Tonight’s winners have been chosen by the public, which is a testament in itself to the great work that you do in the community. I know how important is it for young people in Britain to be inspired and have role models across a range of different fields. I hope the younger generation of British Asians will tonight aspire to reach the same levels of success and have a renewed ambition to continue the great work of British Asians.

I hope that you have a very enjoyable evening and would like to wish you all the best for the future.

Rt Hon Ed Miliband MP Leader of the Labour Party

The Asian community is a hugely diverse one that makes an enormous contribution to the economic and cultural life of London and the whole country.

Dynamic, committed and hardworking, Asian people are found in all sections of society - from business and politics, to arts, entertainment and sport. They are critical to the success of our economy, setting up and running businesses both large and small, as well as having a significant role in important international trading links.

Congratulations to all the winners of this year's Asian Achievers Awards.

May you go from strength to strength.

Boris Johnson Mayor of London

HOUSE OF COMMONS LONDON SW1A 0AA

Now in its 14th year, the Asian Achievers Awards ongoing endeavour to recognise and encourage excellence has been invaluable. British Asians continue to make huge contributions to numerous fields in the UK. Their hard work and drive have enabled them to turn adversity into opportunity.

I regularly meet British Asians whose entrepreneurial spirit and drive has improved the lives of people in the UK and abroad.

The Asian Achievers Awards, nominated by the public, serves to highlight not only the prominence of British Asians in British Society, but also to provide role models to inspire young British Asians to excel.

Women are intrinsically important in all communities but often their achievements are taken for granted or stunted by inequality. It is heartening to see the Asian Community, as everyone should, truly celebrating their contribution and achievements tonight.

I would like to pay tribute to CB Patel one of Britain’s legendary editors and to the staff of Asian Voice and Asian Voice and Gujarat Samachar, now in their 43rd year, for their dedication to recognising outstanding British Asians. I would also like to congratulate all those nominated for the awards and wish them all the best in their inspirational endeavours.

Rt Hon Keith Vaz, MP Chairman Home Affairs Select Committee

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Chief Guest

It is a great honour to be your Chief Guest at this year’s Asian Achievers Awards.

As Foreign Secretary, and particularly through my business and treasury roles pre-Coalition Government, I have seen the Asian community thrive and prosper, even during these difficult economic times.

Awards like these focus attention on the remarkable dynamism and achievement of Asian entrepreneurs, and are testament to your talent, hard work, dedication and enthusiasm.

A new generation of Asian entrepreneurs is encouraging the British Asian community to expand into new sectors. Today, 50,000 British Asian businesses in the UK together generate more than £60 billion nationwide.

This Government strongly believes that dynamic businesses are the lifeblood of a healthy, expanding economy. Support for business is a principle that lies at the very heart of Conservative thinking and I am delighted that we have been able to help so many people get their ideas off the ground. Nationally, there are 400,000 more businesses since the 2010 General Election, which is testimony to the hard work and entrepreneurial spirit of so many in the UK. Businesses are creating hundreds of thousands more jobs, meaning hundreds of thousands more people in work, able to support their families and enjoy the prospect of a brighter, more secure future. And more and more British businesses are exporting, innovating and growing to become part of the Great British business success story.

I am delighted, therefore, to be able to support tonight’s Asian Achievers Awards. I congratulate all the nominees and winners and, of course, the organisers, without whom the evening would not have been possible.

I do hope that you have a wonderful evening!

Rt Hon Philip Hammond, MP Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs ASIAN ACHIEVERS AWARDS 2014

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Celebrating the entrepreneurial spirit

I

n the 14 years of Asian Achievers Awards, there have been so many changes- most of them welcome on several fronts. I have looked at the shortlist running into hundreds, representing the growing diversity and incremental levels of success. It was virtually impossible even to have a glance at the 20,000 or more nominations for obvious reasons.

The first generation of immigrants in Great Britain have proved to be a dependable source of labour, and their traditional values, inner quest of achieving better, desire to make mark amongst their peers as well as reciprocating the hospitality, good governance and the warmth of the people of the new 'home' have contributed so much to our lives.

In the '50s, but more prominently in '60s, so many Asians came from so many lan ds, mainly from former British colonies. They were not guest-workers like those in Germany. They were either British citizens or those who decided to come to Great Britain from the Commonwealth, to make a future for themselves and their children.

Professionals and well to do business persons were able to make their mark almost from the beginning. Many a one time 'labourers' chose some entrepreneurial e ntry point subsequently, which proved to be of huge potential.

A middle aged migrant from Kenya, began preparing samosas and selling to nearby shops. Eventually it grew to become a corporation worth $200mn. Yes, your guess is right, I am talking about the Pataks.

A person comes from Pakistan, works on buses, opens a small grocery shop for his compatriots and today the Bestway has really become big and Sir Anwar Pervez has proved to be a man of great vision, success and wisdom.

Two brothers arrived here in their early 20s, work on some building sites. In the weekends they started maintenance and repair works in shops and dwellings.

Today their construction company has an annual turn over of millions of pounds and they employ hundreds of people- of all races.

I can talk about such exemplary people in the larger health sector- pharmacist, pharmaceutical distributors, manufacture, health care and elderly care provision as well. Similarly, hospitality, retail, wholesale, financial services and many more sectors gave us or rather that person a step to climb, and climbed they have.

Their children born and bred in Britain have augmented the process and their participation and excellence are not confined to the economic or financial sectors alone. Increasingly more and more Asians with capabilities enter the corporate sectors, civil service, public life as well contribute full time or part time in several human service activity devoted to well being of their fellow citizens.

Past is just to inspire. The future has even greater potential. Indian cuisine has become a part of the British palate. In tomorrow's world there will be many more recipes entering our kitchen, larders and super markets.

Developed economies like the UK are predominantly based on service sectors.

There is an ever growing demand in maintenance of gadgets and equipments utilised at homes, on roads, at factory floors, offices and other places.

Innovation has limitless options. Providing care for the elderly, children, education, growing number of retiring or senior citizens, will need a helping hand of someone who can make their life more bearable, easier, comfortable by innovating something newer, better, quicker, cheaper and reliable.

In the current scenario, International cooperation between growing economies of the Indian sub-continent, UK and EU have also limitless potentials.

In this special issue, we have a few illustrations of t he variety and vibrancy of our budding entrepreneurs.

We have specifically focussed on the young who are pioneers in their field of activity. I, for one, who has benefitted enormously in this great country of ours, can certainly say that from my own limited knowledge of the capacity and commitment of so many young and the not-so-old- the geometrical progression is bound to reach greater levels and fo r the good of us all.

I am really grateful for the nominees and nominators for this year, the previous years and the years to come. I am also confident that in the future, more and more British Asians will also show their appreciation through manifold contributions, to take this country further.

AAA is not just about applauding the success of the Asian achievers. We are also very fortunate, to promot e in our humble way, a worthwhile cause every year and are privileged to have raised large amount of money for charities in the UK and abroad. Many people gracing tonight’s event, encouraging, energising and empowering us, have donated generous amount of money to worthy causes over the years.

Inspite of a very busy schedule, we are really grateful that the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonweal th Affairs, Rt Hon Philip Hammond, MP, is present amongst us tonight.

I must recognise the contributions of the ABPL team, who have put in so much work behind today's celebratory event. Without their devotion and determination, this could not have happened.

I would also like to convey my deepest appreciations to our advertisers, subscribers, supporters and readers who, in their own way, have contrib uted so much to our journey. This special issue is my very modest tribute to them.

CB Patel Publisher/Editor ASIAN ACHIEVERS AWARDS 2014

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Sir Victor Blank Paul Monk Paul Monk has had a 35 year career in FMCG Senior Management, mainly food businesses including Mars and Marks and Spencer. He has played a lead role in some very successful Management Buyouts, notably Golden Wonder, Burton's Biscuits and Quorn. He raises more than £500,000 for charity every year including for his own charity, WorKingOptions in Education, which helps State School 6th Formers realise their potential.

Aly Kassam Aly Kassam is the Chief Executive Officer and Finance Director of the Crimson Hotel Group. Crimson Hotels are one of the largest hotel operators in the United Kingdom operating a number of brands and including managing Europe’s largest Holiday Inn Express. The Group also has hotels in Portugal and Dubai. Widely respected by Banks and the hotel industry Aly has made a success of Crimson Hotels since taking over some years ago. He is also known for his charity work.

Dr Sonal Minocha Dr Minocha, originally from New Delhi, India, is one of the youngest Pro Vice Chancellors at a U.K. University. She leads the Global Engagement portfolio at Bournemouth University. Sonal also became the youngest Dean in the country when at the University of Bedfordshire three years ago. Her impressive career spans both private and public sectors and she has contributed to Higher Education internationally. Sonal has been at the forefront of shaping new thinking and practice at a number of Universities. She is also a prolific researcher having authored books and research papers. Sonal is passionate about education and its ability to shape confident futures not only for our campuses but globally too.

Sir Victor’s career encompasses being a Partner of solicitors Clifford-Turner (now Clifford Chance); Chairman of Charterhouse, the investment banking business; Chairman of Trinity Mirror (the UK’s largest newspaper quoted publishing group); Chairman of GUS plc which owned Experian, Burberry, Argos, Homebase and Lewis’s Stores of South Africa; and Chairman of Lloyds Banking Group, which under his chairmanship became the largest U.K. retail banking group. Sir Victor Blank is a Senior Advisor in the U.K. to TPG Capital Sir Victor was a member of the Financial Reporting Council, Chairman of the Industrial Development Advisory Board, the first external member of the Council of Oxford University, and served as a British Business Ambassador from 2008-2012. Sir Victor was knighted in 1999.

He is an advisor/trustee of a number of University institutions and other Foundations. He was recently appointed Chairman of the Social Mobility Foundation and he chairs three other charities, including Wellbeing of Women.

Lord Rumi Verjee Lord Verjee is proprietor and Chairman of Thomas Goode & Co and a highly successful entrepreneur.

He founded Domino’s Pizza in the UK, which now employs over 20,000 people and he is Chairman of Brompton Capital Limited and Ipanema Properties in Brazil.

He founded The Rumi Foundation, which supports humanitarian work through education, innovation and knowledge building, principally focussing in the UK but also supporting projects in India, East Africa and South America, working closely with other foundations such as the Clinton Foundation.

Rumi is a Member of the World’s Presidents’ Organisations, the Global Leadership Foundation and was a member of the Advisory Board of the British Olympic Association for the London 2012 Olympic Games. Rumi is co-chair of We Day UK together with Holly Branson. In 2009 he was awarded the Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) for charitable services.

In September 2013, Rumi was appointed to the House of Lords as a Liberal Democrat Peer.

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The people’s choice awards

Philippa Tomson is an RTS award-winning television presenter.

She started her career in the West Midlands as an 18-year-old trainee newspaper reporter on the Wolverhampton-based Express & Star. In 2002, she joined ITV Central and regularly co-anchored the programme with Bob Warman.

Pip later became co-anchor of ITV Tyne Tees' North East Tonight and ITV Border’s Lookaround.

She has also presented and reported on a number of other programmes including Good Morning Britain, Sky News, Daybreak, GMTV and regularly works as a corporate event host.

Pip was twice honoured with a Presenter of The Year award by the Royal Television Society - in 2012 and 2010.

Away from work, Pip is a devoted dog lover. She owns two Tibetan Terriers and supports many animal charities.

Nithin Ganatra, has had a long career in the theatre having performed with the Royal shakespeare company in Les Enfants Du Paridis and the National theatres production of Haroun and the Sea of Stories by Salman Rushdie. And he's also worked with Oscar winning director Sam Mendes in the Donmar Warehouses production of To The Green Fields Beyond.

He is known internationally as Prince Pondicherry in the Tim Burton film Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. He also appears in the Gurinder Chada film Bride and Prejudice as Kholi Saab and The Mistress of Spices as Haroun, and Dev Raja inMumbai Calling. He also appeared in the first ever iPod commercial. Ganatra also appeared in an episode of The Catherine Tate Show, as Joanie Taylor's daughter's partner.

Other appearances include the TV show Jane Hall, the CBBC television show Gina's Laughing Gear, a character in Meet the Magoons playing himself, a semi lead role as Rez, brother of main character Shifty, in the 2008 British cult film Shifty about a Muslim crack-cocaine dealer, and Martin Soper in Twenty Twelve. He also appeared in Being April with Pauline Quirkeplaying Sinil. Currently he best know for the loveable postman Masood Ahmed on Eastenders.

Laura Elliot, known as DJ Lora, began her professional DJ career aged 20 in London.

Lora grew up in Durban, South Africa and moved to London in the late 90's when she was 17 years old. Lora's first set was at the Mayfair Club in London and she then set out to become a professional full-time DJ. Early in her career Lora won the London DJing Championship as the only female in the competition. She caters for all events including for celebrities, charities and high- scale events. DJ Lora has performed for such celebrities as Simon Le Bon, Paul McCartney, Prince William and Prince Harry.

DJ Lora performs in venues internationally and has a regular radio show launching in the Middle East in September. She has been the official DJ at the Amber Lounge, the exclusive Formula One after party for three years. Lora holds regular slots at London based clubs: The Wellington Club, Arts Club, 5 Hertford Steet and Mortons.

She will be be joining the England national cricket team in India this year as well as performing for the Kolkatta Knight Riders team.

Lora runs a DJ school at The Wellington Club that teaches people of all ages.

She is a committed supporter of the Barts & London Childrens Hospital. She is currently raising funds to buy drugs for a medical camp in Sierra Leone, amongst supporting other children's charities around the world.

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Achievment in Media, Arts & Culture The Finalists

Samira Ahmed Samira Ahmed is an award winning journalist and broadcaster, and a visiting professor of Journalism at Kingston University with a special focus on culture and its overlap with politics.

She presents the weekly programme Newswatch on BBC1 and regularly presents a wide variety of BBC Radio programmes including the arts programmes Front Row and Free Thinking. She also

presents television coverage of the Proms on BBC4. She previously presented two series of the BBC1 ethics discussion programme, Sunday Morning Live. Samira writes regularly on culture and politics in newspapers including The Guardian and The Independent.

Akram Khan MBE Akram Khan is one of the most celebrated and respected dance artists today. In just over a decade he has created a body of work that has contributed significantly to the arts in the UK and abroad. His reputation has been built on the success of imaginative, highly accessible and relevant productions such as DESH, iTMOi, Vertical Road. An instinctive and natural collaborator, Khan has been a magnet to world-class artists

from other cultures and disciplines. Khan’s work is recognised as being profoundly moving, in which his intelligently crafted storytelling is effortlessly intimate and epic. Khan has been the recipient of numerous awards throughout his career including the Laurence Olivier Award, the prestigious ISPA (International Society for thePerforming Arts) Distinguished Artist Award.

Hanif Kureishi CBE Hanif Kureishi CBE is an English playwright, screenwriter and filmmaker and novelist. In 2008, The Times included Kureishi in their list of "The 50 greatest British writers since 1945".

Kureishi was born in Bromley, South London to a Pakistani father, Rafiushan Kureishi, and an English mother, Audrey Buss. He started his career in the 1970s as a pornography writer,

under the pseudonyms Antonia French and Karim. He wrote My Beautiful Laundrette in 1985, which won the New York Film Critics Best Screenplay Award and an Academy Award nomination for Best Screenplay. He also wrote the screenplay for Sammy and Rosie Get Laid (1987) amongst many others.

Shahid Khan aka Naughty boy Shahid Khan, often credited by his artist and production name Naughty Boy, is a British DJ, song- writer, record producer and musician. In 2012, Khan signed a three-year publishing deal with Sony ATV. Khan launched himself as a record producer under the moniker "Naughty Boy" and runs Naughty Boy Recordings. Khan spent 2011 and 2012 working on records for Leona Lewis, JLS, Cheryl Cole

and Tinie Tempah, among others.In 2013, Naughty Boy released his debut album Hotel Cabana featuring the number one hit "La La La", featuring Sam Smith and "Lifted", another collaboration with SandĂŠ. His debut album peaked at number two in the UK and his single, Naughty Boy's "La La La" was awarded 'Best Song' and 'Best Video' at the MOBO Awards 18th Anniversary.

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Gold Award Achievment for Achievment in Community in Media, Service Arts & Culture The Finalists

Shahien Taj Shahien Taj is the Founder & Executive Director of Henna Foundation, formally known as Saheli, a specialist user-led agency and registered charity established to advance the needs, concerns and aspirations of Asian and Muslim children and families. Committed to equality, human rights principles and encouraging the nurture and social advancement of positive family environments, Taj has acquired a practice based specialist understanding in tackling the issues of ‘honour’ related

abuses and Forced Marriages and developed reciprocal engagement and dialogue amongst affected grassroots community groups. She has established positive working relations with a cross-section of services including the Foreign & Commonwealth office, Forced Marriage unit, Police Constabularies, Crown Prosecution Service along with numerous other statutory and voluntary agencies and services.

Kiran Bali MBE JP Honoured with the MBE at the age of 29, for exceptional voluntary community service, Kiran is one of a mere handful of young female global community leaders .

Kiran has shown outstanding international leadership and activism to promote equity and understanding, whilst addressing community challenges through interfaith action and social justice at the grassroots level as a Magistrate.

The youngest ever Chairperson of the largest global interfaith organisation, operating in 94 countries, Kiran has addressed the UN General Assembly on women’s empowerment and community challenges through impactful actions.

Pouring her talents, into the community, Kiran has led community Karate classes and pioneered initiatives to reduce isolation amongst elderly people.

Sajda Mughal Sajda Mughal is a multi-award winning community and women’s rights activist. Since 2008, she has been leading the women’s charity, JAN Trust (www.jantrust.org). It educates, engages and empowers grass roots disadvantaged Black, Asian, minority ethnic and refugee women and girls. She has a passion for working with the community, especially those from under-represented groups in order to empower them,

whether it is providing a voice for women or combating violence against women or motivating youth to aim high and aspire to achieve great things. Sajda has first-hand experience as a victim of terrorism; she is the only known Muslim survivor of the atrocious London terror attack on 7 July 2005. She narrowly escaped being seriously injured or killed.

Wasim Gulzar Khan MBE Wasim was the first British born Pakistani to play professional cricket in England, playing in the double winning Warwickshire team in 1995. He also represented Sussex and Derbyshire. In 2005 he was recruited by Lord Mervyn King to set up Chance to Shine, a Cricket-Education Enterprise.

He has been CEO since 2009. Chance to Shine is now recognised as the biggest programme of

its kind, in the world. It has engaged and inspired 2.5 million young people (including 1 million girls) and has raised £55 million since 2005. His autobiography ‘Brim Full of Passion’ was awarded the prestigious ‘Wisden Book of the Year’ award in 2006. In 2013, he was awarded an MBE for services to cricket and the community.

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Sports Personality of the Year The Finalists

Dilawar Singh MBE Dilawer Singh MBE is the Sports Council for Glasgow Elected Director. He was the first Asian and Sikh police officer in Scotland and spent over 30 years with Strathclyde Police and Her Majesty's Inspectorate. A former wrestler Dilawar, keen kabbadi player, referee and coach, badminton player and coach and marathon runner, Dilawar has raised thousands of pounds for different international charities through his sporting exploits. Dilawar was

also part of the 2014 Bid Team and now sits on sub commit- tees for recruiting volunteers and planning the legacy of the games. Amongst a list of prestigious awards and titles, particular highlights include Dilawar receiving the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Lord Provost of Glasgow for his contribution and service to Sport; Honorary President of the Association of Indian Organisations .

Manisha Tailor Manisha is a qualified Headteacher by profession, however embarked upon a career change to follow her love and passion for football. She is currently Head Coach at Middlesex Girls Centre of Excellence as well as a grassroots coach working the local community. She is the first Asian

female to hold a scouting position at a professional club, Brentford FC. Manisha is an FA Education tutor and education worker at antiracism charity, Show Racism the Red Card. She is an ambassador for the FA and British Asian Sporting Talent Foundation.

Paran Singh An inspirational and influential figure of Asians In Sports being one of the pioneers of the progression of Asians In Football. Being one of the minority of Asian footballers in the UK Paranveer has gone on to being one of the very few to represent professional clubs including in the Premier League, Championship and the David Beckham Academy. Off the pitch Paranveer represents the

Asian community with great pride being nominated for several awards, nominated as a torchbearer for the London 2012 Olympics and opening his very own football foundation to develop Asians all around the world. Paranveer has recently been signed to TSD Corporation working closely with Asia, the upcoming ISL Tournament and being offered his very own TV Show.

Neil John Taylor Neil John Taylor is a Welsh footballer who plays for Swansea City as a defender. Born in Denbighshire, Taylor is of mixed WelshIndian descent. His mother is from Kolkata in India. Taylor began his career at Manchester City, but left the club at the age of 15. He instead moved to Wrexham at the age of 16 progressing through the youth system at the club. At the end

of the 2009â&#x20AC;&#x201C;10 season, Taylor joined Football League Championship side Swansea City. He made his Swans league debut coming on as a sub for Albert SerrĂĄn. On 14 December 2012, Taylor signed a new three-and-a-half- year contract with Swansea, which keeps him at the club until 2016.

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Gold Award for Uniformed Achievment & Civil in Media, Services Arts & Culture The Finalists

Millie Banerjee CBE Millie Banerjee CBE is a British businessperson and public official, currently High Sheriff of Greater London and Chair of the British Transport Police Authority. Banerjee read for a BSc in zoology at University College London and then a DMS from the Polytechnic of North London (now the University of North London).

She also studied at Greenwich University from where she has an honorary doctorate.She chairs

Working Links a public, private voluntary sector company working with Government in supporting long term unemployed and disabled citizens. She chairs Nominet Trust which invests in application development for social good. In her executive life she spent 25 years with BT in various senior roles including operations, large scale system implementation, product design and consumer service.

Dipprasad Pun CGC Dipprasad Pun CGC is a Nepalese corporal of the Royal Gurkha Rifles who was decorated with the Conspicuous Gallantry Cross for an act of bravery during the War in Afghanistan on the night of 17 September 2010. Pun, then an Acting Sergeant, single-handedly defeated 12 - 30 Taliban insurgents who were storming his con- trol post near Babaji in Helmand province.Immediately prior to the engagement, Pun, who was with the 1st

Battalion Royal Gurkha Rifles, was on sentry duty at a checkpoint guarding his unit's com- pound.

Taliban fighters, planting bombs near the compound gate under the cover of darkness, suddenly surrounded and attacked his post with AK-47s and RPGs. Pun originally hails from Bima in western Nepal, and lives with his wife Shobha in Ashford.

Nazir Afzal OBE Nazir Afzal OBE LLD(hon) is the Chief Crown Prosecutor for the North West of England, with responsibility for nearly 100,000 prosecutions a year. He is National lead for tackling Violence Against Women & Girls and Child Abuse. He also leads on tackling so called honour crimes and forced marriage. His successful prosecution of people like Stuart Hall have demonstrated that

nobody is above the law. He is the public face of the justice system and regularly appears in the media leading the public debate. His voluntary activity includes being Pro-Chancellor of Brunel University London and Trustee of three charities working with vulnerable people and supporting children.

Kul Mahay Kul joined the Police as a 16 year old Police Cadet as one of the first few Asian officers in Derbyshire. He was the founder member of the Black Police Association (BPA) in Derbyshire and has served several times as Chair of this group.

He was also the first Vice President of the National BPA. Kul now holds the rank of Superintendent and

has held many specialist roles, including homicide investigation, public order commander, firearms and critical incident commander as well heading up several specialist departments.

He has always involved himself in charity work.

In 2013, he organised bone marrow donor clinics in Derby after hearing the plight of a father of a sick child on radio.

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13 to 27-Finalist Righthand.qxp_A4 Temp 12/09/2014 15:09 Page 21

Professional of the Year The Finalists

Anu Ojha OBE Anu Ojha is Director of the UK’s National Space Academy programme. He has co-led the development for UK Government of the National Framework for Higher Apprenticeships for the Space Sector and is also leading the development of new international teaching programmes for the UK Space Agency and European Space Agency (ESA). Before joining the National Space

Centre as a Director in 2008, he was Assistant Headteacher of the largest specialist science college in the UK and was one of the first physics teachers in the country to be awarded Advanced Skills Teacher (AST) status for excellence in teaching. In 2014 he was appointed OBE for services to science education in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List.

Prof. Sir Tejinder Singh Virdee, FRS Prof. Sir Tejinder Singh Virdee, FRS is an experimental physicist and Professor of Physics at Imperial College London. He is best known for originating the concept of CMS with a few other colleagues and has been referred to as one of the 'founding fathers' of the project.

Virdee was elected Fellow of the Royal Society and of the Institute of Physics in 2012. In recogni-

tion of his work on CMS he has been awarded the Institute of Physics (IOP) 2007 High Energy Physics Prize and the IOP 2009 Chadwick Medal and Prize.

In 2014, Virdee was knighted in the Queen's Birthday Honours list for services to science.

Faisel Rahman OBE Faisel Rahman has a background in international development at the Grameen Bank and the World Bank, in Bangladesh. He also briefly worked as an underwriter for a syndicate at Lloyds of London and co-authored a number of books.In 2000 he returned to the UK and developed the first microcredit program in the UK .In 2005 he founded Fair Finance, a social business that aims to reduce financial exclusion and

exploitation amongst poor and low income communities in the UK.Faisel is currently the elected President of the European Microfinance Network and writes an occasional column the Guardian Newspaper on issues around financial exclusion.

In 2007 he was elected one of the first UK Ashoka Fellows in recognition of his work in social enterprise.

Dr Sandy Gupta Dr Gupta was appointed as one UK’s youngest Heart Specialists; being a Consultant Cardiologist at Whipps Cross BartsHealth NHS Trusts Hospitals, London since 1999. He sees and treats patients with potentially life-threatening cardiac conditions on a daily basis.

He was previously awarded a British Heart Foundation (BHF) research fellowship. Author of

text-book, over 40 published papers and editorials and several book chapters. His own research was commented to be ‘one the top medical stories for 1997’.

Dr Gupta has been a recipient of ‘Achievement Awards’ bestowed by Honourable Dr Abdul Kalaam, Past-President of India and Honourable Sir Anerood Jugnauth, President of Mauritius.

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1-MFS-A4.qxp_A4 Temp 15/09/2014 16:41 Page 1

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As lenders, we provide bridging to private individuals and on a commercial basis – terms and interest rates vary depending on your requirements. We understand that no two bridging finance deals are ever the same; we will always go above and beyond to identify the terms that suit your requirements.

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Gold Award for Achievment Woman of the in Media, Year Arts & Culture The Finalists

Sharmila Nebhrajani OBE Sharmila became Chair of the Human Tissue Authority in April, 2014 after a varied career spanning business, the media and science. Most recently, she was Chief Executive of the Association of Medical Research Charities – the national membership organisation of leading medical and health research charities. Before that she was Chief Operating Officer of BBC Future

Media for 12 years, the division that launched the iPlayer. Sharmila is a board member for the Pension Protection Fund, the University of Sussex and the British Medical Journal. She was appointed OBE in the June 2014 Birthday Honours List for services to medical research.

Balvinder Kaur Sandhu Bal is a practicing Diabetes specialist Dietitian for 17 years, she has actively worked to make healthcare more accessible to BME groups. Bal has developed and implemented a number of successful health programmes designed to improve accessibility. This work has been recognised in Parliament as an example of best practice. Bal is well known in the Sikh Community for her chari-

table efforts and her role as General Secretary of Khalsa Aid a UK based humanitarian aid charity.

Bal coordinated the charities UK flood relief in February 2014. Bal is also involved with fundraising efforts for charitable causes such as Cancer research.

Priya Lakhani OBE Former barrister, Priya Lakhani, founded FMCG business Masala Masala in 2008 successfully launching it's products into nationwide supermarket chains and independent retailers. The company's charitable arm has provided over 1 million meals and 35,000 vaccinations to the underprivileged in India and Africa. Priya’s second business, CENTURY-TECH, is set to disrupt the edu-

cation sector by utilising big data and data mining techniques to improve students’ learning outcomes.

Priya is a member of the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills' Entrepreneurs' Forum and an advisory board member to the Education Foundation.

Saba Shaukat Saba is passionate about technology, internet and the mobile industries. She grew up with the internet, when working for leading global companies such as Vodafone, Deloitte Consulting and BT at Director and Board level in commercial and marketing roles creating breakthrough technology solutions and generating revenues of

£100m to £800m. She has an MBA from the London Business School. In 2012, with a charity, Saba created a women’s network to raise aspirations of girls from deprived areas.

Ranjana Bell MBE Ranjana has over 30 years’ experience in the field of Equality and Diversity. She has been a teacher for children with special needs; a Race Equality Officer; an Equal Opportunities Officer for a university; a Non-Executive Director for a design company and has held the position of Director for her own company, RBA Equality & Diversity since 1998.

She has been on many Boards and committees and is currently Chair of the Northumbria Police SIAG; Co-Chair of the NE CPS Scrutiny Panel for Racist and Religious Hate Crime and PCC Independent Member for Police Misconduct Panel.

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WestCombe2014.qxp_A4 Temp 11/09/2014 13:00 Page 1

A class apart Westcombe Group is a specialist developer of prestigious properties in exceptional locations and has an outstanding reputation for creating contemporary living spaces of supreme quality.

Acknowledged as one of the capital’s foremost developers for over four decades, Westcombe Group creates sophisticated homes and contemporary commercial spaces that benefit from cutting edge technology.

Westcombe Group’s talent for sympathetic restoration is perfectly demonstrated at Brackenhill, where a listed Edwardian manor house has been returned to its former splendour. The contemporary features balance sensitively within the classic context to give rise to highly individual and elegant living spaces with graceful proportions.

Their forthcoming developments include The Limes in Mortlake, the conversion of grade II listed building overlooking the River Thames.

Facing a broad sweep of the river, the six luxury apartments will have panoramic views and will provide the ultimate riverside home.

Westcombe Group is converting 92 properties within the Grade II listed St Bernard’s Hospital in Ealing. This sensitive conversion will create impressive accommodation that offers modern and luxurious living spaces whilst retaining the unique character of the site.

Also in West London, and providing a singular address opposite terminals 3 and 4 at Heathrow Airport, Westcombe Group has acquired Axis House, an office building that will soon accommodate 64 luxury one bedroom apartments that will undoubtedly appeal to the frequent flyer.

westcombegroup.com | +44 (0) 20 8422 6814

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Business Person of the Year The Finalists

Kishore Lulla A leading international distributor of Bollywood movies out of London, Kishore Lulla is the Executive Director of Eros and has long wanted to green-light pictures himself. Mr. Lulla received a bachelors’ degree in Arts from Mumbai University. He has over 30 years of experience in the media and film industry. Eros has its roots as a film distribution company straddling Mumbai

and London. It was started by Kishore Lulla’s father, Arjan Lulla, in 1977 to export Bollywood films to the world. Lulla, 52, runs the Indian company with the help of his younger brother Sunil Lulla–who’s been with Eros since 1983–and a professional chief executive, Jyoti Deshpande, who owns a slice of the parent company.

Mahmud Kamani Mahmud Kamani founded Boohoo with Carol Kane in 2006, leveraging over 28 years of experience in the fashion industry. Mahmud's involvement in the fashion and apparel industry spans all areas of the supply chain from importer to whole-

saler to retailer. Mahmud has sourced garments from all over the world. An entrepreneur in the retail, trade and hospitality sectors, Mahmud has developed a loyal team, some of whom have remained with him for 20 years.

Kirit Patel MBE Kirit Patel MBE is one of the UK’s most recognised pharmacy entrepreneurs.

He is the Founder and Chief Executive of Day Lewis plc, the largest family owned pharmacy chain in Europe. With over 38 years of retail pharmacy experience, Kirit has grown the business from 2 pharmacies in 1975 to now over 230 pharmacies based in the UK. The company also operates the Pharmacy in Harrods, the world-renowned

department store in London. Kirit is a fellow of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society, a past Chairman and Board Member of the NPA (19922004), a past Treasurer of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain (20022003) and a Founder Member of Association of Independent Multiple Pharmacies (AIMp). He is currently Vice Chairman of the PSNC (2013).

Harry Dulai Harry Dulai is Managing Director of Surya Foods, one of the largest suppliers of authentic world foods to the UK food sector.

Surya's unrivalled, extensive world food ranges have seen it become the biggest supplier of world food lines into supermarket giants Tesco, Asda, Sainsbury's and Morrisons. It also currently runs over 1,500 independent retail accounts across the UK.

Surya supplies and produces a variety of high quality, 100% authentic ethnic specialty food brands ranging from rice, flour, spices and sauces to snacks and beverages with its evolving ranges catering to a range of communities.

A member of London Food Board's advisory group of independent food experts, Harry is particularly passionate about the issues surrounding food poverty.

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Gold Award for Entrepreneur Achievmentof inthe Media, YearArts & Culture The Finalists

Sukhi Ghuman After beginning a career as a corporate lawyer, Sukhi is now best known as owner and CEO of internationally operating Octavian Security. His enthusiasm knows no bounds, and his in-built sense of urgency and tenacity pay off time and time again in his business life. Since spotting an opportunity to make his fortune by forming Octavian Security, he has complemented it with other business interests including animation, dis-

tribution of pharmaceutical products, software and logistics.

Corporate social responsibility has always been high on Sukhi’s agenda and his efforts in both charitable fundraising and practical help in the community have been widely recognised.

After 10 years in business, Sukhi’s inventive mind continues to seek improvements and new business ventures.

Taz and Umer Sheikh Taz and Umer Sheikh are the founders of Gamucci, a major player in the burgeoning electronic cigarette sector. Taz and Umer founded Gamucci in 2006, the next generation of alternative smoking devices, and was Europe’s first electronic cigarette brand.

Before forming Gamucci, Taz and Umer used their combined 40 years sales experience to create their first business venture together in 1999. Several years later, they

set up an international IT consultancy which is now at the forefront of the mobile apps movement.

As pioneers of the electronic cigarette industry, Taz and Umer are custodians of the UK’s leading independent e-cigarette brand and are now taking on the tobacco companies with outstanding determination, continually seeking to innovate.

Majid Hussain Majid Hussain is Executive Director at Accrol Papers. He presides over the fifthbiggest company – and the only one that is British- owned – in the £1.6bn-a-year market of supplying toilet rolls and related items such as kitchen towels to the UK market. Two-thirds of the company’s revenues come from the 600m or so toilet rolls bought each year. It was set up in 1993 by Jawid Hussain, Majid’s father, who

remains chairman. Majid joined his two brothers, Wajid and Mozam, who were already working in the business, four years ago.He cites Accrol’s development of processes to make high-quality paper more cheaply, or its new pack- ages of products to appeal to distributors that sell to businesses rather than consumers.

Dr Richie Nanda Dr Richie Nanda is an international security magnate and the Executive Chairman of Topsgrup and The Shield Group. It's annual turnover is expected to be £160 million with 130 offices worldwide, including headquarters in London, and approximately 8,500 customers. In 2012, Dr Nanda became the only entrepreneur of an Indian MNC to purchase a 100% stake in a British security company, The Shield Group, now the

UK’s largest independent total security solutions provider. The companies provide security for some of the world’s leading brands such as IBM and TATA, events such as the IPL and World Cricket Champions League, international celebrities, VIPs and Royalty such as Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth and venues like The Imperial War Museum and The Gherkin.

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Chrie Blair Foundation.qxp_A4 Temp 10/09/2014 14:18 Page 1

Help us to empower women and drive growth around the world...

The Cherie Blair Foundation for Women works in partnership with the non-pro?t, private and public sectors. Our vision is a world where women entrepreneurs have equal opportunities to establish and grow businesses, resulting in a brighter future for the women themselves, their families and their communities as a whole.

We provide women with the skills, technology, networks and access to capital that they need to become successful small and growing business owners, so that they can contribute to their economies and have a stronger voice in their societies.

We build relationships with partners that share our aims and values. For more information and to get involved with our work, please visit our website, www.cherieblairfoundation.org or contact us at enquiries@cherieblairfoundation.org.

The Cherie Blair Foundation for Women is a charitable company limited by guarantee registered in England No. 6198893, registered UK Charity No: 1125751, registered of?ce: 66 Lincolnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Inn Fields London WC2A 3LH, UK

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The people’s choice awards

The Cherie Blair Foundation for Women - Inspiring Change T he Cherie Blair Foundation for Women operates in 70 countries around the world, helping women to build their confidence, capability and access to capital to become successful entrepreneurs and business owners. We believe that women’s economic empowerment is key to their full participation in their societies. We have three core programmes: Enterprise Development, Mentoring Women in Business and Mobile Technology. Since we launched our programmes in 2009 we have reached more than 100,000 women – providing them with the skills, technology, networks and access to capital that they need to become successful small and growing business owners.

Working in collaboration with the Mann Deshi Foundation, the Cherie Blair Foundation for Women is planning to launch a new and innovative project in Maharashtra, India. The aim of the project is to provide 1,000 women with business incubation, access to loans and business growth opportunities, which in turn, will see them reaping benefits for both their families and communities.

Their need is urgent

Despite rapid growth in India and some significant achievements within the political arena, gender disparities in women’s economic participation remain deep and persistent (OECD, 2013). The percentage of women in India’s workforce stands at only 24%. In this, women only account for 8% of the 26.1 million micro, small and medium enterprises in India. This is something both the Cherie Blair Foundation for Women and the Mann Deshi Foundation are determined to change.

Women entrepreneurs in rural India face a number of challenges to successfully develop and grow their businesses. They have limited access to enterprise development training, restricted mobility and experience socio-economic barriers that can prevent them from accessing markets. Rural women in India also find it hard to access capital and the standard facilities necessary to expand their businesses. With the expertise of both Foundations, and with your support at the Asian Achievers Awards, this new project in Maharashtra can combat these challenges.

Our Project

The project will support a currently underserved sector, and reach the most remote and drought affected districts, where rural women depend on

Photo courtesy of Mann Deshi

Empowering rural women in India

agriculture for their livelihoods. Through a holistic package of support, the project aims to strengthen women’s businesses, and in turn, empower them to change their economic situation. This will lead to a positive change in gender relations within their communities. Our project will provide tailored business training; mentorship with successful entrepreneurs; and the ability to access capital through financial literacy and financial awareness training. Critically, we will look at enhancing women’s access to markets and advancing and promoting women’s asset ownership and rights.

Bainabai’s story Bainabai’s childhood was taken away from her when she was just nine years old and forced into childhood marriage. Exploited and abused by her alcoholic husband and living in a Mumbai slum, Bainabai was denied an education and became a mother at 15, giving birth to a son.

Life was tough, however Bainabai took the brave decision to leave her husband. She found work as a labourer but faced more challenges when her son became ill and Bainabai struggled to pay for his medical treatment. The spiralling costs led Bainabai to the Mann Deshi Bank where she received a loan.

Bainabai used the loan to set up a stall selling tea under a tree, and with a subsequent loan she bought herself a cart and established a tea shop.

With Mann Deshi’s support, Bainabai joined a selfhelp group and received financial literacy training. This saw her monthly income rise from INR 2,000 to INR 10,000. Bainabai has become a role model for the women in rural Maharashtra and has encouraged others to utilise the Mann Deshi Bank like she has.

Bainabai is now a self-help group leader and a successful business owner. This is credit to her bravery, perseverance and the Mann Deshi’s support system. We invite you to support more women like Bainabai as we launch this exciting new project, and hope you will give generously so we can make a real and lasting difference to rural women in Maharashtra this evening.

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30-31Programme x 2.qxp_A4 Temp 15/09/2014 12:44 Page 30

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ASIAN ACHIEVERS

AWARDS

The people’s choice awards

Drink Reception. me Speech.

Ceremony Begins & Welco Performance by Fatboyz.

7.38PM ond MP, Secretary of State Guest, Rt Hon Phillip Hamm ief Ch by h eec Sp 7.47PM Wealth Affairs. for Foreign and Common Awards 2014 er of the Asian Achievers mb Me nk, Mo l Pau Mr by Speech 7.58PM Judging Panel.

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8.03PM Award Ceremony ndation for Women, from the Cherie Blair Fou QC ir Bla e eri Ch s Mr 8.20PM introducing the charity. d Jeffery Archer.

8.25PM Auctions by Lor ced.

9:00PM Dinner announ s. the ceremony commence 10:00PM Second half of La Luna – Hoop Act. 10.02PM Performance by played.

Ltd. 10.09PM Video messages an Business Publications Patel, Editor/Publisher Asi CB by h eec Sp M 12P 10. sioner of India.

Rajan Mathai, High Commis HE ncy elle Exc His – by 10.15PM Speech Dipen Shah, Partner, PWC. 10.20PM Speech by Mr tee Group. ni Verma, Chairman, Vee 10.25PM Speech by Mo Light Balance Act. .

10.30PM Performance by Business Publications Ltd s by L George, COO, Asian ent gem led now Ack M 10.39P e.

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32-33-34-Auction x 3.qxp_A4 Temp 12/09/2014 16:46 Page 32

Charity Auctioneer of the Evening LORD JEFFREY ARCHER

Jeffrey Archer has topped the bestseller lists around the world, with sales of over 270 million copies in 97 countries and more than 37 languages, and is the only author ever to have been a number one bestseller in fiction (eighteen times), short stories (four times) and non-fiction (The Prison Diaries).

He gained a Blue in Athletics at Oxford, was President of the University Athletics Club, and went on to run the 100 yards in 9.6 seconds for Great Britain in 1966. Jeffrey has served five years in the House of Commons and twenty-two years as a Member of the House of Lords.

His latest novel Be Careful What You Wish For, (book four of The Clifton Chronicles series) spent twelve weeks in the top 10 - four of them at #1 – on the Sunday Times Best Seller list, and also went to #1 in Australia, India, and South Africa. www.jeffreyarcher.com Follow Jeffrey on Facebook and Twitter @Jeffrey_Archer

LOT 1

Charity Auction Lots

A Journey into Paradise Kuala Lumpur, Penang, Pangkor Laut Up to 4 guests, 8 days and 7 nights The winning bidder and your guests will experience an extraordinary journey of a lifetime, conceived by Tan Sri Dr Francis Yeoh. It truly is a journey through paradise, offering every amenity imaginable. Your journey will begin being chauffeur driven from Kuala Lumpur International Airport to the RitzCarlton hotel. Acclaimed chefs will oversee all meals served in your palatial penthouse suite, with a personal butler attending to your every need. After two nights there, you will travel overnight on the Eastern & Oriental Express to Penang, where you will stay in the Presidential Suite. Recapturing the elegance and style of the Twenties and Thirties you will be transported back in time on this journey and enjoy lively entertainment and exquisite food. Once in Penang, you will board Dr Yeoh’s private helicopter to his renowned Pangkor Laut Estates, an Island of pristine beauty. Guests will spend four nights in one of the most exclusive private residences and will have a personal butler, personal chef, access to spa facilities and exclusive use of Dr Yeoh’s private yacht. Dr Yeoh assures bidders that his guests will enjoy the full compliments of his hospitality and be accorded the finest and most exclusive treatment every step of the way. This breath-taking journey is one to bid on this evening!

LOT 2

Kindly donated by Tan Sri Dr Francis Yeoh

Named character in Lord Archer’s next novel Lord Jeffrey Archer has topped the bestseller lists around the world, with sales of over 270 million copies in 97 countries and more than 37 languages. He’s currently writing book five of a seven-book series and the first four volumes of The Clifton Chronicles went to No.1 on Best Seller lists around the world. This is your chance to become a part of literary history, and have your name, or the name of a friend or loved one appear as a character in Jeffrey’s next book. Readers around the world could know you as a rich, successful businessman, a back-stabbing villain, a chauffeur or a five-times divorcee…or maybe even the wife of a Prime Minister. But beware, the final decision on whether you’re a goodie or a baddie lies with Jeffrey.

Kindly donated by Lord Jeffrey Archer

32

ASIAN ACHIEVERS AWARDS 2014 Asian Voice & Gujarat Samachar

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LOT 3

Charity Auction Lots

Dinner with Cherie Blair and five guests at Gymkhana in a private dining room Cherie Blair, CBE, QC is the founder and patron of the Cherie Blair Foundation for Women which is the selected charity for this year’s Asian Achievers Awards. Mrs Blair has offered the highest bidder the fantastic chance of dining with her and five guests at Gymkhana in Mayfair for a fine dining experience. Guests will enjoy a three course menu of contemporary Indian cuisine using seasonal British ingredients, accompanied with sommeliers choice of wine pairing. This will be the perfect opportunity to pick the brains of an accomplished woman and philanthropist.

Make sure you and your friends don’t miss out on this exciting opportunity by being the highest bidder on the night. Mrs Blair looks forward to the evening.

Kindly donated by Cherie Blair and Gymkhana

LOT 4 Postcard collection drawing by Tracey Emin Tracey Emin, CBE is an award-winning artist known for her eccentricity. Her art is one of disclosure, using her life events as inspiration for works ranging from painting, drawing, video and installation, to photography, needlework and sculpture. One of her most famous pieces ‘My Bed’ was auctioned off for a staggering £2.2 million in July of this year. For her Turner Prize exhibition in 1999 she displayed six small watercolours called the Berlin Watercolour series which were welcomed with great reviews. She is now in the process of making a new watercolour series and everyone this evening has the exciting chance of bidding for one of them. Painted with gouache on paper in France earlier this year, Emin has donated an exclusive framed artwork called ‘Sitting’, which she hopes will gain generous donations to the charity.

Kindly donated by Tracey Emin

LOT 5 Two tickets to see Katherine Jenkins perform, plus a meet and greet Katherine Jenkins, OBE is a renowned Welsh singer who studied at the Royal Academy of Music in London. As one of the world's most famous classical singers, her records have sold millions of copies across the globe. She’s appeared on popular television programmes including Dancing with the Stars and Popstar to Operstar. She performs across a spectrum of operatic arias, popular songs, musical theatre and hymns, and has performed for the Queen and royal family. The highest bidder will receive two tickets to see Katherine Jenkins perform at the Royal Festival Hall on December 1st, followed by a meet and greet. The night will surely be one to remember.

Kindly donated by Katherine Jenkins ASIAN ACHIEVERS AWARDS 2014

Asian Voice & Gujarat Samachar

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32-33-34-Auction x 3.qxp_A4 Temp 15/09/2014 10:39 Page 34

Charity Auction Lots LOT 6 Signed Bat by Indian Captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni Dhoni is the captain of India, his Test and ODI records are the best among all Indian captains to date. Under his captaincy, India won the 2007 ICC World Twenty20, the CB Series of 2007â&#x20AC;&#x201C;08, the 2010 Asia Cup, the 2011 ICC Cricket World Cup and the 2013 ICC Champions Trophy. After taking up the Test captaincy in 2008, he led the team to series wins in New Zealand and West Indies, and the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in 2008, 2010 and 2013. In 2009, Dhoni also led the Indian team to number one position for the first time in the ICC Test rankings.

Dhoni has been the recipient of many awards. In June 2014, Forbes ranked Dhoni at 22nd in the list of highest paid athletes in the world. In June 2013,Forbes ranked him at 16th with $31.5 million. The TIME magazine has added Dhoni in its "Time 100" list of 100 most influential people of 2011. SportsPro has rated Dhoni as the sixteenth most marketable athlete in the world.

Kindly donated by Naynesh Desai of DDO Solicitors

LOT 7 Signed England and India 2014 team Bat The India national cricket team toured England from 22 June to 7 September 2014 for a tour that consisted of five Test matches, five One Day International matches and one Twenty20 International match. England won the Test series 3â&#x20AC;&#x201C;1 and received the Pataudi Trophy. India bounced back from an embarrassing defeat in the Test series to smash England in the five-match One-Day International (ODI) affair by 3-1 Kindly donated by Naynesh Desai of DDO Solicitors

Raffle Prize Arsenal Signed T Shirt Arsenal was founded in 1886 in Woolwich, and is one of the most successful clubs in English football. Arsenal holds the record for the longest uninterrupted period in the English top flight and would be placed first in an aggregated league of the entire 20th century. It is the fourth most valuable association football club in the world as of 2012, valued at $1.3 billion.

Arsenal also has a long-standing rivalry with neighbours Tottenham Hotspur.

Kindly donated by Arsenal Football Club

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ASIAN ACHIEVERS AWARDS 2014 Asian Voice & Gujarat Samachar

36-Inderneel Singh.qxp_A4 Temp 12/09/2014 16:58 Page 36

The people’s choice awards

A new generation of aspirations, passions and commitments

I

nderneel Singh is well conversed with luxury and all things five-star. Being son of a renowned hotelier, his new role comes easily to him. In February this year, Inderneel was appointed as the General Manager of the five star Mayfair Hotel, a hotel which is part of the longstanding Edwardian Group, founded in 1977 by his father Jasminder Singh.

With a reputation of legendary high standards and impeccable service, Mr Singh's role will be more of maintaining it with a subtle touch of new expertise.

Expressing his delight at becoming General Manager and satisfaction with his staff, he purports to keeping Mayfair “fresh and in competition”.

Mr. Singh's background is not dissimilar from many other young upcoming and ambitious entrepreneurs. He graduated from Warwick University with a 2:1 in Management Science and pursued a career in accountancy with KPMG. However, after five years, he joined the Edwardian group as an accountant in both Audit and Advisory, stating that he always regarded the hospitality trade as a “major part of my life” taking into consideration that his father was at the centre of one of the biggest managements in London.

Inderneel had the perfect teacher in his father, to learn the fundamental

basics. “He has always given us valuable advice when it comes to business and how to empower employees and ensure a great culture within a business. I took that learning with me when I went to university.” He further emphasised his father's importance in his life by calling him his greatest inspiration.

Asking whether he ever felt pressured to join the family business, Inderneel responded, “It was something that my siblings and I always wanted to be part of and never something that was forced. My father would never give anyone a position they didn’t merit or have proved their ability to have or show the passion and commitment and that is the same when it comes to family.”

The hotel business is a people-facing business and no doubt is wrought with challenges. Inderneel explained that in today's world, guest's have a much larger and active voice which means that staff need to be agile to their needs whilst remaining confident with the hotel's values and business vision. “One way we succeed in being nimble, is with in-house resourcing – such as with our construction team and interior designers. It means we can quickly make decisions to improve our product offering to guests. Another way, is our constant investment in IT for both our operations and guest experience. It is also vital to move with the times and respond to guest demands in a responsible way – for example, at Edwardian Group London we take our commitment to the environment very seriously and we consistently adhere to responsible best practice.”

With a new role comes a new vision. “The current vision is to continue on the principles of the Group which is to be opportunistic in seeking growth but maintaining a strong balance sheet. As a group we are focussing on the Leicester Square development where we’ve appointed award-winning international design firm Yabu Pushelberg to work for us on the concept. We really do see this project as transformational for the whole of Edwardian Group London going forward.”

Extending some wisdom to other aspiring entrepreneurs out there, Inderneel said, “I think it’s important to keep having those aspirations to achieve your dreams with both passion and commitment. It is important to be able to be mindful of the bigger picture and keep knock-backs or issues in perspective.”

- Rupanjana Dutta and Tanveer Mann

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Inderneel Singh

Afro Asian2014.qxp_A4 Temp 12/09/2014 14:21 Page 1

We congratulate all the winners and nominees of the Asian Achievers Awards

38-Ayesha Vardag.qxp_A4 Temp 15/09/2014 12:51 Page 38

The people’s choice awards

“Never let anyone discourage you”- the Diva of Divorce

B

illed as ‘Britain’s top divorce lawyer’ by the Law Society, Ayesha Vardag is one of only a handful of family lawyers to receive the Times’ accolade “Lawyer of the Week”. She is President of Vardags, a world-renowned divorce and family law service specialising in substantial and complex cases often with an international element. Shooting to global attention in such a short space of time whilst dealing with issues, on a day to day basis, which are considered emotionally demanding and extremely intimate, Ayesha explained that it is not easy. 'It only works because I enjoy it. I find life very dull if its not emotionally demanding. Rather than finding the process of hearing someone's troubles and empathising and draining, I find it very energising and it fires me up to want to fight for them and its part of what makes sense of my life really.'

A staunch believer in the sanctity of marriage, what drives Ayesha is the satisfaction she gets when she is able to help someone. 'The thing about family law, it's intensely personal, its peoples' lives, people's stories, its people's emotions, its always unpredictable and uncertain because people are different. Because I find people immensely interesting, it brings you right into the heart of their lives and it allows you to help people who come to us at ground zero and we start rebuilding them really.'

Therefore, in 2005, she set up her own specialist family/divorce law firm, Ayesha Vardag Solicitors and with that success, the firm incorporated and became Vardags in 2010, by which point it had become the goto firm for some of the heaviest divorce cases in the country.

As a specialist in Divorce, Ayesha's own personal experience has helped her significantly with her clients.

She quite candidly spoke about the effects of her own divorce on her and her family. 'It was a very traumatic time for me and everyone concerned. I gave up working to spend time with my children whilst working on my own divorce. I worked on it quite intensely with the Law firm that was handling it.'

Over the years, Ayesha has retained a reputation for aggressive litigation, commercial savvy, fearlessness and strategic intellectual vision along with her informal and personable style, her own life experience and passion for her cases. This, along with the 'rolls-royce service', she said she provides for her clients, has won her an impressive high-value and high-profile client base.

Discussing how she manages to maintain the work and personal life balance, she

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ASIAN ACHIEVERS AWARDS 2014 Asian Voice & Gujarat Samachar

admitted that it is incredibly difficult because you never really stop. 'I think having your own firm means that you're so deeply invested that inevitably it does take its toll on your personal time and one of the biggest challenges is trying to carve out and try to protect that personal time.'

Passing on some of her wisdom, Ayesha concluded with a smile. 'First, never let anyone discourage you.

Don't procrastinate, seize the moment. Try and do it independently, don't borrow. You lose your power if you have too much dependance on anyone else so its very important to keep your power. Just don't care what people think of you. If people find you annoying, if people don't like the fact you're becoming successful and they rubbish you, just take it as a compliment. Finally, surround yourself with people you really trust, because having that community is incredibly important. Its a very stressful business going into business alone so its important to have that family around to help you.'

- Tanveer Mann

Ayesha Vardag

B4U.qxp_A4 Temp 05/09/2014 16:33 Page 1

40-Nadir Lalani.qxp_A4 Temp 15/09/2014 11:40 Page 40

The people’s choice awards

Bargains never go out of fashion

F

or people who dream big, obstacles always get catapulted into opportunities. Consistently providing a huge range of heavily discounted products since 2001, the 99p stores are now a part of 2 million customers' lives every week. Nadir Lalani, the founder of the 99p Stores chain has a simple yet intriguing motto- “Bargains never go out of fashion. Even a multimillionaire loves a bargain”.

Coming from Tanzania in 1973, his early years in the UK were challenging as there was evident hostility towards Asians or non-Whites in the 1970s and he had his family to look after. 99p Stores was not his first venture into the retail industry. Nadir Lalani previously built up and sold two convenience-store chains, including Whistlestop Discount Stores. As Mr. Lalani put it, “The silver lining in the cloud was that it was easy to capture the convenience-store market as all grocery stores used to close at 5 pm sharp. I tried to fill this gap of unavailability of grocery stores at night and kept my Food & Wine shops open till 11 pm”. The idea of 99p stores was inspired from the Dollar stores in the US. This recession-proof business idea came at the perfect time for him.

From humble beginnings in Holloway, North London, 99p Stores now serve around 1.5 million customers each week. Mr. Lalani, along with his two sons who co-founded the company, always had big plans for this chain. They wanted to create a national brand.

However, the exponential growth of the company in such a short period of time did exceed their expectations. “I am still amazed that we created over 5000 jobs in the UK”, he quips.

But looking back in time now, the collapse of the Woolworths Group had a profound impact on the growth of his company. “Woolworths allowed us to

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ASIAN ACHIEVERS AWARDS 2014 Asian Voice & Gujarat Samachar

grow very quickly. They had created a gap in the market that we filled. The end of the Woolworth Group allowed us to expand rapidly. We doubled in size in 12 months from 60 to 120 stores. That was a very hectic period and we were expanding at the rate of opening 2 stores per week”, he adds.

Even during times of competition, Mr. Lalani upholds his simple mantra- 'No gimmicks. No tricky promotions. Only EDLP (Every Day Low Pricing)”. Also, his keen eye for detail makes his management and marketing decisions almost foolproof. The company works on less margin when it comes to branded products compared to supermarkets. Their branded suppliers feel that this chain is easier to deal with as they do not charge listing fees to and are in return are offered the most competitive prices. This is how Mr. Lalani envisioned to sell branded products at cheap prices in his company's outlets.

However, as expected, success does not come without obstacles and criticism. Some of the 'upper classes' in the UK are staunch critics of Mr. Lalani's company. In Stroud, some local government councillors and even the residents started a petition to prevent the store from opening back in its initial phase. They claimed that the 99p store was going to have a negative impact on their high street. They had only 1500 residents sign their petition. On the opening day the store served 2000 customers and over 15,000 in the first week’s trading. His unwavering resolve had paid off. “I think the residents voted with their feet in support of us”, he said.

So what does he plan to venture into next? “You can hope to see an online version for 99p Stores soon”, he says.

- Charusmita and Rupanjana Dutta

Nadir Lalani

Cinnamon Kitchen.qxp_A4 Temp 09/09/2014 14:40 Page 1

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42-Lolita Chakrabarti.qxp_A4 Temp 15/09/2014 12:29 Page 42

The people’s choice awards

Bringing stories to life

L

olita Chakrabarti is a multitalented, award-winning actress and a writer, who has worked extensively on the stage and screen. Her most recent success has been with her play “Red Velvet,” which premiered at The Tricycle Theatre in Kilburn in 2012.

Red Velvet returned earlier this year before opening offBroadway in New York. The play earned Lolita the Charles Wintour Evening Standard Award and the Critics Circle Award for Most Promising Playwright in 2012. She also won the AWA Award for Arts and Culture in 2013. Her play starred Adrian Lester, her husband, who picked up Best Actor at the Critics Circle Award. Mr. Lester played Ira Aldridge, a 19th century African-American pioneering actor, who played great tragic and comic roles in the legitimate theatre of that time.

As an actress, Chakrabarti trained at RADA and has worked extensively. Her theatre credits include The Great Game: Afghanistan for the Tricycle Theatre, Last Seen for Slung Low and the Almeida (which she also contributed to the writing of), Free Outgoing for the Royal Court and John Gabriel Borkman for the Donmar Warehouse.

Her screen credits include The Smoke, Intruders, One Night, Vera, Outnumbered, Hustle, Extras Christmas Special, Holby City, Silent W i t n e s s , Fortysomething , Bodies, Forgiven and WPC Jamila Blake in the long running ITV drama The Bill.

Born in Hull but brought up in Birmingham, the mother of two spoke exclusively about her work in each sectorstage, film, and television. “I stumbled upon Ira Aldridge, the real life character that Red Velvet is based on. Ira Aldridge was extraordinary.

He played Othello at the Theatre Royal in Covent Garden in 1833. He was knighted and given a state funeral when he died in Poland but was never

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ASIAN ACHIEVERS AWARDS 2014 Asian Voice & Gujarat Samachar

acknowledged in Britain.”

Lolita runs Lesata Productions with Rosa Maggiora and produced ‘Of Mary”, a short film, directed by Adrian Lester, which won the Best Short Film Award at PAFF, Los Angeles 2012. She is now working on a feature film, JOY, to be directed by Adrian, which is a modern urban tale about four seemingly unconnected people who are linked by a single tragedy in their past.

Talking about this current entrepreneurial challenge, Lolita said, “It's very daunting to think we have to build the production ourselves but there's something so exciting about being completely in charge of it.”

With a flair for writing as well as acting, Chakrabarti feels both disciplines feed each other. “Acting and writing are both about people and our relationships to each other and the world. Examining what makes us flawed and human is a fulfilling job.

“As an actor I love the challenge of getting inside the skin of a wellrounded character. It's like a jigsaw puzzle - fitting the pieces in the script together in order to create a three dimensional person the audience will believe.

“When I'm writing I love the freedom of being able to take the story any way I choose. To put the world I know into a story.

When I start writing I drive the story forward but eventually, the story takes over and it drives me.”

Consistent and ambitious, she has just finished filming The Casual Vacancy, a three part television drama for the BBC and HBO. It's an adaptation of JK Rowling's novel of the same name, where she plays the role of Dr. Parminder Jawanda; an uptight, very assertive, ambitious GP. But which of these roles does she prefer? What is her final career goal? Lolita added with a smile, “I want to keep working in both fields - playing strong three dimensional parts and writing stories for stage and screen that people want to see.”

- Rani Singh and Rupanjana Dutta Lolita Chakrabarti

Here&Now 365.qxp_A4 Temp 12/09/2014 12:28 Page 1

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44-AmirKhan.qxp_A4 Temp 12/09/2014 17:02 Page 44

The people’s choice awards

Working to create a better world

A

mir Iqbal Khan, a former two time world light weight champion, has recently been in the news for the birth of his baby daughter. Since the arrival of his daughter, Amir has reflected a lot about the less fortunate children around the world who are not as privileged as him or his family. During his visit to Gambia, Amir released the reality of the situation in which children, in these third world countries, have to live through. Through this trip, Amir's new perspective of the world caused him start his own charity called the Amir Khan Foundation in which he hopes to provide food, shelter and other essential things that these children are deprived of. The Amir Khan Foundation with Penny Appeal is hoping to create a community center where hundreds of orphans can live and be educated (www.pennyappeal.org /AmirKhanFoundation).

A strong believer of using his position 'to give something back', he visited Pakistan after the 2005 Kashmir earthquake to hand out food parcels to displaced children.

Like many other Pakistanis, Amir Khan's grandfather, Lall, came to Britain in the late 1960s. The family were landowners from Rawalpindi; grandfather Khan saw the opportunity of a better future for his family in Britain and set up home in Halliwell, Greater Manchester, later bringing his wife, Iqbal Begum, and two sons over. Amir's father, Shah, was then seven.

Shah trained as a mechanic, set up his own garage, and then had a scrapyard. He now manages Amir's career full-time.

In a recent interview Amir reportedly said, “We are all hard workers. It's in the genes. We're not ones to just sit there and chill. Once I've had a rest in between fights, I have to go back into the gym. I've got to be doing something with my life. My coach has to get me to slow down sometimes.”

For Khan, success is satisfying but not surprising.

He goes to mosque every week, even if it's a fight week. He still fasts during Ramadan and has been to Mecca for the Hajj.

But he agrees that being a boxer still remains a very rare profession amongst Asians.

Speaking exclusively with the Asian Achievers Awards magazine about his career, challenges and his idol, Khan said: “It came naturally, so it wasn’t really that difficult to choose. In fact, I feel like it has chosen me in a way. Since then though, it’s obviously taken a lot of hard work and commitment to continue down this path and become the fighter I am today.

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ASIAN ACHIEVERS AWARDS 2014 Asian Voice & Gujarat Samachar

Amir Khan

“The Olympics was huge for me at such a young age and it seemed like it would be all uphill since then.

However, I’ve lost a fight here and there and with that always comes mental battles, being in training camp and away from my family for large periods of time is difficult and you have to be tough to compete professionally in any sport.

“Muhammad Ali was my idol and inspiration whilst I was growing up he was amazing inside the ring and such an inspiration outside the ring too.”

Is entrepreneurship (like his father) an option after his retirement? Amir added with a smile: “I’m not really sure what the future holds, especially since all I’m thinking about at the moment is my next fight. I’d love to stay connected to the sport somehow but we’ll have to see how that takes shape.”

- Rupanjana Dutta and Daniel Santosh

MGR Weston2014.qxp_A4 Temp 12/09/2014 14:19 Page 1

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The people’s choice awards

Upholding the legacy of civil services

C

hetna Patel is the newly appointed Private Secretary to Director General Consular and Economic Julian King, at the Foreign Commonwealth Office (FCO)– a role that puts her at the heart of policymaking and the decision-makers.

Amidst some of the community's most inspirational and successful women, Chetna's enthusiasm and passion for her field is toxic. 'In my job I've been really fortunate to work on some really high profile cases, for example when I was in Manila, I worked on the crisis effort after Typhoon Haiyan. I got to see the policy taking effect but then you see the policy in the news and that kind of buzz from knowing that you're actually working on things that actually matter and people care about, there is nothing like it.'

Born and raised in London, Chetna studied Social Policy at London School of Economics though, she says, the civil service route was not in her sights at all.

Instead, she took up a volunteer position straight out of LSE at a third sector think-tank called Race on the Agenda as a policy officer, to try and understand how policymaking works in the real world.

Working specifically on BME communities and researching why young people were getting into gun and knife crime led to Chetna's interest in policymaking to flourish. 'I found a way for me to engage in an issue that I cared about and was interested in, but also to professionally understand what policy making was.’

Asking what drives her, Chetna enthusiastically replied, 'The more I became engaged and understood how Whitehall works and what different departments do, the more I realised they actually impact every person's lives every single day. Because I got a taste for that, it built up an appetite, so I was keen to do more and experience more.’

The bright and bubbly young woman has been involved in a number of noteworthy causes including working on the public finance at HM Treasury and leading efforts on electoral participation at the Cabinet Office, a role which she said was incredibly 'exciting'.

With so few Asians taking up civil service roles, Chetna is one of the exceptions. Defying Asian stereotypes, Chetna light-heartedly said, is 'one of my missions in life'. With a strong backing from her family, obstacles and challenges have never been an issue.

Instead, she said, 'I've had a fantastically positive experience. I've never felt like anyone stood in my way, whether in my family or either to get a promotion or when I've gone for big jobs. I haven't felt like I've been disadvantaged at all. In fact, I've been really encouraged.’

Asking her how it feels to be in her new role, she

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ASIAN ACHIEVERS AWARDS 2014 Asian Voice & Gujarat Samachar

said, 'I have quite an unusual private secretary role because I'm quite junior relative to the rest of the organisation but I have a direct line into one of the most senior people in the office, which is great!’

Sharing her own life lessons, Chetna said, ‘Consider civil service as an option, because it is a fantastic option. Try to reach out to people in the field already. Learn about what the civil service does. As for FCO, I think its hugely exciting and unlike any other place I've worked in. You meet people everyday working on issues that are happening in the real world. So if you want to work in an area where you feel like you'll be making a bit of a difference, then this is place to come and that's why I'm here, because I feel like I want to make a bit of a contribution.’

- Tanveer Mann

Chetna Patel

47-49-51-.qxp_A4 Temp 15/09/2014 11:41 Page 47

The peopleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s choice awards

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48-Pragnesh.qxp_A4 Temp 12/09/2014 17:03 Page 48

The people’s choice awards

Risk is essential for growth

S

wimming against the turbulent tides of recession and navigating through the ever-changing landscape of the legal market are features which define London law firm, QS Axiom Stone. Unlike its many contemporaries, QS Axiom Stone has not merely survived the recent recession but grown through it, since its birth in 2008. The force behind this young, vibrant firm is its Managing Partner and one of the firm’s original founders, Pragnesh Modhwadia. From humble beginnings, to handling cases worth $1.5 Billion, his dream has become reality and has thrived in the past six years.

An entrepreneur, a legal professional, yet an idealist, Pragnesh thinks it is vital for everyone to have goals and dreams which they strive for. “Idealism is great but this has to be coupled with hard work and perseverance to actually achieve anything in life.”

Even as a student, Pragnesh exhibited the willingness to face those challenges that most of his peers would have acquiesced to. Whilst living in rented student accommodation, Pragnesh found himself in a dispute with his Landlord who had refused to return his rental deposit. Pragnesh refused to accept the injustice of the situation and successfully sued the Landlord for the monies owed to him. This experience gave Pragnesh confidence and defined his purpose for pursuing law. From then on he continued his journey to complete his qualifications without any reservations or fear.

Pragnesh attributes a major part of his accomplishment to his family and friends. He especially expresses his admiration for his brother, his tireless work and devotion to everything he does, who has always encouraged Pragnesh and helped him with the iniPragnesh Modhwadia tial funding for his entrepreneurial venture.

His take on the glass-ceiling is particularly unique- “I think there are always barriers or restrictions success will do!” to anything actually worth achieving . I don’t see these He feels that the most rewarding part about his as glass ceilings but challenges to be overcome. work is the satisfaction of happy clients when the firm Everyone faces their own challenges.” He is also a exceeds their expectations, “Legal advice isn’t always strong believer of the fact that the true test of a person the easiest or the happiest service people want to seek, isn’t what they do when they achieve something, it’s so having a pleased client means we’ve succeeded”, he what they do when they fail. adds. But rewards do not materialise without a fair Apart from work, he enjoys the thrill of sports share of risks and Pragnesh agrees. Setting up a law especially golf, taking part in events both socially and firm, as a newly qualified solicitor, in 2008 just as the for charity. “This year, our firm has sponsored and taken recession began wasn’t the easiest decision but he part in a number of football, cricket and golf tournaheld his belief that “risk is essential for success” ments; all of which I have enjoyed thoroughly”. although he explains that risk should be moderated Is he a ‘hunter’ or a ‘gatherer’? Answering to that with careful planning and hard work.

Pragnesh replied casually, “I’m a hybrid.”

He envisions that with the support of the firm’s “Depending on the situation, I can be both, but clients and business partners QS Axiom Stone will my natural instinct is to hunt. It is essential to know grow into a national brand in the near future. And we’re what you want in life and be determined enough to get positive it will! it. It is this attitude that I apply daily, whether to promote the business or to achieve our clients’ goals, only - Charusmita

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The peopleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s choice awards

ASIAN ACHIEVERS AWARDS 2014

Asian Voice & Gujarat Samachar

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50-Nisha Tandon.qxp_A4 Temp 12/09/2014 17:03 Page 50

The people’s choice awards

Success has no shortcut

O

ver the last 25 years, Nisha Tandon OBE, has toiled hard to give a platform to ethnic minorities such as Asians to express themselves through art, music and culture. Her untiring efforts took the shape of a company named Artsekta. Nisha founded this company a quarter century ago and today it has firmly established itself as a leading ethnic arts company in Northern Ireland.

By kickstarting community groups, helping deliver learning-systems to schools and supporting long-term art projects, Artsekta has supported ethnic minorities make Northern Ireland their home. Nisha chose art as a tool for she believes that art has no barrier. She says, “Through visual art, music, cultural seminars and a passion for cookery, people could talk freely about serious issues like religion and that provided a real educational platform for people”. She has also helped tackle traces of racism in Northern Island. This idea was fundamental to the foundation of Artsekta. Nisha's main objective concerning the initiative was to create a shared space for people to exhibit their art, beyond the idea of who they are or where they are from.

Owing to being a new venture, there were numerous tough challenges which Nisha and her company had to face. Being one of the largest Arts organisations in Northern Ireland, there were issues to be tackled at strategic level. Despite the improvement in services helping foreigners settle and expressing themselves, the hinderance of racism remained. People still thought of foreign artists as minority, leading to unfairly less recognition of these artists. After great hard work on trying to improve the effectiveness of the ethnic arts, things have improved, but as Nisha puts it, “There is still considerable work to be done”. Her work has not gone unnoticed. Her noble initiative for a non profit organisation has led to a widespread acclaim for itself from all over Europe. In the month of June, she won the UK Asian Women of Achievement Award for contribution to arts and culture as well as the highly regarded OBE award. She is the first Asian woman in Northern Ireland to win an OBE and that is something Nisha takes great pride in.

“It was beyond my belief that the hard work that I have put in for the last 25 years (she has been part of the Northern Ireland for 37 years but worked in the community section for the last 25 years, is being recognised at such a high level. I could not believe it, especially the Asian women's award because of other nominated shortlisted names; there were some well-known and recognised people, who were almost celebrities in their fields. So it was astounding to hear that I

50

ASIAN ACHIEVERS AWARDS 2014 Asian Voice & Gujarat Samachar

won. I was not sure that I had chances of winning this award and it was a heartening experience.” There is optimism for the future of Artsekta, Nisha explains. The Asian entrepreneur believes that Artsekta will continue to expand and develop into a major business venture.

However, she also stated that “Expansion can only happen when there is good funding. Enterprises need capital. Right now we are bidding for our own place where we can experience ethnic arts and culture in a specialised environment. In England you have suitable public settings like South Bank and Notting Hill. I hope that within a year there would be a similar forum within Ireland to showcase ethnic arts.”

An acknowledged businesswoman with a generous heart, Nisha Tandon OBE also has some advice for aspiring future entrepreneurs, “Never give up, despite challenges. Never let your motivation slip. There will be obstructions but if you have a vision, stick to it with focus. Recognise the problems and resolve them head on. It might sound cliched but success has no shortcut”.

- Charusmita and Rahul Lakhani

Nisha Tandon

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ASIAN ACHIEVERS AWARDS 2014

Asian Voice & Gujarat Samachar

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The people’s choice awards

Requiem of a fallen star

A

son, a friend and a brother. But before anything else, he was a soldier. And he did what soldiers do- 'Service before Self'. A union flag drape, a bell tolling to mark the cortege's arrival, flowers thrown on to the hearses and a grieving but proud family, a soldier is never alone even in death. The Ministry of Defence called it a 'tragic crash'. The family mourned their son. Friends still cannot believe the loss of Rak, as they called him.

But his spirit lies in their hearts.

Flight Lieutenant Rakesh Chauhan, a 29 years young officer of the Royal Airforce left us for his heavenly journey on 26th April 2014. He was a co-passenger in a helicopter with Intelligence Corps colleague Lance Corporal Oliver Thomas and its three-man crew- Captain Thomas Clarke, Warrant Officer class 2 Spencer Faulkner and Corporal James Walters, of the Army Flt Lt Rakesh Chauhan Air Corps. Their Lynx helicopter crashed in Afghanistan's Kandahar Province.

More than a thousand mourners including service personnel, school-children and relatives- lined the streets to pay their respect as the cortege passed the base's memorial garden in Leicester, where his family lives. His father, Kishore Chauhan, remembers Rakesh's childhood dream, “The Air Force had been his dream since he was 11. He loved it and what gave me great pride is that my son lived and loved his job”. Flt. Lieutenant Chauhan's schooling years were spent in the private King Edward's School in Birmingham. His formative graduation years were shaped by the prestigious St. Andrews University in Scotland. Today we are here to not mourn his passing away, but to celebrate the exceptional, inspirational and aspiration life that he lived. An honour that he held high, an attitude that he motivated his peers with and an impeccable sense of duty, there are many things that we will remember him for. Kesh, Flt. Lieutenant's older brother, spoke about his extraordinary achievements at such a young age, “He accomplished much more than many in his short 29 years. Rakesh was extremely proud to serve his country and especially of his appointment at the RAF and commission”.

52

So what was Rakesh like, besides being a devoted soldier? “His sense of humour was contagious and you could guarantee he would be at the centre of any laughter in the room”, his Commanding Officer was reported as saying. He added, “He was certainly the best Intelligence Branch officer that I have known, his presentations were considered essential viewing by aircrew and others alike”. Rakesh's father, Kishore Chauhan, owns Milan's Sarees, a shop in Leicester's Golden Mile and the family continues to be an epitome of strength and inspiration to the community members who hold them in high regard.

City Mayor Sir Peter Soulsby, who is acquainted with the Chauhan family, said, “I know the family as their shop and business is such a well established and respected part of the local business community in Belgrave. I am deeply saddened to hear of the loss of a dear son and such a fine young man. Our hearts go out to the family”.

Rakesh Chauhan's coffin is brought out of the hearse

Fine young men of our community have been a part of prestigious institutions here in the UK with ambitious success stories but the grandeur of a soldier is unparalleled. Today, we honour Flight Lieutenant Rakesh Chauhan, who symbolises dedication, patriotism, spirit, pride and most importantly, our hopes.

Through this humble tribute, we hope to give a concrete shape to our strength as a community and to inspire us with great sense of humility and sportsmanship. Through him, we also pray for soldiers like him, who died brave, but live on forever in our hearts.

The community came together in Leicester to bid farewell to this fallen hero

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The peopleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s choice awards

WINNERS of 2006 Professional of the Year

Winner: Capt. Ashvini Sharma, Regional Director AirIndia, UK Shortlisted Nominees Jiva Odedra Reena Ramesh Shah Parm Sandhu

Woman of the Year

Winner: Jasuben Seghani, Shop Owner

Shortlisted Nominees Shahin Badar Shashi Kiran Gossain Honey Kalaria

Achievement in Community Service Winner: Chandubhai Kanani

Shortlisted Nominees Vijay Ratan Manubhai Makwana Gopalbhai Popat and Induben Mehta

New Market Entrant

Winner: Majoj Ladwa and Vikas Pota â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Founders Saffron Chase

Shortlisted Nominees Suresh Vagjiani Suresh Kotecha Jes Kaur Raj Bakrania

Lifetime Achievement

Winner: Arjan Vekaria

Shortlisted Nominees K.B Shankar Yogesh Mehta Dr Mohan Kaul

Achievement in Media, Arts & Culture Winner: Dr Avatar Lit, founder of Sunrise Radio Shortlisted Nominees Mira Trivedi Rakhi Sood Ashish Joshi

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ASIAN ACHIEVERS AWARDS 2014 Asian Voice & Gujarat Samachar

Lookback Business in Community Winner: Manish Shah, Partner at Sigma Pharmaceuticals PLC

Shortlisted Nominees Mr. DK Kewalramani Pramod Thakkar

Achievement in Sports

Winner: Hunisha Bharat Patel, Martial Arts

Shortlisted Nominees Monty Panesar Sajid Mahmood Prince Naseem Ahmed

Business Person of the Year Winner: Nadir Lalani, Founder of 99p Stores

Shortlisted Nominees Kantesh (Ken) Popat Ravi Gill Arvind Halai

Innovation in Business

Winner: Arvind Malhotra, Owner of GapGuru Shortlisted Nominees Shashi Gossain Nikunj Shah

Woman of the Year

Winner: Dr Usha Menon, Lecturer at UCL, Head of Gynecological Cancer Research Centre

Shortlisted Nominees Dipa Jethwa Manisha Tank CII Anjana Patel

Achievement in Community Service Winner: Viral Acharya, Founder of Pratham USA & Pratham UK Shortlisted Nominees Raj Loomba Shaunaka Rishi Das Vinod Kapashi

WINNERS of 2007

Business Community Award

Winner: Nat Puri, Purico Group of Companies

Shortlisted Nominees Janak Ondhia Kishor Patel Pradeep Pandya

Young Entrepreneur of the Year Winner: Dalip Kumar, Founder Travelin Style

Shortlisted Nominees Sanjay Vadera Shamir Shah Vikkas Puri

Lifetime Achievement Award

Winner: Firoz Kassam, Entrepreneur, Hotels and B&Bs

Shortlisted Nominees Bobby Grewal Bhanumati Piparia Chandrakalaben Patel

Sports Personality of the Year

Winner: Monty Panesar, Cricketer Shortlisted Nominees Owais Shah Saima Hussain Kiran Matharu

Professional of the Year

Winner: Naynesh Desai, Solicitor Shortlisted Nominees Puneet Arora Ritu Sethi Dr Satya Narayan Agarwal

Achievement in Community Service

Winner: Rati Shah, Fund Raiser Social Service

Shortlisted Nominees Dr Ramesh Gandhi, Mahendra Jadeja Madat Ahame,

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Achievement in Media, Arts & Culture Winner: Renu Patel, Performing Arts

Shortlisted Nominees Honey Kalaria Mira Kakad Ravi Sharma

Woman of the Year

Winner: Shriti Vadera, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for International Development Shortlisted Nominees Mrs Deepakben Patel Gita Jobanputra Nilam Patel

WINNERS of 2008 Professional of the Year

Winner: Nishma Gosrani, Consultant at PriceWaterhouseCoopers Shortlisted Nominees Anuj Chande Raj Joshi Dr Akbar Ali Malik

Business Person of the Year

Winner: Yogesh Mehta, Managing Director of Amertrans Shipping

Dolar Popat

Shortlisted Nominees Bemal Patel Hasmukhbhai Patel

Young Entrepreneur of the Year

Suraj Gokani

Winner: Kuljinder S. Bahia, Director of Southall Travel t Shortlisted Nominees Rajesh Agarwal Devin Chawda

Woman of the Year

Winner: Kamal Hothi, Lloyds TSB Shortlisted nominees Manula Sood Sangeeta Patel Anita Chopra Salima Mawji

Lookback

Achievement in Healthcare and Education Winner: Dr Dak Patel, Director London SAM

Shortlisted Nominees Dr Reshma Ramesh Gandecha Arun Patel Dr Satyanarayan Agarwal

Achievement in Community Service

Winner: Dr Rami Ranger, Chairman of India, PAK, UK Friendship Forum

Shortlisted Nominees Vinod Kapashi Bharesh Trivedi Gordhandas S Patel

Sports Personality of the Year

Winner: Maiyuran Ratneswaran, Fencing Shortlisted nominees Shivam Shah Rashmi Yadave Manjit Singh

Achievement in Media, Art and Culture

Winner: Ravi Sharma, Radio Ambassador India & UK Shortlisted Nominees Jay Kumar Nikita Thakrar Paresh Shah

Uniformed and Civil Services

Winner: PC Mebs Ahmed, Chairman of Lancashire, Black Police Association Shortlisted Nominees Supt. Raj Kohli Dr. Kadaba S V DL Ajit Patel

WINNERS of 2009 Woman of the Year

Winner: Uma A Mehta

Shortlisted Nominees Dr Monika Khanna Parveen Hassant Honey Kalaria

The peopleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s choice awards

Civil Service and Uniform Winner: Capt. Sandip Patel

Shortlisted Nominees Natubhai Somabhai Patel Shilpa Solanki Bhimji Vekaria

Business Person of the Year

Winner: Anil Maneklal Solanki

Shortlisted nominees Kirit Patel Thariq Mohammed Koolesh Shah

Business in Community

Winner: Narendra Patel

Shortlisted Nominees P.S. Kang Naynesh Desai Satish Parekh

Professional of the Year

Winner: Manjul K Vasant MBE Shortlisted Nominees Cheryl Dhillon Zafar Siddique Mohammad Asghar

Young Entrepreneur of the Year Winner: Rishi Lakhani

Shortlisted Nominees Snahal Patel Nina Kabra Bhavisha Patel

Media, Arts and Culture

Winner: Chamanlal Chaman Shortlisted nominees Jasvinder Singh Bal Ashish Amrit Kotak JeetsScreen Idolz

Achievement in Community Services Winner: Vraj Pankhania Shortlisted Nominees Madhurikaben R. Patel Chhotalal Maganlal Limbachia Chhotalal Narottambhai Chauhan

ASIAN ACHIEVERS AWARDS 2014

Asian Voice & Gujarat Samachar

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The peopleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s choice awards

Sports Personality of the Year Winner: Rajeev Bagga

Lookback

Sports Personality of the Year Winner: Ravi Bopara

Shortlisted Nominees Ashwin Bhatt Shivam Shah Samit Patel

Shortlisted Nominees Ashpal Kaur Bhogal Michael Chopra Zesh Rehman

Excellence & Innovation

Young Entrepreneur of the Year

Winner: Frank Khalid

Winner: Riz Navsarka

WINNERS of 2010 Professional of the Year

Winner: Vijay Goel

Shortlisted Nominees Prof S Homer Vanniasinka Dr Nora Vyas Dr Sandeep Mane

Media, Arts and Culture Winner: Anjali Bulley

Winner: Ranjan Manek, OBE

Shortlisted Nominees Abhishek Varma Jason and Dennis Singh Digwa Sujan Shah

Business in Community

Winner: Sukhpal Singh Ahluwalia Shortlisted Nominees Sanjiv Mehta Subir Patel Anil Sehgal

Uniformed and Civil Services Winner: Bala Mehndran

Shortlisted nominees Bujor J Avari Mark Sumariwalla Rajini Vaidyanathan

Achievement in Community Services

Shortlisted Nominees Aliya Rashid Aswin Rana Zaheer Ahmad

D.

Shortlisted nominees Cllr Filly Maravala Darshan lal Kalhan Maneck A Dalal, OBE Sanjay Jagatia

Woman of the Year

Winner: Pavani Reddy

Shortlisted Nominees Jasuben Mistry Shalina Alabaksh Shashi Kiran Gossain

ASIAN ACHIEVERS AWARDS 2014 Asian Voice & Gujarat Samachar

Young Business person demonstrating sustained business growth Amit Patel

Best Overall Enterprise Subaskaran Allirajah

Leadership in Professions Bobby Karia

Achievement in Health Care

Overall Business Performance and Innovation

WINNERS of 2011

Sanjiv Mehta

Dr Nora Vyas

Professional of the Year Winner: Bhupendra Jasani

Shortlisted Nominees Anuj Chande Dalip Puri Sujata Sharma

Winner: Arun Panchariya

Shortlisted Nominees Dr Vijay Patel and Dr Bhikhu Patel Hemang Shah Raj K. Aggarwal OBE

Dr Vijay patel and Dr Bhikhu Patel

Asian Voice Special Award for Ingenuity in Business

Business Person of the Year

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Editor's award for Vision and Enterprise

Jason and Dennis Singh Digwa

AAA-Magazine-Look-BackAK.qxp_A4 Temp 15/09/2014 10:40 Page 57

Achievement in Media, Arts & Culture Winner: Bobby Singh

Shortlisted nominees Nasif Ali Shiamak Davar Surjit Singh Ghuman

Sports Personality of the Year Winner: Rajiv Ouseph

Shortlisted Nominees Ashpal Kaur Bhogal Isa Gunha Manjit Singh

Achievement in Community Service

Winner: Major Tikendra Dal Dewan

Anjum Anwar

Shortlisted Nominees Fauzia and Nooruddin Aftab Kamleshben Patel

Lookback Business Person of the Year

Winner: Dr Rami Ranger Shortlisted Nominees Rajan Amin Ruby McGregor-Smith Ali Kurji

Editor's Award for Vision & Enterprise Dinesh Patel & Savitaben (Cofresh)

Editor's Award for Research and Compilation Dr Kusoom Vadgama

Young Entrepreneur of the Year Winner: Mitesh Patel

Shortlisted Nominees Shazia Awan Nina Kabra Abhishek Varma

Uniformed & Civil Services Winner: Shindo Barquer

Shortlisted Nominees Dalwardin Babu PC Asif Sadiq Hitesh Oza

Woman of the year

Winner: Ruby McGregor â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Smith

Shortlisted Nominees Cllr Mimi Harker OBE Yashmin Mistry Devi Kolli

Business in Community

Winner: Shernaz Engineer

Shortlisted Nominees Mandeep Atwal Manoj Patel Nish Kotecha

WINNERS of 2012 Professional of the Year Winner: Shah

Prof.

Sunil

Shortlisted Nominees Abhishek Sahdev Rajay Naik Dr Minaxi S. Desai CBE Prof. Alimuddin Zumla

Media, Arts and Culture Winner: Gunawardene

Nileeka

Shortlisted nominees Ray Panthaki Rishi Rich Dr Sathi Ludhianvi

Lifetime Achievement Winner: Lord Noon, MBE

Gulam

Shortlisted Nominees Baroness Shreela Flather Sir Anwar Pervex Nadir Lalani

The peopleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s choice awards

Achievement in Community Services Winner: Kishan Devani

Shortlisted Nominees Chelliah Yogamoorthy MBE Asif Iqbal Param Singh

Young Entrepreneur of the Year Winner: Shamir Shah

Shortlisted Nominees Ishil Mehta Zima Parmar Priyesh Rawal

Sports Personality of the Year Winner: Akaash Bhatia

Shortlisted Nominees Netan Sansara Mandip Sehmi Bulbul Hussain Gaz Choudhry

Woman of the Year

Winner: Shahnaz Hussain

Shortlisted Nominees Urvasi Naidoo Mishal Husain Dr Sonal Minocha

Business Person of the Year Winner: Subaskaran Allirajah

Shortlisted Nominees Ashok Rabheru Mansoor Popat Dr Diwan Rahul Nanda

Young Entrepreneur of the Year Uniformed and Civil Services Winner: Amjad Mazhar Hussain

Shortlisted Nominees Tejinder Ajimal Gurcharan Singh Dhesi MBE Darra Singh Lt Bhavna Parmar

ASIAN ACHIEVERS AWARDS 2014

Asian Voice & Gujarat Samachar

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The peopleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s choice awards

International Personality of the Year Smt Hema Malini MP

International Personality of the Year Kevin Pietersen MBE

Special Editor's Award for Outstanding Services Through Legal Profession

HH Judge Sir Mota Singh QC

Lookback

Editors Award for Vision & Enterprise Samrat Bhandari

WINNERS of 2013

Achievement in Media, Art and Culture Winner: Seeta Indrani

Shortlisted Nominees Navin Kundra Kiran Shah Amol Rajan

Achievement in Community

Winner: Professor Naina Patel, OBE

Shortlisted Nominees Charan Kanwal Sekhon Dorab Erach Mistry OBE Piara Singh Aulakh MBE

Editor's Award

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Sports Personality of the Year

Winner: Ruqsana Begum Shortlisted Nominees Kiran Matharu Saddiqa Shan Vishal Ladwa

Uniformed & Civil Services Winner: Chief Supt Surjeet Manku

Shortlisted Nominees Shami Chakrabarti CBE Satya Minhas Ravi Chand CBE

Professional of the Year

Winner: Nandita Parshad

Shortlisted Nominees Arun Batia Professor Soraya Dhillon MBE Dr Ajay Gupta

Young Entrepreneur of the Year Winner: Rajeeb Day

Shortlisted Nominees Aruna Seth Faiza Seth Nick Madhavji Rajeeb Dey

Business Person of the Year Winner: Firoz Tejani

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Woman of the Year

Winner: Farida Gibbs

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