AAA 2022 Magazine

06:00pm 07:15pm 07:35pm 07:45pm 08:05pm 08:15pm 09:00pm 10:00pm 10:15pm 10:20pm 11:00pm 01:00am

Arrivals, Canapés & Drinks Reception

Starters & Welcome speech by L George (Director, EPG Events; former CEO, Asian Voice and Gujarat Samachar)

~ Introducing Nitin Ganatra OBE and Deana Uppal

~ Special video

Performance by Illusion Flamenca

Awards Ceremony Begins #1 Achievement in Community Service

#2 Achievement in Media #3 Achievement in Art & Culture

#4 Queen Elizabeth II Woman of the Year #5 Uniformed & Civil Services

#6 Professional of the Year

#7 Special Award for Innovation and Entrepreneurship

Performance by Singer-songwriter Rumer

Pardada Pardadi Educational Society, presentation & auction

~ Speech by Emma Horne (Chair, Pardada Pardadi UK)

~ Speech by Pinki

~ Charity auction conducted by Lord Jeffery Archer Main Course Served

Performance by Stand-up comedian Tez Ilyas Acknowledgments by Pratik Dattani (Managing Director, EPG)

Awards ceremony continues #8 Sports Personality of the Year #9 Entrepreneur of the Year #10 Business Person of the Year

#11 Outstanding Achievement in Healthcare #12 Special Award for Business Leadership

#13 Lifetime Achievement Award

End of programme & commencement of after-party Carriages

Message from the Prime Minister

It gives me great pleasure to extend my very best wishes to all the nominees of the 20th Asian Achievers Awards. This event is always a fantastic reminder of the tremendous contribution that the British Asian diaspora have made to the United Kingdom, and I am pleased to celebrate that alongside you.

I would also like to take this opportunity to congratulate the Gujarat Samachar on its 50th anniversary. You have played a remarkable role in representing British Asian interests in the UK across the decades. This year we are also remembering 50 years since the expulsion of Ugandan Asians, which is another timely opportunity to pay tribute to the outstanding contribution of Asians to the UK.

British Asians have always gone above and beyond, succeeding in every walk of life—the arts, sciences, business, and indeed our Conservative Government. Our country is all the stronger because of it. Many congratulations to all the winners, and a special thank you to APBL for recognising their efforts.

Rt Hon Elizabeth Truss MP Minister, United Kingdom

Messages of support

Sir Keir Starmer Leader of the Labour Party

It gives me enormous pleasure to offer my congratulations to all the nominees at tonight’s 20th annual Asian Achievers Awards.

British Asians are a driving force behind the much of the social, cultural and economic innovation we see in Britain today. You represent so many of the values that help our communities thrive – inclusiveness, hard work and ambition to name a few. These are Labour values too.

That is why it is so wonderful so see so many British Asian change-makers being recognised tonight, honouring the contribution they in particular have made to public life, community service, arts, culture, business, technology and beyond.

I grew up in a small town in Surrey. My dad worked as a toolmaker on the factory floor and my mum was a nurse for the NHS. Later I became the first in my family to go to university. So, like many in the room tonight, I share in the pride and sense of empowerment you will take from the inspirational stories of the nominees. I hope it will inspire those in the audience to succeed in the years ahead.

Let me end by saying thank you to all the nominees, attendees and indeed the committed organisers for helping make Britain a better, brighter, more secure and more prosperous country. Your example is truly

Sadiq Khan Mayor of London

I would like to send my best wishes to the winners and nominees of the 20th Asian Achievers Awards, which recognises and celebrates the most influential and successful South Asian and British Asian achievers across various sectors, including business, sports and media.

“Asian communities have made – and continue to make – a hugely positive contribution to public life. From fashion to financial services, politics to hospitality, they continue to play a significant role in shaping not only our culture but our national identity.

“I want to thank British Asians for your contribution to the dynamism, vibrancy and success of our country and our city and helping to make London what it is today - the greatest city in the world.

Foreword

Since they started in 2000, the Asian Achievers Awards have occupied a special place in the Asian community, documenting our growth and contribution to life in the UK over several decades.

Life was so different back then. The year 2000 saw the third and final season of Goodness Gracious Me on British television, the first time an Asian series achieved primetime billing. Rishi Sunak was in his second year of university, and cricketer Isa Guha in secondary school. Saurav Ganguly took over as Indian cricket captain.

Today, glass ceilings have been shattered. Through this journey, Asian Voice, Gujarat Samachar and the AAA have stood side-by-side with successive generations of British Asians to facilitate their growth.

The first time I attended the Awards was about a decade ago. At that time, as is the case today, I remain in awe with what our community has achieved. It is a privilege to meet and interact with behemoths in the community and unsung heroes. The AAA have directly raised more than £3.5 million for charitable causes in the last 20 years, and many millions more indirectly.

As EPG continues to host the AAA after a pause during the pandemic, I see a real opportunity for our community.

I see the next 20 years bringing even more success for the South Asian diaspora. Sir Isaac Newton said, if I have seen further, it is by standing on the shoulders of giants. Those that have gone before us have helped us make the progress we take for granted today. And so, let’s identify the next generation of winners. Let’s put our community even more on the map.

Pratik Dattani Managing Director, EPG

Compere Profiles

Nitin Ganatra OBE

Nitin is a Kenyan-born British actor best known for portraying Masood Ahmed in the BBC soap EastEnders. He was Prince Pondicherry in the Tim Burton film Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, also appearing in Bride and Prejudice, The Mistress of Spices and Mumbai Calling.

His other credits also include The Catherine Tate Show, Philip Pullman’s The Shadow in the North and the CBBC Gina’s Laughing Gear. Nitin won Best Onscreen Partnership with Nina Wadia at the British Soap Awards in 2009 and was later nominated for Best Actor at the British Soap Awards in 2010.He appeared in the first ever iPod commercial.

Deana Uppal

Deana is a British Asian beauty pageant titleholder, entrepreneur, filmmaker and philanthropist. Most recently her incredible documentary ‘India’s Forgotten People’ which is directed, produced and hosted by Deana is currently on Netflix and the Discovery channel. For this, she lived with the Gadia Lohar community in Rajasthan for several months to shoot the film.

Following on from her documentary ‘India’s Forgotten people’, Deana set up a charity ‘Kindness Diaries Trust’ to provide ongoing support and tackle poverty in rural India.

Deana executive produced the Punjabi film ‘Jind Mahi’ which was released worldwide in cinemas. Additionally, she was also one of the finalists in Big Brother (British series 13), a contestant on Fear Factor, Khatron Ke Khiladi 5 hosted by Rohit Shetty, and has featured in and directed various movies.

Panel of Esteemed Judges

Bally Sagoo Music Producer

Since his first album hit platinum in the 1980s, Bally Sagoo has been a pioneer producer of Indian music in the UK. He became the first Indian artist to reach national mainstream radio when the album track “Chura Liya” (a re-working of Asha Bhosle’s song) was played on BBC Radio 1, with multiple hits on the billboard charts.”

Sir Bas Javid

Former Deputy Assistant Commissioner, Metropolitan Police

Sir Bas Javid served as the Deputy Assistant Commissioner for the Metropolitan Police until mid-2022. He is an experienced police officer, and was the Chief Superintendent of West Midlands Police for over 11 years. He is a strong military and protective services professional with a Master’s degree focused in Applied Criminology from University of Cambridge.

Dr Mayur Lakhani CBE

Former President, Royal College of General Practitioners

Dr Mayur Lakhani has been devoted to the Royal College of General Practitioner as Chairman (2004-2007) and President (2017). He is currently Chairman for East Leicestershire CCG and honorary member of University of Leicester.

Natasha Asghar is the first woman of colour in the Welsch Conservative Party and was listed in BBC’s 100 Women in December 2021. She holds a Masters in Contemporary British Policy and Media from the University of London. Natasha Asghar Senedd Regional Member, Welsh Conservative Party

Sandeep Virdee OBE

Artistic Director, Darbar Festival

Sandeep Virdee has been the Artistic director of Darbar Arts Culture Heritage since 2005. He also founded the Darbar festival, an Indian classical music and dance festival, which takes place annually in London.

Sujata Bhatia COO, Monzo Bank

Sujata Bhatia is COO at Monzo, a digital-only banking platform. Before joining Monzo, Sujata was a Senior Vice President & GM for Global Merchant Services Europe at American Express. In her early career, she was a strategy consultant at Bain & Company in London and worked at Goldman Sachs and Ernst & Young.

Perfomers’ Profiles

Tez Ilyas

Tez is one of the most celebrated stars in British comedy. In 2015 he achieved phenomenal success with his debut stand-up hour TEZ Talks. A sell-out run at the Soho Theatre and his own Radio 4 series based on the show followed, with a second series quickly being recommissioned. In 2016 his highly anticipated follow-up show Made in Britain went on to sell out every single performance (including extra shows) at the Edinburgh Fringe and gained spectacular critical acclaim, with a smash hit nationwide tour in 2017. His third show Teztify once again delivered a spectacularly powerful, provocative and brilliantly funny hour of topical stand-up, delivered to packed-out audiences’ night after night.

Tez has appeared on Live at The Apollo (BBC Two), The Last Leg (C4), Mock the Week (BBC Two), Live From the BBC (BBC Two), The Chris Ramsey Show (Comedy Central), Man Like Mobeen (BBC Three), Live from the Comedy Store (Comedy Central), Kevin Hart’s Live from Montreal (LOL Network), Virtually Famous (E4), The Now Show (BBC Radio 4), Roast Battle (Comedy Central), The Rob Rinder Verdict (C4) and The Great British Bake Off: An Extra Slice (C4), Celebrity Supply Teacher (CBBC).Tez’s Channel 4 comedy Blap Bounty is the most watched show in the strand’s 10-year history. In 2019 he fronted his own Channel 4 satirical sketch series The Tez O’Clock Show to huge critical acclaim.

In 2020, Tez released his first stand-up comedy special, Teztify, recorded live at the Southbank Centre, playing out exclusively on Youtube. In 2021, Tez Ilyas will embark on his brand new nationwide tour show, Populist.

Tez’s hotly anticipated debut novel The Secret Diary of a British Muslim Aged 13 3/4, a teenage memoir, will be released on April 8th 2021.

Ilusion Flamenca

The award-winning flamenco dance school, Ilusion Flamenca, led by Angela Alonso, is based in Covent Garden and Euston since 1999. This year, Ilusion Flamenca will bring the magic and mystery of Flamenco to the Asian Achievers Awards. Through energetic footwork and beautiful arms movements, this troupe will introduce you to the mystery of flamenco, a passionate dance form of gypsy origin. Expect a sensational performance of Spanish dance in its purest form with beautiful visuals and outstanding talent. Let your hips and feet move to enchanting Spanish rhythms. The result is explosive.

Performers’ Profiles

Rumer

Rumer is a critically acclaimed British singer songwriter, live performer and catalogue artist whose debut album Seasons of My Soul (2010) sold over a million copies worldwide. In 2012, she released Boy’s Don’t Cry, where she did justice to some of the 70’s finest songwriters. Her album Into Colour (2014) saw Rumer’s own return as a songwriter, followed by This Girl’s in Love: A Bacharach and David Songbook in 2016, Nashville Tears in 2020, Live from Lafayette (2020) and most recently B Sides and Rarities Vol 2 (2022) and is currently writing and recording her next original studio album set for release in 2023.

Rumer, who has been called “Heir to Dusty Springfield and Karen Carpenter” by Q Magazine, has earned rave reviews for her live shows across the globe.

Rumer was influenced from an early age by the American Songbook, hymns and the musical tastes of her six older siblings. She spent her twenties in a succession of bands and a variety of minimum wage jobs, interrupted by a spell in a hippy commune following the death of her mother from breast cancer. After a succession of false starts, a chance meeting with a collaborator and a deal with Atlantic Records, Rumer began her rapid rise.

The world swooned at her smoky, soothing tones, compared to those of Karen Carpenter, and the classic arrangements across her first album, SEASONS OF MY SOUL, where every song, as The Guardian put it, already sounded “like a standard”. Richard Carpenter wrote to offer her his “congratulations” for creating something “actually musical, which has been in short supply in recent years.” Another high-profile fan, Elton John remarked that “Singers like Rumer don’t come along that often.”

Alison Gabriel

Alison is a classically trained cellist and pianist with a real sensitivity to the nuances of world music. Her ability to perform a range of genres allows an ‘East meets West fusion and her performances can be tailored to suit the needs of any event.

She has performed Bollywood, Kollywood, Chinese, African, Arabic, classical, pop, EDM and movie music. She performs live on electric or acoustic cello to prerecorded backing tracks.

She has opened in Dhaka and Dubai for Rahat Fateh Ali Khan; performed 33 times at Nabd Al Riyadh for Riyadh Season; supported Mika Singh, Vishal-Shekar, Sanam, Salim-Sulaiman, Riminique, Mohammed Irfan Ali, JLS and Akon; and performed at festival across the world. Her corporate clients have included Aston Martin, Porsche, Mercedes Benz, BMW, Audi, Coca-Cola, Tiffanys and BVLGARI.

Finalists: Community Service

Dev Trehan

Dev is a British sports journalist to cover the Indian Super League. He is also the creator of the first mainstream media platform dedicated to British South Asians in Football. Dev played a key role in brokering the Sky and Sporting Equals partnerships for British South Asians in Football. He is set to be on board for Kick It Out, English football’s equality and inclusion organisation.

Dr Zareen Roohi Ahmed

Zareen has a PhD in Multiculturalism, specialising in women’s rights, with several senior roles from managing urban regeneration projects to the CEO of the British Muslim Forum. Zareen is Chair of The Halimah Trust, a charity established in memory of her daughter; and Founder and CEO of Gift Wellness, a social enterprise championing natural toiletries including vegan shampoo bars and menstrual products.

Haris Kiani

Haris has supported over 500 women in Pakistan’s rural communities by providing access to equity and interest-free capital via a micro-finance fund, Jagoo, supporting them to set up enterprises in their communities. He raised over £500,000 for social mobility charities at the age of 22 and is a Board Member for EY Foundation and several other organisations.

Krishna Pujara

Krishna is the CEO of Enfield Saheli, a charity empowering woman to make informed choices. She is chairperson at several organisations, including Women Economic Forum UK and Women’s Indian Chamber of Commerce & Industry. Krishna makes a difference to many lives and has contributed to developing voluntary community organisations in the UK.

Katharine Moana Birbalsingh CBE

Katharine is Chair of the Social Mobility Commission, and headmistress and co-founder of Michaela Community School in Wembley. She was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 2020. She is also chair of the Government’s Social Mobility Commission, responsible for monitoring and promoting social mobility across the UK.

Finalists: Media

Aashma Mir

Aasmah Mir is a Sony Gold Award-winning broadcaster.She co-presents ‘Saturday Live‘ on BBC Radio 4 alongside Rev Richard Coles and reports for ITV during elections and for their flagship current affairs programme ‘Tonight” Most recently, she was one of the hosts of Britain Celebrates: Live – 100 Years of Votes for Women on BBC1, presenting live from Edinburgh. Also in 2018 she was a guest presenter on 5’s The Wright Stuff where, over the years, she has been a regular panellist.

Ahmed Hussain

Ahmed is the current Head of the BBC Asian Network, having taken over in 2020, the station has undergone a complete transformation under his tenure. Ahmed was previously the Head of Prison Radio at the Ministry of Justice, helping integrate programmes from prisons around the UK across one national station.

Naga Munchetty

Naga is one of the UK’s most respected broadcasters and journalists. Naga is known nationwide as one of the presenters on BBC Breakfast and for hosting her own radio show on BBC 5 Live Monday - Wednesday. In addition, Naga presents Claimed and Shamed for BBC1 and presented a documentary in 2021 for Panorama called ‘Let’s Talk About Race’. Naga is passionate about golf and plays off a handicap of 6.6.

Raj Baddhan

The youngest CEO to have ever been appointed at Lyca Media (Lyca Radio, Lyca Gold & Time 107.5FM), Raj Baddhan commenced his tenure in January 2021 at the age of 39. Subsequently, he has worked tirelessly to revolutionise the landscape of Asian Radio across the UK. An indelible impact created not only with his business acumen, but also by disrupting the market with his very own unique and charismatic brand of diverse, innovative thinking techniques.

Finalists: Art & Culture

Simone Ashley

Simone Ashley shot to global fame with the announcement as the female lead of season two of Netflix and Shonda Rhimes’s hit show Bridgerton. Past credits include Netflix’s Sex Education, Netflix’s Broadchurch; BBC’s Wolfsblood, C.B. Strike, Doctors, and Casualty; Freeform’s Guilt; Rai Production’s L’Ispettore Coliandro; Euston Film’s mini-series because the Night; Warner Bros’ Pokemon Detective Pikachu. The announcement of Ashley’s casting was globally celebrated for breaking down a race barrier, changing Kate’s ethnicity from the books so her family would be of Indian descent.

Chandra Chakraborty

Chandra Chakraborty is a British, North Indian classical vocalist and CEO of Kalalar Arts. She has performed across the world, including at the Commonwealth Games. One of the foremost disciples of late maestro Pandit A Kanan and Vidushi Malabika Kanan, Chandra is one of the finest interpreters of Kirana Gharana. She learnt the Purab-aang Thumri Gayakee of Banaras Gharana under the guidance of Padmabivushon Vidushi Girija Devi.

Namit Malhotra

Namit Malhotra is Chairman and CEO of industry-leading visual effects and animation company DNEG, and also the founder and non-executive director of DNEG’s parent company, Prime Focus Limited. As a film producer, Namit has credits including Bollywood epics ‘Brahmastra’ and the upcoming ‘Ramayana’, and the animated feature film ‘Garfield’, which will be distributed by Sony Pictures.

Charli XCX

Charli XCX is an international singer, songwriter, model and actress. She contributed in vocals and co-writing for several hits before debuting her studio album True Romance in 2013. International success followed quickly with a second studio album and collaborations with other artists such as Iggy Azalea. Her songs have been on the Top 10 in North America and Europe and on the Billboard Hot 100.

Finalists: Queen Elizabeth II Woman of the Year

Rt Hon Suella Braverman QC MP

Rt Hon Suella Braverman QC MP is a British politician and barrister serving as Home Secretary since 6 September 2022. She was the Attorney General for England and Wales from 2020 to 2022. She has been the member of parliament for Fareham in Hampshire since 2015.

Emb Hashmi

Emb is an award-winning journalist for the BBC News. She is also the founder of the Rising Girl charity that educates and empowers young women via the Rise Together programme. Emb was featured in the book Women That Uplift, Inspire and Empower; shortlisted in Hello Magazine’s Kindness Inspiration Awards; and recently won a She Award.

Rita Chowdhry

Rita Chowdhry is an author, philanthropist, and founder of Savran Coaching and Consulting. Her work of developing leaders, teams and individuals has had a significant impact on key worker organisations such as the Met Police, Carehomes and Spelthorne Council. Her charitable and community work includes being a Cancer Research Ambassador, School Governor and providing Pro bono-coaching for under-represented groups.

Raga D’Silva

Raga D’Silva’s unique coming out story made headlines in India after featuring in Humans of Bombay. At 50, Raga is recognised as a prominent voice for South Asian LGBT and women’s rights. Raga has produced and hosted several shows, including a YouTube series of “Coming Out Stories From India’ where she has made freely available, real lived experiences that were not available to her when she was struggling with her sexuality in India growing up.

Finalists: Uniformed and Civil Service

Sal Naseem

Sal is Regional Director for London at the Independent Office for Police Conduct. He is the first South Asian and Muslim to hold this post. He also leads the organisation’s national thematic work looking at discrimination. He is the national Chair for the Ethnic Minorities into Leadership Conference, sits on the advisory board for the charity Tell MAMA, is an influencer on LinkedIn and regularly speaks on DEI topics.

Alisa Ahmad

Interested in how engineering is threaded throughout our lives, Alisa became a Civil Engineer as an Apprentice in 2019. Studying for her degree while working on construction sites demonstrates her dedication to the industry. As a female Pakistani wearing the hijab, Alisa is proud of the diversity she brings to the sector and hopes to inspire others.

Captain Harpreet Chandi

Harpreet Kaur Chandi MBE is a British physiotherapist and British Army medical officer who completed a solo expedition across Antarctica to the South Pole, on 3 January 2022. She was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2022 Birthday Honours. She has also completed a 156-mile ultramarathon across the Sahara Desert in 2019.

Finalists: Professional of the Year

Naina Bhattacharya

Naina Bhattacharya is the global Chief Information Security Officer at Danone. She is responsible for cybersecurity strategy, transformation and operations worldwide. She is passionate about diversity and inclusion and has won awards for her work, including the Financial Times Women in Leadership Award in 2020.

Dr Manu Agrawal

Manu, raised in Delhi, moved to England in 2005. As a GP since 2012, he now manages the care of 30000 patients across 5 surgeries, is Chair of South Staffordshire Medical Committee and elected member of the National General Practice Committee. He setup a Covid Hub within a month of the pandemic and a Covid vaccination centre delivering over 100,000 vaccinations, felicitated by the Queen’s representative. His

Finalists: Sports Personality of the Year

Amir Khan

Khan has a record of 34 wins from his 40 fights, which makes him one of the most entertaining and finest British boxers of his era. He became a world champion in July 2009. He has led a boxing academy called the Amir Khan Academy to produce Pakistani boxing champions since 2018.

Karenjeet Kaur Bains

Karenjeet is the first female Sikh powerlifter to represent Team GB. She became the 2019 Commonwealth Champion, winning three gold medals and two silver medals in Newfoundland, Canada. She also became the first British Sikh female to represent Britain in the World and European Championships, placing in the top 10.

Millie Chandarana

Millie is a 25 year-old box-to-box midfielder for Blackburn Rovers Ladies. Previously, she spent two years as a professional player in Italy in the Italian Serie A for UPC Tavagnacco and San Marino Academy. The midfielder is one of few British Asian

Finalists: Entrepreneur of the Year

Sherry Vaswani

Sherry is CEO of Xalient – a global provider of IT services to large enterprises, specialising in cloud networking and cybersecurity. Xalient is Sherry’s second business venture with its rapid growth recognised in the 2022 Sunday Times One Hundred and FT Europe 1000. Sherry has been a finalist in EY’s Entrepreneur of the Year and the FT’s 30 Women to Watch and is a strong advocate for improving gender balance in the tech industry.

Shahid Munir

With a successful track record of building technology companies over the last 15 years, Shahid was early to identify the effects that high inflation will have and turned his passion for finance and technology to build a company called Minted. The company’s vision is to reinvigorate the concept of ‘sound money’ back into the lives of everyday people around the world.

Samir Desai

Samir founded Funding Circle in 2009, offering online loans to small businesses that struggled to borrow from mainstream banks after the financial crisis. The company has provided funding for over £13.7bn, helping small and emerging businesses greatly. Today, Samir is Founder and CEO of Super Payments, a payments start-up that hopes will disrupt the oligopoly of Visa and MasterCard.

Shasham Alidina

Shasham developed one of the world’s first fully online and accessible mindfulness teacher training programs in 2013, which has trained over 500 Mindfulness teachers in over 50 countries all over the world. He co-founded the world’s first ‘Museum of Happiness’, where one of his first events was seen by a million people. He has also published ten books on mindfulness.

Finalists: Business Person of the Year

Dr. Debashis Bhattacharya

A surgeon by training and entrepreneur by mindset, Debashis is the Global Director for Human Risk Management at Reckitt. Being a digital health entrepreneur he is a mentor and heads research at digital health social enterprise iKure, which is active in the last mile. He is also an arts entrepreneur and has founded the Indian Arts project, working to give emerging artists a voice. He supports Kalakar Arts and mentors the Burnley Boys and Girls Club.

Shamil and Kavi Thakrar

Shamil and Kavi are the Founders of Dishoom, one of the UK’s most successful Indian restaurant companies. The company was ranked fourth in the 100 Best UK Companies To Work For list in 2021, and first in hospitality and leisure. They have also given out the cooking book From Bombay with Love, featuring photography from the most treasured corners of an eccentric Bombay.

Dr. Gordon Sanghera

Dr Sanghera founded Oxford Nanpore in partnership with Prof Hagan Bayley in 2005. They developed a working DNA reader called MinIon, the world’s first truly portable DNA sequencer. During the Covid-19 pandemic, the Oxford MinION sequencing device was bought by 17,000 customers in 85 countries for helping them find the mutations of Covid. Gordon has a PhD in bio-electronic technology and a degree in Chemistry. To date, Oxford Nanopore has raised a total of £451m.

Praveen Karadiguddi

Praveen is the CEO and co-founder of Scrumconnect Consulting, a tech consultancy that has Over 40 million UK citizens using its digital services. He has played a big role in terms of scaling the business looking after operations, finance and marketing. In 2019, the company was awarded Tech Company of the Year at the House of Commons.

Auctioneer Profile & Auction Lots

Lord Jeffrey Archer

Jeffery Archer has topped multiple bestsellers lists with over 270 million book copies sold in 97 countries. He is the only author ever to have bestsellers in both fiction (18 times), short stories (four times) and non-fiction (The Prison Diaries).

Jeffrey has been married for 53 years to Dame Mary Archer DBE, who was until October 2012 chairman of Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (incorporating Addenbrooke’s and the Rosie Hospitals). In January 2015 Mary was appointed by the Prime Minister as Chairman of the Science Museum Group. They have two sons, William and James, three grandsons and two granddaughters, and divide their time between homes in London, Cambridge and Mallorca.

Luxury in St Lucia for up to 6 people1

Seven nights of bliss at the exclusive Landings Resort and Spa on Rodney Bay, St Lucia.

Wake up in luxury just steps away from one of the Caribbean’s most beautiful beaches, dine on our sumptuous local foods and treat yourself in our luxury spa.

The offer includes accommodation in a three-bedroom apartment overlooking the marina. Facilities include a state-of-the-art fitness centre, luxury spa complex, pools and water sports. (Food and beverage not included).

www.landingsstlucia.com - Kindly donated by Mr and Mrs Hickling, Pardada Pardadi volunteers.

Debra Franses developed a unique outlook on art and fashion from a young age, and the handbag rapidly became her canvas and medium to express her aesthetic of intimacy. Using objects considered kitsch, she creates resin masterpieces that are a salute to pop art. Curating both real and constructed objects stylishly in a solid cast of clear Resin Art Glass, she has created, the Artbag.

Debra will show you through her thought-provoking and humorous art that now, more than ever, how we curate and display our possessions and objects of daily use are both emblems of what we love, but that they, in turn, curate and display us. Work with this exceptional artist to create your own large personalised Artbag.

Debra’s work is much prized and sought after: jump the 12-month waiting list with this fabulous auction prize and create something beautiful, deeply personal and memorable!

www.artbagstudio.com - Kindly donated by Debra Franses.

The India Experience is an opportunity to enjoy a completely personalised 15-day itinerary through beautiful Rajasthan. The tour will be completely bespoke, personally tailored to your interests and requirements after in-depth discussions with Emma.

Accommodation will be in deluxe 5 star properties, including Oberoi hotels, House of Rohet and Sujan Life, which combine luxury with a real flavour of the country. Your journey will end with a visit to the PPES school in Anupshahar enabling you to see experience the amazing impact the school is having on their community.

www.emmahornetravel.com - Kindly donated by Emma Horne. Pardada Pardadi UK chair of Trustees and volunteer. Emma Horne Travel is a boutique bespoke travel company specialising in South Asia, with the generous support of Oberoi Hotels, House of Rohet, and Sujan Life.

A unique Art Bag designed and produced exclusively for you

Auction Lots

Painting by Indian artist Manohar Chiluveru4

This abstract series of artworks is a way of meditation, experiencing being obsolete in the presence when indulging in the act of creating, It’s also a way of rediscovering and feeling the inner energy. Painting begins with a free open mind without having the-occupied ideas or thoughts, every canvas gives different expertise and teaches something new and in the end offers something interesting.

The process involves daily life objects like combs, cleaning objects like scrapers and others. Use geometric forms with free flow colours and thick pigments and texture White and gold thick colours are much interesting and evoking.

Every time artwork evokes a Eureka moment and at the end invites the spectator to the expertise of their own visual experience rather than conditioning or guiding a specific meaning or theme. It’s all about visual experience and offering to discover once own creative interest and Rasa anubhuti.

Website: www.manoharch.art - Kindly donated by Earlsfield Capital Partners.

Sachin Tendulkar signed cricket bat

A signed bat and photo by cricketing legend Sachin Tendulkar. Sachin played in 664 international matches, scoring over 34,000 runs spanning an incredible 24 years (1989-2013). Sachin, who captained India, is widely regarded as one of the greatest batsmen in the history of cricket.

Kindly donated by Suparna Malhotra, Pardada Pardadi Trustee and volunteer.

Golf with ex-England Cricketer Kevin Pietersen

A round of golf for two with Kevin Pietersen MBE, former England cricketer (2005-2014), commentator and conservationist. Play on the world-renowned Harry Colt-designed West Course at Wentworth and enjoy KP’s cricketing anecdotes and uncompromising take on life.

Two players will play 18 holes with Kevin Pietersen and Atul Bajpai. The auction winner will receive one signed bat and photo of KP.

Kindly donated by Atul Bajpai, enthusiastic and generous supporter of Pardada Pardadi.

VIP Whisky experience in Speyside (4 people)

A rare and very special opportunity to spend a day ‘whiskying’ with the legendary Peter Prentice of Chivas Bros, whisky guru and former Chairman of the Keepers of the Quaich.

This is a money can’t buy experience (4 guests) for a day of Scotch Whisky Paradise with Chivas Bros. Visiting The Glenlivet and Strathisla Distilleries in the heart of Speyside, you will not only become a true expert in whisky but are guaranteed a huge amount of fun in the process, especially with the convivial ‘Prent the Gent’ as your personal host.

You will taste a plethora of extraordinary whiskies culminating in a visit to the Promised Land of the iconic Royal Salute Vault at Strathisla, one of the oldest, most picturesque and charming distilleries in Scotland. A tasting straight from one of the most precious casks in Scotland - a 55-year-old ex-sherry butt of the Royal Salute Stone of Destiny. A priceless moment that will live and give you bragging rights forever and a story to share with your’ grandchildren.

Timing based upon availability. Kindly donated by Peter Prentice Chivas Bros.

The adventures and struggles of a British Asian Refugee

Raised in both the Sikh and Hindu faiths, Ram Gidoomal CBE attended a Muslim school as a child in Kenya. He had just turned 17 when he landed at Heathrow, and later became a follower of Christ. All strands were important motivators of his giving.

Yet in 1985 on a business trip to India, a visit to a slum in Mumbai shocked him into doing more. The experience made him realise not only how fortunate he was, but also how much of an impact he could have on others. His journey from East Africa is emblematic of many successful South Asians in Britain today. This is a short extract from his new book, My Silk Road – The adventures and struggles of a British Asian Refugee.

As I walked from the ramp onto solid ground, it was as if my feet were standing on a lifetime of stories: my heritage, the soil in which my family tree had taken root and grown. It was 1964, three years before our move to London, and I had just made a very different journey; stepping off a ship into another world. Back then, Mumbai was still Bombay, a bustling port full of noise and energy.

I gazed wide-eyed at the magnificent Gateway of India near the famous Taj Hotel, places I had only heard of or seen in photos. But the thing which made me audibly gasp was greater than the splendour of any bricks and mortar. The people. The people all looked like me. The feeling of belonging was overwhelming. So, this is how it feels to fit in! I’d had no idea. It is still difficult to put it into words, the intense emotion of those first steps, entering my country of origin, the sense of coming home.

No longer did I feel different. Instead, I felt I could walk freely without fear.

To this day, every visit to India makes the same unique and dramatic impression on me. However, for my 14-year-old self it was something completely new and, ironically, the difference was in the similarity. The difference was that I was the same as everyone else. In this place – unlike any other I’d known – I felt a deep recognition.

Any one of these people could be passed off as my brother, my sister, my uncle. It was the first time in my life that I didn’t stand out. I was flooded with relief and confidence, as if I’d found a lost piece of myself I had not even known was missing.

My family had of course told me countless tales of Mother India, waxing lyrical and oozing idealism. Now I was here and, within that one moment, every word they had told me became real around me. Stories and histories seemed even to float on the breeze along with a good helping of second-hand nostalgia. All I could think was ‘India, India. This is my country.’ The whole adventure had begun some months previously, with a simple conversation: “If you really want the best for Ram, you need to send him to boarding school. And I know just the one.” Mr. Cameron, my teacher, was talking Daddy round, dropping into the conversation irresistible morsels about Bishop Cotton’s School in Bangalore: the perfect place apparently, for me to fulfil both my senior education and my potential. It was his alma mater – and, with his recommendation, the Headmaster would be certain to accept me.

There was an element of persuasion, but to be honest, not much was needed. Daddy always wanted the best for me, and was quickly convinced. They would not send me alone however. My older brothers, Bharat, Lachu and Kanu were to travel with me in the hope that we would all get a place at the school together. We left the family nest and set sail on the SS Safina ul Hujaj, proud to be on the then-fastest ship from Mombasa to Bombay, crossing the seas in a mere ten days as opposed to the usual two weeks. And thank goodness for that because, being confined to bunk beds in third class, with military style food, I’m not sure we could have handled much longer. I looked up to my savvier big brothers for survival, especially the eldest who somehow managed to smuggle food from the first-class section of the ship to keep us all going. Now finally we were coming into dock, watching sharks gliding territorially through the harbour waters; the Gateway of India in the distance, calling us home. We disembarked and within seconds seemed to be surrounded by coolies all fighting for the chance to take our luggage to Customs. Admittedly, my dreamy idealism took a sharp knock with the fearful immigration and customs experience at Bombay Port. Our bags were crammed full of presents and foodstuffs that family and friends in India had requested: tins upon tins of South African Kraft Cheese: a common request for anyone making this voyage.

Finally, however, we made it through in one piece and were free to explore our motherland.

by Ram Gidoomal CBE

Ram Gidoomal CBE is a successful businessman, entrepreneur and author who over the last 30 years has used his business acumen to support the work of numerous public and charitable organisations and global and local missions.

Educating Girls, Transforming Communities

Anima Aggarwal, Pardada Pardadi Educational Society UK

Today there are four schools educating 2470 girls with an academic performance ranking amongst the best in the state. Since 2000, over 4,000 young women have graduated from PPES enabling them to realise their dreams and transform their lives. We and the girls of PPES thank you for your generosity. It will mean so much to future generations.

Imagine starting out life as a young girl in a small rural village in Anupshahr, Uttar Pradesh. A life of no hope, agency or education: your ambitions thwarted by household chores and field work, your hope crushed by gender bias and the patriarchy, your education denied by poverty and prejudice.

Forgotten and uneducated, young rural Indian girls were wholly dependent on their fathers, husbands and, later, sons. They were expected to take care of the home and their younger siblings, and train in the kitchen and the fields. Married at 13, they became the responsibility of their husbands, resigned to a life of providing them with food and offspring.

They had no joy, no independence and no dreams. Education, the key to breaking this cycle of oppression, was denied them because of economic necessity and an oppressive patriarchal culture. Generations of female forbears had had their hopes, abilities and aspirations systematically stamped out too.

Back in 2000, this was the devastating reality for most girls in the region. A mother’s reaction at the time was all too typical: “How can she go to school with no money for clothes or food? Why should I lose an extra pair of hands for eight hours in the fields for the sake of an education?”Enter Virender ‘Sam’ Singh, successful international businessman, visionary philanthropist and Uttar Pradesh native. He remembered that the walls of his family’s remote village compound were painted with the names of eight generations of male ancestors.

People simply didn’t bother recording women’s names. This memory - and a deep commitment to social mobility through education - inspired Sam to invest his $850,000 life savings in an unique school, Pardada Pardadi Educational Society (PPES), to provide free education and vocational training to girls from the poorest sections of rural India. PPES’ unique advantage was to set aside a sum of money for every girl for each day’s school attendance as an incentive against truancy as well a scholarship fund for further education on graduation from PPES.

Every girl graduating from PPES plants a tree. In front of each tree is a plaque that simply bears her full name: eloquent testimony to Sam’s vision and positive redress for his female ancestors whose own names were written out of history.

The confident young women’s stories about their PPES education and their achievements on graduation are truly inspirational: they have immeasurably enhanced their futures and radically changed community attitudes towards the education of women in poor rural areas.

A hardworking and ambitious young girl, Sarita graduated 12th in her class from PPES in 2013 and from university in Anupshahr in 2018. Her business career started in the PPES call centre and Sarita now works in Delhi as an HR manager for Mphasis, a multinational IT solutions company. Sarita has invested her savings and energy in building a new house for her mother.

Sarita takes up the story, “My father died when I was young and my mother is differently-abled and needs support. I have always wanted to prove that daughters are not inferior to sons: given the right education and opportunities to become financially independent, a daughter can be a huge support to her family.

“For me, building my mother’s new house is tangible proof of my achievement. With every new brick that went into the build, I felt as if I was tearing down the walls of prejudice and patriarchy which had so challenged my upbringing and education as a girl”.

Another young woman, Asha Rani, graduated from our first ever PPES class. Coming from a backward and marginalised family, Asha was condemned to a life of no prospects or freedom. Her horizon was limited to the drudgery of daily household chores.

At PPES Asha excelled academically and graduated first in her class, winning the opportunity of a lifetime: a scholarship to the USA for a two month study programme. And all this from a girl whose family considered basic domestic railway travel an unaffordable luxury.

Having completed her studies, Asha selflessly decided to give back to PPES which had first encouraged her on her path to success. Asha means ‘Hope’ in Hindi. True to her name, Asha now brings hope and inspiration to the girls she teaches at the PPES primary school in Madargate, all of whom are from backgrounds very similar to her own.

PPES’ influence extends beyond education in the classroom. Girls in rural India often face harmful gender stereotyping: even riding a bicycle or playing sport are considered suitable only for men.

Samreen, a 17 year old PPES student, remembers people in her community staring and laughing at her as she rode her PPES bicycle to school each morning because only men were believed capable of operating a vehicle. But Samreen carried on riding her bike to school every day and is excelling at English (which she now teaches to her younger siblings) and public speaking which builds on her self confidence.

When another girl, Bulbul, first started sport she was told that women’s bodies weren’t meant for physical exertion: “People would say to me ‘playing sports isn’t meant for girls, only boys can do that’, or ‘it’s shameless of you to play around in these revealing sports kits”.

FROM UNDERGROUND TO THE TOP OF THE POPS!

Ninder Johal DL was one of the pioneers of bhangra music in Britain. He is the owner of Nachural Group. He has been very active in the Black Country and was President of the Black Country Chamber of Commerce, sits on the board of the West Midlands Growth Company, and holds several other non-exec roles

I can still remember vividly the explosion of a new wave of music like it was yesterday – a movement that would be recognised in time as new wave bhangra. It was a time with Margaret Thatcher in power, a decade in which the poll tax would be remembered, and a period in which British Asian youth would find its voice and discover their identity.

British Asian bands in the late 80s and 90s began producing a new hybrid form of music, blending western beats with Punjabi melodies. Initially starting in back street pubs, it exploded into being performed in major clubs and venues across the country.

Having endured racism in the 70s and 80s, British Asians suddenly discovered that this new music form was something that they could identify with. They took to this new form like ducks to water.Concerts and ‘daytime shows’ sprung up to satisfy this huge demand for this new form of music. British Asians (largely teenage kids) could go to night clubs without the fear of security guards denying them entrance. They could into enter clubs where everybody in the room looked like them and finally, they had an identity of their own – something that they could be proud of.

The rise of bhangra music bought a pride in being Asian, so much that they could wear their traditional dress to concerts without feeling alienated. It was about being part of a community … something that had not existed before. Thousands flocked to these concerts – it was becoming a serious industry.

Radio stations sprung up to satisfy the demand of this new music form and every teenager wanted to be a bhangra star as bands found celebrity fandom.

I had been performing with my own bhangra band Achanak for a couple of years. With this came a dream of taking bhangra music mainstream. I was so convinced that this became my focus, such was my love of the music. I resigned from my lucrative consultancy role and set upon the path of entrepreneurship with a dream to take bhangra music mainstream, and Nachural Records was born. I was up against it – we were in the middle of a major recession, but bhangra was exploding, along with my ambition.

I was now signing new talent and investing huge amounts into recording budgets and marketing. Bhangra was becoming a huge industry, but it was still seen as a form of underground music largely ignored by mainstream music industry, who dismissed it

because of its strange vocal and melody line. But with the explosion of this new form of music brought with it huge demand. This increased demand bought with it an increase in new distribution channels springing up. Retailers such as newsagents, convenience stores and clothes retailers that normally would only sell clothes accessories were now selling music cassettes as part of their product mix. Market stalls selling only bhangra music were popping up to meet this insatiable demand.

Increased demand brings increased competition but sometimes not in the form you think. Whilst counterfeiting has always been around, particularly afflicting the Bollywood industry, where pirated video cassettes were regularly rented out by retailers for £1 onto blank VHS formats to willing consumers, it was only a matter of time before bhangra would follow.

There was industrial counterfeiting – not restricted to blank tapes but care was being taken to reproduce the whole product with counterfeit inlays.

I can still remember accompanying trade officers undertaking raids in local retailers and melas where counterfeiting was rife with the Police confiscating illegal material and arresting those responsible.Counterfeiting was not restricted to the UK only. I recall being touring with Achanak in Norway, where I walked into a music retailer on a busy high street and grabbed two huge bags worth of high-quality illegal copies. The entire shop had been stocked ten foot high with illegal products.

Unofficial figures showed that content owners such as my company were losing as much in illegal counterfeiting as we were earning in selling original material. Ultimately, it was another substitute that would lead to a disruption of the industry through the explosion of the internet. With illegal sites like Napster and subsequently, the onset of streaming meant that artists and labels were unable to get the return on investment to remain viable and the industry started its retreat.

With the passage of time, a plethora of alternative music genres and other entertainment substitutes available to the youth inevitably led to reducing investment by record labels. Bhangra started its inevitable and slow decline over the years.

As for my dream of taking bhangra mainstream? Well, we managed nine numbers 1s, a number 5 in the UK charts, a collaboration with Jay-Z and at the last count had sold over 11 million copies –not so bad for a dream?

THE FIRST LUXURY NFT MAGAZINE

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Sponsor Profiles

EPG is an economic and strategy consulting firm based in London, Bangalore and Uganda, which provides market entry advisory and strategic communications services to businesses around the world. Its events business, EPG Events Ltd, creates world-leading corporate events in the UK, India and elsewhere.

The Royal Air Force is the United Kingdom’s aerial warfare force. It was formed towards the end of the First World War on 1 April 1918, becoming the first independent air force in the world, by regrouping the Royal Flying Corps and the Royal Naval Air Service. They are supporting our Awards as sponsors over several years.

Axiom DWFM incorporating Philip Ross is a successful, full service legal practice with offices in London, Edgware and Birmingham. The firm has been created from the recent merger between Axiom Stone and DWFM Beckman. The firm has a loyal client base and prides itself on its service levels, client retention and repeat instructions. The approach is simple – clear commercial advice and practical solutions to the customer’s legal issues and needs. This is the starting point. Added value comes from the strong belief in the power of networks – they are proactive in building relationships and contacts.

Established in 1990 by Mr. Barry Mamtora, Forum Insurance started as and still is a family run Independent Insurance Brokerage. They provide specialist advice via bespoke insurance solutions to mitigate property, casualty and liability exposures for our clients and their businesses allowing them to pursue their goals with confidence.

Pardada Pardadi UK is a British based charity formed in May 2016. PPES UK supports and fundraises for Pardada Pardadi (PPES), an Indian NGO dedicated to the education and development of girls and women in rural India. PPES was formed in 2000, by Virender ‘Sam’ Singh. His vision: “To facilitate the creation of a socially and economically empowered model for rural development.” His journey has been tough, having to overcome an entrenched patriarchal culture that is widespread on the Indian sub-continent.

Asian Voice is the UK’s foremost English language title for the next generation of UK Asians. As readers expressed a greater desire for a different focus on Asian news in English, Asian Voice moved from being a pull-out section of its sister publication Gujarat Samachar to it’s own fully-fledged publication.

Distributed weekly via shop sales, subscriptions and online with a weekly readership in excess of 200,000, Asian Voice is one of the most respected and influential papers for the British Asian community, with regular columnists from British Asian politicians and community leaders.

Bridge India is a progressive non-profit think tank dedicated to discourse on public policy. It aims to help India-watchers better understand India. England & Wales Charity Commission number 1183696.

Sponsor Profiles

Zee TV UK, the flagship channel of Zee Network was launched in 1995. With a reach of more than 173 countries and access to 1+ Billion viewers globally, Zee TV UK has created a strong brand equity and is the largest media franchise serving the South Asian Diaspora.

Its content library delivers a variety of choices for the South Asian audience ranging from non-fiction formats that celebrate the talent of India’s common man to fiction shows. Zee TV UK is available on Sky 709, Virgin Media 809 and Talk Talk 555.

Sunrise Radio is a 24-hour commercial radio station, focusing on entertainment, music and news from the Indian subcontinent. It broadcasts to the Greater London area on 963/972 AM, on DAB, and via the internet.

Language Interpreters Ltd is an independent and professional linguistic provider offering Language Transcription, Interpretation, and Translation Services UK covering the legal, medical, educational, private, public, and corporate sectors and charities. They work with Legal Aid Rates and also provide services to both businesses and private individuals

MarlinSpike embodies a pioneering spirit with an avant-garde vision of a better future, sheer tenacity, teamwork and the ability to create excellence.

Rum covers a very wide range of styles of product. With very flavourful types, produced in pot stills with more impact in flavour than any other spirit will ever give. MarlinSpike decided to go even further and blend aged rums of different provenance to make the impossible possible.

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Established in 1997, Ragamama was set up specialising in catering. By popular demand, the company then became increasingly involved in the planning, logistics and management of large parties and corporate events. It continued to thrive and rapidly built a reputation within the industry for being innovative, professional and entirely flexible. Reacting immediately to individual client requirements and a constant striving for perfection resulted in the success and growth of the company. By 2005, the company rebranded itself and became Ragamama Ragasaan Caterers and Event Management.

For nearly 24 years in the luxury industry, LUXURY International has become the most recognisable international magazine and sophisticated lifestyle publication offering its affluent readers the best exquisite experiences, products, services and intellectual themes to complement their high-end lifestyle. LUXURY international magazine is published in following regions: LUXURY Monaco & Cote d’Azur (Nice, Cannes, St. Tropez) LUXURY Italy (Milan, Rome, Florence, Bologna).

The AAA team

Liji George

Over 20 years of professional experience, including as COO and CEO with leading media brands. Most recently, he was CEO of Asian Business Publications Limited, publisher of Asian Voice and Gujarat Samachar. He has accomplished corporate restructuring experience and is recognised for sound fiscal and operational management, strategic partnerships that result in enhanced profitability, and optimising shareholder value.

He has practical experience with strategic negotiations and international business, and currently is responsible for commercial operations for large corporate events in the UK, including the flagship Asian Achievers Awards, and supporting its Charity Partner Pardada Pardadi with fundraising.

Pratik Dattani

Pratik is Managing Director of EPG. He was also UK Director for the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industy. He sits on the Board of a think tank, is on the Advisory Council for STiR Education and works closely with HNIs to help donors give better. Previously he worked in Economic Consulting at FTI Consulting and Deloitte, with a focus on public policy and international arbitration. He was Chairman of a community organisation with several thousand members for three years.

He studied Economics at Warwick University, where he was awarded the Prize for Excellence, and LMU University of Munich. He has published academic research on behavioural economics and social impact, and contributed to various books. He is a regular media commentator on public policy and India.

Dr Sarfraz Ashraf

Healthcare entrepreneur and investor, with an over 20 year-long career in the medical profession with the National Health Service in England. He is a stakeholder in a healthcare business and works closely with specialist healthcare providers in India for international market entry opportunities.

He sits on the Board of a think tank in the UK and with additional interest in public affairs in India.

Dr Sarfraz also focuses on commercial operations for large corporate events in the UK, including the flagship Asian Achievers Awards.

Smita Patel

Smita is a management consultant with a background in biotechnology, who has supported a number of companies with their market entry strategies into both India and the UK. She aims to be a trusted advisor, and has a keen sense of building effective marketing and communications campaigns.

Smita brings deep emotional intelligence and a global perspective to client service, aided by her experience living on three continents and speaking multiple languages, including fluent Swahili, Hindi and Gujarati. She has been involved in several charity related projects, including for Sri Aurobindo Society, the Varkey Foundation and the Education Commission.