GOLDEN JUBILEE The Golden Jubilee Celebration of the Establishment of Diplomatic Relations between the Kingdom of Bahrain and the Republic of India.
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BKG Holding W.L.L
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CONTENT PROVIDERS:
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Dr.Arun K. Praharaj
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Falcon Trading Co.W.L.L
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With Special Thanks:
HE Piyush Srivastava, HE Abdulrahman AlGaoud, Mamta Mohandas, N.V. Mohandas, Diana Hayden, Dr Mohan Kumar, Ihjas Aslam Sheik, Salma Bala, Anand Bala, Marietta Dias, Rajat Chowdhury (composer).
Acknowledgements & Supporters:
Jehan M J AlArayedh, Nasser AlArayedh, Raj Damani, Dr. Arun K. Praharaj, Harsha Y. Bhatia, Raj Kewalram, Rajeeb Chowdhury, Lini Reghnath, Rohit Reghunath, N.V. Mohandas, Jorge Sebastio, Waseem Mamlouk, Anne Middleton, Lalit Kapur, Elita Kapur, Renuka Jagtiani, Abdulrahman Al Juma, Harsha Bhatia, Yogeh Bhatia, Juzer Rupawala Jabran Zakariya, Abdulla Al Hazaa, Mohan Pillai, Shaikh Ahmed bin Rashid bin Abdulrahman Al Khalifa.
In Appreciation of:
Dr. Fahad E. Al-Shehabi President - Bahrain Public Relations Association, Advisor on Protocol Image Placement Habib Toumi - Media Advisor at Bahrain News Agency Ronnie Middleton & Stefan Malinowski - Gulf Daily News Archives Selected interviews location courtesy of: Zee Bassila - Operations Director, Westin & Meridien Hotels, City Centre Complex.
Acknowledgments
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Commercial Contents
HIS MAJESTY
THE PRESIDENT OF INDIA,
KING HAMAD BIN ISA AL KHALIFA
SHRI RAM NATH KOVIND
THE KING OF THE KINGDOM OF BAHRAIN
The Crown Prince and Prime Minister
The Prime Minister of the Republic of India
His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa
Shri Narendra Modi
FIRST WORD George F. Middleton Chairman & Publisher Red House Marketing
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W
ithin three months of becoming an independent state in 1971, Bahrain established diplomatic relations with India, whose nationals now make up nearly 80% of the expatriate population of the Kingdom.
In commemoration of this Golden Jubilee anniversary, we are delighted to produce a publication, a film documentary and a web portal (www.indiainbahrain. com) designed, researched and produced to the highest international standards. The relationship between our two countries, goes back seven thousand years to the trade which existed between the Dilmun Era and Indus Valley civilisations, to one of the longest lasting throughout the entire history. For the record, when I use the term “the relationship between our two countries” it is not a misnomer in any shape or form. I am proud, on the one hand, to have been granted Bahraini citizenship by His Majesty King Hamad, in 2012 and also I am extremely pleased to have been granted the status of Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) in 2015 due to family associations. And so, the triple-media initiative that was launched under the auspices of Red House Marketing, is indeed a true ‘labour of love’ and a tribute to two countries that I have so much to be grateful for. The publication is focused sectorially on individuals, businesses and industries involved in the development of Bahrain’s economy over the last half-century; while the film documentary itself focuses chronologically on the landmark achievements, international celebrities and cultural associations developed between the two countries over recent decades. The website, www.indiainbahrain.com establishes itself as a conduit of communication between the various Indian communities in Bahrain connecting family memories, reminiscing about old friendships, learning about the past and looking forward to the future. This is not a temporary initiative; it is destined to grow significantly in content and followers as the years and decades progress. We have unearthed little-known facts from the past; in our interview with Mr Suryakant Savani, who came to live and work in Bahrain in 1971. With his brothers, he was responsible for the entire overseas distribution of the Bollywood film industry outside of India from 1971 until 1991. 24 international offices internationally reported to the head office in Bahrain where he was based.
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We also learn about the close connections between Bahraini pearling merchants and Indian jewellers in Bombay in the last century; facilitated in part, by one of the most prominent families in Bahrain today. Mr Khalid Rashid Zayani and cousin La’ali Zayani, recount their great-grandfather’s years in voluntary exile choosing Bombay as his new home over Baghdad where he had high-ranking tribal relatives. Khalid goes on to explain the surprisingly shrewd reason for his greatgrandfather’s decision in the pages which follow. We are extremely grateful in particular to the commercial sponsors who put their confidence in our endeavour in its initial stages. RP Holding, under the tutelage of Dr. Ravi Pillai, his son Ganesh and their Group Chief Strategy Officer, Mr. Amit Kansal committed to the Platinum Sponsorship Programme across all media platforms and proved themselves outstandingly efficient and professional in keeping to the tight deadlines necessary. Similarly, Mr. Babu Rajan of BKG Holding Company, has achieved tremendous professional success since 2008, not only in Bahrain but throughout the region. His professionalism and dedication to helping those less fortunate, culminated in him receiving the Bharatiya Pravasi Samman Award from the Government of India in 2021 in recognition of his exemplary contributions to communities in Bahrain and in India as a nonresident Indian. Finally, the Red House team gratefully acknowledges India’s Ambassador to Bahrain, HE Piyush Srivastava and Bahrain’s Ambassador to India, HE Abdulrahman AlGaoud as well as the VIPs and celebrities who have agreed to participate in this commemorative media project including Diana Hayden (Miss World 1997) and also famous South Indian actress Mamta Mohandas who grew up in Bahrain prior to finding fame and success in India. A Facebook Group - Indian Community in Bahrain will also serve as a vestibule of anecdotes, pictures, personal stories and history spanning the decades since Bahrain and India first established diplomatic relations. This will feed the web portal, www.indiainbahrain.com, from where the digital edition of the publication and the documentary film can be downloaded. Feel free to contribute at will!
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CONTENTS
With sincere thanks to the Media Sponsors who made this project possible. In particular, we would like to thank the following individuals who supported our efforts in this regard: RP Group of Companies: Dr Ravi Pillai; Mr Ganesh Pillai & Mr Amit Kansal BKG Holding: Mr Babu Rajan K G; Mr Rajath Baburaj & Dr Remya Baburaj
BC RP Group of Companies IBC RP Group (Raviz Hotels & Resorts) 21 RP Group (Crowne Plaza Dubai Marina) Gold Sponsorship
IFC BKG Holding W.L.L Silver Sponsorship
Al Namal & VKL Group of Companies: Mr Varghese Kurian & Mr Jeeban Varghese Kurian
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THE TEAM
26 Oil & Gas 34 Construction 47 Restaurant and Hospitality 54 Education 56 Family Dynasties 64 Healthcare 66 Philanthropy 74 Fashion 80 Celebrities and Entertainment
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88 Clubs and associations 98 Acknowledgments Printing Press Union Press, Bahrain Published by
Publisher and Chairman George F. Middleton Editor Farah Baig Deputy Editor Behnaz Sanjana Editorial Consultant Ahdeya Ahmed Print Production Manager Sabu Sebastian Art Director Hatem Monem, Kailas Wadke Webmaster Nishad Eapen CRM & Database Coordinator Muna Yousef Staff Photographer Subeesh Kumar N S Administration and Finance Samson Vaz, Marlyn Ragasa Distribution Team CM Abdul Rahman, Gopal Arul Kumar
RED HOUSE MARKETING P.O. Box 20461, Manama, Kingdom of Bahrain Tel: (+973) 17 813-777 Email: info@redhousemarketing.com www.bahrainthismonth.com © Copyright Reserved 2005-2021 The concept, content, style and design of this publication remain the exclusive property of Red House Marketing (Jersey) Ltd. and must not be reproduced in any form whatsoever without prior written permission. Every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information contained in this publication. However, Red House Marketing cannot accept legal responsibility for any error or omission. Licensed by the Ministry of Information Publication Code: TA001 ISBN 1 899 348 09 3
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Distributor Al Hilal Group (Hilal Direct Services) Media Sales Director Anuradha Manhas, Tara Pillai anuradha@redhousemarketing.com DIGITAL & CONTENT MARKETING TEAM Digital Strategy Director Lini Reghunath Digital Marketing & Social Media Director Farah Baig Social Media Managers Simran Tiwari
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His Majesty's Visit To India His Majesty King Hamad last month went on an official state visit to India at the invitation of Indian President Pranab Mukherjee. During his first visit to India, His Majesty held talks with President Mukherjee, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and senior officials to boost joint cooperation & strengthen bilateral relations between the two countries
His Majesty King Hamad at the Guard of Honour by the Indian troops
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, His Majesty King Hamad & President Pranab Mukherjee
His Majesty King Hamad welcomed at Hotel Maurya by Mr Chaddha, general manager of the hotel & Mala Kumar
Mala & HE Dr Mohan Kumar, Indian Ambassador to Bahrain, greets His Majesty King Hamad
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His Majesty King Hamad & dignitaries at the Taj Mahal
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HE Dr Mohan Kumar with Salman Kurshid, External Affairs Minister & His Majesty King Hamad and the two delegations
Dr Dhafar Al Umran, HE Shaikh Khalid bin Ahmed Al Khalifa, Foreign Minister, His Majesty King Hamad, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh & Salman Khurshid
High Highness Shaikh Nasser bin Hamad Al Khalifa offering a floral tribute to Mahatma Gandhi at Raj Ghat watched by His Majesty King Hamad & His Highness Shaikh Khalid bin Hamad Al Khalifa
Sushma Swaraj & His Majesty King Hamad
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E. Ahamed, presenting a momento of Mahatma Gandhi to His Majesty King Hamad at Raj Ghat
Vice-President Hamid Ansari & His Majesty King Hamad
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Honourable Prime Minister Modi Visits the Kingdom of Bahrain, 2019
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s historic visit to Bahrain was a first of its kind, a milestone that helped to further cement the excellent ties between India and the Kingdom of Bahrain. Apart from deepening strategic and political relations, the PM’s visit reinforced socio-cultural ties as well as the friendly and warm comradeship between the leaders of India and the Kingdom of Bahrain.
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It was a landmark event for Indian expatriates in Bahrain, who have richly contributed to the development of modern-day Bahrain. The honour of receiving their Prime Minister to their wonderful host country was celebrated with much pomp and fanfare, especially on the day the PM addressed a fervent crowd at a packed Bahrain National Stadium.
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bystander A construction programme for the Shreenathju Hindu temple in Manama was officially launched by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, during his recent trip to Bahrain – the first official visit by an Indian PM to the Kingdom. Bob Thaker, President of Thathai Hindu Merchants Community (THMC) – a 200 year old, expatriate business association comprising more than 80 organisations from the trading, construction, contracting, education and hospitality segments in the Kingdom, revealed details of the project. The BD1.6 million upgrade includes the development of a 4,180sq/m three-storey structure on the temple site. A section of the existing
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temple will be retained while the rest will be demolished and rebuilt to give 80 per cent more capacity for devotees. The new structure will also include a community events hall with capacity for 500 people to host weddings and other ceremonies; a museum, showcasing the history of the Thathai Bhatia community in Bahrain; a library and knowledge centre; kitchens; and a staff area. Project completion is expected in 2021 and the development will be funded by members of the Thathai Bhatia community – a group of Indian Hindus with origins in Jaisalmer Rajasthan – in Bahrain. A contractor for the project will be named later this year and Bahraini Mazen Al Omran is working as a consultant for the development.
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Modi Temple Visit
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THE EPITOME OF LEADERSHIP by Farah Baig
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On the occasion of the Golden Jubilee Celebration of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the Kingdom of Bahrain and Republic of India, Indian ambassador, His Excellency Piyush Srivastava, reflects on the historic ties between the two countries, a prosperous future and the role of the Indian community in strengthening diplomatic ties.
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The embassy has achieved several significant feats with HE Srivastava at its helm, addressing pressing matters such as those stemming from the pandemic. “I have come here in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic and accordingly, dealing with the pandemic has been the top most priority, whether it is the welfare of the Indian community here or the bilateral cooperation between our two countries,” HE explains, highlighting that the highlyeffective collaboration between India and Bahrain in dealing with the pandemic. “I also take this opportunity to thank His Majesty King Hamad, His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince and Prime Minister, and the government of Bahrain for taking care
A SIGNIFICANT PART OF SOCIETY The Indian community has made significant contributions to Bahrain’s society over the last 50 years and currently accounts for around a quarter of the Kingdom’s population, which exceeds 1.7 million. “The Indian community in Bahrain has significantly contributed to the economic development of the Kingdom and has played an important role in developing our ties and partnership. The professionalism, hard work and work ethics of the vibrant and dynamic Indian community have been acknowledged and recognised by the leadership as well as people here,” says HE Srivastava. Bahrain has proved to be one of the preferred destinations for Indians, which is reflected in the steady growth of the Indian community here over the years. Interestingly, some Indian families and communities have had a presence in the Kingdom for over two centuries. “The visionary leadership of the Kingdom, has provided an environment where our community not only excels in its profession, but also enjoys a social and family life. The 200-year-old Manama temple at the heart of Manama is a shining example of Kingdom’s liberal policies,” says HE Srivastava.
“The Indian community here, like in other countries, represent a vibrant microcosm of India and truly reflect the multicultural, multilingual and multi-religious fabric of India,” says HE Srivastava with zeal. As the world moves towards a sense of normality, Indian nationals who had returned to India during the initial stages of the pandemic have been making their return to the Kingdom, resuming their professional roles – roles that they thrive in. “Indians are present in virtually all sectors in the Kingdom; there are old Indian settlers who own big businesses in Bahrain and then there are a lot of professionals in key sectors such as CEOs of companies, chartered accountants, bankers, doctors and nurses, teachers and more,” explains HE Srivastava. “There is also a sizeable portion, which is engaged in blue-collar jobs - in the construction and maintenance sectors.” PARTNERS IN TRADE Despite the challenges presented by COVID-19, trade values between Bahrain and India amounted to roughly USD1 billion. “The trade and economic relations between the two countries have been robust – in fact for this year, there are encouraging trends,” states HE Srivastava. “Bilateral trade figures are up more than 30 per cent compares to the same period last year. Similarly, investment from both sides
Indian ambassador, His Excellency Piyush Srivastava, presenting his credentials to HM King Hamad.
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of the Indian community during these difficult times,” says HE Srivastava.
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espite being in the early stages of his ambassadorship in the Kingdom, HE Piyush Srivastava has effectively managed to further fortify the historic relations between the two countries – his primary focus during his assignment in Bahrain. “It has been one year since I arrived in this beautiful Kingdom but it did not take much time for my family and I to settle here,” he says. “The friendly people, welcoming society and, above all, deep-rooted civilisational and historical connect make you feel at home. I consider myself fortunate to serve as India’s ambassador to Bahrain.”
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have shown a positive trend with India being one of the top investors in Bahrain with investments amounting to around USD1.3 billion.” HE Srivastava believes that, despite the encouraging trade figures, there is a lot of untapped potential for enhancing both by richer data and investment. “Some of the sectors which I believe present excellent opportunities, including health, pharmaceuticals, IT data centers, food security, logistics, infrastructure, hydroponics and renewable energy,” says HE Srivastava. The embassy has been making efforts to put together businessmen on both sides, to tap into these key sectors, through the organisation of webinars such as those focusing on the pharmaceutical and healthcare sector. However, moving forward, the embassy aims to organise physical visits and business delegations. “There is a huge potential, not only for the export of Indian medicines, but also a collaboration in terms of setting up some manufacturing units for pharmaceutical products. The second area which I believe has great potential is the set up of IT data centers and renewable energy. India has a lot of expertise so companies who can supply the required materials can set up a joint venture or invest,” says HE Srivastava.
CONNECTED THROUGH CULTURE The role of cultural exchange between the two countries, which has stood the test of time and spanned thousands of years, has always been an important one. “There are similarities in many aspects when it comes to the Indian and Bahraini culture. I have noticed a lot of footprints of the Indian culture in Bahrain in various ways, whether it is cuisine, dance, yoga, traditional medicine and more. The early traders and merchants who have travelled to each other’s countries, as well as the Indian diaspora present in Bahrain have been instrumental in this regard,” HE explains, adding that the embassy aims to further strengthen these cultural ties. To celebrate the Golden Jubilee of the establishment of bilateral relations, the embassy hopes to organise a lot of cultural events featuring significant cultural extravaganzas from both sides. “In this context, I must mention that the cultural exchange program between our two countries, which was signed in August, 2019 during the visit of the Honourable Prime Minister of India to Bahrain has actually provided a road map for the future culture collaboration,” says HE Srivastava. THE BEST OF EDUCATION Historically, India has always been at the forefront when it comes to the education sector and related achievements. Over
time, the Republic of India’s education system has blossomed to be one of the largest education systems in the world with well over one million schools and 36,000 higher education institutes. “Education is an area which is very close to my heart,” says HE Srivastava. Notably, the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) curriculum has been available to the local and expatriate community through private schools in the Kingdom for several years. The Republic of India has earned a stellar reputation for its standard of higher education, not only in the Kingdom of Bahrain but across the GCC too. “The cooperation in the education sector between our two countries has been quite an old one. In fact, here are a lot of dignitaries in Bahrain who have been educated in India. However, in between, this trend was somewhat affected, but this is an area which I believe has a huge potential,” says HE Srivastava. The embassy wishes to increase the cooperation between the two countries in the field of education in the years to come. “I am working with the concerned authorities on both sides to look into the possibility of a more active collaboration between the universities and students. A lot of universities have opened in Bahrain, and similarly, the education sector in India has developed to a great extent. A
As part of the two nations efforts to combat COVID-19, Bahrain receives its first batch of Covishield - AstraZeneca vaccines from partners in India.
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Our two countries have the tradition of regular high-level bilateral visits and interaction, and today our relations are all encompassing, multifaceted and covers all important areas of political security, economic, and trade culture and education,” says HE Srivastava.
External Affairs Minister of India, Dr. S. Jaishankar, visits the Kingdom of Bahrain in 2020.
significant number of Bahraini students go to India for specialised training courses, but we do wish to further extend this chain and increase the educational cooperation between the two countries,” says HE Srivastava. DIPLOMATIC TIES AT ITS FINEST High-level bilateral interactions including VIP visits continued despite the restrictions posed by the pandemic in the last yearand-a-half. “Regular high-level visits and interactions have been a hallmark of our bilateral ties. So, the continued visits provided momentum to our robust bilateral partnership,” states HE Srivastava. In the past 10 years, there have been several high-level VIP visits. “A few of the most important ones include the visit of His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince and Prime Minister to India in 2012 and 2013. The landmark visit of His Majesty King Hamad to India in 2014, set that roadmap of our present bilateral engagement, while a visit of the Honourable Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi to Bahrain in 2019 provided a much-needed boost and diversification to the bilateral relations,” says HE Srivastava. In addition, the External Affairs Minister of India, Honourable Dr. S Jaishanker, visited the Kingdom in November last year. “As
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soon as the opportunity for undertaking physical visits opened up, His Excellency Dr. Abdullatif bin Rashid Alzayani, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Bahrain visited India in April 2021 for the third meeting of the Joint Commission which reviewed the entire gamut of bilateral relations,” says HE Srivastava. “Most recently our Minister of State, Dr. V. Muraleedharan visited Bahrain now as the COVID-19 situation has significantly improved in both of our countries. We look forward to more interactions and accordingly a series of both high-level visits, as well as official engagements are lined up.”
The embassy will be celebrating the milestone occasion through a number of events including a celebration in the historic, Little India, situated in Manama, in association with the Bahrain Authority for Culture and Antiquities (BACA) and the Indian community. “We have already launched the logo for the celebration and look forward to celebrating this momentous occasion with our Bahraini friends and Indian community,” concludes HE Srivastava.
THE GOLDEN JUBILEE CELEBRATION The year 2021 is a milestone in the journey of bilateral relations between the Republic of India and the Kingdom of Bahrain as they celebrate the Golden Jubilee of establishment of diplomatic relations. “This year is also a
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landmark year as India is celebrating its 75th Independence Day. The bilateral relations between our two countries go back by thousands of years even to the Indus valley civilisations,” explains HE Srivastava.
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PILOTING ROBUST RELATIONS by Behnaz Sanjana
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Former doyen of aviation, His Excellency Mr. Abdulrahman Mohamed Ahmed Al Gaoud, recounts how India and Bahrain have fortified existing bilateral ties by recently navigating rough roads in perfect tandem.
Former aviation doyen, His Excellency Mr. Abdulrahman Mohamed Ahmed Al Gaoud, shares his account of how India and Bahrain have fortified existing bilateral ties by recently navigating rough roads in perfect tandem.
Bahrain was the first country to immediately send oxygen to India H
is Excellency Mr. Abdulrahman Al Gaoud remembers well the day he presented his credentials to the President of India on being appointed the Kingdom of Bahrain’s Ambassador to India. “He was having an audience with me, and instead of my elaborating to him about the wonderful relation our countries share, he told me about how India and Bahrain go back thousands of years,” HE Al Goaud says, clearly heartened. “I have great respect for India as a country and the Indian people.”
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A beautiful interdependence HE Al Gaoud says that he can share innumerable accounts about the clockwork-like cooperation between two nations in desperate and daunting times. “India and Bahrain came out in complete support for one another during the global pandemic,” he states. “It was much appreciated by India when His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa declared that all expatriates living in Bahrain, regardless of their nationality, would be treated equal to its citizens when it came to safeguarding them from COVID-19. People could choose their preferred vaccine, absolutely free of cost.” The majority of expatriates in Bahrain being Indian, this was much appreciated by the Indian Government. India
nation when it was reeling under the strain of the second wave of the pandemic in April 2021. “I can say that Bahrain was the first country to immediately send oxygen to India,” he affirms. “India was very appreciative of this course of action and support that we gave them.” This exemplary interdependence between Bahrain and India in troubled times further reinforces its united front in promoting peace and stability in the region at international forums like the United Nations. A growing bond HE Al Gaoud believes that there is untapped potential for further collaboration between the two friendly nations for growth and development. “India is leading in so many sectors, like agriculture, textiles and pharmaceuticals, which Bahrain will benefit from by
Bilateral cooperation at its best The Embassy’s role has been crucial in recent times, especially at the peak of COVID-19 when air travel had essentially come to a standstill. “We needed to repatriate a large number of Bahrainis and Indians stranded in India. We were keen that even Indian citizens who are residents of Bahrain should not be isolated and be able to return to their families back in Bahrain,” says HE Al Gaoud. “But to round up people from several states and union territories of such a vast country at a time of crisis would have been impossible if not for the excellent cooperation between Bahrain and India.” The global pandemic had caused interstate borders in India to be sealed, but with the help of the Indian Government, Bahrain’s embassy could carry out the complex task of rounding up its citizens and residents to the nearest international airports and have them safely fly out to Bahrain. “Domestic airlines were not operational, so we needed to use service transport to get people to travel to airports in other states. To facilitate this mass movement at a time like this was extremely challenging,” he says. “Due to the perfect coordination between the authorities of the two countries, all travellers were communicated with at all times, and did not have to suffer indefinite waits to cross state borders. With the endless support of the Indian government,
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responded to this benevolent gesture when Bahrain needed its support in its war against the virus. “We were one of the first countries that received timely medical support from India, by way of medical equipment, and most importantly, the initial shipment of 100,000 AstraZeneca vaccines,” says HE Al Gaoud. “India has also seamlessly facilitated the departure of medical professionals to support our hospitals here during the pandemic, at a time when air travel was ceased.” Likewise, Bahrain stepped in to aid the
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Bahrain could bring its people home without any major incidents.”
further collaboration,” he says. “Not only with the coronavirus vaccine, they are otherwise the largest vaccine manufacturers in the world. I think there’s an opportunity to establish manufacturing facilities for Indian vaccines in Bahrain, not just for Bahrain’s economy, but to help the world at large,” he states. HE Al Goaud takes great pride in the fact that it was during his Ambassadorship that Prime Minister Modi visited Bahrain
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With a sizeable number of Bahrainis visiting or living in India due to familial ties, health care or educational purposes, the Embassy of the Kingdom of Bahrain in India is a busy one. “India is a very important country to the world and to Bahrain in particular,” says HE Al Gaoud. Bahrain’s embassy in New Delhi works in close coordination with India’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs to promote Bahrain’s commercial potential to various Indian business enterprises. It serves as the link between India and Bahrain’s Economic Development Board (EDB), which has a representative office in India’s financial capital, Mumbai. “We also have a representative of the EDB at our embassy in Delhi, who can best help and guide Indian businesses to invest in the attractive business hub that Bahrain is,” says HE Al Gaoud. The embassy’s role is dual, endorsing India to Bahrain for tourism, education and health care.
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in August 2019. “I met him when he was here, and I remember he told His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa that he found me to be a very proactive ambassador,” he recalls. From pilot to diplomat – an instinctive transition From being a pilot to reaching the ranks of senior management in Gulf Air as well as being a key figure in Bahrain’s Civil Aviation Affairs, HE Al Gaoud thinks that his was a natural transition to a diplomatic posting. His achievements in aviation are many, from being Gulf Air’s first Bahraini country manager for the United Kingdom, to being honoured among the elite of the aviation industry on accredited international platforms. “Being in aviation is itself an experience in diplomacy, ” he says. “As a pilot, I represented my country in the safe transportation of people between countries, no matter their nationality. Crossing so many borders every day, I had to liaise with airports of other countries under various circumstances while flying; isn’t that already maintaining diplomatic relations with them?” All the varied experience he amassed in his aviation career has held him in good stead as a diplomat. His major learning curve was while representing Gulf Air and Bahrain’s government at various international aviation committees
and forums, like the Arab Air Carriers Organisation and the Arab League. “I have also represented Bahrain at the International Civil Aviation Organisation, which is part of the United Nations. It was my role to ensure that my country was in line with global safety and security standards, and I had a say in determining international best practices in safety and security. Keeping terrorism in aviation at bay is one of our prime responsibilities,” he says. Having learned the ropes of diplomacy early on, HE Al Goaud thinks that any ambassador must strive to enhance the relations between his home and host country. “A diplomat must have patience, be a good listener and be clear in his agenda. Most importantly, respect others and listen before you judge.” His personal impression of India Despite being a pilot who regularly flew to India, HE Al Goaud had not had a chance to actually experience the country until his posting as Ambassador in New Delhi. “Sometimes one hears a lot of negative information about India, which is not essentially true. I was amazed when I went to live there as a diplomat; such a beautiful country with good, helpful and friendly people,” he shares. He cautions against perceiving a country by the small number of people who may not be its best representatives.
“On my first mission there, I stayed for an entire nine months. There is so much that the country has to offer in terms of tourism, economy and business. It’s amazing to see the biggest international corporates, like Google, have their offices there.” And one cannot omit the mention of Indian food when talking about the country. “Of course, I love Indian food,” says the Bahraini who is quite familiar with the peninsula’s cuisine. “Bahrain has no shortage of some of the best Indian restaurants. But I was surprised with the variety of biryani and curries that are available across India. I also enjoyed the street food in Delhi with my daughter who is a doctor, by the way,” he says, clearly savouring the memory. As for his favourite destination in India, HE Al Gouad finds it difficult to choose. “Every state and every region in India is uniquely attractive. There are mountains with snow, beautiful rivers and excellent climate,” he says. Looking to the future, HE Al Gaoud says, “We’re seeking to enhance this relation with forging even stronger ties between us and India. May God help us all in achieving this and bless our two beautiful nations.”
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A sophisticated hotel located in the heart of Dubai Marina The Crowne Plaza® Dubai Marina is located right next to Sheikh Zayed Road. It’s an easy walk to JBR Beach, and we’re conveniently close to Dubai Marina Mall's fashion boutiques, as well as cosmopolitan Dubai Marina Walk with its many global restaurants and cafes. Dubai Expo 2020 is only 17 minutes away by drive and 20 minutes by public transportation (Dubai Metro). With 5 dining outlets, 5 meeting rooms and a pillar-less ballroom, all your needs are assured to be taken care of. When business is over, unwind and relax at Rayya wellness with a body soothing massage, or take a dip in our temperature controlled swimming pool whilst the young ones enjoy the dedicated Kids Play Area. For bookings, email: reservations.cpdubaimarina@ihg.com or call +971 4 378 0000
Diplomats
United in Friendship
AN
INSPIRATIONAL
LEADER
by Farah Baig
Former Minister of Labour and Social Affairs, His Excellency Abdulnabi Alshoala, has always upheld his opinion of the Republic of India and its people. He tells us about his book on the teachings of Gandhi, the contributions of the Indian community and his illustrious life.
W
ith a natural ability to lead, HE Abdulnabi Al Shoala, has been at the helm of several significant organisations in the country and has been lauded for his achievements and accolades. Having been the Minister of Labour and Social Affairs in the Kingdom of Bahrain for a decade he has made various observations about the Indian community which he commends for their contributions to the development of the Kingdom.
“The Golden Jubilee of Diplomatic relations between the two countries is an occasion to be celebrated with pride and joy,” says HE Alshoala, who with a number of Bahraini and Indian friends took the initiative to form the Bahrain and India Society in 2008. According to HE Alshoala, the 50th
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anniversary occasion should be a Kingdom of Bahrain, HE Alshoala worked milestone for the nations to renew their in the private sector for three years before commitment to further consolidate pursuing his higher education in India in their friendly ties. “India was among 1969. In what was then known as Bombay, the first countries to establish a he joined St. Xavier’s College and completed diplomatic relationship with Bahrain his course in Political Science, Economics in 1971 immediately after it gained and Public Administration in 1973. its independence. I believe this is a natural consequence of the historical, “It was the greatest experience in my life friendly relationship that has existed for with many lessons that are worth talking centuries and is sure to continue to exist,” about to date,” HE says. “However, I consider says HE Alshoala. living in India to be a university in itself. I have learned in India the values of “It is demonstrative of the desire and the tolerance, co-existence, peace and respect commitment of the people and leadership for others.” of both the countries to continue their efforts to develop this relationship for the He strongly believes that India provides benefit of its people.” the best education in the world. “The proof is that we in the GCC rely on the graduates India - An Alma Mater of the Indian Educational System in all our After completing his schooling in the requirements for growth and development
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“Furthermore, I understand that there are thousands of Bahrainis who have graduated from Indian universities who are now an integral part of the society. Not one of them is a failure. In fact, many of them enjoy high positions in the management of our country.” The Teachings of Gandhi In October 2018, as an homage to India, HE Alshoala released a book titled ‘Gandhi… Arabic and Islamic Issues’ which put a spotlight on the relations between the two countries. “From the beginning I have written and continue to write articles with the aim of increasing the understanding and co-operation between the people of India and the region,” says HE Alshoala. “I was inspired to write a book on the subject as I wanted to pay India back for the favours and benefits that I have enjoyed while living and studying there,” HE adds. With political disputes, war and terrorism plaguing this part of the world, HE Alshoala found it necessary to evoke the thoughts and principles of Mahatma Gandhi whose commitment to the principles of peace and non-violence managed to achieve the independence of India. “We can resolve all our differences without resorting to violence and terrorism. I believe that there are many lessons that our countries can learn from India and in particular the lessons, values and principles that Mahatma Gandhi proclaimed,” HE stresses. Directed at the GCC and the rest of the Arab world, the book skyrocketed to success and was well received from the first day of publishing. “In fact, the publisher had to issue the second edition soon after and I believe that there will be a third release shortly. This is a testament to the fact that the message of the book is much needed in the region,” says HE Alshoala. ‘Gandhi… Arabic and Islamic Issues’ is now available in English, Malayalam and Urdu,
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Commercial Collaboration Having been a part of the Bahrain Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BCCI) since 1983, HE has observed that commercial co-operation and economic relationships between Bahrain and India continues to grow in all sectors of economic activities. “Statistics prove the yearly growth of collaborations very clearly. However, there are still lots of opportunities to increase and further develop our nations’ commercial and economic relationship,” believes HE Alshoala. According to HE Alshoala, there is a need for increased dialogue between relevant institutions, such as the Chamber of Commerce, and organisations in both countries to propel this growth. “We also need to increase the exchange of trade delegations and participations in exhibitions and similar platforms in both the countries,” says HE Alshoala. An Able Workforce As the Minister of Labour and Social Affairs in the Kingdom of Bahrain from 1995 to 2005, the doyen believes that the greatest development in terms of the Indian workforce is their ability to consistently improve and increase their skills and specialties. “I have observed this personally. The caliber of the Indian workforce is consistently developing and they contribute to the technical aspects of the economy and industry with clear dedication. Prior to this, the contribution was mainly in the area of unskilled and semiskilled workforce,” elaborates HE Alshoala.
without which we would not have been able to achieve all our objectives in our development plans.” Embellished with Achievements HE Alshoala has undeniably made some of the most significant contributions to society through his involvement with various government entities, societies and associations. “I consider my first significant achievement to be my success in completing my college education at my own cost without the support of anyone else,” says HE Alshoala. When standing for the election of the BCCI Board of Directors, HE Alshoala received the highest votes on more than one occasion. “I was honoured to be appointed as a Member of the Shura Council and then subsequently to the Council of Ministers. I am aware that such appointments are a clear recognition of my standing and abilities of which I am also proud and consider it one of the greatest achievements in my life,” states HE Alshoala. “However, I feel that the most treasured of all my achievements, and my true success, has come from building a very happy family of myself, my wife and four children. I believe that you can only make achievements if you have a happy family,” HE Alshoala concludes.
The Indian community makes up the largest workforce in the Kingdom of Bahrain. “Being the Minister of Labour and Social Affairs, gave me the opportunity to see with my own eyes the extent of the positive contribution of the Indian work force in all the sectors in Bahrain and, in fact, all aspects of our life,” says HE Alshoala. “We will remain grateful for their contribution and commitment
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Diplomats
and has a Hindi edition in process. “It’s been so well received that I am currently in talks with a publisher in France who wishes to release the book in French,” enthuses HE Alshoala.
United in Friendship
in our countries,” says HE Alshoala. As a graduate of the Indian higher education system, he believes that India is an attractive and viable destination for those seeking a good education in this region. “In fact, today we find in the most advanced countries that a majority of leading companies and cooperations are headed and managed by Indians who have gained their skills and knowledge through the Indian educational system,” elaborates HE Alshoala.
Diplomats
AN AMBASSADOR WITH ELAN
United in Friendship
by Behnaz Sanjana
He came, he saw, he triumphed – His Excellency Dr. Mohan Kumar’s ambassadorship was replete with many successes to further bolster the diplomatic association between Bahrain and India. He recounts his time in office in Bahrain and its many highpoints.
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Being Ambassador during a period that threw challenges and opportunities alike his way, he describes his tenure on the island as ‘unforgettable’ for many reasons. “It was the longest tenure as a diplomat that I had anywhere in the world in my 36-year-old career,” he says. “I had already heard about the legendary hospitality and open-mindedness of the Bahrainis, so that came as no surprise at all. Given the difference in size of population between India and Bahrain (India’s 1.3 billion as opposed to Bahrain’s 1.3 million at the time) I thought it would be easy to understand Bahrain’s political and social landscape. I may have underestimated this aspect; Bahrain offers a rich mosaic of both social and cultural mores and outsiders can take a while to learn the intricacies in this regard.” Referring to the longstanding ties between Indian and Bahrain, he says: “The job of an Indian Ambassador varies from country to country. The Kingdom of Bahrain being strategically located makes the relationship rather special. Add to that the Royal Family members in Bahrain who are down to earth, humble and proud. It was a pleasure for me to deal with Bahrainis, for all these reasons.”
HE Dr. Kumar’s office was a busy one, as he was fully focused on making a difference while he was here. He was responsible for the events leading up to the laying of the foundation stone for the new Embassy of India building in Manama (Seef). The embassy also consistently maintained lines of communication with Indians across the island, being approachable for help at all times. Reinforcing the role of the Indian Community Relief Fund (ICRF) to aid fellow citizens has been another achievement of HE Dr. Kumar’s, a cause that he has been dedicated to. HE Dr. Kumar strongly believes that the Indian diaspora in Bahrain themselves make the best ‘ambassadors’ for their nation. “I vividly remember making a courtesy call to the Interior Minister soon after presenting credentials to His Majesty, and he told me right away that Indians in Bahrain are law-abiding and are such model expatriates that he wished everyone was like them!” he says. “This was music to my ears and made me extremely proud as the newly appointed Indian Ambassador.”
Likewise, he holds the Bahraini people in high regard. “The Bahrainis that I interacted with are modern, liberal and appreciative of other cultures. Some of the older generation are very familiar with India and were even educated there. Bahrainis hold Indians in great respect and the sentiment is mutual. Bahraini women are very progressive, independent and entrepreneurial and hold high positions in government and society,” he says. In 2015, HE Dr. Kumar and his amiable wife, Mala, moved to France, where he was posted after Bahrain. He has subsequently gone on to become a full-fledged academic as Dean and Professor at O.P. Jindal Global University - a premier private institution in India. “Having acquired my PhD from Sciences Po, Paris, I also head a Government-funded think tank called the Research and Information System for Developing Countries based in New Delhi,” says the erudite scholar. He has published the book Negotiation Dynamics of the WTO and is in the process of penning his second one on India’s multilateral diplomacy, besides being a freelance writer and commentator on foreign affairs.
As Indian Ambassador to Bahrain, he focused on two overriding priorities: to take bilateral ties to the next level; and secondly, to protect and advance the interests of the vast Indian diaspora present in the Kingdom. “Bahrain offers an excellent vantage point to observe the events unfolding in the Gulf,” HE Dr. Kumar notes. Between 2010 and 2015, India had taken centrestage in Bahrain, with many a milestone passed under HE Dr. Kumar’s ambassadorship. “The key achievement which I am very proud of is the landmark state visit of His Majesty the King of Bahrain to India for the very first time,” he says. “His Majesty the King had never been to India before that, so it is fair to say that the visit was a game-changer in diplomatic ties between the two countries. The visit was hugely successful and it resulted in
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Diplomats
providing impetus to bilateral ties. Besides a number of agreements being signed during this visit, one of the significant concrete outcomes was the establishment of the High Joint Commission at the level of Foreign Ministers which would meet regularly for reviewing the entire gamut of bilateral ties.”
United in Friendship
H
E Dr. Mohan Kumar had many a feather in his diplomatic cap in his four-and-half year tenure as Indian Ambassador to Bahrain. He is often remembered to have played a big part in facilitating the first ever visit to India by His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, and two visits by HRH Shaikh Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince and Prime Minister of Bahrain.
Oil & Gas
THE INDUSTRIAL BENCHMARK
United in Friendship
by Farah Baig
Nasser S. Al Hajri Corporation (NSH) has grown to be the GCC’s largest construction services provider in the industrial arena over the years. Their dynamic contributions in terms of industrial services in the region, involvement in the milestone BAPCO Modernisation Programme and ability to consistently raise standards in the industry have made them a game-changer in the region.
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Stemming from its regional headquarters in Saudi Arabia, NSH has successfully executed the construction of highly-sophisticated industrial and infrastructure facilities for some of the world’s biggest clients; Clients who are top contenders in the fields of oil and gas, petrochemicals, cement, power/ desalination, metallurgical industries and more. Some of the prolific company’s international clients over the years includes Bahrain Petroleum Company (BAPCO), Aluminum Bahrain (Alba), Saudi Aramco, SABIC, Shell, Samsung, Hyundai, Exxon Mobil, Total and Dolphin Energy – to name but a few. NSH contributions in the field have also continuously played a significant role in the economic growth of the GCC. The key elements of timely mobilization of men, material and machinery has enabled them to successfully complete projects at a true level of perfection. Putting the Employee First NSH employs over 100,000 people across the GCC including Bahrainis in its various departments from planning to safety and construction management, to administration and human resources. With its vast array of highly-skilled employees, from numerous nationalities, NSH has been able to constantly out-perform competitors.
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NSH staff are capable of handling very complex and critical issues at projects sites in an efficient and effective manner. This has paved the way for a better construction management in terms of proper planning, controlling, and monitoring the site to meet the project objectives of safety, quality, cost and schedule.
The result is a perfect blend of cultures that work in tandem to achieve projects. Notably, NSH was recognised by Saudi ARAMCO under the annual IKTVA Awards for the Highest Overall IKTVA Performance in the Construction Sector. This award was received for their efforts in far-sighted and empowering training and development with their employees’ best interest at its heart – an initiative that they are now replicating in the Kingdom of Bahrain.
The NSH workforce at every level has been credited with having an unmatched level of efficiency that is seen in every aspect of their work and completion of projects. This is a quality that the company believes is the result of a jovial, multicultural work environment and comfortable living facility that has never-before been seen in the region.
As an establishment that has been contracted by several renowned international companies, NSH follows an international standard when it comes to their workers’ welfare and living
The company vehemently credits their wealth of employees for their success and phenomenal growth over the years. They firmly believe that it is neither having the most capital nor advanced technology,
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Oil & Gas
conditions. NSH is not only following these standards, but further blending them with Owners’ standards to create a best-inclass approach to workers’ welfare. As the major Construction Subcontractor in the BAPCO Modernisation Programme, NSH is further developing their state-of-the-art labour accommodation which is capable of housing 8000 to 8500 people – a facility which is currently accommodating 5000 workers. The accommodation will also feature advanced kitchen set ups which are unlike others in Bahrain for added comfort and efficiency. The establishment is also one of the largest employers of Indian staff in the region.
United in Friendship
H
ighly experienced staff, countless fabrication facilities and a monumental manpower of over 100,000 employees has effectively cemented NSH’s reputation of being the leading provider for construction services in the GCC.
Oil & Gas United in Friendship
but the right-skilled people that is able to propel an establishment forward in the global market in the current day and age. Held to High Standards While safety, quality, attitude and agility have earned NSH its glowing reputation, it is the company’s high-level of standards and progressive approach that has made them leaders in their field. NSH is accredited with ISO 9001: 2015, EMS ISO 14001:2015 and OHSMS – ISO 45001:2018. In addition, their operations provide a continuous record of holding the highest degree of safety and quality, in all its endeavors. This has resulted in a myriad of much-deserved accolades and awards from numerous international clients and awarding bodies. In fact, NSH has also been recognised as a ‘Grade A’ general
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construction contractor by the government of KSA – a reputation that precedes them. With an illustrious journey spanning over 40 years, in oil and gas, petrochemical and mineral infrastructure development in the GCC, NSH has made an irreplicable mark on the economy, and is pegged to have a remarkable future in the industrial contracting space. Through their involvement in highly-specialised international projects for international clients, NSH has effectively followed standards of the highest orders. The company has then effectively incorporated these standards with those of the region achieving standards par excellence. The BAPCO Modernisation Programme In its latest endeavor, NSH is working
with TTSJV/BAPCO to execute the Bahrain BAPCO Modernization Program (BMP) - the largest capital investment the Kingdom of Bahrain has ever made in 90 years. The RP Group management lauded His Majesty King Hamad and His Royal Highness the Crown Prince and Prime Minister, Shaikh Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, for their wise leadership and dynamic approach to the growth and prosperity of the Kingdom of Bahrain. Through this ambitious project, the refinery crude capacity will increase from 267,000 barrels per day to a mammoth 380,000 barrels per day. The facility has Resid Hydo cracking (RHCU) two trains, which is one of the largest RHCU unit in the world. In fact. The plot size of one RHCU 260mx260m is equivalent to ten football fields. The RP Group believes
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This BMP project is a vertical plant where some of the structure has a height of 100 meters - a phenomenal design that required a great deal of expertise and planning during construction to bring together. From hi-tech equipment erections and field structures on a modular basis, the scope and volume of the project is massive. Interestingly, the project involves massive quantities of steel structures, equipment, piping, electrical elements, instrumentation etc., which are to be built over a million M3 of scaffolding during construction of this plant. NSH constructed 63 buildings in the plant with around 35 of them related to process-building including control rooms and substations. A lot of work was also involved in terms of the connectivity of substations and the main plant, and
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In terms of development, BAPCO, TTSJV and NSH are on a joint mission to train over 500 Bahraini employees in the BAPCO BMP Project, which will be adding value to the socio-economic culture and well-being of the Bahraini nationals. The training covers a variety of skills including welding, pipe-fitting, electrician specialisations and other industrial fields as part of the project through the impartment of an Australian-certified programme. By training the Bahraini workforce, NSH hopes to provide greater opportunities for them to potentially take part in BAPCO’s regional projects of national significance – a move that is rooted in visionary success. Partners in Progress Speaking on the occasion of the Golden Jubilee Celebrations of establishment of diplomatic relations between the Kingdom of Bahrain and the Republic of India, TTSJV Chairman, Alfonso Di Mario, says: “As we all know, both countries enjoy excellent bilateral relations characterised by cordial political, economic and cultural contacts.
Bahrain has always provided excellent working and living conditions for the local and expatriate community and is considered one of the safest places to work. “As Chairman of TTSJV, Bahrain has always excited me and we are thankful for the opportunity given to us for becoming a part of BAPCO BMP Project. We are extremely happy and are enjoying the work culture in Bahrain, wherein we are experiencing the perfect blend of Bahrain and Indian culture,” says Mr. Di Mario. NSH, one of the leading industrial contractors in the region for past decades have taken up major works in the BAPCO BMP Project. “NSH whose workforce is largely from India has always strived and succeeded in setting new standards with regards to Safety and Quality in the oil and gas Industry. NSH has already set landmarks in Bahrain by successfully completing other projects with the highest standards and are presently engaged in the mainstream jobs in the BAPCO BMP Project,” says Mr. Dimario. “On behalf of TTSJV, we wish the Kingdom of Bahrain and India great success and a prosperous journey ahead,” he concludes.
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Oil & Gas
ensuring the plant was fitted with state of art technology.
United in Friendship
that the vision of the National Oil and Gas Authority (NOGA) and BAPCO will propel the Kingdom of Bahrain towards a leadership position in the region’s Oil and Gas sector. In addition, the Group thanked TTSJV for trusting their expertise in the field of industrial construction.
Oil & Gas United in Friendship
A TRUE VISIONARY Chairman of RP Group of Companies, Dr. Ravi Pillai has played a significant role in the development of the GCC. We take a glimpse into the phenomenal growth of his company, future plans for investment and his life-changing philanthropic efforts.
T
he GCC as a whole has grown tremendously in the last fifty years, with each nation making significant changes to its infrastructure and landscape over time. Having laid the foundation for a thriving construction business in 1978, Chairman of RP Group of Companies, Dr. Ravi Pillai, has received recognition for his role in propelling the magnanimous growth in the region.
The RP Group, currently operates in nine countries with offices in twenty major cities worldwide. They also own and operate 11 hotels primarily in Dubai and India. “Since its establishment, RP Group has grown from strength-to-strength and evolved to encompass 20 companies. For the last 40 years we have been a trusted infrastructure partner in the GCC,” explains Dr. Pillai. Leaders of Modernisation Projects executed with RP Group at the helm have played a significant role in the development and modernisation of the region as they are usually of national or regional significance. “During the last 40 years, and certainly during the last 10 years, we have been part of most of the key industrial infrastructural development in the region,” he says. “All our projects are
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strategic projects critical for the development of the nation.” The outcome of RP Group’s projects has enabled countries to increase their oil and gas output. “We have effectively modernised their national oil and gas infrastructures, and chemical and industrial infrastructures aside from maintaining existing facilities. In addition, we have enabled industrial production of their key resources especially steel, aluminum and other minerals, developed and increased the output of petrochemicals, built complex supply chains, and setup water desalination facilities aside from managing the environment through desulphurisation plants, clean fuel projects and more,” elaborates Dr. Pillai. RP Group has executed projects for companies including BAPCO, ALBA, KNPC, SAUDI ARAMCO, SABIC, Sipchem, Shell, Exxon Mobil, Total, Samsung, Fluor, Tecnicas Reunidas, Technip, Daelim, Snamprogetti, Voest Alpine, AKER Kvaerner, Gulf Farabi, and Chemanol and many more. Recent projects include the construction of the Fadhili Gas Plant Sulphur Recovery Unit for Saudi Aramco. The Key to Success “It’s no secret that success comes with a lot of hard work, commitment, perseverance
and a strong value system,” says the prolific businessman. “I don’t take any leave and give every project my best to satisfy all stakeholders associated with me and my businesses.” RP Group of Companies is currently very well established with over 100,000 employees and an active presence in several key sectors. “I consider my ability to give employment to tens of thousands of people to be my greatest achievement as I believe this has a significant impact on the lives of those people, their families and, consequentially, to broader society too,” he says graciously. The Group develops skills in people by which they are able to successfully deliver some of the most difficult oil and gas projects in the world for the most demanding clients. “RP Group is considered to be one of the most reliable business groups in the industrial construction sector. “We consider this to be one of our greatest achievements, too as the majority of EPC’s operating or entering the region count on us for their strategic plans and execution of projects,” he says. “They know that our team will ensure that projects are delivered reliably under all circumstances.” The success of RP Group is built on their
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In the Pipeline Over the years RP Group has developed a large presence in India and the GCC region and shows no signs of slowing down. “With mobility resuming we anticipate that the hospitality sector will be in full swing by 2022. Accordingly, we hope to bring businesses in this sector back to normal and also resume our expansion plans,” he says¸ adding that there are also plans to invest in the private equity space. The group has also been investing in technology especially in the USA, and has been channeling those businesses to the GCC through the Kingdom of Bahrain. “Training and development, especially in the oil and gas sector, has been a key area of focus for us and we plan to continue our growth plans in this segment. We are using that for empowering GCC nationals with the necessary skills,” he says. A Natural Philanthropist Dr. Ravi Pillai is renowned for his numerous contributions to CSR activities and has pledged a significant 30 per cent of the group’s profits to social causes including staff welfare. The Ravi Pillai Foundation, a charitable foundation, works under the ideology that ‘Serving the poor equals serving God.’ RP Foundation’s activities have so far assisted many people in need of rehabilitation, education, medical situations and to eradicate poverty significantly. “The foundation has also helped thousands of poor couples to tie the knot through our
With Crown Prince of Bahrain, Deputy Supreme Commander & First Deputy Prime Minister
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Oil & Gas mass marriage initiative. Apart from the wedding expenses, we provide these couples with gifts to start their lives together,” he states.
From Left: Mr.Ganesh Pillai & Mrs. Anjana Ganesh Pillai, Dr. ravi Pillai, Mrs. Geetha Ravi Pillai, Dr. Adithya Vishnu, Dr. Arathi Ravi Pillai,
The foundation has also built homes for the poor, helped the needy with healthcare and education, and contributed towards relief efforts during natural calamities. Dr. Pillai has also provided land for thousands of orphanages. “We have also provided relief in the form of housing, medicine, educational scholarships and more to thousands of other people, regardless of ethnicity,” he says.
well as internationally in the last 20 years, I have continued to maintain my family base in Bahrain,” he says. Aside from the Bahrain-Indo relations in the realm of diplomacy and business, Dr. Pillai believes the most important relationship is enjoyed by the two communities living together in the Kingdom. On behalf of the 400,000 Indians in Kingdom of Bahrain, Dr. Pillai praised the generous support provided by Bahrain’s Government, under the rule of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, and leadership of His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, which has been the driving force behind the highly successful bilateral ties between Kingdom of Bahrain and Republic of India and the phenomenal progress both countries have made at all levels in the last five decades of diplomatic relations.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Dr. Pillai established an INR 170 million fund offering monetary assistance to those facing a severe financial crisis, and was instrumental in offering COVID-19 vaccination centers. “Since the beginning of the pandemic, RP Foundation has been actively taking part in the COVID-19 response in various countries. Apart from that, as a joint initiative with the Kerala Government, we have set up a treatment facility with 250 beds at Sankaramangalam School, at “For the Indian community living in Bahrain, his native district. this is their home away from home and Home Away from Home one of the best places for expatriates to Given the Kingdom’s welcoming nature, Dr. live in the entire world. This has already Pillai relocated to Bahrain from Saudi Arabeen ratified by some of the most credible bia along with his family in 2001. “Despite global surveys,” he concludes. expanding my businesses in the GCC as
Dr. Pillai with Mr. Barack Hussein Obama,The 44th President of the United States
Dr. Ravi Pillai with former President of the Republic of India, late Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam.
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United in Friendship
multitude of long-serving employees, and their commitment to delivering results under all circumstances. “That is one of the most important success factors for any business and specially for our business which is people-dependent,” he says. “We take pride in taking care of our employees, which has made them stay with us for a long time while earning us a reputation as an employer, enabling us to attract new talent from time to time.”
Oil & Gas
COMING INTO HIS OWN
“My father never favoured relationship over merit, which has enabled me to learn faster. I can’t thank him enough for that.” These are the words of the Executive Director of RP Group of Companies, Ganesh Ravi Pillai.
by Farah Baig
United in Friendship
H
aving lived in the Kingdom for 20 years, Ganesh is far from your average GCC-born expat; he is the son of renowned businessman and philanthropist, Dr. Ravi Pillai – the Chairman of RP Group of Companies. “The initial years of my career have been subject to extraordinary business challenges, especially those owing to the outbreak of COVID-19,” says Mr. Pillai. “We were dealing with a newer world that was consistently and drastically changing, but that doesn’t change the fact that with challenge comes new opportunity.” While the pandemic presented its fair share of challenges, the most significant of challenges that Mr. Pillai had to face was gaining the confidence of his team and peers. “Following in my father’s footsteps meant that I have very big shoes to fill,” he says humbly.
“My father believes that while the times may have changed, age old values haven’t. Still, there is no substitute for hard work, commitment, sincerity and honesty,” he adds. A visionary himself, Mr. Pillai has worked tirelessly since the start of his career to implement foresighted transformations in the establishment. “We have been revisiting the entire corporate governance framework for our businesses right from the group level,” he explains, adding that they are also undergoing a digital transformation across businesses.
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Being a management graduate from the IE Business School Madrid in Spain, Mr. Pillai naturally veered towards the reengineering of business processes for better efficiency and standardisation. “We have also steadily leveraged knowledge across various group entities and realigned talent with localisation in focus,” he says.
Considering the aforementioned challenges presented by the pandemic, Mr. Pillai believes that there are multiple opportunities in the post-COVID era. “The energy sector is not going back to where it was; there is a shift in the mid to long term outlook of the industry which also includes a focus on alternative energy and ESG initiatives,” he says. “The new order has set new challenges as well as new opportunities and reorientation of national priorities. We are placing ourselves to be well aligned to these opportunities moving forward.” The RP Group will also look into the diversification of the business with a focus on their established Oil and Gas presence, aside from the technology sector and private equity. “In addition, we will be investing in technologies, specially in the US, and bringing them to GCC through Bahrain,” he says. Harnessing the advice imparted to him by his father, he stresses the importance of respect and a humble approach. “That’s
what pays off in the long term, because the most important asset of any business is its people. A family business thrives on treating its people like family,” he says. Reflecting on spending his most formative and memorable years in the Kingdom of Bahrain he says, “Bahrain is an easy place to call ‘home’ and it is a blessing to have spent last 20 years of my life with Bahrain as my base. Association between both the communities spans across all levels, whether it is professional or social and there is a strong sense of cohesiveness here when compared to most other countries.” As a young Indian who has grown up in the Kingdom, Mr. Pillai firmly believes that the Golden Jubilee celebration of diplomatic relations between Bahrain and India makes the two countries a model example of coexistence. “It is the perfect example of a society having these two communities co-existing with mutual respect and wellbeing at the core” he says. “This bond has stood the test of time as it has existed even before the recognition of the two countries as sovereign states in the current era. It is a model example for the world and should be built up on further towards mutual growth and prosperity in times to come.”
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Oil & Gas United in Friendship
Global HSE 2019
Global HSE marked its 7th edition in the Kingdom of Bahrain, with HSE professionals and industry leaders from all across the globe converging to share their knowledge on the sustainable business practices underlining socio-economic excellence and to lead the future of HSE practices.
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Construction
LAYING THE FOUNDATION FOR SUCCESS
United in Friendship
by Behnaz Sanjana
Having laid the groundwork for almost all the landmark structures that make up Bahrain’s skyline today, BKG Holding Company is a name that reverberates, literally, from their very foundations. Chairman and Managing Director, Babu Rajan K G chats about the company’s inception and his experience of entrepreneurship.
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With a father who has scaled the heights of the engineering sector in Bahrain, and an architect mother, Babu Rajan’s children, son Rajath and daughter Remya, had strong role models to look up to in life. “Rajath has specialised in engineering and joined me in the business. Remya has followed what was my first ambition; she is a doctor. My daughter-in-law is studying dermatology, and my son-inlaw is a neo-natal paediatrician. So, we have three doctors in the family and an engineer to take the business forward,” he says with quiet pride. The son of a Hindi teacher, Babu Rajan’s humble upbringing has made him the grounded, down-to-earth person he is despite contributing immensely to Bahrain’s infrastructure and development. “What I am doing is service to the country, because roads, bridges and buildings are key to its development,” he says. To newer expatriates on the island, he says, “The most important thing is to be dedicated to what you do. Remember that you have to uphold your name and that of your country. If you are responsible and dedicated towards your work, success will come to you.”
The challenges in this highly technical, specialised, service-oriented field of work are many. “Besides strong technical capabilities, it all comes down to good, time-bound service as per the client’s requirement,” says Babu Rajan matter-offactly. “We deal with the quality control and geo-technical aspects of construction. The entire project depends on the first stage of our initial site investigation and survey.” With a lot riding on his team of engineers, it can prove to be a demanding line of work. Playing a part in Bahrain’s phenomenal growth from the ground up is something he considers a huge professional achievement for a junior engineer who used to ferry from Saudi to Bahrain by water. “With only one flight a week, I would come to Bahrain in a dhow.” Of course,
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Construction
Bahrain causeway?” he says, grateful to the Kingdom for letting him evolve professionally and show his capabilities in the engineering field. “But, the groundwork of my success lies in India, where I received my education,” he says fondly of his home country.
United in Friendship
F
rom awe-inspiring structures like the there were more accessible seafronts at Financial Harbour and World Trade the time. “The whole of Seef as we know it Centre, soaring flyovers connecting was water back then,” he remembers. “The the mainland to Muharraq and Sitra, retail location of the current Farooq Junction destinations like City Centre Bahrain and was a land boundary. Anything north of it The Avenues, the distinctive Four Seasons was reclaimed in 1983 -84.” He recalls the Hotel to the spanking new international Ritz-Carlton hotel to be the first building airport that sets the tone for a worldrising up in the midst of that rough terrain. class Bahrain – Babu Rajan’s BKG Holding “On the other side of Manama, Gulf Hotel Company has had a hand in all these iconic was at the waterfront. The Grand Mosque structures amongst others across Bahrain. was one of the first buildings in Juffair in Serendipity was at play when Babu Rajan, 1984. Hidd was nothing but a rough road a junior engineer in Mumbai, unwittingly from the airport to Asry, with the sea on landed up at an job interview that either side. I used to go fishing in these selected him for work in Saudi Arabia. “I areas with my son!” Babu Rajan reminisces didn’t even have a passport at the time, life being simpler, more peaceful and even but they were willing to wait for me,” safer. “We could leave our homes open he says. “My interviewer, Dr A P K Tait, when we went out and traffic was not a later became my mentor, developing my thing back then.” passion for foundation engineering as I Life was all about simple pleasures. “I worked in the construction of the Saudienjoy fishing,” says the entrepreneur. “I had Bahrain causeway.” my boat at Marina Club, and I’d go fishing with my family and friends at 4am on Babu Rajan shifted base to Bahrain soon Friday mornings. We’d sail to Umm Jalid after, where the skilled and intuitive young island to catch hammour. Once we got man steadily rose up the engineering around 250 kilos of fish. Other times, we ranks “After 28 years of working for another wouldn’t get a single one; that is fishing!” company, I decided to have my own setup,” says the seasoned businessman who has he says. “I wanted to leave a legacy for my banked on his patience and forbearance family, and to have my own unique vision in work as well as in life. for my engineering projects.” The honour of receiving the Pravasi Although business-friendly Bahrain Bharatiya Samman award from the enabled him to start off his own venture Government of India went to Babu Rajan with relative ease, BKG Holdings has toiled in 2021 for his exemplary contribution to fend off competition. “When we started as a non-resident Indian. The softoff in the region, we were competing with spoken senior credits the Kingdom companies who were established here of Bahrain for enabling him to come for 40 or 50 years but we could be at par this far. “As a young engineer, where with them in a short time,” he says. “We else could you get the opportunity have very skilled staff, of which 48 are to work on a project like the SaudiBahraini, across technical, processing and administrative divisions,” he says.
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bystander United in Friendship
Mr. Baburajan with the Indian ambassador to the Kingdom of Bahrain, His Excellency Piyush Srivastava.
Mr. Baburajan with Honourable Prime Minister of the Republic of India, Shri Narendra Modi, during his historical visit to the Kingdom of Bahrain.
The unveiling of the Memorial Plaque for the new block sponsored by Mr. Baburajan at the Sivagiri Mutt along with the Trustee President, Brahmasree Visudhanandha Swamikal.
Mr. Baburajan receives the Lifetime Achievement Award from Sivagiri Mutt, Kerala, India.
Mr. Baburajan with his family.
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Construction United in Friendship
TAKE TWELVE WITH RAJATH by Behnaz Sanjana
A youngster who spent many of his formative years in Bahrain, Rajath Baburaj, Operations Manager at BKG Holding Company, shares his experience growing up in Bahrain and overseeing an important vertical of the family business through twelve quick questions. Which school did you go to in Bahrain and where did you go to study further? I went to Sacred Heart School in Bahrain, and later got my Civil Engineering degree from BMS College in Bengaluru. It’s the oldest Civil Engineering school in India. I followed this up with a Master’s degree in Geotechnical Engineering from the University of Birmingham in the United Kingdom. Any favourite memories of your childhood in Bahrain? Very usual things. Going to Jasmis and Kids Zone when we were small. We used to go to a park near the airport back then and it was good fun to see airplanes taking off and landing. I have always enjoyed music. Playing the guitar has been a hobby since my late teens. Tell us about your family. My wife is Dr Aishwarya Krishnakumar, who is currently pursuing her degree in Dermatology in Chennai. We have a daughter, Aira. They travel every other
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month to be with me in Bahrain. My father, Baburajan K G, heads BKG Holdings in Bahrain, and my mother, Rani Baburaj, is an architect. In what way will your daughter’s childhood in Bahrain be different from yours? I hope it is not too different. Mine was very enjoyable and I have very fond memories of Bahrain, especially when it comes to food. Did you always know that you would join the family business? I always knew I would join my father’s field in Civil Engineering, which I joined after I graduated. What is the best part of your work? My line of work is technically challenging. We have over 500 tests that we can perform at our engineering lab. I do prefer the technical side of things to the administrative. What are the challenges that you face in your professional life? It’s a rapidly evolving field because of technology. Sometimes technology will automate the entire process for us which isn’t ideal for me, because I feel you lose a lot of learning in the process. What are your plans to take your companies forward? I am looking to branch into more markets
and diversify. I hope to start small diameter tunnel boring one day; I find it to be a very exciting field. What message would you like to give young Indian expatriates in Bahrain? Work very hard while you are young and always invest and save what you earn to let it grow. Always make practical choices in your purchases. What qualities have you imbibed from your parents and how has that helped you? I have always enjoyed my father’s work ethic. I strive to emulate that. It has helped me immensely in the early days of the company and my first years at work. From my mother I learnt to be humble. What are your life’s greatest achievements? Running our company has enabled me to create jobs, which support families, something I consider an achievement. We do a lot of charitable work as well which I enjoy. In recent years I have taken on many roles personally – that of a husband, sonin-law, brother-in-law, father and uncle. Who do you look up to as mentor and role model? My father, who started from very humble beginnings and always gave top priority to learning and educating himself. He continues his education even after 40+ years of experience.
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bystander United in Friendship
The Bharatiya Pravasi Samman for the year 2021 was presented by the Government of India to Chairman and Managing Director of BKG Holdings, Baburajan K G Baburajan, for his exemplary contribution as a non-resident Indian.
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Construction United in Friendship
REACHING NEW HEIGHTS by Farah Baig
As per the Ministry of Industry and Commerce, Chairman of Damani Holdings, Raj Damani, is the first expat industrialist to have set up an industry in Bahrain. He tells us about his role in the Kingdom’s transformation.
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aving thrived over the last fifty years, the Kingdom of Bahrain has proved to be a stellar model for development across the world. What was once a simple island with glowing prospects, has blossomed into a hub for commercial and industrial excellence with an ever-changing skyline. With his introduction of architectural aluminum and invaluable technology to the Kingdom of Bahrain, the Chairman of Damani Holdings, Raj Damani, has played a leading role in the transformation of Bahrain from an island of low-rise buildings to a Kingdom of skyscrapers and world-class properties. “Our work, and the results of our research and development, enables architects and developers to turn their dreams of building high-rise buildings and skyscrapers into a reality. That is how we have contributed to the construction industry in Bahrain,” says Mr. Damani.
“Our primary and flagship business, ARCAL, which was previously known as Universal Aluminum has played a significant role in the construction of major landmarks in Bahrain including the National Museum, the National Theatre, Four Seasons Hotel Bahrain Bay, the Bahrain International Airport and more,” he says. “ARCAL is now a brand icon that you see everywhere in the Kingdom.”
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The Establishment “I’ve always believed in not being a follower, but a leader in industry. Mine is an industrial background. I come from a family of industrialists. So, we always think ahead,” says Mr. Damani, who arrived in Bahrain in 1979. The Damani family, which has a wellestablished architectural aluminum business in India, were pioneers in the field as early as the 1950s. “We had introduced the concept of aluminum doors, windows, facades and class-four buildings in India,” he explains. Being the next in line in the family, Mr. Damani was tasked with conducting a survey of the Middle East market in order to decide on a venue to build a manufacturing plant which would cater to the region. After surveying the region, Mr. Damani chose Bahrain for its people. “Bahrain had the best airline connection, telecommunication and people who were educated and friendly! Then, of course, Bahrain also had Alba so the decision made sense” he explains. In 1980, Mr. Damani established his company in Bahrain with a modest workforce of eight people. “That was a very humble beginning. At our peak we had six different manufacturing units in Bahrain with offices in Kuwait, Qatar, and UAE, employing nearly 1000 people,” he says.
“The concept was that Bahrain and the whole GCC would be my own market and the rest of the world would be my export. And based on that, we set up all of our headquarters outside of India in Bahrain.” The Best of Bahrain Over four decades, Mr. Damani and his family have grown to be very well-known in the Kingdom. “Having travelled all around the world, in retrospect, I believe Bahrain’s safe and friendly environment and its quality of education make it a very good place to raise children.” Of his most memorable experiences in Bahrain, Mr. Damani treasures his experience of meeting and interacting with His Majesty King Hamad and Hon’ble Prime Minister of India, Shri Narendra Modi. “I was invited to the dinner at the palace and had a very interesting interaction with both of them, talking to them both at length, which was a very good experience,” he says. “On the occasion of the Golden Jubilee celebration of relations between Bahrain and India, I would like thank the Royal family for their compassion that they show the expat community in general, and the Indian community in particular, and for the opportunity that they have given us to prosper here and make Bahrain our home amongst their own people,” he concludes.
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bystander United in Friendship
Indian President's Visit To Bahrain As part of an official presidential visit, former Indian President Giani Zail Singh, visited the Kingdom of Bahrain in 1983.
Iron Ladies Margaret Thatcher, the former British Prime Minister and Mrs Indira Gandhi, the former Indian Prime Minister, two of the world’s most powerful women, at a State banquet in New Delhi, 1981.
Former Indian Ambassador Rajanikanta Verma hosted a reception in 1997 in honour of Mr Shervani. At the event were VIPS, ministers and businessmen.
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Photograph by Herbie Knott. Camera Press London 25962-2 (18)
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Construction United in Friendship
AN INVESTORS’ HAVEN by Farah Baig
Leading Indian businesses which have chosen to be headquartered in Bahrain have proven, time and time again, that the Kingdom is a gateway to lucrative opportunities. One such company, Steelmark Mideast W.L.L, has achieved immeasurable success through hard work, determination and a customer-centric approach. Having established their operations in Bahrain in 2008, Steelmark Mideast W.L.L has grown to be one of the leading stockists, catering to all piping requirements in the Kingdom and GCC. The company began its operations modestly with an office in Bahrain and a small team to serve sectors such as Building and Construction, Oil and Gas, and Electricity and Utilities. “We started primarily as a trading company of steel pipes, valves and other related accessories. Over 13 years, Steelmark has evolved to be headquartered in Bahrain with a yard and storage facility, a nodal office in India and sales office too,” states Managing Director at Steelmark Mideast W.L.L, Vinod Das. Striving Towards Excellence The team comprises of technically qualified professionals who are serviceoriented and actively support clients from pre-sales to after sales. “We strive for excellence through customer satisfaction by focusing on supplying quality products in a timely manner which has effectively resulted in Steelmark’s glowing reputation,” says Mr. Das. Steelmark has successfully executed over 300 projects across the private and public sectors in Bahrain. “We take pride in being a part of the BAPCO Modernisation programme, Al Dur Power Plant, the New Exhibition and Convention Center at Sakhir and King Hamad American Misson Hospital. We have also been suppliers for Alba Potline 6 Expansion, the Banagas Plant expansion, the new Bahrain International Airport, Four Seasons Hotel Bahrain Bay, United Tower, The Avenues Mall and many more,” states Mr. Das.
The Kingdom of Bahrain offers endless investment opportunities thanks to its businessfriendly environment and effective modern legislations, making the island a haven for investors. “I would like to thank the Rulers of Bahrain for all the support extended and making Bahrain a preferred destination to do business in the region,” he says. In the Pipeline Steelmark recently introduced its brand of industrial valves and will start distribution across the MENA region by the end of the year. Additionally, the Company is currently focusing on automating its internal processes within its strategic plans to utilise the latest technologies in its operations. Elaborating further on Steelmark’s future plans, Mr. Das says: “Our vision is to push the Company towards broader horizons of growth and become a market leader, not only in Bahrain, but across the MENA region and Africa. Locally, we have a plan to expand into the manufacturing and services sector in Bahrain by the first quarter of 2022. We are also focusing on means to implement some of our innovative ideas in this sector and
introduce new products which are more cost-effective.” Teamwork at its Best Mr. Das emphasised the essential role played by Steelmark’s team in placing the Company in the leading position it occupies today. “A team aligned behind a vision will move mountains,” he commented. The Managing Director added: “Steelmark strongly believes that our people are our strength and we attribute our success over the years to them. We have a diverse team, and we provide equal opportunities to all and maintain an inclusive work culture. The Company has also nurtured Bahraini talents over the years. All these are inculcated in the core values of Steelmark.”
The company acts as a one-stop shop for clients, ensuring that they provide a solution for every requirement. “What sets us apart from competitors in the region is the fact that we promptly respond to our client requirements and ensure timely delivery. We also clearly understand our clients’ needs and cater to their specific requirements,” he says.
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bystander
Bahrain Sends Liquid Oxygen to India United in Friendship
In April, 2021 in a move of solidarity with the Republic of India, the government of Bahrain sent much-needed medical equipment and 40 metric tonnes of oxygen to support India’s efforts to combat COVID-19. The decision was taken by Bahrain’s Cabinet and reflects the Kingdom of Bahrain’s commitment to supporting its allies.
Home Minister Rajnath Singh’s visit to Bahrain, 2016
Home Minister Rajnath Singh was welcomed by Bahrain’s Minister of Interior, Lt. Gen Sheikh Rashid Bin Abdulla Al Khalifa, and presented a Guard of Honour on his arrival at the Bahrain International Airport. He addressed the Indian community in Bahrain during his three-day visit.
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bystander United in Friendship
INS Kochi Makes a Celebratory Visit to Bahrain Indian Naval Ship (INS) Kochi visited Bahrain from August 15 to August 18, 2021 to mark the 75th Independence Day of India and Golden Jubilee of establishment of diplomatic relations between India and Bahrain. During the Visit, Rear Admiral Ajay Kochar, Flag Officer Commanding Western Fleet of the Indian Navy called on HRH Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince, Deputy Supreme Commander and Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Bahrain.
Bahrain’s Minister of Foreign Affairs received by his counterpart in India, 2021 Indian External Affairs Minister, Dr. S. Jaishankar welcomed HE Dr Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Bahrain to India this year. HE Dr Zayani co-chaired the 3rd India-Bahrain High Joint Commission (JHC) Meeting. During the visit, the Bahraini dignitary called on the Honourable Vice President of India, Shri Venkaiah Naidu. At the HJC, the Bahraini and Indian delegations highlighted the measures taken by their Governments in handling Covid-19 and agreed to continue their collaboration in fighting the pandemic. They also discussed ways and means to expand cooperation in a range of fields including oil and gas, infrastructure, investments, food processing, health, renewable energy, IT, data centres, cloud computing, space, tourism, education, culture, youth and sports.
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bystander United in Friendship
M J Akbar, Minister of State for External Affairs visits Manama, 2017
Minister of State for External Affairs, M J Akbar visited Bahrain to participate in the 13th Regional Security Summit - the Manama Dialogue. He addressed the plenary session at this international forum organised jointly by the International Institute of Strategic Studies and the Government of Bahrain. During the visit, he met with the Bahraini leadership to discuss bilateral, regional and global issues of mutual interest. His visit was an opportunity to further cement India’s mutually beneficial bilateral ties with Bahrain.
HE the Minister of Interior’s Visit to India Bahrain’s Interior Minister, His Excellency Lt. General Shaikh Rashid bin Abdulla Al Khalifa, made an official visit to New Delhi, India from December 1 to December 4, 2015. During the visit, an agreement on cooperation in combating international terrorism was signed between the two countries.
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Construction
FROM A VANTAGE POINT
United in Friendship
by Behnaz Sanjana
CEO of the Mannai Group, Anil Nair, on his perspective of working with a local family business and island life.
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ndian-origin Australian, Anil Nair initially came to Bahrain in 1984 to launch a company’s financial services products on the island. He switched jobs to take on the position of General Manager at Bahrain’s well-known Mannai Group. Although he left in the mid-90s to return to his country, destiny’s path brought him back to the island in 2008. “Great memories of my initial stay was one of the primary reasons for my return,” says Anil. “Bahrain has to be one of
the most expatriate-friendly countries in the world. A great confluence of the East and West, it requires very little to get into one’s comfort zone here. The move from Australia to Bahrain was effortless.” Bahrain has given much more than just professional progress to Anil. “I met my wife, Karina, in Bahrain whilst she was employed with Gulf Air in the mid-80s. My two sons, Karan and Kyle, did almost all their schooling here at St Christopher’s School,” he says of his family. “Both of them
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study in Melbourne now and like their parents, they consider Bahrain home.” Anil returned to Bahrain the second time as Group CEO for Mannai Holdings, armed with greater international experience. “I had worked as Group MD and CEO in different organisations across multiple industries globally - oil and gas, sports media, publishing and construction,” he says. He believes this diversified international experience has helped him further expand the Group. “The Mannai Group has been historically involved in real estate development, civil and mechanical aspects of construction, oil and gas, commodity trading and most recently, hospitality,” he says. “We own the Wyndham Garden in Juffair, Ramada in Amwaj and will shortly open the Hilton Juffair.” Speaking of working with one of Bahrain’s prominent business houses, he says, “Working with a family business has its challenges and, equally, its advantages. To be successful one has to constantly balance and manage expectations on all sides. Fortunately, the Chairman of the Group, Salim Ahmed Mannai, is a visionary and we go back a long way. The next generation’s success will be measured against the past
and for this they will have to evolve as markets, products, customer needs and indeed the very way we do business evolves.” The Group maintains that good relationships with all stakeholders - employees, customers, shareholders, partners and financial institutions - is key to an organisation’s success. Anil says, “Good times and bad times are a part of life and business, strong relationships are fundamental in meeting challenges and is one of my primary focuses. Outside of the known basic sound business practices, to survive and thrive, we have had to evolve with the market across sectors. Leadership is by example.” Coming from a family steeped in the armed forces culture, Anil is familiar with the army way of life. “Discipline, integrity, a structured approach, perseverance, loyalty and respect were qualities drummed into us growing up. My father retired as a Brigadier General. My brothers too retired as senior officers in the Army and Navy, and my banker sister is married to an army officer. The family tree hangs heavy with senior officers. My late father used to remind us that long before Saving Private Ryan came along, he and his three siblings all served as officers in World War II at the same time!” he shares. Outside of his professional life, Anil is a keen golfer, and enjoys a spot of Bridge and sailing on his boat. But most of all, he savours, in his words, “the warmth of the Bahrainis and their inclusive way of life”.
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Restaurant and Hospitality
United in Friendship
FOOD AT THE HEART OF IT ALL! It is not just strong work ethics and a knack for good business that the desis brought with them to Bahrain. Along with the Indians, the Bahrainis embraced the smorgasbord of Indian food – rich, flavoursome, aromatic – spanning virtually every prominent state of the country.
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ndians make up for a quarter of the Kingdom’s population, and of this, the South Indians take up a significant chunk. So, it’s natural for South Indian cuisine to take centre stage on Bahrain’s Indian food scene. Pillowy idlis, crunchy-outsidesoft-inside medu vadas, paper crisp dosas enveloping warm fillings and light as air upmas and pongals – you can dunk all this and more in a steamy sambhar and tangyspicy chutneys at popular South Indian eateries like Vrindavan, Gowri Krishna and Central Café. If you are looking for a full-blown meal, Southern Indian cuisine doesn’t disappoint. Restaurants like Nattinpuram will bring you a large, circular steel platter bordered with little bowls. These are filled with native Keralite vegetarian and non-vegetarian preparations like avial, pickle and a variety of coconut-based meat curries, while the rest of the platter is heaped with rice and aromatic sambhar, to be washed down with a side of piquant rasam, buttermilk to douse the
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flames and payasam for a sweet ending. If you are in the Manama souq, you can order these Southern delicacies at no-frills joints like Swagat or Anand Bhavan. While you are there, take the opportunity to veer west of India to dig into some Maharashtrian cuisine - misal, samosa with zesty tamarind chutney and Mumbai’s famous snack, Vada Pav amongst others. These and similar eateries master street food from up north as well – they are thronged for the puri bhajis and parathas alike. For a taste of colourful Gujarat, there are a few places that serve an authentic Gujarati thali, which is a wonderfully balanced riot of sweet, sour and pungent, to be eaten with light phulkas (Indian bread) hot off the skillet. Head to the non-descript Gujarati Vegetarian Restaurant in the Manama souq, which has a no-fuss, mess-like feel, or the cosier My Mithaas located in Hidd to treat your taste buds. Bahrain loves a rich, creamy North Indian curry as much as it loves its saloona. With an abundance of upmarket Indian fine dining venues (including a Michelin-starred one) across the country, there is no dearth of hole-inthe-wall spots that have mushroomed in Manama and its
surrounding neighbourhoods that offer as much of a tantalizing array of North Indian kebabs, curries and biryanis, the taste of which will remain in your memory forever. Chaat forms an integral part of this subcuisine, and it’s common to see locals lining up for a mouthful of paani puri, ragda pattice and sev batata puri at Manama’s evergreen Asha’s or the new favourite, Desi Spice in Zinj. For the DIY kinds amongst us, an array of spices and masalas are available at the tiny but noteworthy spice bazaar within the souq. Mix and match with complementing Indian and Middle Eastern spices in whole or powdered form to put that depth into home cooking. For its location, just follow the fragrance! No round up of Indian food in Bahrain would be complete without a mention of the sweets and savoury snacks that form vital elements of its cuisine. Whether for Diwali, Holi or otherwise, Indians and locals treat themselves to little bites of wonder in the form of mithai (sweetmeats) or namkeen (savoury bites). Manama Sweets and Bengal Sweets are well known for Bengali milkbased sweets like rasagulla, sandesh and gulab jamuns, while Rangoli is famed for its pedas, barfis and jalebis. Whether you may or may not be able to pick your favourite Indian fare, Bahrain’s culinary scene is enriched by the richness, flavour and intrigue of Indian gastronomy.
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Restaurant and Hospitality
United in Friendship
A RECIPE FOR SUCCESS Lalit Kapur, the Managing Director of one of Bahrain’s most successful and renowned Indian restaurants, Lanterns, tells us about his beginnings in the Kingdom, the similarities between India and Bahrain’s cuisines and more.
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he cultural exchange of countries has “Indian cuisine itself is very colourful and long been steeped in the diversity and is culturally influenced since India is such similarities of their food. Having first a diverse country. Undoubtedly, it is well opened its doors in 1986, Lanterns has grown associated with Bahrainis as many dishes to be a favourite on the dining scene among are identical though spice levels are expats and locals alike due to its warm different. For instance, Biriyani is similar to atmosphere, impeccable service and flavourful Machboos, curries similar to Saloona and so fare of Indian food. Years before the popular on,” he explains. “And by the way, curry is not restaurant’s establishment, the Managing one dish, and not every dish a curry.” Director of Lanterns, Lalit Kapur, arrived in the Kingdom of Bahrain for what would be the Highlighting the start of his entrepreneurial start of a very boisterous F & B career. endeavours he says: “We started our business in 1981 and the Lanterns idea was “I arrived in Bahrain in 1979, at a time when it was still a developing country, yet a beautiful unexplored place. Opportunities to do business were many. I do miss the old times even following the country’s advancement and development under the wise leadership,” says Mr. Kapur of his first impressions of the Kingdom. For six months following his arrival, Mr. Kapur diligently worked towards the goal of opening an Indian restaurant. “My first job was to launch Copper Chimney restaurant which I am proud to say still continues. We brought the chief guest, the renowned actor Dilip Kumar, and his wife for the opening. It was possibly the only famous Indian restaurant at the time,” he reminisces. Indian food has played a rich role in the country’s cultural presence internationally as it is a favourite all around the world.
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conceived with support from Shaikh Rashid bin Khalifa Al Khalifa, following which the first Lanterns opened in the premises of Bahrain Arts Society,” he says, expressing his pride in the fact that the flagship restaurant is still operational to date. “Aside from our original location, we now have branches in Adliya and Amwaj. Lanterns has flourished and is an iconic name and restaurant in Bahrain - our younger guests who used to
visit us then now still patronise Lanterns with their kids and family.” While the restaurant has received its fair share of accolades and recognition over the years, Mr. Kapur modestly shares that he believes there is always room for improvement. “Yes, we do have the name and reputation, but always strive to move with changing times and our guests’ choices. Our menu and facilities have changed to suit the times and our ever-growing loyal guests. Today Lanterns is proud to be a bar lounge with a relaxing roof top with entertainment – LNT,” he says. According to Mr. Kapur, the key elements to having a successful food and beverage business are food, service, entertainment, atmosphere and, above all, staff. “In the end it is our customers who make the atmosphere and is a wonderful feeling to see them enjoy and return so often,” he says. In his 41 years living in the Kingdom, Mr. Kapur has made countless memories. “We have achieved a reputable name for our business and made many a good local friend thanks to the hospitable nature of Bahrain,” he says. “That being said – the most memorable experience is having met my wife here and the birth of all my children here, too. Bahrain is home… and it always will be.”
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EVERYDAY
LANTERNS MAHARAJA PLATED BRUNCH
12
BD
BD
NETT
Inclusive Of Soft Drinks
29
NETT
Inclusive Of Selected Hard Beverages
(3 Hours)
TID BIT PLATTER Crispy Chicken Wings, Wonton, Tandoori Flautas, Breaded Prawns, Jalapeno Cheese Balls, Vegetable Spring Rolls, Samosa KEBAB PLATTER FEAST Assorted Chicken, Lamb And Fish Kebabs DELIGHTFUL CURRIES Murg Makhani, Gosht Korma, Dal, Seasonal Vegetables CHICKEN BIRYANI ASSORTED FRESH BREADS DESSERT SELECTION
*Minimun 4 person
Adliya: Tel No: 17246777 Amwaj: Tel No: 77770055 Budaiya: Tel No: 17590591
Farah Baig savours the flavours of authentic Indian food at Bahrain’s next best Indian restaurant - Jashan
United in Friendship
Restaurant and Hospitality
AN INDIAN FEAST AT JASHAN
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ahrain has grown to be a gastronome’s dream – there’s no doubt about that. With that reputation, however, comes the evergrowing responsibility of restaurants to raise the bar when it comes to creative menus, exemplary service and an exquisite ambiance. This month, our quest for a delectable lunch saw us sauntering into Wyndham Garden Manama, located in Juffair, making our way to the hotel’s Indian restaurant – Jashan.
Jashan. The name itself is enticing as the Hindi word translates to ‘celebration’, so we were expecting nothing short of a feast. From the moment you step out of the elevator on the seventh floor, you are greeted by the unmistakable aroma of authentic Indian food. The restaurant’s décor is opulent with intricate designs, tapestry, embroidery and lanterns which contribute to the restaurant’s warm ambiance. After being seated at a corner table, we enjoyed the vibrant music and good conversation while our food was being freshly prepared by celebrity chef, Jainul Khan, and his culinary team. Jashan is quickly growing in popularity for its terrific tandoori offerings and it’s all for good reason. To start our feast, we were served vegetarian and non-vegetarian Jashan platters – each with four kinds of scrumptious tandoori kebabs. The nonvegetarian tandoori platter was adorned by perfectly grilled hariyali prawns, malai
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chicken kebab, amritsari machi tikka and lamb seekh kebabs. Each item was perfectly cooked to retain its moisture and flavour but what we enjoyed most were the large, minty prawns and malai tikka which were bursting with flavour. It’s no surprise that Jashan, like most Indian restaurants, has a bounty of delectable dishes for vegetarians. What sets it apart, though, is the fact that each is very different from the next and in no way similar to what you find at your average Indian restaurant. The vegetarian tandoori platter made that clear with its spicy paneer tikka, dahi ke kebab, delicious potato cutlets and vegetarian seekh kebabs. As most people know, the Dum style of cooking originated in India, so we were quite excited to try Jashan’s Murgh Dum Nawabi Biryani. The aromatic biriyani, which is served with a side of raita, is laden with generous servings of chicken cooked in a myriad of spices that are cooked in a traditional sealed pot. Sealing the pot ensures that the flavours of the chef’s lakhnavi spices penetrate into the basmati rice so you don’t lose any of those rich flavours. We loved that this biryani was divinely flavourful, light and fragrant but did not weigh us down.
a traditional Kashmiri dish with tender – cubes of extremely tender lamb in a thick and fragrant gravy. The meat is perfectly cooked and tender enough to effortlessly break apart with a fork. This coupled with the restaurant’s fresh tandoori roti is a divine treat at lunch. We also thoroughly enjoyed the Dal Jashan which is a mix of black lentils, simmered overnight and finished with cream and butter. The rich Paneer Spring Onion Masala and chicken Bemisal were sure to have us coming back for more, too. To end our meal on a sweet note, we tucked into some warm Gulab Jamoons and Kulfi Falooda. We enjoyed the flavour of the Kulfi Falooda’s creamy saffron and pistachio ice-cream which complemented the herb syrup perfectly. Needless to say, Jashan’s decadent food, warm hospitality and beautiful interiors are sure to make every diner’s Indian feast a memorable one.
To top off our mains we tucked into a variety of vegetarian and non-vegetarian curries. The curry that stood out to us the most was the delightlful Mutton Rogan Josh
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2018
bystander
Indian Embassy Inauguration
United in Friendship
The Indian Embassy held the official inauguration ceremony of its new complex at Seef district in the presence of the External Affairs Minister of India, HE Sushma Swaraj, top officials, ambassadors and invited guests.
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Restaurant & Hospitality
United in Friendship
BROADENING HORIZONS Primrose Hospitality Managing Director, Shaikh Ahmad bin Rashid bin Abdulrahman al Khalifa, sheds light on the Kingdom’s hospitality sector which has witnessed continued prosperity between Bahrain and India throughout the years.
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he Kingdom of Bahrain and Republic of India have enjoyed strong diplomatic relations that have stood the test of time and thrived through centuries. These relations have been etched in the facet of various key sectors including trade, economics and more. Furthering this unbreakable bond, the welcoming nature of both countries has played an important role in nurturing another key sector – hospitality.
According to Shaikh Ahmad, the consistent flow of travellers between the nations included professionals from a wide range of sectors such as banking and finance, real estate development, jewellery and goldsmithery, textile and apparel, medicine, healthcare and more. “Trading between both sides are ancient and go back several centuries, yet it has flourished remarkably during the last 100 years,” he enthuses.
“In the hospitality sector, the friendly nature Speaking about the past, present and of the people of both countries have future Bahrain-Indo hospitality relations, contributed to sustaining fruitful relations Shaikh Ahmad bin Rashid bin Abdulrahman between Bahrain and India, offering many al Khalifa describes the ties as a solid opportunities for growth on both sides,” connection that continues to grow over the he says, adding that the group intends years. “Historically, Bahrain and India have to partake in events and conferences in been trading partners for many years, and India in the near future, with the aim of as Bahrainis we see this connection every exploring more opportunities to develop day - in our words, our food and our culture. these relations. Maybe the origins of this exceptional connection have been lost throughout “Additionally, and thanks to the special history, but we aspire that the next 100 relations we have with Indians, our years will be filled with more partnerships hotels celebrate almost all Indian across all fields,” says Shaikh Ahmad. festivals such as Onam, Diwali and more. Our staff and community from India are “Speaking on behalf of Bahrainis, without very much appreciated.” the historic connection with India, Bahrain wouldn’t be where is today,” he adds. Commenting on the current scene of the Primrose Hospitality, has stemmed from hospitality industry, one of the well-established hospitality Shaikh Ahmad pointed groups on the Island, Caravan Group of out that the global Hotels, which has been in charge of several outbreak of the well-known hotels in the centre of Manama pandemic last year for decades. “Being located in the heart of presented a silver lining the island’s historic capital has resulted for the hospitality in establishing and maintaining strong sector in Bahrain. relations with Indian investors, merchants “The internationallyand tourists for years,” he explains. recognised management
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of the crisis by the respected government, led by His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince and Prime Minister, has shown that Bahrain is a safe and secure country when things go bad, making it an ideal reference for investors,” he explains. Shining a light on the situation further he says: “Winston Churchill said ‘Never let a good crisis go to waste.’ The pandemic has concentrated the local hospitality market, allowing more people, especially from Bahrain, to invest in the sector and created more opportunities for them. Now, there’s an increased demand for experienced local partners who understand the market and always be there.” Building on Caravan Group’s decadeslong presence in the market, Primrose Hospitality was established as a new hospitality powerhouse in the region. Primrose Hospitality presently owns two hotels, including Delmon Hotel, Bahrain’s premier elite heritage four-star hotel, and aims to develop more properties while pursuing further regional expansions.
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Located in the heart of Juffair, Diva Hotel is a premium 4-star hotel with 167 exquisite rooms and suites with all modern deluxe amenities.The hotel offers a luxurious retreat with spa,fitness center and a rooftop swimming pool with panoramic view of the sea and city skyline An excellent choice of elegant restaurants,exotic lounges and vibrant clubs makes this hotel the perfect choice.
The historic Delmon International Hotel located in the cultural centre of Manama, is a heritage 4-star hotel with 120 elegant spacious rooms, open-air swimming pool, gym, spa and conference facility for corporate dinners and social gathering.Serving traditional and other international cuisines,Delmon Hotel has a wide range of classic restaurants, exquisite lounges and live music venues.
CALL US FOR MORE:- +973 17224000 | +973 36961660 | onlinebooking@delmonhotel.com | www.delmonhotel.com Building 18,Road 357, Block 315,Manama,Kingdom of Bahrain
Education United in Friendship
RAISING FRONTRUNNERS OF THE FUTURE by Behnaz Sanjana
Principal Arun Kuumar Sharma of the New Millennium School in Bahrain explains why the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) is an excellent academic curriculum for fostering the leaders of tomorrow.
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rincipal Arun Kuumar Sharma took over the operational reigns of Bahrain’s New Millennium School (NMS) in 2007. “I am a learner,” he says of his life’s philosophy. “I love and serve school children and I believe in prayers and hard work. This is my 15th year of learning on this beautiful island.”
CBSE curriculum for their children, Mr. Sharma says, “The diversity of the CBSE curriculum and its commitment to the universal values of love and tolerance attract Bahraini parents to Indian curriculum schools. The close cultural and trade relations between Bahrain and India create ample opportunities for growth and employment.”
NMS has 2,160 students across 12 different nationalities, of which 53 are Bahraini. Explaining why the locals opt for the Indian
He believes that what sets NMS apart from the rest is its practice of being in competition with itself. “NMS is the only
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CBSE school in the Kingdom adjudged ‘Good’ and been granted the Silver Seal of Quality by BQA, Bahrain’s Education and Training Quality Authority,” he says. “New Millennium School has no teachers; everyone is a learner here and I claim to know the least. We often ponder on how we can be better compared to yesterday, thus competing with ourselves.” NMS has a range of unique and innovative activities that it engages its students in, like the Life Skill Wheel, Radio NMS, Commerce Kitchen, DEAR (Drop Everything and Read) Time, Action Research and self- scripted Assemblies. “Consistently achieving the highest subject average and school average among all the CBSE schools in Bahrain, high performance in international assessments like TIMSS (Trends In International Mathematics And Science Study) and PIRLS (Progress In International Reading Literacy Study) are our other hallmarks,” says Mr. Sharma. “Our students have been Gulf toppers and island toppers in Board Examinations and our alumni have gotten admission into the most prominent universities like Oxford, Caltech, Waterloo, NIITs, IITs, Michigan, Stanford, University of Toronto and many more.”
Commenting on how the CBSE curriculum is different from other educational benchmarks, Mr. Sharma stresses on its holistic approach that ensures both horizontal and vertical growth of the student. “This curriculum is diverse as well voluminous. The CBSE gives students everything of everything rather than something of everything or everything of something,” he says. “The students who pass out from CBSE schools find the first year of their college very easy. It can be seen in the footprints of global technology and in today’s global leaders in technology that CBSE students abound all over the world including at Silicon Valley and NASA.” When most schools were scrambling to communicate effectively with their students when Covid-19 hit the scene, NMS could smoothly ensure the continuity of learning due to many factors. “We are blessed with an extremely supportive and proactive management. Our Chairman, Dr. Ravi Pillai, and Managing Director, Ms. Geeta Pillai, have always ensured the best quality of education for our students. They have gifted us a state-of-the-art campus with a strong digital infrastructure. Therefore, we didn’t face much problem in continuing students’ learning during the pandemic,” says Mr. Sharma. “Since all our classes already had interactive projectors and desktops connected to the internet, the only thing we had to do was to increase
Mr. Sharma believes that the key to the school’s success since its establishment lies in its brilliant students, supportive management, committed and loving teachers and administrative staff, and proactive parents. “Together we have been able to create and sustain a positive and conducive atmosphere for learning. We are guided by the global outlook of the Kingdom’s education system and the country’s Vision 2030. We have been fortunate to receive critical, supportive feedback from BQA. To top it all, we are showered with abundant blessings of the Almighty,” believes the academic leader. In-campus classes have already resumed for the higher grades of the school, while the lower grades will join in a phased manner. Mr. Sharma sums up the essence of this reputed learning institution by saying, “New Millennium School will continue to explore and experiment on new teaching- learning strategies and nurture responsible global citizens, equipped with 21st century skills and universal values. We will continue to keep asking ourselves, ‘what next?’”
India’s CBSE has over 27,000 schools offering its curriculum. “It has done a commendable job in the last few years, especially on its digital platform and also in initiating the implementation of the Government of India’s National Education Policy 2020,” notes Mr. Sharma. “As pedagogical leaders, we have the freedom to initiate and implement changes in our school. Because of our experiential nature, we have already implemented so many practices which have been mentioned in the NEP2020 since many years - learning outcome-based lesson plans, sharing of best practices, action research, peer learning,
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Education
the internet speed. We were the first CBSE School to commence online classes across all grades. Our teachers worked hand in hand with our IT department to upgrade their technological skills and we modified our lesson plans and activities to suit the requirements of online classes, ensuring minimal or no learning gap. In fact, in subjects like Science and Mathematics, easily available kitchen items at home served as learning aids and the involvement of parents in the academic activities resulted in enhanced learning.”
United in Friendship
flip learning, an interdisciplinary approach, real life connect to the lessons, community outreach etc. Our approach to the CBSE does not emphasise on marks/grades. Grades follow the strategic implementation of the teaching-learning process.”
Family Dynasties
United in Friendship
A JOURNEY THROUGH TIME Al Zayani Investment Group Honorary Chairman and renowned Bahraini writer, Khalid Rashid Al Zayani, takes us on a journey through the Group’s history which dates back to the early 1920s.
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or over five decades, Al Zayani Investment Group has been at the forefront of family businesses in Bahrain and the GCC region. The diversified group has a presence in several key sectors including the automotive industry, banking, manufacturing, real estate, health, food and beverage, services and more.
While the group’s commercial footprint in Bahrain’s market is impressive, in conversation with the Group’s Honorary Chairman, Khalid Rashid Al Zayani, what draws the attention of the listener the most is their spectacular history which touches on human rights, political welfares and more. A Hundred Years Ago “During the early decades of the 20th century, my great grandfather, Shaikh Abdulwahab Al Zayani, was a progressive,
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well-educated and prominent person in Bahrain. He received his education in Hejaz (Mecca) and Ihsa in the Eastern Province of today’s Saudi Arabia; the region’s centre of religious education back at the time,” narrates Mr. Al Zayani. “He established the first public school in Bahrain, Al Hidaya Al Khalifa in 1919, and pushed for females’ right of education, despite the nationwide criticism his ideas faced by the conservative and unprogressive society then,” he says of his forward-thinking great grandfather. Shaikh Abdulwahab also advised Bahrain’s ruler then, Shaikh Isa bin Ali Al Khalifa, during a political crisis between him and the British political agent in Bahrain, which was under the British tutelage during that phase.
“The issue was because of the agent’s inappropriate interference in Bahraini affairs. This was a matter that was deemed unacceptable by Shaikh Isa, who followed Shaikh Abdulwahab’s advice and assigned him to form a Shura Council - a consultative council, formed by the people of Bahrain,” he narrates. Exiled to India This bold step later had a hefty price to be paid by Shaikh Abdulwahab, who was exiled to India by the British political agent on the island because of his reformist movement. “In India, Shaikh Abdulwahab assigned two competent lawyers to file a case against the British government in court,” he says. “His argument was that his exile decision was unlawful. Shaikh Abdulwahab eventually won the case, but was unable to
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“We were consigning goods from India and selling it in stores here in Bahrain. Moreover, my father was involved in the pearling industry - collecting pearls from divers here, taking it to India and bringing Interestingly, Mr. Al Zayani revealed that it back to Bahrain as crafted pieces of one of the lawyers was Jawaharlal Nehru, a jewellery and finished products. However, leading figure of the Indian independence the business was gradually declining in movement and India’s first prime minister India by the early 1950s and the office was after its independence in the 1940s. eventually closed as it was not generating “As for the British political agent in Bahrain,” any income, and my uncle Ahmed was Mr. Al Zayani says, “he was eventually asked to return to Bahrain,” Mr. Al Zayani disgraced and stripped of his jurisdictions explained. by the British government due to his policy His father also practiced the same and interferences in Bahrain.” activities in the Iraqi capital of Baghdad, A New Dawn where he was a well-known figure and the Following these fundamental changes; only Muslim trader in the industry there, Shaikh Abdulwahab’s death and the which was dominated there by the Jews at political agent’s replacement, Mr. Al the time. “Due to his attractively intelligent Zayani’s father, Rashid bin Abdulrahman personality, he strengthened bonds with bin Shaikh Abdulwahab Al Zayani, had a different communities there, mainly among brilliant idea. He decided to step into the the rulers, leaders of renowned Arab tribes world of business and trade, despite his and pioneering Jewish traders. He later father’s reluctance. met and married my mother there,” he narrates. “He started an overseas trading business and founded Al Zayani and Sons. The “The business later expanded and was business started by importing clothing involved in electricity contracting and materials from Syria, which was a fitting, and in the late 1940s, my father prominent regional and global trade
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established Bahrain’s first automotive franchise; Austin, followed by other British brands such as Land Rover and Rolls Royce, and that was our introduction in the automotive business,” he added.
Family Dynasties
Shaikh Abdulwahab was then tasked by Shaikh Isa to file another case on his behalf, but the matter was soon forgotten due to his sudden demise. “He passed away while in India. It was reported that he choked while eating. They wanted to get rid of him.”
centre at the time. That is in addition to establishing an office in India, headed by my uncle, Ahmed bin Abdulrahman bin Shaikh Abduwahab Al Zayani,” he states.
Present Day Mr. Al Zayani holds several executive and honourable positions, and inheriting the pioneering approach of his ancestors, is the founder of the US – Bahrain Business Council and Bahrain-British Business Council, as well as the American Chamber of Commerce in Bahrain. Building on its historically-rich foundation and enterprising past, Al Zayani Investments Group is now of the leading dynamic companies, not only in the Kingdom of Bahrain, but across the GCC region and beyond. It derives its strength from its undeniable local presence and its worldwide network of contacts. A policy of investment in profitable national and international businesses and willingness to engage in rewarding joint ventures have established Al Zayani Investments as a truly successful regional and international enterprise. Its strategy is dedicated to expand and excel with a global vision. It employs state-of-the-art technologies to ensure an international competitive edge and stands ready for all future challenges.
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United in Friendship
return to his homeland due to the British political agent’s refusal,” he continues.
Family Dynasties
United in Friendship
DEEPLY ROOTED IN BAHRAIN Yogesh Bhatia is the third generation of his family to have lived in Bahrain. He talks about his love for the island, and how his family business has developed over the years.
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ogesh Bhatia’s family has been in the Kingdom of Bahrain for over 150 years, starting with his grandfather, Purshottamdas Vasumal, coming ashore to explore the business potential that Bahrain promised in the late 1800s. “As time passed and Bahrain became wellknown as a recognised business hub, my father, Naraindas Purshottamdas, decided to board the SS Dhara with his family in 1954 to sail to Bahrain,” Yogesh relates. “He started work at Gray Mackenzie. Charmed by Bahrain’s warmth, he decided to settle down here. My brother, Manoj, was one of the first students of The Indian School in 1954.” This Bhatia family has made a mark for itself doing business in Bahrain, starting with their first company, Falcon Trading, established in 1985. The brainchild of brothers Manoj, Yogesh and Mahesh, it had five employees at the start. “Falcon Trading is consciously committed to providing a one-stop solution for all industrial requirements of its customers. Today, we have around forty employees who operate from our spacious showroom in Sitra,” says Yogesh proudly. “It is one of the leading business establishments specialising in the field of industrial supplies and an ISO9001:2015 certified company.” The family also owns Naraina Holding Co. WLL, Falcon Trading Co. WLL, Bhatia Technical Services Co. WLL and Slingtek. Yogesh fills in the role of Group
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Chairman for the companies, while Bharat Bhatia is Group Vice Chairman. Hemant, Harsha and Urvashi are Directors. Yogesh continues, “Falcon Trading provides all construction and industrial consumables under one roof, primarily offering products in the categories of general hand tools, power tools, cutting and welding equipment and accessories, safety and fire-fighting products, lifting equipment and marine tackles, industrial maintenance products and building materials, and construction consumables. Besides a competent inventory holding over 35,000 products, we import our products directly from suppliers and manufacturers from around the world.” The company also stocks products such as helmets, safety shoes, polyropes, welding electrodes, jute products, fall protection systems etc. from India, which have been used in significant projects such as the modernisation of Bapco, Alba potlines, and construction of causeways and bridges around Bahrain.
Bhatia Technical Services Co WLL, formed in 1998, is a certified structural steel and pipe fabrication company, one of the leading contractors in the field of structural steel fabrication works with a well-defined workshop covering an area of 40,000 sq. ft. located in Askar. “It undertakes works like hot-rolled structural steel frames for factories, buildings and warehouses, framework for various concrete structures, workshop gantries and jib cranes, walkways and pedestrian bridges, advertising and sign board structures, car park and canopy shades, structural steel staircase and staircase handrails” says Yogesh. The firm has been part of prestigious projects like the Bahrain LNG Project, US Naval Base expansion, The Avenues - Bahrain, American University of Bahrain and Dive Bahrain. Another business vertical is Slingtek, founded in 2007. “It is the first manufacturing facility in Bahrain involved in the production of high-quality flat polyester webbing slings, chain slings, wire rope slings, ratchet tie downs and lifting accessories,” explains Yogesh. “All products are labelled ‘Made in Bahrain’. Within months of operations it has achieved an ISO 9001 certification. The goal is to become a specialised manufacturing company by creating a comprehensive range of products for the lifting and the rigging industry. It is also the first manufacturer in the Kingdom of Bahrain to achieve Full Membership of The
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Yogesh says. The Bhatia family attributes its success to its greatest asset, its employees, to a large extent. “Our employees have played an integral part in the success of all the companies under the Group,” Yogesh says. “We have been extremely proud to have a goal-driven and dedicated team helping our businesses reach new milestones. Our Group has over 75 people working with us.”
Family Dynasties
Indian community in Bahrain has played a pivotal role in enhancing relations between the two nations. Coming to our family, my late brother, Manoj Bhatia and my wife, Harsha Bhatia were a part of various official delegations accompanying His Majesty King Hamad Bin Isa Al Khalifa and HRH Prince Salman Bin Hamad Al Khalifa to India to further enhance bilateral As a family that has a relations between the two long-standing history in countries.” While Harsha is the Kingdom of Bahrain, a member of the Bahrain one of their most Businesswomen’s Society, and memorable experiences Bahrain Indonesia Business has been receiving and Friendship Society, HRH Prince Salman Yogesh is a member of the Bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Grandfather of Yogesh Bhatia Bahrain India Society and Mr. Purshottamdas V. Bhatia Crown Prince and Prime The Association of Southeast Minister of Bahrain, to Asian Nations. their residence on the occasion of Diwali in 2014. “Bahrain is a model of peaceful The enterprising family has new plans coexistence and respect for religious in the pipeline for the future. “We aim at freedom,” Yogesh says. diversification by exporting goods and services to the other regional markets Commenting on how Indians have made especially with our manufacturing a difference to Bahrain, he says, “The company tapping into new markets,”
Yogesh is joined by his family in being grateful to the wise and benevolent leadership of Bahrain. “Without the support of the Royal Family, we would not be able to take our business to the heights it has reached,” he says. “The most recent example is how the Government of Bahrain supported businesses and set up the National Taskforce to keep its people safe during the COVID-19 pandemic.” “Bahrain has taught me many things through the years, and my family and I are proud to have played a part in its progress in line with the nation’s Economic Vision 2030,” concludes Yogesh.
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United in Friendship
Lifting Equipment Engineers Association (LEEA), UK, and Slingtek also carries out professional inspection and examination services for general lifting accessories and lifting machines. Our services include testing, examination and visual inspection and certification of new or in-service equipment,” he elaborates.
Family Dynasties
United in Friendship
Mr Bhagwandas (Baboo) Kewalram and Mrs Radhibhai Bhagwandas Kewalram and family during Diwali celebrations
FAMILY FIRST!
By Farah Baig
The Kewalram family has had a long and illustrious journey as one of the oldest Indian family dynasties residing in the Kingdom of Bahrain. Chairman of Kewalram & Sons, Baboo Haridas Kewalram, takes us through the family’s history of trade and their vision of excellence.
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ahraini and Indian traders have a rich history of trading that has flourished over the course of several centuries. Pearls, jewellery, spices, food and consumer goods have made their way across Bahrain to other parts of the world as part of this illustrious trade relationship.
Renowned trading families such as the Kewalrams have not only had a presence in trade, but have been known to develop, modernise and diversify the Bahraini market for several decades. “I first arrived in Bahrain in 1954 in my early 20s to join the family business with my father and elder brother, Haridas Kewalram and Sunder Kewalram, respectively. Our aim was very simple - to build a better life for the future generations through trading and commerce,” says Chairman of Kewalram & Sons, Baboo Haridas Kewalram. “We were inspired by the prospect of establishing our own identity and making a significant impact,” he says with grandeur. The company was initially involved in the textiles business in the mid-1950s, later expanding its operations to include readymade garments and a department store. “By the late 1950s we had six stores in Bahrain including jewellery stores too. In the sixties, my brother and I collaborated with our extended family in the UAE and established
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a trading office in Sharjah and Dubai to deal with the import and distribution of textiles, readymade garments and electronics,” he says. The company continued to grow at a monumental pace and by the late 1980s through to the 1990s, their sons had joined the family business. “Family has played an instrumental role in steering the growth of the business across new lines over the years. Once our sons joined the business, greater emphasis was given to expansion of brands and product categories across multiple markets,” he says. The Kewalram’s experience working with a multitude of noteworthy consumer electronics brands such as Black & Decker, Casio, Brother and BPL from India gave them valuable experience which led to them launching their own electronics brand, Zen, in 2005. “Prior to that, in the year 2003, we realised a long-time dream of my elder brother by establishing the Quality Education School, in collaboration with other prominent business families,” he says. Now involved in several industries and sectors in the Kingdom including textiles, jewellery, electronics, real estate and education, the Kewalrams have grown their contributions to the Kingdom,
Mr Sunderdas Kewalram with his uncle Mr Kumbandas Kewalram outside the Kewalram shop in the 1950s
adding to their existing prominence in Bahrain. “The people who have worked diligently for us over the years deserve noteworthy credit as they helped to streamline and add rigour to our maturing business lines,” he says. Today, there are 10 members spread across three generations of the family who are directly involved in current business operations. The aim of the family is to now further develop the business into a world-class organisation recognised by their customers and workforce alike. “Celebrating half a century of relations between Bahrain and India is certainly a delightful occasion. I am very thankful to say that even though we are a family and business group of Indian origin, we are now considered a Bahraini company by the grace of the Ruling Family,” he concludes.
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by Behnaz Sanjana
The Alarayedh family is not only one of the successful business houses in Bahrain, but also has a rich and longstanding history of trade with India. Nasser Alarayedh, Chairman of Al Arayedh Group Holding tells us more.
United in Friendship
Family Dynasties
A HISTORIC RELATION OF MUTUAL RESPECT
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t was 1858 when my third greatgrandfather, Salam Alarayedh, visited India to buy equipment for his goldsmith, pearl and jewellery business,” recounts Mr. Alarayedh. “His son, Hassan; grandson, Mohamed Hassan; great-grandson, Mansoor, who was also my grandfather; and my father, Mohamed Jameel; all followed suit.” These visits established strong ties between the Alarayedh family and India, and today, they have a number of joint ventures in Bahrain with Indian partners as well as investments in India. Faced with financial difficulty, Mr. Alarayedh’s grandfather, Mansoor, at the age of fifteen, went to India to trade in pearls. “Six months in India and six in Bahrain; that was his lifestyle,” says Mr. Alarayedh. “He built strong relationships with the most famous Indian jewellery trading houses like Gellman and Kudargi. With the money he made from pearl trading, he invested in agricultural lands in Bahrain and started importing different machinery and plants from India. He also brought to Bahrain the seeds of modesty and religious tolerance.” Mr. Alarayedh is well aware of his grandfather’s love and affection for India and its people. “His house was open to all, including the Indian community in Bahrain. Some of the Indian families with whom my grandfather shared great mutual respect
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were Chaturbhuj, Kewalram, Kandhari, C. Kumar, P. Haridas, Gajria, Kavalani, DhamanmalIssardas, Damodar Devidas, V.M. Brothers, Trikamdas and others.” He can tell innumerable stories of the help for which his grandfather was called on by the Indian community - in matters financial, business or community. “He gave the Hindu community exclusive use of one of the natural springs on his property in Segaya, which came to be known as the ‘Hindu Springs’ at a time when it was difficult for them to have access to water. He also gave them land for their cremation. Being close to the Bohri community as well, his house was used as their place of prayer after his death.” When the family decided to organise, preserve and grow the family business through the setting up of a company, Al Arayedh Group Holding was founded in 2008. “The Group has since added value to family members who are shareholders of the company and has given them a clear role of their responsibilities and the vision, strategy and objective of the Group,” explains Mr. Alarayedh. “Today, Maryam Alarayedh, Deputy Chairman, and Jehan Alarayedh, Director, are part of the decisionmaking process to further continue with the growth and success of the Group.” Al Arayedh Group Holding’s core business is real estate and investments. In real estate, it
is involved in land acquisition, development and management. The investments aspect entails looking for local and international opportunities to invest the Group’s funds soundly, solely or jointly. Commenting on further expansion of the business, Mr. Alarayedh says, “We continue to expand locally and internationally. Locally, we have recently finished the first phase of a 250-shop development for multipurpose usage. Internationally, we have increased our investments in Asia in different sectors.” He believes that the Indian community has greatly contributed to the advancement of Bahrain over the last fifty years and the family has continued building on these ties of friendship and mutual respect with Indians. “The Indian community has been a pillar in the development of Bahrain. It has been a source of manpower with regards to the various skills required for a growing economy,” believes Mr. Alarayedh. “I would like to thank them for playing a part in the development and progress of Bahrain and hope that the relationship between the two communities becomes stronger for generations to come.”
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NAQEL Express: Offering One-Stop Shop Logistics With Care A Humble Beginning
In 2005, a joint-venture was formed between Saudi Post and Arabian Hala Company which gave birth to the formation of `NAQEL’. Gradually, NAQEL expanded its services to the remotest locations and emerged as a clear leader in Saudi Arabia’s domestic express logistics market as per an independent survey carried out by Frost & Sullivan.
‘Cross-border e-Commerce and Courier’ Services
From 2015 onwards, NAQEL started to diversify its service proposition to its customers across the Middle East by offering international road services and cross-border e-commerce and courier services. Currently, NAQEL is offering market leading final mile delivery services to the world’s major e-retailers to fulfill the needs of on-line shoppers in the key markets including Bahrain and U.A.E. It has established itself in Saudi Arabia’s three major airports – Riyadh, Dammam and Jeddah to smoothly clear goods ordered by millions of online shoppers in the kingdom. In order to effectively serve its customers in the Middle East and importing shipments from around the world, NAQEL has now established its footprint in the key source countries in North America, Europe and Asia.
Customized ‘Logistics Solutions’
In 2019, NAQEL diversified its service offerings to fulfill more complex logistics requirements of B2B (business-to-business) customers in the GCC countries. It is now delivering industry specific and 3PL and 4PL logistics solutions to its major customers across a wide range of industrial sectors – pharma & healthcare, oil & gas, aviation, defense, exhibitions, etc.
A one-stop solution provider
With over 50 operational facilities, 4,000 vehicles and 5,000 employees operating across the Middle East, the company is now handling over 20 million customer shipments every year. With its unique service offerings, NAQEL has positioned itself as the ‘one-stop solution’ provider for its customers in Saudi Arabia and the rest of the Middle East. Having diversified its service offerings and expanded its geographical footprint, logistics major NAQEL Express is all set to achieve its vision of becoming a regional logistics leader in the Middle East. “We will continue to pursue our ‘customer first’ philosophy by developing our people and network and by creating innovative solutions to meet specific logistics needs of our customers,” NAQEL Express CEO Mohammed Al Bayati said.
Healthcare
THE ALLROUNDER EXPAT
United in Friendship
by Behnaz Sanjana
What impact does being brought up in a culturally rich environment like Bahrain’s and a deep-rooted value system have on a young Indian girl? We delve into the thoughts of Dr. Remya Baburaj.
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ne of my best memories of Bahrain is of my father taking me fishing every Friday,” says MBBS and MD in radiodiagnosis, Dr. Remya Baburaj. “We would wake up in the wee hours, pack our shrimp baits and some snacks for ourselves, grab our fishing rods and head to Marina Club. The faintest nibble could mean barracuda or sheri, but we would often reel in sea weed instead. Smelling that briny sea breeze and glaring into the vastness of the sea with the sound of crashing waves - that was the life!”
Her other most enduring memories include taking Russian ballet classes as a little girl, and her trips to Kids World. “We had the best time there. I can’t wait to make similar memories with my little ones on this beautiful island,” says the mother of eight-month-old twins, Advaith and Adithya, both of whom she cherishes with neonatologist husband, Abin Vijayan. Striving to keep abreast of the latest trends and innovations in her field, Dr. Remya is consistently engaged in pursuing further studies, while striking a fine balance between the professional and personal. “Pregnancy and motherhood have by far been the most beautiful phases of my life. You never truly understand life until it grows inside of you. Each day, I remind myself how truly blessed and grateful I am for my boys.” A brilliant student, she has won several accolades including the Professor Natarajan Gold medal for best post graduate student in 2017, and the prestigious Professor Aswathaman award
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for best paper at the Indian Radiological Society of India. “Keep working hard to achieve your dreams,” she’d tell fellow young women. “Grab every opportunity to be independent, but do make time for yourself. Motherhood is beautiful, but challenging at times!” Dr. Remya derives immense gratification from her profession. “The most satisfying aspect is to be able to diagnose cancer and other disorders at early stages for longer survival and better outcomes. That’s why I keep urging my patients, close family and friends to get annual master health checkups.” The young doctor is also a keen beauty and fashion enthusiast, and savours the influence of Middle Eastern culture on her tastes in her blog and on her Instagram handle. “I am a huge fan of Arabic eye makeup; its vibrant colour combination and dramatic style make it sensuous and sophisticated,” she enthuses. “I also love the elegant yet chic abaya; the different patterns, styles and colours available are limitless.” True to her grounding, Dr. Remya has learnt the basics from her parents. “They have
taught my brother and me to always be humble, kind and generous,” she says. “We are so blessed to have witnessed and been part of the great scale of philanthropic work my parents have undertaken over the years. Following in their footsteps, we came up with the idea of a medical camp where we provided free treatment for over 5,000 impoverished families.” A true daddy’s girl, Dr. Remya looks up to her father, as mentor, role model, inspiration and confidant. “He started from scratch, fought against all odds and emerged as a pioneer in his field. He is the meaning of a true legend and epitome of strength and courage,” she says. “I will be forever grateful to my father for his support and strength in my life.”
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bystander United in Friendship
Indian Embassy Flag Hoisting Ceremony 2021
The Indian Embassy of Bahrain celebrated the 75th Independence Day of India with a flag hoisting ceremony at the embassy premises in Seef district on August 15. The event was attended by invited guests and members of the local media.
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HUMANITY PERSONIFIED
United in Friendship
Farah Baig speaks to renowned philanthropist and former Chairperson of the Migrant Workers Protection Society (MWPS), Marietta Dias, about her eventful life and tireless efforts to change the lives of the underprivileged and exploited in the Kingdom of Bahrain.
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orn in Kolar Town, India in 1944, Marietta Dias was the only child of a Parsi father and Malayalee mother. No one knew then, but decades down the line, Ms. Dias will have touched the lives of hundreds, if not thousands, of underprivileged migrant workers in the Kingdom of Bahrain.
THE EARLY YEARS In 1964, she arrived in what she describes as “a small, friendly and hospitable island” as a new bride to Bernard Dias who was born and brought up in Bahrain. “His father, James Dias, arrived in Bahrain in 1919, making the Dias family one of the first Christian families to settle in the Kingdom. James Dias was on the BAPCO team that discovered oil in Bahrain in 1932 and was also instrumental in the building of the first Roman Catholic Church in the Arabian Gulf,” she explains, adding that she went on to have three children: James, Sabrina and Francis. “Francis, unfortunately, was born with a very
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rare genetic bone condition that restricted him to a wheelchair but he went on to become a very inspiring and self-taught individual. He passed away in 2006 at the age of 38,” she reminisces. At the time of her arrival in the Kingdom, the majority of Bahrain’s population lived around Manama. A far cry from the bustling metropolitan that the Kingdom is now, there weren’t many schools, high-rise buildings, malls, international companies, supermarkets or recreational centres at the time. “Everything ran at a leisurely pace people would meet at community clubs and everyone seemed to know everyone else. Family interactions played a major role in our lives. We made do with what was available and were quite content,” she says. In May 1967, she joined Gulf Aviation (now Gulf Air) as a clerk typist. “In the absence of a higher education, hard work, dedication and initiative seemed to have helped me climb the ladder of success. I
was seconded to the Bahrain Royal Flight in 1980 from where I retired in 2004 as Deputy Director of Administration after almost 36 years at the company,” she says, adding that she was able to continue living in Bahrain and get involved with MWPS as she, her husband and son, Francis, all held the Bahraini citizenship. A NATURAL HUMANITARIAN With the oil boom came the consequential transformation of Bahrain’s skyline and leisurely pace of life. The economy improved and, gradually, the face of the island changed dramatically. “With so much reclamation and building taking place, there was an influx of migrants, mostly low-income workers, whose sweat and hard work helped build the Kingdom to what it looks like today,” she says. As time passed, she soon earned a stellar reputation across the island for her humanitarian efforts – reaching out to the less fortunate at every opportunity. “I think it just came to me naturally from a very
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HER TIME WITH MWPS In 2004, Marietta Dias became a founding member of the Migrant Workers Protection Society – a formally registered NGO in the Kingdom of Bahrain. “Prior to the founding of MWPS, I was privileged and blessed to render my help to our less fortunate brethren, from the time of my arrival in the Kingdom, mainly through the Sacred Heart Church and by word of mouth,” she says, adding that the organisation started with about 25 dedicated volunteers of diverse nationalities.
AWARDS AND RECOGNITION Through their efforts to create awareness, a noticeable change came about in the incidence of abuse of every kind which in turn earned MWPS national, regional, and international recognition and acceptance. In fact, in 2008, Ms. Dias was awarded a Trafficking in Persons Report Hero Award by the United States of America. “Everything we achieved was done with team work and commitment and not by any single individual. No doubt, receiving the award was totally unexpected yet welcome, but I say again - it was not just my efforts that brought this about,” she says modestly.
During her eight years as Chairperson of the organisation, each member strived to “I accepted this prestigious award on behalf make low-income workers aware of their of all members of the MWPS and also rights and responsibilities as employees. acknowledged the selfless work that many “They were often the most vulnerable individuals around the Kingdom silently segment of society, and therefore easily undertake to enhance the lives and living exploited and in need of intervention. conditions of their less fortunate brethren. These are the voiceless hundreds who we The receipt of such an award only adds kept in mind while campaigning for legal to your responsibility and commitment employment contracts, regular payment of to give more of yourself to the cause you salaries, better working conditions, limited strongly believe in,” she adds. working hours, decent and clean living conditions, safety measures at work sites THE NEED OF THE HOUR and regular days off,” she says. “But most of Ms. Dias believes that the majority of all, each worker needed to be treated with Bahrain’s society has a healthy approach to respect and the dignity he or she deserves.” human rights and tolerance towards diverse religious faiths, nationalities and varying Over time, the organisation’s steady status of people. “Like it is globally, however, dedication and commitment to their cause there is a small percentage of the population saw vast changes for the better being who abuse the system when it comes to made to laws governing migrant workers. human rights. We believe there should be “There obviously were huge challenges that zero tolerance on discrimination,” she says. our members faced, mostly when dealing It is known that workers should be awarded with relevant government authorities. It a fair, workable, legal contract which they must be remembered that migrant worker understand, and be paid a fair monthly issues were just as new to them but with wage on time every month. “Bahrain has
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always been known to welcome guest workers and it has been heartening to note that a lot of awareness continues to be created through the press, other forms of media, and NGOs such as ourselves about the advantages of following good human right practices,” she says. According to Ms. Dias, the plight of domestic workers needs more supervision by the authorities as they have very little opportunity to make formal complaints. “I have always believed that low-income migrant workers ask for so little in return for their sweat and toil,” she adds. A BIG CHANGE In the year 2017, and after several years of marriage, Mr. Bernard Dias sadly passed away in the Kingdom of Bahrain. “So, in 2019, and after 56 years in the Kingdom, I decided to move back to India,” she says. “Of course, there was more than a bit of sadness and nostalgia at the time of leaving Bahrain after this long a period of time but it was a decision I had to take after the passing of my husband, in order to be near my daughter Sabrina who lives in Bengaluru, India,” she reflects. Moving back to India hasn’t quelled Ms. Dias’ innate knack for giving as she soon connected with a nun who selflessly cares for about twenty abandoned children, who are either physically or mentally challenged. “An old school friend and myself are involved in helping raise funds for Sister Monica and continuously extend her our moral support, council and advice when needed,” she explains. “The 56 years spent in Bahrain was a great big learning chapter in my university of life. We made beautiful, life-long friends, and contributed in our own little way to the growth and prosperity of the country but above all, we had the honour and privilege of giving a little back to society for all that we received and enjoyed over the years,” she concludes.
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perseverance, tenacity and persistence we gradually developed a smooth and comfortable working relationship with all government personnel,” she says, expressing her gratitude to the government for allowing the MWPS to be a fully registered NGO.
United in Friendship
young age, but I truly believe each one of us has it in us and it becomes a moral responsibility to reach out in big ways, and small, to those who seek our assistance - to speak up on behalf of those whose voices will not be heard for various reasons, stand up for the powerless, lend moral support and be a shoulder to lean on in times of trouble,” she says.
Philanthropy
SERVING THE DESERVING
United in Friendship
by Behnaz Sanjana
Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime is the adage that Baburajan K G goes by when it comes to giving back to society.
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aburajan K G spent many childhood days on his maternal grandfather’s farmlands in Kerala. “Every day, we would have around 150 poor labourers lining up for breakfast at the fields at 6am,” he says, his mind’s eye going back several decades. “They would then set off for work and return for lunch and a teatime snack. Often, their children would accompany them. Besides providing their meals, my grandfather would try to help them in any form that they required, and soon, they started trusting me with their troubles.”
The impression that his grandfather’s largesse made on him as a young lad has been with Baburajan ever since, making benevolence a way of life for him. With the purpose of lifting up the less fortunate deeply ingrained in his consciousness, Baburajan has continued to be a quiet helping hand since his carefree days on the fields. “I don’t like to talk about it much, as I don’t do it for the publicity,” says the Chairman and Managing Director of BKG Holding Company. “But if I can encourage others to also give back to humanity, then I will talk about my experiences in giving.”
as supported the families of deceased labourers. “We provided Rs.100,000 to the families of 10 such labourers who we got to know of through the ICRF and the Indian Embassy.”
ambulance in an area where people have lost their lives due to not being able to get timely medical assistance.
The champion of community service has Baburajan is a beacon of hope for also built a hall for the Bahrain Keraleeya expatriates in Bahrain who struggle to get Samajam. “Yes, so that members can their children educated. “We pay the school have a place to gather for functions and fees for deserving children and also support activities,” he says. their higher education. Recently, there was Baburajan’s philanthropic activities also a worker at a well-known company who include the local Bahraini community. was gathering funds to send his daughter to medical school,” he shares. “Unfortunately, “We help Bahrainis who need medical treatment,” he says. “During Muharram, he passed away of a heart attack. I came to a whole day’s food is sponsored for the know of this case through an NGO, and we village in my neighbourhood. I have lived agreed to sponsor her education.” Last year, he facilitated 300 medical camps in my locality for 22 years, so I know most Some of the previously homeless in Kerala to be conducted for labourers around of them well.” have a roof over their heads, thanks to Bahrain in collaboration with the Indian The common theme that can be seen in Baburajan’s altruism. “We have built 20 Community Relief Fund (ICRF), as well Baburajan’s charity is helping people to houses so far in help themselves. “If I give them money, they Kerala,” he says. will always need more money,” says the Besides contributing experienced businessman. “But if I help them to the Chief to fulfill their own needs with education, Minister’s relief they will be self-sufficient.” It is his dream in fund to help victims the pipeline to have an engineering research of the devastating and training center in Kerala. floods that hit the state a few years “When God has given you the opportunity ago, he is in the to help others, take it. If you can help just midst of facilitating one person, you have made a difference. Mr. Baburajan presenting his donation for flood relief the availability of Serving the poor is like service to the operations to the Chief Minister of Kerala, India. a fully-equipped world,” he believes.
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bystander
Mala Kumar Cultural Programme 2012
United in Friendship
Indian Ambassador’s wife Mala Kumar in collaboration with Jusoor Committee for promoting cultural exchange between countries, hosted a cultural programme promoting the traditional Indian dress, the saree, at her residence in Saar. The event was attended by the wife of Foreign Minister Shaikha Wesal Al Khalifa, wife of the Industry and Commerce Minister Angela Fakhro, diplomat wives and Jusoor Committee members. A fashion show was also held, displaying different styles of sarees from around India
Holi Rangotsav at T.H.M.C. 2019
On behalf of the Shri Krishna (Hindu) Temple Manama and The Thattai (Bhatia) Hindu Community, Holi Rangotsav celebrations were held at T.H.M.C. Ground, Al Hadrami Avenue, Manama. The Temple is located in the heart of Manama at “Little India In Bahrain” vicinity.
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United in Friendship
PASSION FOR COMPASSION by Behnaz Sanjana
They may have left Bahrain’s shores, but not without leaving an indelible mark on the hearts of those who received and witnessed their unconditional love, hope and support. Salma and Anand Bala recount the joy of giving during their time on the island.
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ack in 1979, Hyderabadi husbandwife duo, Anand and Salma, settled easily into life in Bahrain. A job offer from the National Bank of Bahrain for Anand brought them to the island, where they were taken by the warm, welcoming nature of the local population. “The Bahrainis’ politeness and respect for others impressed me the most,” remembers Anand. “We found them to be a cultured people and many even spoke Hindi.” “It felt like home, as Hyderabad was very cosmopolitan, friendly and easygoing, and
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surprisingly, Bahrain matched it very well,” Salma says. But in the midst of all the socialising with friends at home or restaurants, she couldn’t help but notice the disparity in the rights that blue-collared workers were afforded. “There was a sizeable Indian workforce present, followed by expatriates of other nationalities, and labourers in the construction field were at a great disadvantage,” she says. “There were many instances of runaway workers, those not
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Like his wife, Anand is a natural giver. “As a boy, whenever I visited our paddy field, I would share my meal with the workers
there, and on festivals like Diwali, I would request my grandpa to buy clothes for them,” he reminisces. “The smiles of those innocent faces are still green in my memory.” It suited him then, that his job at the bank involved managing NBB’s construction, properties, and Corporate Social Responsibility projects. During their early years in Bahrain, fire was a common tragedy at the workplace and living quarters of labourers. “They were housed in rented buildings, mostly four in a room,” says Salma. “Sometimes, hundreds of them would be left stranded, with no help received from any quarter.” Seeing the plight of victims of one such incident, Salma and a group of like-minded friends started Helping Hands - an organisation that called on the public for donations to aid the needy. “The response was overwhelming; people came forward with
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Helping Hands became a name synonymous with selfless philanthropy, accepting help strictly in kind only, to give to the underprivileged. Salma says: “The beauty was that the Bahrainis were as large-hearted as the others, and most often, we took them to the labour camps for distribution. The workers were as delighted as the donors, as both parties experienced the joy of sharing and receiving.” In severe winter, the organisation donated blankets, heaters and sweaters, and in summer volunteers were at their doors with airconditioners, fans or coolers. Bahrain’s old-timers still talk about Salma
making the rounds of construction sites and labour camps; either with piping hot tea or cool juice in hand, depending on the season, bringing comfort and a smile to the faces of the oft-neglected. When she learnt that some patients at the Salmaniya Hospital had no visitors, she was at their bedside. “The much-needed human touch made them cry with joy when we showed concern,” she says. “Later on volunteers of Helping Hands would also visit them.” Whenever there was genuine need, Helping Hands was there to aid. Salma is grateful to the many hotels who would share their food during the Holy Month of Ramadan, and redundant towels and bedsheets by the hundreds. “Mr. Bala was a source of great support too!” she says.
“Helping Hands is Salma’s child,” says Anand, with evident pride in his wife’s charitable endeavours. “Even in India, she used to do the same. During our visit to the Kashmir valley, she bought shoes for children walking barefoot on the ice. I am proud of her and will always support her in her activities.” Salma’s tireless efforts to make the less fortunate feel loved and cared for further enriched the couple’s relationship. “We used to distribute fruit and biscuits amongst patients at Salmaniya on the occasion of the Prophet’s birthday, and then sit and talk to them, as most of them were alone in Bahrain, working hard for their families back home,” he recalls. Not stopping at Helping Hands, Salma was instrumental at other notable organisations like the Migrant Workers Protection Society and Bahrain Centre for Human Rights. Having interacted with scores of people of various nationalities at their most vulnerable, Salma has bitter-sweet memories of the time she and Anand left Bahrain’s shores in 2009 to return to hometown Hyderabad. “When I informed one of the workers over the telephone that I was leaving Bahrain, there was a long pause from the other end. And then he said in Hindi, aapne hamare haath kaat diye; meaning, you have cut off our hands, we are now defenseless!” The happiness from the letter that she received from Bahrain’s Crown Prince and Prime Minster Shaikh Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, thanking her for the outstanding work she had done while in his country, will stay with her forever. The couple’s benevolent work, reputation, and the goodwill that they both accumulated in their time in Bahrain has gone on to create a good impression of India and its citizens in Bahrain. “We are so pleased that both Shaikh Isa bin Salman Al Khalifa, the late Amir of Bahrain, and Shaikh Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa, the late Prime Minsiter of Bahrain, have shown their gratitude to Indians for developing their country,” says Anand.
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Long live this little island of joy, and good tidings to all its inhabitants. I love my wonderful memories of Bahrain - a tiny island with a large heart!” says Salma. Golden Jubilee | 71
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Salma’s heart went out to them and she took it upon herself to help them come out of difficult financial or legal situations, or simply show them care and kindness – which, to them, was usually a rare commodity. Having practised law, Salma had the know-how to help both: the sponsor and the employee as the situation demanded. “In my interaction with them, I found that Bahrainis were very cooperative in settling matters, sometimes to their disadvantage where human values were concerned,” she remembers.
everything from toothpaste and buckets to clothes. Truckloads of rice, oil, pulses and spices would be distributed,” she recalls.
United in Friendship
been paid their salary for long periods, or with police cases against them.”
Philanthropy
United in Friendship
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hen he first arrived in the Kingdom over 25 years ago, Dr. Praharaj enamoured by the warmth of the island, was all set to embrace his humble beginnings combined with the grief of being away from home. “It is perhaps the remembrance of those early days along with the teachings of my late father that make me so empathetic towards the struggles of others, especially those belonging to the migrant community in the Kingdom.”
humbly says: “This is all possible due to the united efforts of my family, my community members along with the support of Bahraini and Indian authorities, the Indian Embassy and the magnanimous Chairman of Dadabhai Group of Companies, Mr. Mohamed Dadabhai.” Apart from social welfare, over the past two decades, Dr. Praharaj has toiled to unite the vibrant Odia diaspora in the Kingdom. “I have organised several successful cultural exchange programmes to enable a free flow of heritage and art between Bahrain and Odisha,” he explains, adding that the Odisha Day celebration is one such event wherein members of the Ministry and diplomats are introduced to Odia culture. Celebrating these events along with traditional festivals and eminent historical dates helps the community feel at home, miles away from home.
From naught to now, Dr. Arun Kumar Praharaj, CEO of the Dadabhai Group of Companies and Founder of the Bahrain Odia Samaj has emerged as a true people’s person in his host country that feels nothing short of home. From posing as a cultural ambassador to a Dr. Arun Kumar Praharaj’s journey as a prominent pioneer of distress relief, he has proved to be an asset member of Bahrain’s Indian diaspora is an inspirational to the Kingdom’s expat tale of a successful corporate professional growing to community. This was evident during the COVID-19 crisis find his own in social upliftment and community welfare. where he was found at the Dr Praharaj stressed that forefront of major relief such cultural promotion All his efforts have not gone unnoticed. activities. What started off as a minute and diversity among communities is Owing to his tremendous contributions to endeavour to help members of his homethe upliftment and promotion of his home- possible because of the outstanding state, Odisha, soon developed into an degrees of tolerance practiced in Bahrain. state Odisha, he has been appointed as extensive program involving the Indian the Honorary Goodwill Ambassador for the “Bahrain witnesses an extraordinary level Embassy, the Governments of India and of peaceful coexistence of faiths and Kingdom of Bahrain by the President of Bahrain, and other relevant authorities to beliefs which is truly essential for the Vishva Odisha Foundation (World Odisha support all Indian nationals affected by comprehensive development of a nation. Foundation) and Speaker of the Odisha the outbreak. For this, I am forever grateful to His Legislative Assembly, Dr. Surya Narayan Dr. Praharaj’s efforts led to the Patro. The appointment was made as a part Majesty, the Government of Bahrain and organisation of direct repatriation flights the people of Bahrain who never fail to of the Global Odia Awakening Campaign to Odisha’s capital city, Bhubaneswar. “We set a beautiful example of harmony and led by Vishba Odisha, an organisation also assisted numerous migrant workers in universal brotherhood,” he added. working towards the development of acquiring their dues from their employers Odisha in coordination with Odia diaspora “On the grand occasion of the Golden prior to their return. Most importantly to promote Brand Odisha. Jubilee of the Establishment of Diplomatic though, we were always available to Relations between the Kingdom of Apart from this honour, Dr. Praharaj is also provide moral support during such Bahrain and the Republic of India, I extend a recipient of prestigious titles such as distressing times,” he says. heartiest congratulations to my home and ‘Top 20 most inspirational personalities of The onset of some normalcy has not host country. Thank you, Bahrain and India, Odisha’, ‘Top 10 Living Legends of Odisha’ brought about any changes in his routine. for providing me with knowledge and along with renowned Social Entrepreneur, Dr Praharaj continues to burn many a opportunities. You have both given me in Dr. Achutya Samanta and the Shrie midnight lamps, waiting for and attending abundance. It is now my time to serve you Award from the Parichay Foundation for to desperate and hopeful calls of several to the best of my abilities.” significant social impact. migrant workers suffering from various Speaking of his achievements, Dr Praharaj issues across the Gulf.
AN INSPIRATIONAL ALTRUIST
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bystander United in Friendship
Indian Ladies Association held a grand Dandiya in 2019 at Wyndham Grand Manama
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Fashion
FASHION FORWARD by Behnaz Sanjana
United in Friendship
It is believed that fashion is an art form that touches all areas of our lives and can have far-reaching impact across the world. Often, the characteristic fashion of a region or country is well-known and much appreciated in another, much like in the case of Bahrain and India. Indian fashion is widely available in the Kingdom – from everyday wear like comfortable, flowing salwar kurtas, occasion wear like graceful saris in sumptuous weaves, to the grandly opulent outfits of a wedding trousseau. The locals are familiar with the elegant golden-bordered ivory saris that come out on the occasion of Onam, or the heavily embellished, jewel-toned ones that make a statement during Diwali. Indians in Bahrain have no dearth of choice when it comes to treating themselves to traditional wear, easily available across the island. The ‘fabric souq’, as it is sometimes colloquially referred to, is a miniscule microcosm within the bustling Manama souq that has roll upon roll of textile - cotton, silk and synthetic - much of it originating from India. And it’s not uncommon to see flashes of quintessentially Indian fashion on Middle Eastern apparel –delicate monochromatic embroidery running across the collar and placket of a thobe, rich brocade adorning the cuff of an abaya or a calf-length paisley coat over trousers. So much so, that it is customary for Bahraini brides to have a Henna Party before their big day, where the all-women party revels in being dressed to the nines in traditional Indian finery. There is perhaps no better example of the intertwining of cultural fashion than this. The pages that follow are decked with beautiful imagery courtesy of Bahrainbased Indian stylist and designer, Roshni M. Raveendran, who lends her work to art and set direction, concept creation, wardrobe styling and fashion designing for advertisements and photoshoots.
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Fashion United in Friendship
AN EMPIRE BUILT ON SOLID VALUES LEAD; to Listen, Empower, Adapt and Deliver. Based on this philosophy, a small shop in Bahrain grew to become a fashion empire that changed the retail scene in the GCC region and beyond. Renuka Jagtiani, Chairwoman and CEO of Landmark Group, tells us more.
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“It all started when my husband, Micky Jagtiani, established the first store, Babyshop, here in Bahrain in 1973 and expanded to four shops,” Renuka says. “18 years later, he moved to Dubai and established the Group, which later introduced several brands that are among the most popular today, such as Centrepoint, Shoe Mart, Splash, Max, Home Centre and others. Since then, value fashion has become our biggest business,” She attributes the Group’s success to a couple of reasons, but mainly because when it was first established in the 1970s, it took a different path than most of the other retailers, who were directed more towards grocery or global franchise businesses representing global brands as franchise partners all over the GCC. “Our focus was always on building our own brands. With a good understanding of customers in the Middle East, we soon succeeded in launching our brands, which are built around local customers. We constantly adapt to the customer and deliver on our promise. Adding value to someone is the biggest part of our philosophy. We will be celebrating our 50th anniversary soon, and we stand by the same values today,” Renuka says.
Speaking about that dreadful phase, Renuka says, “It first started with a fear of the unknown, and very soon people and businesses realised that it wasn’t about that, it was about bringing people together and saying ‘This will pass and we can handle it.’ In these unprecedented circumstances, we understood how crucial it is to promote positive messages. This has really helped us bring our people together, reduce the fear and get people to actually start thinking positively. And if you ask everyone today, they feel that they have handled it well and learned a lot from it, and this includes myself. We learned that we could adapt and defy challenges we thought we cannot control at all.” Moreover, Renuka lauds the sound and proactive measures implemented by governments in the GCC region, underlining that it has played a key role in overcoming this global obstacle, which continues to take a heavy toll on several countries around the world.
Managing the Pandemic Landmark Group has set a leading example in the past 18 months since the outbreak of the global pandemic, at a time when many major businesses around the world were
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One of these initiatives is the Happiness Movement, which commenced in 2017 with the aim of embedding the Group’s values and creating an environment of care and wellbeing, driven by the philosophy of creating exceptional value for all. Renuka clarifies the concept behind the Happiness Movement by saying, “Our focus in the Happiness Movement is about creating a culture and the right environment for every Landmark member to thrive, to grow with us and to make us an employer of choice. The movement has made a big difference to us and gained us international recognition, especially during the pandemic. It made a fundamental difference in how the teams and different businesses we have connect together. We plan to continue evolving this noble initiative, which is the brainchild of my daughter, Nisha, in the future.” The Group also started other initiatives such as the Life Foundation; a registered trust founded in 2000 to support the public education system. Since then, the Foundation has worked on helping other non-profits in various ways and touched over half a million lives.
Today, Landmark Group has outlets across the GCC, India, Southeast Asia and Africa. It has been present in the Indian market for two decades, with five stores operating in different parts of the country. Renuka explains further, saying: “We have quite a global presence, but obviously our GCC presence is the largest. We run substantially sized businesses in India and we have also explored markets in Southeast Asian countries like Indonesia and Malaysia, in addition to Egypt and other African countries where we are represented as a franchise. We are optimistic about those countries and the region as a whole, and we plan to expand further.”
Giving Back to the Society Landmark Group is one of the leading businesses that play an active social role on different levels, making valuable contributions and launching initiatives to raise awareness on various important causes, with a solid commitment to having a positive impact on the world.
“Through the Life Foundation, we have been supporting government schools so that children are provided with the needed support and learn better. It also supports the kids who are coming out of school, considering the high dropout rates among them in different parts of the world,” she elaborates.
“We are grateful to the governments in this part of the world, as they were very proactive in taking rapid action and necessary measures to control the pandemic, and to generally ensure that business kept going. This has made a big difference to us, as this attitude from governments to continue to provide us with generous support is remarkable. I also think that the biggest benefit has been the facilitation of providing vaccinations and the safety which we are feeling with it,” she added.
The list of leading drives also includes the Beat Diabetes Walk, which has continued for 11 years with the aim of raising awareness on diabetes. “The disease is unfortunately very prevalent among adults and children. The Beat Diabetes initiative creates awareness through a walk that is organised in coordination with different institutions such as schools and NGOs,” she adds. The Landmark Group continues to develop, grow and evolve in its outlook, ideas and products, keeping the region fashionably on trend all the while.
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seen tumbling down due to the social and economic repercussions of COVID-19.
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hese are the values on which the Landmark Group continues its pioneering journey as one of the largest retail and hospitality conglomerates in the Middle East, Africa and India, with over 2,200 outlets in 21 countries under its umbrella.
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HOME AWAY FROM HOME by Behnaz Sanjana
What is it like to have completed over four decades as an expatriate on the Island of Pearls? Banking and finance honcho, Mohandas N V, gives us a glimpse of his life in Bahrain in the ‘80s and ‘90s.
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Mohandas found his first job with Ahmadi Industries (Pepsicola), but his banking career began in 1981 with Bank of Credit & Commerce International (BCCI). The young couple were content with living simply on the island, when its infrastructure was still being developed. “The prominent structures then were the Muharraq Bridge and Manama Centre, where Gulf Air had its headquarters for a few years,” he remembers. He believes that today, Bahrain is at par with the most developed nations of the world, but has managed to retain its warmth and homeliness. “Our life was very cheerful with our few friends who we used to meet over the weekends at our respective homes or at the Indian Club.” And strong friendships are still the cornerstone of his life outside of work. What he looked forward to was speaking to his parents, who he would dearly miss. “It would be a long wait to make a phone call to India from the Batelco office in Manama,” he recalls.
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banking and finance, which included two training programmes at Princeton in the US, Mohandas retired from his position of Associate Director with Julius Baer in 2018. Not one to rest on past laurels, he kickstarted his own management consultancy, UB23 Consultants WLL, which is a team of senior professionals bringing years of combined experience to banking and finance, and sales and marketing. Mohandas has also partnered in another consultancy and audit firm, M&S Associates, and is the Regional Director of the MENA region for BloomBloom, a one-of-a-kind collaborative ‘edu-ployment’ platform for learners and educators. Having witnessed the best and the most trying of times in Bahrain, Mohandas has a treasure-trove of memories linked to the island. Never having been made to feel like an ‘outsider’, he has whole-heartedly celebrated its triumphs and grieved its
losses in solidarity with the country. As his final thoughts on expatriate life in Bahrain, he says, “People come here with short-term plans, but the more time they spend here, the more they realise that there’s nothing quite like Bahrain.”
More joy and happiness graced Ganga and Mohandas’s home with the birth of their daughter, Mamta, in 1984 at Bahrain’s very own Salmaniya Hospital. “She was a smart student and showed great passion for music and the arts,” says the doting father. Little surprise then, that Mamta grew up to become the South Indian film industry’s blue-eyed girl and is currently a muchsought after actor and singer. When BCCI ceased operations worldwide, Mohandas moved to Merrill Lynch International. “It was the largest US-based investment bank, he states. “I worked in various departments during my 23 years with this bank.” In 2013, Merrill Lynch merged with Bank of America and was named Bank of America Merrill Lynch International. “Three years later, BAML was taken over by the Swiss bank, Julius Baer, the third largest private wealth management organisation,” he says. After a rich and progressive career in
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Young Mohandas N V dreamt of a job in the Gulf after completing his studies in erstwhile Calcutta in India. After his first stint in Muscat, fate brought him to Bahrain in 1978. Initially as a bachelor, and then in 1983 with his life partner, Ganga, Mohandas settled into island life with ease. “My wife has supported me financially in building my career and our life,” he says with evident pride. “Being a Mathematics graduate, she has taught at various schools here for 10 years.”
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TRUE BEAUTY
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by Behnaz Sanjana
Miss World 1997, Diana Hayden, takes a walk down memory lane to reminisce about putting India in the global headlines with her international win and her memorable visit to Bahrain to boost a fundraiser in aid of earthquake victims in 2001.
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he bedazzled the world with her striking splendour and remarkable intellect at the Miss World pageant, being the only title holder thus far to have won three contest subtitles: Miss World - Asia and Oceania, Miss Photogenic and Spectacular Swimwear. MISS WORLD WITH A PURPOSE Diana Hayden has made a mark for herself in the realms of beauty, theatre and motivational speaking, but most of all, in social work. In the final section of the pageant, when she was asked why she wanted to become Miss World, she quoted writer and poet William Butler Yeats, saying, “With dreams begin responsibility…” She has stayed true to her words spoken over two decades ago, truly cherishing every opportunity to make a difference and help the dreams of others. One of her several charitable endeavours brought Diana to Bahrain in 2001, when the state of Gujarat had borne the brunt of a ruthless earthquake. Diana had readily agreed to grace a fundraising event in aid of the victims. “In a matter of two weeks after the calamity, those in Bahrain who had their heart in the right place got together to organise this fundraising event,” she recalls. “The Bahrainis, including the Royal Family, were so supportive. We were able to raise a significant sum in just one evening.” DIANA AND THE ISLAND OF PEARLS Her first visit to Bahrain enamoured those who interacted with the intelligent beauty, and in turn, made a lasting impression on her. “It was the beginning of a very long and happy relationship with Bahrain. I’ve returned a few times since the charity event, and I’ve had such a wonderful time on every visit,” she says. Sharing her first thoughts about Bahrain and its people, she says. “I think Bahrain is very different from the rest of the Middle East. It is much more relaxed, the people are very sweet, very friendly; at times even go out of the way to make you feel comfortable.”
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LIFE AFTER MISS WORLD Commenting on the best outcome of her winning the Miss World title, Diana says, “It was a chain of reactions that followed. I would say life is just a series of crossroads, and winning Miss World was one of the biggest highlights in my life. Had it not been for the steps I’d taken in life back then, I wouldn’t have met my husband, Collin, and had my three little babies today, who are my biggest achievement and the best part of my life.” The much-accomplished lady says that every achievement in her life has brought her a strong sense of humility. “I’m still the same person, having grown up with middle-class values,” says the Hyderabadi at heart. “Every time I achieve something, I feel amazed that I could do it; it’s very humbling.”
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The pageant’s theme is ‘Beauty with a Purpose’, and it gives me a lot of satisfaction to have worked with and been the brand ambassador for international agencies like the Red Cross,” she says. “Experiences like building homes for Habitat for Humanity alongside President Jimmy Carter will always stay with me.” Supporting causes related to women, breast cancer and educating the girl child are especially close to Diana’s heart.
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And she did not find this only with the Indian expatriates, but the locals as well. “I was really made to feel at home,” Diana says. “I remember having lunch with the then Indian Ambassador, when a member of the Royal Family, who also held a prominent position in government, met me. I was amazed by his warmth and friendliness; we’ve kept in touch ever since.”
“I think that if you can make a difference to one person, then it’s well worth it,” she says. “I have had my children through IVF, and that’s another subject I talk about. If I can make others aware of this procedure that is available, helping them to feel the joy of motherhood that I have felt, then I’ve done my bit. We’re all in the position we are in for a purpose!”
THE MOST IMPORTANT THING IN HER LIFE THE IDEA OF INDIA ON THE WORLD STAGE “Relationships, because that is something “India and beauty pageants go a long that sees you through everything,” Diana way,” says Diana. “Reita Faria was the first replies. “It’s the people in your life that Indian to win it in 1966. India is one of the are there to celebrate with you, making formidable countries in the beauty pageant your joy that much bigger. Similarly, they’re fraternity, because the Indian woman is there to share your pain and sorrow. beautiful and well-spoken, thanks to a Things are transient in life. I’m not a very strong education system. She has got all materialistic person, and its relationships the attributes that make her excel in any that matter the most to me.” field she chooses to.” On that note, she ON DEALING WITH EXPECTATION wishes the best So, with successful predecessors, did she of relations to feel the pressure while participating in Bahrain and India, Miss World? “No, I didn’t put any pressure saying, “It makes on myself,” says Diana. “I just ensured that me really proud to I was well-rested and my head was clear. I congratulate both went there, put my best foot forward, left India and Bahrain no stone unturned to give it my all and on completing 50 lived in the moment.” years of a wonderful friendship. May you PHILANTHROPY AT THE FOREFRONT have many, many, From giving lectures on grooming to many more; this is engaging in motivational speaking for just the beginning!” clients and corporates, Diana keeps herself busy, besides juggling her personal life in Austin, Texas. This year, she has been involved in India’s Independence Day celebrations across the USA. But her focus on charity work is still at the core of all that she does. “Besides glamour, Miss World is centered around social work.
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THE GOLDEN AGE OF CINEMA by Farah Baig
The Indian film industry has long been known to charm viewers across the world. We speak to the man responsible for its worldwide appeal, Suryakant Savani of Sputnik Pictures.
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picture is worth a thousand words, but what about a moving picture? They’re probably worth a million, but what makes movies and theatre even more special is their ability to bridge the gap between cultures, create memories and impart knowledge.
The Indian film industry has a long and colourful history bejewelled by prolific actors and actresses, visionary directors, vibrant fashion and foot-tapping music. Decades before other film industries could grace screens across the world, cinema buffs enjoyed the best of Bollywood – an experience that the vision of the pioneering distributor of Indian films, Suryakant Savani, afforded them. Mr. Savani was born in Kenya to an enterprising family that did a lot of business before they decided to get into the film industry. “We realised that Indian films were unknown anywhere outside of India, so we decided to start a distribution office in Bahrain in the year 1967 with a vision of them being viewed all over the world,” says Mr. Savani, who added that the family had (naturally) set up an office in
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the birthplace of Bollywood, Bombay, prior to their ambitious move across seas. Setting up a base in Bahrain appealed to him for several reasons including the fact that it was quiet, yet modern. “The people of Bahrain have always been friendly; government departments were helpful and the Indian embassy had a presence here at all times. We made the right decision selecting Bahrain as a base to distribute movies for Bollywood to the whole world,” he says. “Once the business was running, I decided to move to the Kingdom with my lovely wife, Rasila Savani, who was based in Uganda. That was in 1971, four years after our initial establishment, a year that also happened to be memorable for the fact that it was the same year that the Kingdom of Bahrain and Republic of India established diplomatic relations,” he states. Producers in India were baffled. The Savanis were purchasing films for the whole world. “They wondered what we would do with Indian movies outside of India, but we had a plan. My brothers and I moved to different
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With the managers being unable to cope with the demand of individual viewers, they took aspiringly started approaching cinema owners so the films would get a lot more exposure with larger audiences. “Before sending the films, we realised there was a problem about the language,” says the avid storyteller. “In places like Japan and Hong Kong, there weren’t as many Indians living there at the time so other people did not wish to view movies they did not understand. So, we had to think of a way to appeal to these viewers.” Not the sort to turn down a good challenge, the Savanis were soon buying massive quantities of films and shipping them to Cairo, Egypt where they would then be subtitled. “People now understood the plot so the industry boomed!” he reminisces. Bollywood films were a force to reckon with on an international level as the footfall to watch them grew a hundredfold. “Wherever the Indian pictures went, they were successful. People were surprised that even foreigners loved them,” he says, adding that he believes Bollywood movies are on par with those emerging from Hollywood. Taking us through Bollywood’s cinematic journey around the world, he narrates: “In the Middle East when Indian films were being released, their own local language production films were not able to compete. When we distributed the movie Haathi Mere Saathi to 500 cinemas in Thailand, it was so popular that it overtook the collections of Sound of Music. Likewise, I took the picture Waqt with B. R. Chopra to Ethiopia and it was such a big success that it was recorded that it achieved a record-breaking viewership in the history of Ethiopia. The same thing happened, we took Raj Kapoor’s “Boot Polish” and other movies to Russia where the films were so popular that people were on the road singing the songs of Raj Kapoor movies.”
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all 20 cinemas at the time for the screening of Ek Phool Do Mali, which went on for six whole months. In South America, we had movies distributed that were mostly songs where we couldn’t keep up with the demand,” he says. In the Kingdom of Bahrain, which remained home to Suryakant Savani, the distribution company collaborated with the Bahrain Cinema Company. “They had the cinemas and we had the movies so we just said ‘Here’s the store key. You distribute our films all over Bahrain’. That, of course, soon turned into distribution in Qatar, Jordan, Syria and other parts of the Arab Region,” he said. With their close collaboration with the film industry came the connections with renowned actors, actresses, directors, producers and everyone in between. “Every time you would go to my London office you would find someone like Sunil Dutt, Shami Kapoor, Nanda or Waheeda Rehman and the situation was the same in the New York office. Stars wanted to know the next move because they were dependent on us for the distribution,” he reminisces. If there was any possibility to make the movies even more popular, the Savanis had figured it out. “We started taking the film stars like Raj Kapoor, Sunil Dutt and others to Kenya, Uganda and other places where the public would be rushing to the
airport just to catch a glimpse of their favourite stars. The regular interactions meant actors like Rajesh Khanna were more like family to us.” “These days, Indian languages like Hindi are known by more than half the Kingdom’s population and that’s all thanks to the movies. Today, fifty long years later, I congratulate the Kingdom of Bahrain and the Republic of India on this joyous occasion and am proud to have played a role in bringing the Gulf and India closer together,” says Mr. Savani. The visionary Savanis took on the herculean task of building a worldwide viewership for Bollywood at a time when there was no internet, daily flights or other current day luxuries. Despite it all, they succeeded. “We amassed a library of over a thousand movies: 500 in colour and the rest black and white. My family popularised Indian movies all over the world. We are pioneers… that makes me proud,” he concludes triumphantly.
Interestingly enough, the movie Mother India in Greece was so popular that people started referring to India as Nargis, the name of the movie’s charming actress, instead. “In Somalia, it was house full at
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parts of the world: New York, London, Hong Kong, Kenya and Bahrain,” he narrates. “This made it easier for us to distribute to different regions but the business was so big we had to hire managers stationed in nine countries including Fiji, Nigeria, Casablanca and Guyana, but even then, it just wasn’t enough!”
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OUR VERY OWN LEADING LADY Reigning beauty of South India’s silver screens, Mamta Mohandas, has her roots in the rich simplicity of Bahrain’s way of life. She talks to Behnaz Sanjana about growing up in the Kingdom and her life’s adventures so far.
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orgeous, charmingly cordial and surprisingly downto-earth, superstar Mamta Mohandas has proved her on-screen mettle time and again in the Malayalam film industry. The much sought-after star divides her time mainly between Kerala and California, where she has set up base for the last seven years, but her birthplace, Bahrain, holds a special spot in her heart. Born to N V and Ganga Mohandas at our very own Salmaniya Hospital, Mamta enjoyed the idyllic childhood that the island offered her. A Mathematics and Biology whiz, she schooled at the Asian School and later the Indian School, Bahrain, till she left to study at Mount Carmel College in Bengaluru, India.
A six-month stay in Kerala while in Grade III during the Gulf War helped Mamta master her mother tongue. She believes this greatly helped her with entering the film industry.
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With no formal training, Mamta learnt and perfected her craft along the way. “Facing more failures than successes in an organic process has been the best school. Of course, there’s always room for improvement, and I later attended a few acting workshops during my free time in LA,” she says. The talented performer has also lent her voice to music, having been trained in Carnatic and Hindustani vocals while schooling in Bahrain. Her first film, Mayoogham, in 2005, was one that she stumbled upon by chance. “Since I wasn’t an aspiring actress, I thought of it as a one-off film,” she says. “Being just 21, I was fearless and had fun doing it. Most of my co-actors were first timers as well. Back then, we had no feedback monitors or replays on the spot. Also, we shot on film, not on digital cards like we do today.” 16 years on in the film industry, she wishes her intrepidity had lasted beyond her first movie, but it diminished with the growing fame that followed. Her road, however, was not strewn with roses. “It was difficult in the beginning,” she remembers. “Some people couldn’t welcome an NRI (non-resident Indian) with
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Mamta received her first State Film Award for the movie Katha Thudarunnu for playing the role of a brave widow completing medical school to support her child. “Another movie that created waves for me was Telugu film Yamadonga, directed by Rajamouli, with co-star Jr. NTR,” she says. “I’m still remembered fondly in Andhra Pradesh for playing the unique character of Dhanlakshmi.” But she believes her biggest commercial successes to be with actor Dileep in her favorite genre - comedy. “My Boss and Two Countries were both ‘super-duper’ hits,” she enthuses. Like in any great blockbuster, there are curveballs in reality. “Or else it’s no fun!” Mamta muses. Repeated relapses of Hodgkin’s Lymphoma starting from 2009, despite multiple chemotherapy and radiation sessions, and a failed bone marrow transplant, had her back against the wall with seemingly no other option. In 2014, the family heard of a clinical trial for a new immunotherapy drug beginning in LA. “I was in a lot of pain. We flew there immediately to begin treatment,” she recalls.
experience. “It taught me that life is short and it’s so important to live every second fully,” she says in hindsight. “In fact, sometimes when I try to recollect details of specific incidents before 2009, I can’t. I realised that until then, I had only existed, not really lived! It’s true that it’s the life in your years that matter, not the years in your life.”
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an open mind, assuming we come from privileged backgrounds. That was stressful.” She agrees that kids growing up in the Gulf live a more protected life than those back in India, but do face tough times, the foremost being lack of support from the extended family.
It has also made her reassess her career choices and approach her characters with renewed vigour, paying more attention to detail in the script. Coupling her passion for cinema with her love for business, Mamta has launched her own production banner, Mamta Mohandas Productions, last November. “I’d like MMP to be identified as a name that makes thoughtful and memorable films with well-written and executed scripts,” she shares. Mamta will soon illuminate our screens with Bhramam and Unlock on Amazon Prime, Lalbagh on Zee 5, and Tamil film Enemy will be releasing later this year.
“I am currently working on Jana Gana Mana in Malayalam, with Prithviraj and Suraj in major roles, and a female-oriented period film titled Rudrangi, which is a huge comeback for me in Telugu after almost a decade,” the star says. “I’m really excited “The stress was huge. We fought it together; about this one.” mom spending days and nights taking care Alongside her cinematic exploits, Mamta of everything I ate, did or felt, Dad giving savours the time ticking items off her us both hope and strength while trying to bucket list, like driving her own sports car, focus on work in Bahrain. I’m so glad that skydiving and scuba diving. “I’ll be doing those days and bad memories are behind my first Bollywood film in 2022 and also us,” she says. producing my first independent film in the coming year.” Surely, we’re staying tuned Mamta has come out of this ordeal for that! stronger and grateful for every single
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In her 18 years in Bahrain, a career on the big screen hadn’t once crossed her mind. Her dreams, initially, were etched in the skies – she aspired to be a commercial pilot, but later followed her father’s footsteps into banking and finance. “Looking back, cinema was my most fortunate stumble. I don’t see myself being passionate about anything else but this now,” she says.
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HITTING A HIGH NOTE! Bahrain-based pianist, Rajat Chowdhury, strikes gold at a prestigious International Music Competition. He tells Farah Baig about his journey through music and his aspirations.
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e can still remember running down the school hallway with a triumphant smile. ‘No more karate! Piano it is!’. It’s a fun story – his escape from karate as one of the extra-curricular subjects in primary school, then taking refuge in playing the piano at just six years of age.
As we delved deeper into the world of the impressive 22-year-old pianist, Rajat Chowdhury enthusiastically states that western classical music is nearest and dearest to his heart. “It makes up the core of my musical and artistic identity. Hopefully, my music communicates everything else about me that I’m finding difficult to put into words right now!”
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THE BEGINNING His parents were skeptical as to how long his new interest would last; yet today, Rajat is one of the top gold medal winners and first-place winner in his age group at the North American Virtuoso International Music Competition. The prestigious competition has attracted talent from around the globe to compete in a variety of categories ranging from solo classical performance to ensemble performance using instruments of their choice, of which Rajat participated in the composition category. Rajat journey in music started with him teaching himself. “I eventually started formal training here in Bahrain when I was
13. So, of the 16 years that I have been playing the piano, nine years have been under structured instruction,” he explains. “I was placed into top music schools such as Bard Conservatory and The Berklee College of music with scholarships, but this period of self-teaching was vital to my creative and artistic freedom,” he says, adding that his mentorship and education lies in Canada but musical legacy and opportunity in the Kingdom of Bahrain. THE LEARNING CURVE His time in Bahrain was instrumental in his musical development. “It is here that I started taking lessons properly and it is here that I made my most important
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“Western classical improvisation is an under-represented art form. To me, Since his early days in music, Rajat has it represents new opportunities for gone on to win the Con Brio National Piano music-making that can shed a new light competition in India at the age of 17, and on western classical music for both: was the youngest competitor. Since then, audiences and performers”. His dream is he has been performing at the prestigious to promote this unique avenue of musicNCPA (National Center for the Performing making in order to break cultural stigmas Arts) in Mumbai, India every year since 2015. surrounding the perceived rigidity and He was also invited to Vienna to perform elitism surrounding classical music. his award-winning composition for solo “Classical music is for everybody. The piano at the Ehrbar hall. emotional profundity found within this
to written or spoken languages and as humans we are drawn towards them out of a base desire to express what is on our minds,” he says. “Music is the language through which we fulfil the base desire to express what is in our hearts and yet it is a desire that many of us don’t acknowledge and work towards, even amongst musicians. So, budding pianists must find the content of what they wish to say with music and approach it like a language,” he says.
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“I wouldn’t be the pianist I am today without having trudged up the steps weekly to Ms. Glorina Victa’s lesson room at the Bahrain Music institute. Without her guidance and inspiration, I would be nowhere and I am sure that she is continuing her fantastic work to this day,” he says, adding that James Roriston, his piano teacher at the boarding school he attended in Bangalore, India was also a contributing factor to his growth as a musician. “I am also indebted to St. Christopher’s School and its music faculty.”
improvised piece of music: he allowed four notes to be chosen at random by a ‘note generator’ mobile app and proceeded to create an entire piano sonata on the spot using them as a theme. Piano sonatas are vast works that require a lot of planning and feature many interconnected musical themes that are almost exclusively prewritten. To craft one without preparation is a monumental task that harkens back to the improvisational abilities of old masters such as Rachmaninoff and Chopin (two composers that Rajat cites as his foremost influences). Rajat was able to create his sonata within a mere 45 minutes.
THE NEXT STEP With this win under his belt, Rajat is looking forward to expanding the scope of classical music in the Middle East. With western classical music not having as much of a foothold in this part of the world, he hopes to arrange concerts and performances for the enrichment of Middle Eastern audiences. “My deepest aspiration is to leave behind a legacy of musical work throughout my career that can really move people for years to come, and hopefully bring classical music to a wider audience. If I
Rajat currently studies composition and piano performance at the UBC School of music in Vancouver, Canada under Dr. Patricia Hoy and Dr. Stephen Chatman, who are internationally renowned musicians based in Canada. “I was initially in the school’s engineering program but switched into music in order to pursue my dream,” he says. “I should be the first to say that my talent is hardly perfected. Like all crafts, it is evergrowing and improving. However, the fundamental facet of my development into the musician I am today is a foundational will to express,” he says. AN UNDER-REPRESENTED ART FORM With western classical competitions, the expectations are that performers will rehearse a pre-written piece and meticulously place every detail. However, Rajat contradicted this practice by entering the competition with a completely
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kind of music can be as life-changing for others as it was for me” says Rajat. THE LANGUAGE OF MUSIC Rajat believes that budding musicians should be able to read and interpret music in the same way they interpret text, listen and appreciate music in the same way spoken languages are approached. “One must become fluent in the language of music itself. It is a language similar
know that what I have done has truly changed someone’s life, then I am more than happy,” says Rajat. “For now, though, the immediate thing is to graduate from music school!” he rightfully says.
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preliminary accomplishments like winning the St Christopher’s School Music festival,” he says.
Clubs & associations
THE SPIRIT OF COMMUNITY
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Life as an expatriate in a foreign country can be daunting and lonely, if not for the feeling of belonging that social clubs and associations can provide. The Kingdom of Bahrain, being a liberal and broadminded nation, has numerous such registered social and charitable organisations that can provide the notion of home away from home for the large number of Indians on the island. In the case of many of them, not only do they stand in aid of their beneficiaries, but also give members and volunteers a sense of purpose and feeling of emotional wellbeing outside of their professional lives.
INDIAN LADIES ASSOCIATION
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n the late 50s Mrs Leela Jashanmmal was joined by Mrs Dorabji, Mrs Jamsheed and Mrs Ashraf to teach English classes above the Ashraf shop located in Manama. This was followed by sewing sessions at Mrs Jashanmal’s home in the early 60s, and proceeds from their handiwork was donated to deserving people. Over the years, the group’s activities increased and the ladies could donate more money to local charities. It was named Indian Ladies Association (ILA) in 1983, and was registered under the Ministry of Social Development in 1984 as a charitable organisation. With the motto ‘Service before Self’, today the ILA is one of the most renowned high-profile formal ladies’ groups on the island. With 150 members on board, ILA’s executive committee comprises nine ladies. The association has around 8 sub-committees to take care of various activities including local community service, labourers’ welfare, English language classes for low income adults, health care, family welfare, and recreation and entertainment. Wherever and whenever a helping hand is needed, whether it is in Bahrain or beyond its shores, ILA is one of the first associations to give aid, financially or in terms of volunteering.
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Members of ILA benefit from interacting with other Indian ladies, participating in various talent and cultural competitions, workshops on women-centric topics and personal development. From sharing lifelong friendships and networking, members have the opportunity to feel valuable for the selfless work that they do with ILA, and thus feel empowered in the process. ILA’s current Honorary president, Nisha Rangarajan has been a part of the association for 20 years, starting with volunteering with SNEHA. She believes that leading by example is the best legacy one leaves behind. “I realised that ILA does so much more by way of its various community outreach programmes,” she says. “From being a member volunteer to now leading this great organisation, I feel honoured and humbled to shoulder this responsibility to make the ILA flag fly high.” The ILA has consistently undertaken community outreach programmes. “We were part of the inauguration of Bahrain’s first pocket forest. We have worked hand in hand with Government initiatives to fight the pandemic with events like vaccination drive campaign, distributing mask and hygiene kits, conducting awareness workshops. ILA has contributed to the cost of oxygen cylinders sent to India, and our
Crown Care Campaign will be donating a wig of genuine hair to a deserving oncology patient,” Nisha says. The association works closely with the Indian Embassy and is proud to have the support and encouragement from its patron, Mrs Monika Srivastava, wife of HE Piyush Srivastava, the Ambassador of India to the Kingdom of Bahrain. The mainstay of ILA is Sneha, the centre for children with special needs. Sneha, which means ‘tender love’ was started in 1987, when it was noticed that a few families had especially abled children. Once the necessary permissions were acquired, Sneha was started from a flat in Hoora with two children. Today, the centre welcomes 20 children on its rolls who come in five days a week to learn basic literacy, numeric and self-help skills, arts and craft, music and dance, and basic cooking, with emphasis given on social accepted behaviour. Sneha accepts children of all nationalities, and is free of cost. Children are provided transport, uniforms, field trips, learning materials, games and sports equipment and medical treatment and special therapy when required.
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Clubs & associations
INDIAN MEDICAL ASSOCIATION In the year 2010, a group of doctors got together with the focal point of discussion being to create a network of the Indian doctors in the Kingdom of Bahrain. At that meeting the idea was conceived to start the Bahrain chapter of the Indian Medical Association. This idea gained momentum as the overall response from the community of Indian doctors in Bahrain was quite encouraging. Emails, letters and visits to the IMA headquarters in New Delhi followed and step by step the dream took shape. The Indian Medical Association was started in 1928, is headquartered in Delhi, and has around 78,000 members and 1250 branches worldwide. The mandatory number of ten doctors needed to take a life membership of the
Indian Medical Association to start an overseas chapter. On May 10 2010 in the presence of Mr. Ajay Kumar, First Secretary of the Embassy of India, around one hundred and fifty Bahrain-based Indian doctors and community leaders, the Bahrain chapter of the Indian Medical Association was born. Besides organising continuous medical education programs for the local medical community in partnership with eminent service providers from India, IMA Bahrain also aims to be a one-stop contact point for any information and support on Indian healthcare. ‘Giving Back, and Service without Limitations’ is the motto around which the IMA Bahrain chapter aims to base its activities.
To provide full support to the medical requirements of the Indian Embassy including support for the ICRF Medical camps is another commitment of this network. The members of the present committee work dedicatedly under the able guidance of its president, Dr. Babu Ramachandran. The members of the founding executive committee have relocated from Bahrain; however, they continue to be life members of the Indian Medical Association. All medical doctors of Indian origin are encouraged to register in the chapter.
PUNJABIS UNITED IN BAHRAIN S
tarted in January 2015, Punjabi’s United in Bahrain (PUB) was started to bring the Indian Punjabi community under one umbrella whereby they could contribute towards the betterment of society by participating in social activities, charity drives, blood donation initiatives, celebrations of festivals and many other aspects which assist in promoting harmony among the members. Its founder, Sundeep Chopra has been in Bahrain since 2010.
The club started off with around 250 members, but now has more than 1100 members, with a nine-member executive committee. PUB’s members come together to celebrate native festivals like Lohri, Holi, Baisakhi, Karwa Chauth and Diwali, as well as are involved in social initiatives like blood donation drives and Ramadan charities. PUB has been represented at the reception of many significant Indian dignitaries on their visits to Bahrain, including Prime Minister Narender Modi, Mr. Rajnath Singh, Ms. Sushma Swaraj and Mr. VK Singh. PUB has always prided itself on being ready to help and guide newcomers to the island whenever required. It ensures that new expatriates do not feel too far away from home, but part of a vibrant Punjabi community that provides them with comfort and all the necessary support.
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Bahrain chapter
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BAHRAIN ZOROASTRIAN ASSOCIATION P
arsis are a small but distinctive community of India, who started migrating to the Middle East in the 1950s to set up trade. Amongst those families were the Marolias who first came in and set up businesses in Bahrain in the early 1950s. Gradually, the number of Zoroastrians on the island increased, and from a humble beginning of about 15
adults, the Bahrain Zoroastrian Association (BZA) was formally established in 1956. It was the granting of land for an ‘Aaramgah’ (the final resting place for deceased Parsis, the only one in the Middle East) donated by HH the Late Shaikh Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Ex Amir of Bahrain, that is the mainstay of the BZA.
The current executive committee comprises five members headed by its president, Cyrus Unwalla. The BZA has over 40 members who meet to celebrate important Parsi festivals and non-profit get-togethers. The association crossed its 60-year milestone in 2016, and this year, members look forward to the 65th anniversary of BZA.
BHATIA MITRA MANDAL (BMM) T he Bhatias are one of the oldest Indian communities in Bahrain, and have contributed greatly to the island’s economic and social facets. They have been instrumental in community welfare endeavours for decades, and today make up for a notable number of big businesses houses of Indian origin in Bahrain.
In 1959, a group of businessmen and professionals working with reputed organisations like BBME (now HSBC Bank),
Standard Chartered Bank, Gulf Air and Bapco, came together to establish the Bhatia Mitra Mandal (BMM). Its key founders, Thawerdas Kikla, Khimchand Gandhi, T. D. Bhatia, Sunder Kewalram, M C Bhatia, Baboo Kewalram, Ramesh Khiara, Ladharam Asarpota and G S Gandhi, felt that it would greatly benefit the small community away from loved ones back home, where they could meet, interact and spend time with each other.
The club started with 50 members, a number that has now grown to 125 Thattai Bhatias origin members. Over the years, the club has organised several events, in turn making the Bhatias a well-recognised and reputed community on the island. The BMM organises numerous interactive events for the members on a regular basis. Those like the Treasure Hunt, movie outings, quiz competitions, and sporting activities
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garner enthusiastic participation from members, and the club also participates in the Bahrain Marathon. The most lookedforward to event amongst the community is the Annual Member Gala, which is the biggest event organised every year. BMM actively participates in charitable undertakings, including donating to local charities like the Bahrain Red Crescent society, and sharing food boxes during the holy month of Ramadan. Current club president Kishore Kewalram heads the Executive Committee, comprising nine members. In line with the new normal, the BMM conducts several online games and activities for members. The club also organizes talks / shows online for members to participate in.
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Clubs & associations he Bongiyo Samaj was started in 1999, to promote Indian culture and tradition amongst expatriates, to give local talent a platform to showcase their skills and abilities, as well as to encourage group activities to strengthen the social and cultural bonds among the Bengali expatriate population in Bahrain. What started with 40 members has now become a 500-strong association. Members come together to celebrate religious and national Indian festivals, compete in sports and fine arts, reach out to help community members in case of any need or emergencies. The association also holds several activities
United in Friendship
BONGIYO SAMAJ T
and contests for children.
Currently under the presidentship of Vikas Katiyar who heads a ninemember executive committee, the Bongiyo Samaj is a place where members interact and network on a regular basis. It offers a support system with advice to newcomers on the various aspects that one could face while settling down in a new country. It facilitates newcomers in getting to know members of the community, socialise with fellow members and form friendships and relationships that will help to smoothen life in an unknown place.
The Club strives to make donations to Bahrain’s registered charitable organisations annually and also conducts a blood donation camp among members.
SHRI GUJARATI SAMAJ Shri Gujarati Samaj was formed in the year 1980 with the main purpose of representing the people of the state of Gujarat in Bahrain, to celebrate cultural festivals and to help community members in need. Dr. Mandalia, Mahendra Parmar, Devji Ramji, Mahendra Patel and Shantilal Harji amongst others were the key founding members of the association with the vision that it would serve for the betterment of the Gujarati Community in Bahrain. What started with a mere 80 members has now grown to approximately 800 paid members. But non-members also reap the benefits of the organisation, benefiting from the club’s cultural programmes and support extended to the community. Members come together to celebrate various important festivals like the Mega Kite
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Festival, Holi (festival of colors), Navratri (a cultural dance programme seeking blessing from Goddess Ambe), Diwali (festival of lights) along with various other sporting related events. The club celebrates Gujarat Day with great grandeur. The association’s current Executive Committee comprises of 11 members, headed by Ravi Parekh, and ably mentored by ex-president, Taral Parekh, amongst other ex-office bearers.
Shree Gujarati Samaj organises various charity events throughout the year which include blood donation drives, charity to ICRF and distribution of food kits. It has also aided members with returning to India. With doctors, accountants, engineers, lawyers and professionals from the community working in Bahrain, the Shri Gujarati Samaj works closely with the Indian embassy to be a catalyst for help and support to Gujaratis in Bahrain, as the club is always ready to help in difficult times.
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Clubs & associations
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THE INDIAN COMMUNITY RELIEF FUND
T
he Indian Community Relief Fund (ICRF) is a non-government, nonprofit organisation established in the year 1999. It functions under the patronage of the Ambassador of India to the Kingdom of Bahrain for the general welfare of Indian workers in Bahrain. Its main purpose is to serve the downtrodden and deprived members of the Indian community. ICRF extends support to underprivileged Indians in Bahrain in case of any contingency.
Council, nominated by the Ambassador of India, from amongst prominent personalities and leaders within the Indian diaspora in Bahrain. This NGO started as a small band of members who felt the need for an organisation purely for the welfare of disadvantaged Indians in Bahrain. It has eventually grown to a 200+ strong team of volunteers lending their time and efforts for those in need.
The ICRF’s activities have evolved, making it a multifaceted organisation, addressing the community requirements at large. Its community initiatives include medical “Our Community Welfare support, legal support, community welfare Services organises medical camps as support, the facilitation of repatriation of a part of their outreach activity, where the deceased, Yoga awareness programmes, Indian workers can avail medical facilities Family Welfare Fund disbursements free of cost,” says Dr. Ramachandran. “So and the SPECTRA art carnival - a yearly far we have conducted over 130 such drawing and painting competition for medical camps that have benefited more school children, which is a well-known than 45,000 needy persons.” Community fundraising event. Welfare Services include being present at the Salmaniya Mortuary, prisons, the “Besides this, we render emergency services immigration detention centre, Immigration such as supply of food rations, providing Directorate etc. whenever required. temporary shelter to domestic workers and immigrant protection,” says ICRF chairman, One of the most valued aid given by the Dr. Babu Ramachandran. “We also have ICRF is the Family Relief Fund, which a 24-hour helpline service in various extends financial assistance to dependents languages for reporting any complaints of of poor workers who have perished in maltreatment, abuse, assault or assistance Bahrain. “So far we have given out more for those seeking any legitimate advice. We than INR50 million to over 500 families,” have various regional sub-committees, and says Dr. Ramachandran. our Emergency Team is well prepared to During the COVID-19 pandemic ICRF has assist Indian nationals in emergencies like been actively helping stranded Indians natural calamities, fire etc.” with providing dry food ration, air tickets, face masks, antibacterial soaps, awareness The ICRF is managed by a Managing flyers etc., benefiting over 50,000 under-
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privileged Indian workers. With its main aim to improve the working conditions as well as the mental and physical health of Indian expatriate workers, the ICRF has conducted multiple events like LIFE (Listen, Involve, Foster, Engage), ICRF Workers Day events, Yoga, Awareness Campaigns, ThirstQuenchers, etc. The current Executive Committee, headed by Dr Ramachandran comprises 14 able members. “Furthermore, we have nearly 25 extended members and nearly 35 regional forum members – representatives from almost all Indian states, besides our volunteers who pitch in as and when needed. “Anyone who has the willingness and inclination to support the Indian community can join us as volunteers to contribute to making a huge impact in the lives of Indian community workers in Bahrain,” adds Dr. Ramachandran.
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Clubs & associations
United in Friendship
BAHRAIN KERALEEYA SAMAJAM B
oasting the highest number of members, the Bahrain Keraleeya Samajam (BKS) was founded in 1947, with the main purpose of bringing together Indian expatriates from the state of Kerala for various socio-cultural and philanthropic activities The association that started with just 14 members at inception, today has 1,678 members, proudly representing the Malayalee community which accounts for over 300,000 expatriates living in Bahrain. The BKS Executive Committee is headed by its president, P V Radhakrishna Pillai, who says, “We have various activities for members at our premises in Segayya. Besides socio-cultural events, members enjoy the library, badminton court, Malayalam Padasala and the gym.” Members greatly benefit from the associations various facilities on premises. The auditorium is used for regular stage programs, indoor games, seminars, lectures and various community functions. Prior to the pandemic, around 10 - 12 such functions were held on a monthly basis, attracting a footfall of over 10,000 members and non-members. Children are given much importance, with a wide number of activities and
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competitions lined up for them. In order to promote and sustain the rich culture of their home state, BKS offers wellstructured Malayalam classes for over 1,000 children who are then evaluated based on the Kerala government standards. To cater to the wide tastes and interests of members, the BKS has created various subcommittees to carry out various activities and events. They include Entertainment, Literary, Indoor Games, BKS Photography club, as well as dedicated ladies and children’s wings. The BKS has been involved in many a charitable initiative, like food distribution and medical support to the needy, arranging air tickets for those who had lost their livelihoods during the pandemic, and importantly, supplying oxygen cylinders to India at the peak of COVID-19 in the country. “We help new expatriates to adjust better to their new life in Bahrain through our social awareness classes. They are encouraged to participate in cultural events and activities at BKS, and their talents can be showcased through the Samajam,” says P V Radhakrishna. He has been associated with the BKS
for the last 28 years, and has had many a glorious memory in this time. “The most memorable events are the grand inauguration of the BKS Diamond Jubilee Hall, under my leadership. We have also constructed other halls by the noted Indian businessmen and philanthropists in Bahrain,” he says. “Other notable events were the reception we gave the Chief Minister of Kerala, Shri Pinarayi Vijayan in 2017, and our visit to HH Shaikh Salman Bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Crown Prince and Prime Minister of Bahrain,” he continues. The jubilant reception that he himself received from the BKS on receiving the Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Award from the Government of India will always remain a fond memory in his heart. Not one to rest on their laurels, P V Radhakrishna and his dedicated executive committee have many new plans for the BKS in the pipeline. “We plan to reinstate the Toastmasters Club and the Talent Scan for children,” he informs. “This year we will also have the Balakalotsavam 2021, Keralotsavam 2021, Navarathri Mahotsavam 2021 and of course celebrate our joint India@75 and BKS@75 celebrations with great enthusiasm.”
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Maharasht
Medical Camprmal committee -1945
ra Mandal
first info
Indian Ambassador H.E. Piyush Srivastava Visit to MCS Premises during Ganeshotsav 2021
officially ee 1989-90 ive committ
BA with MSLD registered
HRAIN
First Execut
MAHARASHTRA CULTURAL SOCIETY M aharashtrians are deeply rooted in Bahrain since the 1940s, with the history of the Marathi Mandal dating back to 1945. President Kalpana Patil believes that wherever there is a Maharashtrian, there will be Marathi Mandal (group).
The Maharashtra Cultural Society (MCS) was formally established and registered under the Ministry of Labour and Social Development in 1989-90 with around 150 members, with the first Executive committee headed by Ajit Chitre. The MCS’s prime purpose was to facilitate the meeting of the community over important festivals and help newcomers on the island to settle down. Sports activities, music and dance classes for children are offered. The club currently boasts over 500 members, who, under normal circumstances, meet regularly at their premises, which is equipped with a library where Marathi news publications can be read. There is also a children’s room, gym, office and a community hall where activities and programmes are conducted. Besides celebrating festivals like Holi, Dahi Handi, Janmashtami, Ashadi Ekadashi,
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Vat Savitri, Diwali etc, at the premises, the MCS organises regular Yoga classes, music, drama, dance, Karate classes and educational programmes for children and ladies, like the Young Leadership programme, Speech Crafts, Vedic Maths etc. Indoor games like table tennis, carrom, darts, chess and sport competitions are held aside from colourful events like Rangoli and art.
The MCS is involved in blood donation camps, medical camps, blood tests, vision and dental checkup camps. Dry ration packets are regularly distributed to workers and the association pays visits to old age homes, orphanages and undertakes community service for locals, beach cleanups, and tree plantation. The ten-member committee has organised virtual programmes for Maharashtra Day, Environmental Day, Eid, International Yoga Day, Music Day and Indian Independence Day, besides other festivals. They are gearing up for upcoming events like various sports activities, competitions, charity and community service programmes, desert camp, Diwali, as well as medical camp and blood donation drive.
first tra Manedeal-1945 Maharash itt m m informal co
Youth Leadership Program
Bahrain Relay Marathon www.indiainbahrain.com
H
community during times of duress, most recently during the global pandemic.
While records of its founding members have been lost with the passage of decades, it is known that its purpose was to bring expatriates and locals alike together in sporting activities, something that the club has stayed true to today. The club is currently 900 members strong, and its premises provide them with various sporting, cultural, recreational and competitive activities to partake in all year round.
Thousands of food grain packets have been distributed amongst those who had lost their means of livelihood due to the economic impact of COVID-19, and free medical aid has been arranged for those in need. The executive committee of the Indian Club worked closely with Bahrain Capital Governorate and the Indian Embassy in Bahrain to facilitate the repatriation of over 3000 stranded Indians during the pandemic in more than 20 chartered flights to various destinations in India. Their 24-hour Help Desk was dedicated to helping the Indian community in uncertain times.
aving been started in 1915, The Indian Club is the oldest known expatriate club that is still functional in Bahrain. The club celebrated its centenary in 2015, commemorating 100 years of fostering the community spirit among expatriates, giving them a feeling of belonging and identity.
Facilities at the premises include a main hall, two badminton courts, a multipurpose floodlit outdoor hard-court area (used for a multitude of sports, outdoor functions and entertainment programmes), a snooker room, indoor sports areas for cards, darts, carrom and table tennis, a multi-purpose hall, a gymnasium, library, conference room and banquet hall, a family room and a social lounge. The property is used by the Toastmasters Association to conduct their bi-weekly meetings. The club is not only active when times are smooth sailing, but has also played a crucial role for the Indian expatriate
NPRA- Awareness- Discipline program www.indiainbahrain.com
The current Executive Committee comprising 12 members is headed by the club’s president, Stalin Joseph. The Executive Committee comprises of 12 members. He has been part of the Indian Club family since 2002 and has been club president for over two years. “In the first year itself, we brought back the club’s family culture by conducting a lot of quality programmes. Calender events like May Queen and Onam celebrations were well-received by the members, including the unique programme, Mega Thiruvathira, with 104 lady artists participating in commemoration of the club’s 104th year,” Mr. Joseph says. “Another highlight was the
Clubs & associations
IC Talent Fest, which recorded the highest participation (of over 2300 participants) in the history of any such events conducted by clubs in Bahrain so far, and it was a memorable grand success.” The club’s sports sections were active till the pandemic broke out, with the badminton section’s enthusiasm at its peak, with tournaments being held almost every month. However, Joseph is most proud of the Indian Club’s work during the pandemic in Bahrain. “Besides ensuring that food and medical supplies reach the deserving in all corners of Bahrain, we were an instrumental link between the authorities and the people.” Joseph feels extremely proud, first being a member and then on the executive committee of this age-old institution. “Being elected to my position of president of a club that is over 100 years old, is the greatest honour a member can get from this esteemed club and I am thankful to them for that,” he says. The club welcomes Indian nationals, over the age of 18, residing in Bahrain to become members. Joseph continues, “We welcome and congratulate Indian expatriates for being a part of this prestigious club. This is a great arena for social, sports and cultural activities, which you and your family can enjoy.”
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THE INDIAN CLUB, BAHRAIN
Clubs & associations
United in Friendship
A BUSINESSCENTRIC STANCE By Behnaz Sanjana
When was the BIS started and what was its purpose? The BIS was established in 2008, to promote co-operation between India and Bahrain in economic, cultural, sports and scientific fields, and create awareness of Bahrain’s strategic location benefits, friendly laws, increase bilateral trade and business opportunities between the two countries. Who were its founders? There were 26 founding members who were Bahraini and Indian businessmen, professionals, doctors, media personalities, lawyer, educationalist, ex ministers and other professionals. The founding chairman is Mr Abdul Nabi Alshoala, Chairman of the Al Fanar Group. How many members did the society have in the first year and what is the current membership? The first year had 30 members, and now this number has gone to over a hundred. How do you think the Society benefits Indians in Bahrain? The BIS is a platform to develop business between two countries, promoting the age-old bilateral relationship which spans centuries. It serves businessmen and professionals from both countries to explore the true potential of what each country can provide to the other in various fields. What charity initiatives has BIS undertaken? We have donated BD2,000 to the Indian Community Relief Fund for Covid-19 support and distributed 5,000 masks in
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Chairman of the Bahrain India Society (BIS), Abdul Rahman Juma sheds light on what lies at the society’s crux, how it serves as a springboard for an enriched business outlook and better India-Bahrain partnerships.
2020. BD1,000 was for Feena Khair in 2020, and BD8,500 for distributing oxygen cylinders to India in association with the Indian Embassy. What events has the company held this year and what upcoming events have been planned? In 2021, we have hosted virtual conferences and interactive sessions with personalities like Khalid Humidan, CEO Mumtalakat, Jamal Fakhro, Managing Partner at KPMG, and Dr. Hashim Hussein, Head of UNIDO’s Investment & Technology Promotion Office. We have also held online webinars on inheritance law and procedures under the Sharia’a and the Indian legislation, one with the Indian Embassy Bahrain and Trade Promotion Council India and also a TV interview with Mr P S Balasubramanyam, the Vice Chairman of BIS on Bahrain TV. As for upcoming events, we have many in the pipeline – a panel discussion on Insurance in coordination with the Bahrain Insurance Association, an event to associate with the Chartered Insurance Institute; addressed by their Director General, a webinar with an Indian bank, and talks by eminent speakers like Dawood Nassif, Bapco Chairman; Ali Baqali; ALBA CEO, Abdul Rahman Jawahary, CEO GPIC; Safa Sharif of Export Bahrain, and the Minister of Works, Municipality Affairs & Urban Planning, Engineer Essam Khalaf. Any new plans in the pipeline? Yes, there are many benefits that we propose to bring to the BIS members. We will be hosting the profile of corporate and
individual members on the BIS website and giving them special access codes to other members’ profiles. This way they can develop contacts between themselves to network for their mutual benefit. We plan to provide reciprocal membership with clubs in the UAE and India as well as special membership arrangements with airlines and golf clubs, and association with organisations like AMCHAM and Bahrain British Business Forum. Members will get special discounts at five-star hotels / clubs and fine dining restaurants, and premium credit cards with a bank in Bahrain These special arrangements could be with those companies / banks which are our sponsors. We plan to have an event every month with prominent speakers on subjects which will be of interest to the members with regards to not only their business, but also knowledge building, wellness, and other informative subjects. Our website will have important references to both Bahrain and India, so that any information required by our members can be accessed just by visiting the BIS website. Members can look forward to more interaction with Bahrain’s Embassy in India, as well as more coordination with the Indian Embassy in Bahrain for closer cooperation in commercial, cultural and sports activities. We plan to Tie up with the Confederation of India Industry (CII) and the Federation of Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
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Clubs & associations
United in Friendship
Onam Celebrations
KCA Onam Maha Sadya served for 2000 members
Punjabi’s United in Bahrain celebrated their annual Karwachauth Ceremony on 17th Oct. 2019 which was attended by members & their families. Karwachauth Ceremony is considered a one of the important festival in India, specially for ladies.
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Profiles
People Index 14-17 His Excellency Piyush Srivastava
The Epitome Of Leadership
United in Friendship
18-20 His Excellency Abdulrahman Mohamed Ahmed Al Gaoud Piloting Robust Relations 22-23 His Excellency Abdulnabi Alshoala
An Inspirational Leader
24-25 His Excellency Dr. Mohan Kumar
An Ambassador With Elan
30-31 Dr. Ravi Pillai
A True Visionary
32-33 Ganesh Ravi Pillai
Coming Into His Own
34-37 Babu Rajan K G
Laying The Foundation For Success
38-39 Rajath Baburaj
Take Twelve With Rajath
40
Raj Damani
Reaching New Heights
42
Vinod Das
An Investors’ Haven
46
Anil Nair
From A Vantage Point
Food At The Heart Of It All!
48
Lalit Kapur
A Recipe For Success
52
Shaikh Ahmad bin Rashid bin Abdulrahman Al Khalifa
Broadening Horizons
54
Arun Kuumar Sharma
Raising Frontrunners Of The Future
56-57 Khalid Rashid Al Zayani
A Journey Through Time
58-59 Yogesh Bhatia
Deeply Rooted In Bahrain
60
Baboo Haridas Kewalram
Family First!
62
Nasser Alarayedh
A Historic Relation Of Mutual Respect
64
Dr. Remya Baburaj
The All-Rounder Expat
66-67 Marietta Dias 68
Babu Rajan K G
70-71 Salma and Anand Bala 72
Dr. Arun Kumar Praharaj
Humanity Personified Serving The Deserving Passion For Compassion An Inspirational Altruist
76-77 Renuka Jagtiani
An Empire Built On Solid Values
78-79 Mohandas N V
Home Away From Home
80-81 Diana Hayden
True Beauty
82-83 Suryakant Savani
The Golden Age Of Cinema
84-85 Mamta Mohandas
Our Very Own Leading Lady
86-87 Rajat Chowdhury
Hitting A High Note!
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