Asian Business Awards

read less

read less

read less

read less

read less

read less

read less

read less

read less

Founded by the current CEO’s father in 1971, the company has grown through great product innovation, strategic planning and brilliant marketing. Today the company exports to over 100 countries and has created highly successful partnerships with famous brand ambassadors and blue-chip companies. Our winner’s CEO is something of a celebrity in his own right and a famed investor in start-ups. ... read more

Founded by the current CEO’s father in 1971, the company has grown through great product innovation, strategic planning and brilliant marketing. Today the company exports to over 100 countries and has created highly successful partnerships with famous brand ambassadors and blue-chip companies. Our winner’s CEO is something of a celebrity in his own right and a famed investor in start-ups. Tej Lalvani is perhaps most famous for his five years as a Dragon on the BBC’s Dragon’s Den but his real achievement is in transforming the family business into a global powerhouse. His shrewd business expertise over the last twenty years has led the phenomenal growth of Vitabiotics into the UK’s largest vitamin company, while driving worldwide expansion to over 100 countries. With a flair for product design and branding, Tej has created highly successful partnerships with Disney and Peppa Pig while bringing in famous brand ambassadors such as Nicole Scherzinger, Heidi Klum and David Gandy. read less

Tharshiny started out offering one-to-one tuition to students from their home. And today some 20 years later it is a truly astonishing educational establishment serving over 6,000 students with offices in London, New York, Dubai and India. The business was started by Tharshiny and her husband Selva, offering a full range of education from nursery to independent sixth form and ... read more

Tharshiny started out offering one-to-one tuition to students from their home. And today some 20 years later it is a truly astonishing educational establishment serving over 6,000 students with offices in London, New York, Dubai and India. The business was started by Tharshiny and her husband Selva, offering a full range of education from nursery to independent sixth form and through to higher education. The majority of their students are mature and it is now one of the leaders in its sector. The ethos of the Regent Group is ‘The End of Education is character’. And Tharshiny and Selva Pankaj have created an educational institution of considerable repute which has been dubbed a ‘British unicorn’. During the pandemic the group provided a laptop to every student, offered wellbeing and guest speakers to help students both academically and pastorally. It now offers a mix of both digital and campus courses and has more than a 1000 pupils securing places at the world’s top 10 universities. read less

Our winner operates at the premium end of the food and drink market, supplying some of the country’s most prestigious establishments. The company has held a Royal Warrant to supply Her Majesty The Queen for over 15 years and it supplies some 500 high-end clients like The Royal Palaces, Nobu, The Savoy and the OWO Raffles. Despite Brexit, they continue ... read more

Our winner operates at the premium end of the food and drink market, supplying some of the country’s most prestigious establishments. The company has held a Royal Warrant to supply Her Majesty The Queen for over 15 years and it supplies some 500 high-end clients like The Royal Palaces, Nobu, The Savoy and the OWO Raffles. Despite Brexit, they continue to import every week more than 20 tonnes of premium products from a range of European territories including France, Belgium and Italy. Foodspeed is one of only a handful of Asian-owned businesses to have been awarded the Royal Warrant to HM The Queen and has built an enviable reputation as leader in the sector. The company is dedicated to sustainability and actively works to reduce its environmental impact. The company maps its supply chain to ensure sustainable and ethical practices especially when it comes to organic produce and animal welfare. read less

Our winners are an enterprising husband and wife team who sell smiles. Seeing a gap in the market, they established a dental clinic for restorative treatments to give confidence to patients. In a little over seven years since the business started, the couple now have four sites in key areas of London, Manchester and Liverpool. The business is fast expanding ... read more

Our winners are an enterprising husband and wife team who sell smiles. Seeing a gap in the market, they established a dental clinic for restorative treatments to give confidence to patients. In a little over seven years since the business started, the couple now have four sites in key areas of London, Manchester and Liverpool. The business is fast expanding and has established a strong and respected niche in cosmetic dentistry. Zayba Sheikh was born with the entrepreneurial bug coming from a highly successful business family operating in the care homes sector. She runs Ruh Dental with her husband Rizwan and the couple employ 26 dentists and general practitioners who provide a range of high level dental services. The couple have created a whole new vibe to the dental cosmetics market, working with influencers such as Molly Mae Hague and are at the forefront of a totally different type of dental experience, with high end 5-star-hotel-like boutique clinics with similar attention to care and after-care. read less

A graduate of both Cambridge University and the London School of Economics, gaining first-class degrees from both institutions, he joined his family business after a stellar career in investment banking. In a little less than two years he helped his family exit the quick service restaurant business at the top of the market and then orchestrate the family’s re-entry in ... read more

A graduate of both Cambridge University and the London School of Economics, gaining first-class degrees from both institutions, he joined his family business after a stellar career in investment banking. In a little less than two years he helped his family exit the quick service restaurant business at the top of the market and then orchestrate the family’s re-entry in the market with the purchase of 32 Burger King Restaurants in prime locations in the US. Karim Janmohamed is an astute young entrepreneur who learnt the intricacies of fast-food franchising at his father Salim’s knee. Karim now serves as Co-CEO of Karali North America, a vehicle concentrated on the Group’s North American investments. Karim recently led the acquisition of a portfolio of Burger King restaurants across Ohio and Pennsylvania, with the family now focussing their efforts on both sides of the pond across the consumer, hospitality and real estate. The Karali Group was the largest UK franchisee of Burger King landscapes before they exited at the end of 2022. read less

Our winner has franchising in his blood, coming from a long line of franchise operators. He started out with a single quick service restaurant some 30 years ago and today runs one of the biggest fast food franchise operations in the UK and Canada. With more than 400 franchises ranging from KFC, Burger King and Taco Bell restaurants to Starbucks ... read more

Our winner has franchising in his blood, coming from a long line of franchise operators. He started out with a single quick service restaurant some 30 years ago and today runs one of the biggest fast food franchise operations in the UK and Canada. With more than 400 franchises ranging from KFC, Burger King and Taco Bell restaurants to Starbucks coffee houses, our winner has grown the business exponentially and today employs some 5,000 people. Aly Janmohamed is one the UK’s leading fast food franchise operators. In addition to the extensive franchise outlets in the UK, Aly and his son Shezhad also operate 232 KFC and Starbucks restaurants in Canada. The father and son team have plans to double the number of stores in the next five years and are actively expanding their operations. Aly is also an active member of the Ismaili community and a large benefactor to many charitable causes. read less

Our winner heads one of the leading Indian media networks in the UK and Europe. Serving as UK head and CFO for Europe, USA and Canada, our winner launched four new channels this year, extending its reach both here and in Europe. The group has witnessed double digit growth under our winner’s leadership and the recent launch of the first ... read more

Our winner heads one of the leading Indian media networks in the UK and Europe. Serving as UK head and CFO for Europe, USA and Canada, our winner launched four new channels this year, extending its reach both here and in Europe. The group has witnessed double digit growth under our winner’s leadership and the recent launch of the first English dubbed entertainment channel has opened opportunity to engage wider audiences. Heading up the largest Indian broadcaster in the UK, Parul Goel has quickly proven himself a real television star. For over 20 years he has he covered varied sectors in India, then worked in the UK for Barclays and joined the Bank of England’s Decision Maker Panel. At Zee TV he launched the Zee World channel on Freeview as the world’s first English-dubbed Indian Entertainment Channel, with an ambition to make Indian entertainment mainstream for all Brits, and plans to do the same for the Nordics and Benelux countries. read less

Our winning family started with a patriarch arriving in the UK in 1968 and working in a car showroom before being given their first loan to develop a dilapidated town house in South London – today the same company is already in the top 25 property development companies nationwide and regarded as a powerhouse in specialist re-development projects. It all ... read more

Our winning family started with a patriarch arriving in the UK in 1968 and working in a car showroom before being given their first loan to develop a dilapidated town house in South London – today the same company is already in the top 25 property development companies nationwide and regarded as a powerhouse in specialist re-development projects. It all started for the Pankhania family with a single house in Westcombe Hill, South London and from that house, Vraj created an attractive mews. The speciality of Westcombe is its ability take on projects others often reject. Few builders will touch listed buildings knowing the conditions redevelopment must adhere to – but Westcombe under Vraj’s sons, Kamal & Sunil relish this challenge and often defy expectations. read less

Our winner came to the UK as a refugee, fleeing the civil war in Sri Lanka. He qualified as an accountant and began tutoring to earn some side income when he and his wife struck on the idea to establish a High Education college. Today that company is one of the country’s fastest growing education establishments serving 10,000 students. Already ... read more

Our winner came to the UK as a refugee, fleeing the civil war in Sri Lanka. He qualified as an accountant and began tutoring to earn some side income when he and his wife struck on the idea to establish a High Education college. Today that company is one of the country’s fastest growing education establishments serving 10,000 students. Already with a presence in Dubai, it has recently established a European on-line University with 2,000 students, and with its six UK partners is on the verge of itself becoming established as a British University. Dr Selva Pankaj is an author, researcher and an educational leader who co-founded Regent with his wife Tharshiny in 2000, originally providing private tuition at £20 an hour. Selva became interested in the knowing-versus-doing gap, and soon developed his Thinking into Character learning programs he had discovered while at Harvard University. Through Regent, his on-demand and self-paced programs have already reached over 50,000 students. read less

When Shaleeza Hasham joined the family business ten years ago, she oversaw its strategic development and undertook a complete rebranding of the organisation. She implemented new technologies throughout the business and put in place a comprehensive training programme for staff. And during Covid she founded a charity called Adopt a Grandparent helping to combat loneliness amongst the elderly which has ... read more

When Shaleeza Hasham joined the family business ten years ago, she oversaw its strategic development and undertook a complete rebranding of the organisation. She implemented new technologies throughout the business and put in place a comprehensive training programme for staff. And during Covid she founded a charity called Adopt a Grandparent helping to combat loneliness amongst the elderly which has been phenomenally successful worldwide. Shaleeza is one of the rising stars of the care home sector and is a much sought-after speaker and advocate for the industry. She has made regular appearances on BBC, ITV and Sky News commentating on issues affecting the care home sector. Her ‘Adopt a Grandparent’ initiative went viral pretty much during the pandemic, attracting more than 90,000 people to sign up globally. The charity creates virtual pairings to promote intergenerational relationships, enabling elders to feel valued and also giving young people vital interpersonal skills. read less

Sanjay joined his father Surinder in the Arora Group in 2016 as a director, where he oversees the group’s new acquisitions and new developments. He was appointed Group Strategy Director in 2019 and then Chief Operating Officer in 2022, setting the vision for the future of the Group as well as continuing to diversify the existing portfolio into new sectors. ... read more

Sanjay joined his father Surinder in the Arora Group in 2016 as a director, where he oversees the group’s new acquisitions and new developments. He was appointed Group Strategy Director in 2019 and then Chief Operating Officer in 2022, setting the vision for the future of the Group as well as continuing to diversify the existing portfolio into new sectors. Since he joined the business he has over seen the group’s new acquisitions and helped develop two new landmark hotels which have become favoured venues for business leaders and Prime Ministers. The family have ambitious plans for their new Luton Hoo Hotel, Golf & Spa which they hope will one day host the Golf Masters! Sanjay is a man with big plans. read less

Our winner is a remarkable entrepreneur who started out flipping burgers at his father’s restaurant whilst still a schoolboy. He learnt the trade quickly and opened his own fast food restaurant over four decades ago. Using his vast experience in turning around loss making businesses he built an impressive portfolio of fast food restaurants, eventually becoming the largest UK franchisee ... read more

Our winner is a remarkable entrepreneur who started out flipping burgers at his father’s restaurant whilst still a schoolboy. He learnt the trade quickly and opened his own fast food restaurant over four decades ago. Using his vast experience in turning around loss making businesses he built an impressive portfolio of fast food restaurants, eventually becoming the largest UK franchisee for one of the big US brands. Earlier this year he exited the business at an impressive premium and at the height of the market. Salim Janmohamed built the Karali Group into one of the country’s biggest and most respected Burger King franchise operations. With a portfolio of 74 restaurants at key locations throughout the UK, Salim sold the business to Burger King UK earlier this year at what is believed to be a significant premium. He is now looking to develop new opportunities in the quick service food sector using his extensive experience and knowledge. read less

Vraj Pankhania is an entrepreneur with a social conscience who once said that “with success comes a moral obligation to ensure that the bright light of prosperity reaches those parts of society which are too often overlooked.” Over three decades he has donated millions of pounds through the Westcombe Foundation and is personally involved with every project, from transforming cancer ... read more

Vraj Pankhania is an entrepreneur with a social conscience who once said that “with success comes a moral obligation to ensure that the bright light of prosperity reaches those parts of society which are too often overlooked.” Over three decades he has donated millions of pounds through the Westcombe Foundation and is personally involved with every project, from transforming cancer treatment after witnessing poor facilities in India, distributing artificial limbs in Africa, to rebuilding schools in earthquake-torn Nepal. In Britain, he supports Centrepoint, Crisis and the Trussell Trust to help those in dire poverty as the cost-of living crisis grips the nation. read less

Our winner is an outstanding entrepreneur who first worked in a fish and chip shop to finance his studies. He qualified as a pharmacist and went on to build a chain of pharmacies before selling them on. With his brother he went into wholesaling and then into manufacturing and developing niche generic drugs. He sold the business at a premium, ... read more

Our winner is an outstanding entrepreneur who first worked in a fish and chip shop to finance his studies. He qualified as a pharmacist and went on to build a chain of pharmacies before selling them on. With his brother he went into wholesaling and then into manufacturing and developing niche generic drugs. He sold the business at a premium, setting a record at the time. And after starting and building another similar business, he sold out again at an even bigger premium. Dr Vijay Patel started with a single pharmacy and then with his brother Bhikhu, built up a chain before selling out to Boots and moving up the pharmacy value chain and into manufacturing and distributing medicines – since then he has never looked back – building up Amdipharm, Waymade and Atnahs into powerhouses in the pharma sector. Today the brothers spend much of their time working on the Shanta Foundation, named after their inspiring mother, which supports numerous charities in the UK, East Africa and India. read less

Tony has been a passionate and tireless champion of London’s local communities and a powerful advocate for businesses based in the Capital. During the pandemic our winner mobilised efforts to support the homeless by providing 5,000 rooms and over 30,000 vital meals to those in need. And after the pandemic his efforts have been equally impressive, forming a community interest ... read more

Tony has been a passionate and tireless champion of London’s local communities and a powerful advocate for businesses based in the Capital. During the pandemic our winner mobilised efforts to support the homeless by providing 5,000 rooms and over 30,000 vital meals to those in need. And after the pandemic his efforts have been equally impressive, forming a community interest company to support a sustainable economic recovery. The group was able to influence positive change in policies to support London businesses as they emerged out of the pandemic. Tony Matharu is one of the country’s leading entrepreneurs and a passionate philanthropist who has supported countless charitable causes. His work in London through Help-to-Help London was a specular success and helped to save thousands of lives during the pandemic. The Central London Alliance was set up by Tony to support businesses in London as they emerged from the pandemic. The group was able to influence change in the abolition of the 10 pm curfew for hospitality businesses and in advocating the extension of furlough beyond April 2021. read less

Swati Dhingra graduated from the University of Delhi and then the University of Wisconsin-Madison, before becoming a post-doctoral fellow at Princeton University. Now also Associate Professor of Economics at LSE, she is one of the country’s leading economists and an eminent member of the MPC panel who has taken a more cautious approach to recent rises in interest rates. From ... read more

Swati Dhingra graduated from the University of Delhi and then the University of Wisconsin-Madison, before becoming a post-doctoral fellow at Princeton University. Now also Associate Professor of Economics at LSE, she is one of the country’s leading economists and an eminent member of the MPC panel who has taken a more cautious approach to recent rises in interest rates. From the challenges of Brexit to the impact of Covid on the UK economy, our winner’s policy papers have had impact at the highest levels. In May last year our winner was appointed by the then Chancellor Rishi Sunak as one of the nine members of the Bank of England’s Monetary Policy Committee, a body which crucially sets the country’s interest rates. Swati is also a Director of The Royal Mint Museum and a member of the Steering Group for the UK’s Economy 2030 Inquiry. read less

The Bestway Foundation is the charitable arm of the Bestway Group, a multi-national conglomerate with interests in wholesale, banking pharmacy and cement. The business was started by the Pakistan-born entrepreneur Sir Anwar Pervez in 1976 and the Bestway Foundation was established in 1987. The foundation is funded by 2.5 per cent of the annual profits of the Bestway Group and ... read more

The Bestway Foundation is the charitable arm of the Bestway Group, a multi-national conglomerate with interests in wholesale, banking pharmacy and cement. The business was started by the Pakistan-born entrepreneur Sir Anwar Pervez in 1976 and the Bestway Foundation was established in 1987. The foundation is funded by 2.5 per cent of the annual profits of the Bestway Group and through fund raising efforts throughout the year. Since its inception the charity has donated over $45 million to worthy causes in the UK and around the world. In June of this year, we all saw the devastation caused by the floods in Pakistan – as much as some 33 million people were displaced as a result. The scale of the humanitarian crisis was immense. Bestway Foundation responded without hesitation and raised £2.3million initially – these funds would help 5,000 families find proper shelter, provide safe water for 100,000 and provide medical aid for 20,000. And that was just the start… read less

Nirmal Sethia is an internationally renowned entrepreneur whose business empire spans the UK, Europe, Russia, India and the Middle East. His multi-billion pound empire, quite uniquely has no debt. Mr Sethia’s NEWBY tea is one the world’s leading luxury tea brands and has as part of its mission the revival of tea as a medicinal beverage and not just a ... read more

Nirmal Sethia is an internationally renowned entrepreneur whose business empire spans the UK, Europe, Russia, India and the Middle East. His multi-billion pound empire, quite uniquely has no debt. Mr Sethia’s NEWBY tea is one the world’s leading luxury tea brands and has as part of its mission the revival of tea as a medicinal beverage and not just a hot drink. His dedicated revival of tea culture fits perfectly not just with business success, but with his charitable and philanthropic activities which, after a lifetime of business success, Nirmal has now dedicated himself to. His donations include a centre For Robotics at UCL, a Surgical Technology Hub at Imperial College and an Autism Centre in Cambridge, all named after his wife, Chitra. Another of his most notable achievements is his extraordinary and beautiful “Chitra Collection”, the world’s largest and most important collection of tea accessories, dating back to 10th century BC. read less

Our winner is an exceptional entrepreneur and something of a maverick who grew up in the swinging 60s but found his true purpose in the teachings of the great philosopher Sri Aurobindo. His family foundation has helped countless charities tackling poverty, homelessness and mental health. He has funded schools in deprived areas in Britain, India and East Africa and is ... read more

Our winner is an exceptional entrepreneur and something of a maverick who grew up in the swinging 60s but found his true purpose in the teachings of the great philosopher Sri Aurobindo. His family foundation has helped countless charities tackling poverty, homelessness and mental health. He has funded schools in deprived areas in Britain, India and East Africa and is also an active mentor to less privileged children helping them realise their potential. Koolesh Shah established the hugely successful London Town Hotels over four decades ago and his charity work has been prolific and extensive. His Koolesh Shah Foundation has donated to a wide variety of charities in the UK and Africa. Firstly, there is his life as a Gujarati Jain involved heavily in his community; secondly his work with charities such as Framework, Open Homes and foodbank North Paddington; but perhaps, most significantly, is Shah’s work as chairman of the Sri Aurobindo Trust. He has served for 15 years as chairman, promulgating the ideas of self-reliance, high training of the mind, and serving others. read less

Our winner is passionate about healthcare and providing the best medical care in a quick and easily accessible manner. She established a modern healthcare facility in the City, largely catering to busy professionals in the world of finance. Offering the latest high tech equipment along with top healthcare professionals, the business has established a loyal and growing client base. Under ... read more

Our winner is passionate about healthcare and providing the best medical care in a quick and easily accessible manner. She established a modern healthcare facility in the City, largely catering to busy professionals in the world of finance. Offering the latest high tech equipment along with top healthcare professionals, the business has established a loyal and growing client base. Under the leadership of our winner the business has expanded rapidly and now includes a hospital facility in the south of England and a new centre in India. Prema Subaskaran has always had a passion for healthcare and it was her vision to establish a healthcare business to provide the best medical care using cutting edge technology. LycaHealth in Canary Wharf has been a popular destination for city professionals and in October last year the group took over the KIMS Hospital in Kent, a 72-bed facility with 6 operating theatres. Prema also set up Westminster Health in India and along with her husband, telecoms entrepreneur Subaskaran Allirajah, created the Gnanam Foundation which helps people in the developing world. read less

Our winner is a truly exceptional entrepreneur who has built a world class business. He started his first textile manufacturing unit in Indonesia in 1976 and has since been on a journey of relentless growth and expansion. From textiles the family moved into the production of disposable gloves followed by polyester fibre and a PET plastic bottle plant. Further expansion ... read more

Our winner is a truly exceptional entrepreneur who has built a world class business. He started his first textile manufacturing unit in Indonesia in 1976 and has since been on a journey of relentless growth and expansion. From textiles the family moved into the production of disposable gloves followed by polyester fibre and a PET plastic bottle plant. Further expansion followed opening fertilizer plants in Africa and cotton yarn units in Turkey and Eastern Europe. Despite the rapid expansion the business has not lost its values of care, compassionate and putting people at the heart of their operations. Over the last two years the group has seen exponential growth with the demand for surgical gloves and fertilizers rising rapidly. The family moved to London over a decade ago and today the business operates 157 manufacturing units across 37 countries and employs over 45,000 people, generating revenues of over $15 billion. SP Lohia’s Indorama Group is the world’s largest producer of Polyester and PET Resin, Sub-Saharan Africa’s largest Urea and Phosphate Fertilizer producer and West Africa’s largest manufacturer of polyolefins. The next generation are now at the helm with SP Lohia’s son, Amit, serving as Indorama’s vice chairman. Amit says his father continues to be the risk-taker in their business dealings. “He operates from the gut and his gut is usually right,” Amit said. read less