People in Business

“The Fastest Indian” scores

The judges at the Indian Newslink Indian Business Awards (IBA) 2009 were pleased that the Auckland based Chiropractic & Sport Takanini Limited qualified for the ‘Best Sustainable Business Award,’ apart from being a finalist in the ‘Best Small Business’ and the ‘Best Professional Services Business’ categories.

As the young man went up to accept the award, there was a thundering applause, followed by cries of “New Zealand’s Fastest Indian has won!”

That endearing term belonged to Managing Director Dr Sandeep (Sandy) Bansal (in view of his involvement with a local rally), the justification of which can be found in the firm’s impressive growth over the past five or so years.

Among the other Awards that he has picked in recent years include the Telecom Business Awards (2003) and the Regional Customer Choice Award (2009).

Being first or belonging to a galaxy of the distinguished is not new for the young medical practitioner. Dr Bansal was the first graduate of the New Zealand College of Chiropractic (1998) and one of the two chiropractors of Indian origin at that time.

Even as he taught anatomy, clinical chiropractic and chiropractic techniques to the students of the college and its outpatient clinic, Dr Bansal’s ambition was to create an enterprise that will effectively address the needs of the community. As a sporting nation, the need for an organisation to promote healthcare was beyond debate.

Size has nothing to do with commitment, work ethics, high standards of service, and compassion for people, all of which is personified in Dr Bansal’s company.

Says he: “My motivation in life is seeing my business do well and helping as many people as possible and in doing so my family and extended family are cared for and looked after so that they will never want in life”.

While his passion for community care took him to the Trust Board of the New Zealand College of Chiropractic Alumni Association as a Trustee and Treasurer, his contributions to the field encouraged the Health Minister to appoint him to the New Zealand Chiropractic Board as Director in 2006. Last year, he was appointed as a Director to the New Zealand Chiropractic Board and as a Representative to the Council of Chiropractic Education Australasia.

A fresh way to prosperity

When he took voluntary retirement from the Indian Foreign Service a year ago, he did not know which way his career would turn but Sanjeev Prasad was confident that it would be a straight path to prosperity and success.

While many moan and groan about lack of employment opportunities, he decided to become an entrepreneur doing his own thing. “Let us make bread and earn it,” he said.

His wife Kalpana not only encouraged but also joined him as a partner in their venture into ‘Subway’ franchise, purchasing a running outlet in Botany Downs Centre in South Auckland. Their daughters Tanvi and Eshani readily joined the enterprise, fostering the ‘We are a family’ concept.

Those raising eyebrows need not have bothered. For more than 25 years, Mr Prasad has been a man of the people, wherever he lived and worked – New Delhi (India), San Francisco (USA), Mombasa (Kenya) and Wellington (New Zealand). Pursuit of customer care and satisfaction comes naturally for the man who has master’s qualifications in Philosophy, Psychology, International Relations and Journalism.

“Mr Prasad has always been polite and helpful and even goes out of the way to help those in real need. He has never spoken a harsh word,” those who had sought consular services at the Indian High Commission in the capital said.

Such an attitude today helps him to run the business, which is all about quality product and service in a quality environment.

“Optimism motivates positive action. We enjoy being in this business and the training that we received at the Subway University in Brisbane has proved to be useful, exacting,” Mr Prasad said.

The global brand accounts for more than 30,685 Subway stations in 88 countries and about 205 in New Zealand. Mr and Mrs Prasad say that they are proud to belong to an illustrious chain, “serving fresh food every minute of their long, seven-day week, the pleasure of which is in the smile that the customers take with them.”

Breaking news or heart?

If you think the media industry is an easy-going profession, and that those behind the computer, camera or microphone earn five-digit salaries doing nothing, you cannot be farther from truth. For, just as every profession has its challenges, so does the media; but the hazards here are more formidable than many other vocations.

Take for instance, television news. Unlike print, radio and web journalists, those reporting news as it happens to audiences worldwide would be constrained to do so without being affected by events and developments – at least pretend to be so.

“It is not all that easy,” says Arrun Soma, who reports for TV One News, often live.

“How can you break a tragic news to a family (before you break it to the audience) – that someone dear has died in an accident, a natural disaster and so on? The hardest part of the job is to remain unaffected.”

We can understand the trauma and the dilemma, for we journalists face such situations every other day. As he mentioned, it is difficult to remain unaffected while talking to people affected by death of someone dear – through murder, car crash or any incident that generates bad news.

Not that every story is heart-rending. There are occasions when reporters like him take up social, community and other causes and chase the wrong-doers and bring them before the camera (and eventually to justice) for the whole world to see.

“It’s great to be able to fight for the little man, the person who isn’t getting a fair go (no pun intended on the popular TV programme); that is why I do my job.

“It feels good to seek and find answers for a person who needs help - answers that they could not have obtained without our interference and assistance.”

A third-generation Kiwi (his grandparents migrated to New Zealand from Gujarat, India), Arrun believes in total involvement of whatever he undertakes to do.

“It is important for you to pursue your own dreams, not of your parents, like many young people in the Indian community tend to do – become accountants, doctors and engineers. Do not be scared to enter the media industry. Do not be scared to be different, tackle the unknown or go against the trend,” he said.