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Twelfth Business Awards create milestones of sorts

Venkat Raman

The Twelfth Annual Indian Newslink Indian Business Awards Presentation Ceremony held on Monday, November 25, 2019, at the Sky City Convention Centre in Auckland was in many ways a memory spinner.

The event was the last to be held at SkyCity Convention Centre, which is being converted into a venue for a unique project.

The Awards Programme was the last to be held during the life of Indian Newslink Founder-Managing Director & Publisher Ravin Lal. Three days later, he breathed his last- please read our tribute as the Lead story and as the Leader in this issue.

It was also the last before the Programme steps into its teenage.

Impressive gathering

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, who had to undergo an emergency dental surgery, could not be with us at the Awards Ceremony but recorded a special video message greeting entrants, finalists, winners and sponsors.

The event which had the good fortune of the presence of Fiji’s Attorney General Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum, Finance Minister Grant Robertson, Workplace Relations & Safety and Immigration Minister Iain Lees-Galloway, Ethnic Communities Minister Jenny Salesa, Auckland Mayor Phil Goff, High Commissioners of India and Fiji, Muktesh Pardeshi and Filimone Waqabaca and New Zealand High Commissioner to Fiji Jonathan Curr and 15 current and former Members of Parliament.

Master of Ceremonies Jackie Clarke proved that she is a star entertainer.

Our Managing Director & Publisher Jacob Mannothra said, “She excels her own performance every year.”

There were also political, corporate, business and community leaders, bringing to the fore one indisputable factor – that the Indian business community has matured to participate in every sector of the New Zealand economy and that Indian investors and entrepreneurs are wealth creators.

The list of winners may not be entrants in the country’s Who is Who directory.

Emerging champions

That itself is a great thing, for our Business Awards are about exploring new organisations that are partners in economic progress; those making a hitherto quiet statement of their propensity to invest; propensity to employ and propensity to foster economic wellbeing.

Unique in its extent and format, the Awards Scheme has encouraged small, medium and large companies owned, managed, and franchised by people of Indian origin to compete in various categories.

While the Annual Awards Ceremony is celebrated as one of the most important events in the social and business calendar of New Zealand, this newspaper continues to consider innovative initiatives and progressive programmes.

Companies of Indian origin are coming of age in New Zealand. It is time they put in place robust business plans, smart strategies and corporate governance that conform to international standards. It is also time they competed globally and reap the rewards of success.

Words of Wisdom

We recall the words of Gopal Krishna Gandhi, grandson of Mahatma Gandhi and Chakravarthy Rajagopalachari (the first and last Governor-General of Independent India) and former West Bengal Governor, who was our Guest of Honour at our 2012 Awards.

For those who walk the tall over a few dollars that they would earn overnight or a few awards that came their way, he had a message.

“They have achieved the award by dint of their hard work, clear aim and Divine Grace. I also commend to the Award winners’ attention the Award that is higher than all Awards; and which comes from standing tall with pride, not arrogance; with gladness, not hysteria where you want to stand; not in selfish salivation over your own moment of glory but with gratitude for the colleagueship of one or more persons without which you cannot stand there; and then, acknowledging the rapture of shared achievement, mutual exhilaration, and in ecstatic recognition of that mutuality.”

Team Workers

Winners of our Awards have continuously demonstrated that they are team workers, ever aware of the importance and contributions of their employees. They are also aware that they cannot achieve much without their people.

That alone gives them the humility that they need to maintain their rate of progress in their lives and careers and those of others who depend on them.

Their success should be acknowledged, rewarded and promoted. We believe that the Indian Newslink Indian Business Awards Programme does that and more.

Putting together a Business Awards project and yet staying away from its mainstream to allow an independent panel of judges to conduct its proceedings without any bias or obligation is itself a laudable exercise.

We are confident that our Awards Programme will continue to grow in size and stature.

It would constantly look for your support, which we believe it richly deserves.

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Photo Caption:

Please create Gallery

  1. Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum
  2. Grant Robertson
  3. Simon Bridges
  4. Muktesh Pardeshi
  5. Phil Goff
  6. Jacob Mannothra
  7. Jackie Clarke

 

 

(Pictures by Narendra Bedekar, Creative Eye Fotographics)

 

 

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