The 2014 inaugural India Australia Business & Community Awards (IABCA) finalists were announced recently, following the judging panel spending weeks assessing over 100 nominations across twelve categories. The awards showcase and recognise the individual, community and business talents within the Sydney Indian community. Among the eleven categories that include a Community Arts and Culture Award and Community Association of the Year, an individual will be crowned Indian Australian Ambassador for the Year 2014.
The preliminary judging panel included luminaries such as Dr Geoff Lee, MP State member for Parramatta; Professor Amitabh Mattoo, Director of the Australia India Institute; Vic Alhadeff, former Chair Community Relations Commission; Marlon Fraser from Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu; Dr Harry Harinath, Chair of Parramasala; Ed Husic MP, Federal Shadow Parliamentary Secretary; Sunil Lal, Executive Chair Kaden Boriss Legal Group; Kartik Mohandas, Regional Head Australia-New Zealand Head Zee Television Network; Anupam Sharma, Producer/Director Australia India Film Fund; and Linda Taylor, Pro Vice Chancellor, University of Western Sydney. Among the categories, the Indian Telegraph brings you a précis on the finalists for Small Medium Enterprises (SMEs), Young Professionals of the Year 2014 and Young Community Achiever of the Year 2014.
• Small Medium Enterprises (SME)
These business ventures are the ones to watch, as they grow in strength and numbers, offering quality services through entrepreneurial skill.
• Afea, offering quality focused home healthcare services, is run by Esha Oberoi. Afea aims at redefining the experiences of the Australian frail and aged community, and currently employs up to 150 staff.
• Piara Kamal of Hazelbook Foodworks Supermarket has been an inspirational member of the community since the past 35 years and his Foodworks supermarket in the Blue Mountains is a successful entrepreneurial venture. It has grown from strength to strength, thanks to the time, care and service he provides customers.
• Leroy MaGee Real Estate is a relative newcomer with a talent for success, having begun operations in early 2013. However, the boutique agency has sold and managed over 50 properties in the Inner, Western Sydney and Hills districts. The team recently completed a year in operations, and sold properties to the value of nearly $12 million.
• Time Out Print & Digital Publishing is the publisher of the Time Out brand in Australia and New Zealand. Founded by CEO Michael Rodrigues in 2007, Time Out is a leading entertainment guide for major metros in Australia.
• Vision Asia was established in 2000, and is now the largest DTH service provider in the ANZ region, providing premier pay television services addressing the cultural and entertainment needs of South Asian communities here.
Youth categories
There is no doubt that an increasing number of local Indian-origin youth are bringing their talents to the forefront of Australian society. The finalists categorised below have created a niche for themselves through their hard work and are the ones to watch, for their distinct achievements not just for the community, but towards the overall economic, social, trade and business focus of Australia.
Young Professionals of the Year 2014
• Ramnaresh Goralamandala is the Executive Director of Global Investment Partners & Global FX Partners. An investment banker, Ram has spent the last 4 years at BBY (Corporate Finance / Stock Broker) directly involved in more than $900M worth of transactions through various Equity capital market (ECM), Debt Capital Market (DCM) initiatives and M&A based transactions.
• Shabina Kamal, Director, Raine & Horne Neutral Bay has proven to be a valuable asset to the Lower North Shore real estate industry. In her role, she continuously promotes her Indian heritage and strives to build Indian business in the area. Shabina has an understanding of the heritage and culture of her customers, and makes the process of buying or selling a property easier for them.
• Ajay Mukesh Khandhar is a Lawyer working for leading law firm Minter Ellison, having graduated in 2010 with a double degree in Law and Journalism. Ajay has made an outstanding contribution to the legal profession and the community, and was named by Lawyer’s Weekly as one of Australia’s top young lawyers in Workplace Relations, Employment and Safety Law. This enterprising young man won the 2013 ‘Australian Young Lawyer of the Year Award’ by the Law Council of Australia. He is also a finalist in the Young Community Achievers of the year 2014 category.
• Kalpinand Prasad, Busines partner, Syd Venture Capital Pty Ltd is the business entrepreneur and partner of Syd Venture Capital company. He is renowned for his open, affectionate and kind nature, and has contributed to society and the community by offering legal and financial support. Kalpinand He is also a finalist in the Young Community Achievers of the year 2014 category.
• Shaizy Singh, Creative Director, is the founder of Shaizy Shoes, a designer footwear label. The brand experienced 700% growth within its first year and 1700% growth in 2 years, and has featured extensively in various fashion events. Shaizy has also partnered with and offered opportunities to young Indian models, photographers, stylists and designers, to gain exposure in the fashion industry.
• Shveata Singh, is a Sydney based journalist and Executive Editor of the Public Telegraph, an online news portal. She has highlighted various Indian community related issues of importance and has been awarded by many Indian organisations in Australia for her pro-active approach. She is a strong voice of the community through her journalism.
Young Community Achievers of the Year 2014
• Vivek Gupta is the Founder of Indian Connection and is well- recognised within the community for his passions – his work as an IT consultant, his entrepreneurship and in assisting the community. Vivek is ambitious and understands the challenges of initially setting up a home and lifestyle in Australia. He is a hard worker and self-motivated.
• Sidharath Jain is the co-founder of Kalaa 4 Charity and a graduate engineer from University of New South Wales. In 2013, he co-founded the charity that aims to bring communities together, harness different cultures and raise funds for charities through the medium of art. He has organised several successful fundraising events, the most successful being ‘A Night to Remember’, that celebrated 100 years of Bollywood and raised $12,171.57 for the Cancer Council NSW.
• Ganesh Loke is a young, innovative business entrepreneur and movie producer running his IT- development, training, marketing and film production company ‘Indo Aus Entertainment’, based in Sydney. He has produced a Bollywood movie titled ‘Sarfaroshi – the war against system’. Ganesh has also developed innovative web sites to promote and help local small businesses in marketing.
• Shourya Nidhi (Sho) is an award winning writer, actor and director, who has become a youth role model for the community. Many awards and appreciation acknowledge his work, and he is an enthusiastic promoter of the Hindi language. Sho writes and acts in Hindi plays, and conducts workshops for the community.
• Aman Singh, President, GOPIO (Global Organisation of People of Indian Origin) Sydney North West, is part of an active forum of community leaders and follows up on issues such as domestic violence, international student travails, and bullying, amongst others, that are faced by the Indian diaspora. Aman aims to support
and advise people of their rights and privileges in dealing with and encountering such issues.
• Mohit Tolani, in addition to his full time studies, works within the volunteering sector and is appreciated for the constructive difference this has made to the healthcare, indigenous students’ education, international student cohesion, multicultural enrichment, professional development and youth leadership within the community service sector •
