The fifth Annual India-Australia Business & Community Awards (IABCA) held an exclusive “IABCA Stars” event to showcase the talented pool of 2018 IABCA finalists from across Australia.
The gathering bought together the who’s who of the Australian Indian Diaspora at the Nanda\Hobbs Art Gallery in Sydney on August 31, 2018. The event also acknowledged the valuable contribution that the IABCA board, national panel of experts, and ambassadors have made towards the IABCA platform.
Additionally, the event provided a great networking opportunity to meet with winners from last year, parliamentarians, and dignitaries from across the nation. With more than 17 per cent of their audience coming from interstate, this year, the great support from the Queensland government and their corporate partners have hauled the IABCA platform to a national platform.
The audience also were thrilled to hear from former diplomat and journalist, author John Zubrzycki, who has just launched his new book ‘Empire of Enchantment: The Story of Indian Magic’.
Each year, IABCA receives over 250 nominations from innovators, businesses, professionals, and community leaders from across the nation. It is indeed a true celebration of the Australia-India relationship. IABCA ensures that finalists and winners are acknowledged on its platform throughout the year. In 2016, IABCA featured as a successful model and case study in the Australian Council of Learned Academics report, Australia’s Diaspora Advantage: A Federal Government initiative. This year, the India-Australia Business and Community Awards have been mentioned as a recommendation in the Peter Varghese AO DFAT report An India Economic Strategy to 2035 for both governments to support. The IABCA gala event attracts an audience of over 500, government officials, business leaders and influential community representatives from across Australia.
The key guests who attended the IABCA Stars event include: Julian Leeser MP, Federal Member for Berowra and Chair, Parliamentary Friends of India; B. Vanlalvawna, Consul General of India in Sydney; Barry O’Farrell, IABCA Board Member, Former Premier of NSW, Special Envoy to NSW-India Relationship, Australia-India Council; Julia Finn MP, Member for Granville, Parliamentary Secretary to Shadow Cabinet; Jodi McKay MP, Member for Strathfield; Sheba Nandkeolyar, Chair, Australia India Business Council Ltd.; Simon Merrifield, IABCA Board Member, First Assistant Secretary, Australian Government Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade; Sunil Lal, Chairman, Barker Henley; Neville Roach AO, Chairman, TCS and Harish Rao, IABCA Board Member, Sundaram Business Services. Castle Group community engagement director Dhaya Moodley, provided a host closing.