Building blueprints of success
HOW THE ASIAN BUSINESS AWARD WINNERS BECAME LEADERS IN THEIR FIELDS
SP LOHIA’S Indorama Group is a petrochemical and textiles giant, manufacturing a multitude of products including fertilisers, polyethylene, polypropylene, polyester, textiles, cotton fibre, and medical gloves, and employing more than 24,000 people at 125 sites in 33 countries.
It is the largest producer of urea and phosphate fertilisers in sub-Saharan Africa, the largest producer of polyolefins in west Africa and the third-largest producer of synthetic gloves in the world.
Its Thailand-based associate, Indorama Ventures, is the largest producer of PET resin in the world and also one of the biggest producers of polyester feedstock.
Amit Lohia, SP’s son, serves as Indorama’s vice-chairman.
Lohia is also a collector of art, rare books and manuscripts. His collection exceeds 2,000 books and he has made them available for the public to view through his website.
The family moved to London over a decade ago. Today, the business operates 157 manufacturing units across 37 countries and generates revenues of more than $15 billion (£12.3bn).
Businesswoman of the Year: Prema Subaskaran, founder of LycaHealth
HEALTHCARE entrepreneur Prema Subaskaran wanted to set up a business to provide the best medical care using cutting-edge technology.
Her venture, LycaHealth in London’s Canary Wharf, has been a popular destination for city professionals. In October last year, the group took over the KIMS Hospital in Kent, a 72-bed facility with six operating theatres.
Subaskaran also set up Westminster Health in India. Along with her husband – telecoms entrepreneur Subaskaran Allirajah – she created the Gnanam Foundation, which helps people in the developing world.
Philanthropy award: Koolesh Shah and the Koolesh Shah Foundation
ENTREPRENEUR and philanthropist Koolesh Shah set up London Town Hotels more than four decades ago.
More recently, his work in the
field of charity has been prolific and extensive. The Koolesh Shah Foundation has donated to a variety of charities in the UK and Africa, such as Framework, Open Homes and food bank North Paddington.
As a long-serving chairman of the Sri Aurobindo Trust, Shah has promoted ideas of self-reliance, high training of the mind, and serving others. His foundation has focused its work on helping charities to tackle poverty, homelessness and mental health.
Shah also funded schools in Britain, India and east Africa and has mentored underprivileged children, helping them realise their potential.
Charitable foundation of the Year: The Bestway Foundation
THE Bestway Foundation is the charitable arm of the Bestway Group, a multinational conglomerate with interests in wholesale, banking, pharmaceuticals, and cement.
Pakistan-born entrepreneur Sir Anwar Pervez launched the business in 1976 and the foundation was established in 1987. It is funded by 2.5 per cent of the annual profits of the Group and through fundraising efforts throughout the year.
Since its inception, the charity has donated $45 million (£37m) to worthy causes in the UK and around the world.
This year, the Bestway Foundation reached out to Pakistan after the countrywas hit by deadly floods. It raised £2.3million initially to help 5,000 families find proper shelter; provide safe water for 100,000; and medical aid for 20,000.
Community Champion award: Tony Matharu, founder and chairman, Integrity International Group
TONY MATHARU is a leading UK entrepreneur and a philanthropist who has backed several charitable causes.
His work through Here to Help London saved thousands of lives during the Covid-19 pandemic.
He also set up the Central London Alliance to support businesses in the capital as they emerged from the pandemic. The group was able to influence change in the scrapping of the 10pm curfew rule for hospitality businesses and in advocating for the extension of the furlough scheme beyond April 2021.
Matharu has also championed London’s local communities who helped in mobilising support for the homeless by arranging 5,000 rooms and more than 30,000 meals for them. Even after the pandemic, he continued with his work and formed a community interest company to support a sustainable economic recovery.
Entrepreneur of the Year: Dr Vijay Patel OBE, chairman of Waymade Capital
Starting with a single pharmacy, Vijay Patel went on to build a chain with his brother Bhikhu before they sold their company to Boots.
The Patel brothers moved up the pharmacy value chain into manufacturing and distribution of medicines. First came Waymade Plc, then Amdipharm. In 2012 they sold the latter for £367 million, and hold a stake in the new entity.
Patel and his wife Smita also made a £1m donation to De Montford in 2016, which paid for specialist equipment for the pharmacy department and also provided bursaries for disadvantaged students.
Today, the brothers spend much of their time working on the Shanta Foundation, named after their inspirational mother, which supports numerous charities in the UK, East Africa, and India.
Deal of the Year: Salim Janmohamed, managing director of Karali Group
SALIM JANMOHAMED, who built the Karali Group into one of the country’s biggest Burger King franchise operations, started out flipping burgers at his father’s restaurant when he was a schoolboy.
He learned the trade fast and set up his own fast-food restaurant four decades ago. Janmohaned used his experience in scripting turnarounds for loss-making businesses and built an impressive portfolio of fast-food restaurants, eventually becoming the largest UK franchisee for a major US brand.
After creating a portfolio of 74 restaurants at key locations throughout the UK, Janmohamed sold the business to Burger King UK earlier this year at what is believed to be a significant premium. He is now working on developing opportunities in the quick-service food sector using his experience and knowledge.
Janmohamed is also an active member of the Ismaili community and serves as chair of their Economic Planning Board.
Young Entrepreneur of the Year: Shaleeza Hasham, head of hospitality, communications and commissioning at care group CHD Living
SHALEEZA HASHAM joined her family business a decade ago, when she oversaw its strategic development and carried out a complete rebranding of the organisation. The overhaul included implementing new technologies and employing a staff training programme.
Hasham is today one of the rising stars of the care-homes sector and an advocate for the industry. She has made regular appearances on media platforms including the BBC, ITV and Sky News discussing issues affecting the care home sector.
During the pandemic, she set up a charity called ‘Adopt a Grandparent’ to tackle loneliness among the elderly. It has been a success worldwide, attracting more than 90,000 people to sign up globally.
The charity creates virtual pairings to promote inter-generation relationships, enabling elders to feel valued and giving young people vital interpersonal skills.
Family business of the Year: The Pankhania family, Westcombe Group
VRAJ PANKHANIA arrived in the UK in the late 1960s and worked in a car showroom before the family secured a loan to develop a dilapidated town house in Westcombe Hill, south London.
His appetite for business led to the setting up of the Westcombe Group which today is a leading property development firm with a reputation for specialising in re-development projects. Few builders will touch listed buildings, knowing the conditions redevelopment must adhere to, but Westcombe, under Vraj’s sons Kamal and Sunil, take on the challenge and often defy expectations.
Franchise business of the Year: Aly Janmohamed, CEO of Soul Foods Group
STARTING out with a single quick-service restaurant some three decades ago, Aly
Janmohamed 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, Janmohamed has helped the business grow exponentially and today employs some 5,000 people.
In addition to the extensive franchise outlets in the UK, Janmohamed and his son Shezhad also operate 232 KFC and Starbucks restaurants in Canada. The father-son duo have plans to double the number of stores in the next five years.
Janmohamed is also an active member of the Ismaili community and donate to charitable causes.
Healthcare business of the Year: Rizwan Mahmood and Zayba Sheikh, Ruh Dental
DENTISTS and husband-and-wife duo Rizwan Mahmood and Zayba Sheikh set up Ruh Dental to offer restorative treatment for clients.
In a little over seven years since they launched their clinic, the couple set up four sites in key areas of London, Manchester, and Liverpool. They specialise in cosmetic dentistry and are known for their boutique-like clinics.
Mahmood and Sheikh employ 26 dentists and GPs who provide a range of highlevel services. They also work with influencers such as Molly Mae Hague.
Education business of the Year: The Regent Group
THE Regent Group is run by Tharshiny Pankaj, who is the managing director and registrar of the company.
She and her husband Selva Pankaj began by offering one-on-one tuition to students from their home. Today the Regent Group provides a mix of both digital and campus courses to more than 1,000 pupils who have gone on to secure places at the world’s top 10 universities.
Their establishment serves 6,000 students and has offices in London, New York, Dubai, and India.
During the pandemic, the group provided a laptop to every student, offered wellbeing advice and guest speakers to help them academically and pastorally.