Apurv Shukla –
apurv1shukla1@yahoo.com
The Ninth Annual Indian Newslink Indian Business Awards (INLIBA) Ceremony was held on November 28, 2016 at Sky City Convention Centre in Auckland.
More than 1100 people attended the event held to acknowledge the best and brightest of businesses and businesspersons of Indian origin in New Zealand.
INLIBA 2016 was the continuation of a journey that began in 2008, striving to be a credible and transparent endeavour in honouring excellence.
The methodical exercise gives entrants and sponsors confidence of association.
Commencing at 5 pm with cocktails and an exhibition of sponsors, the event provided in the first instance an opportunity for the guests to meet and mingle.
Many renewed and made new contacts, found synergies and benefits of association.
The main programme started at 610 pm with Celebrity Speaker and Entertainer Jackie Clarke as the Master of Ceremonies, who returned to our Awards Programme on popular demand.
Envious growth
INLIBA 2016 awarded winners across 13 business categories, the winners of which automatically entered the Supreme Business Award category.
The Award Programme covers a wide range of business sectors allowing almost all businesses of Indian origin to file their entries.
One in three New Zealand workers are employed in a small business, and together they contribute a third of New Zealand’s Gross Domestic Product.
This is where the world famous Kiwi attribute of ingenuity and hard work take shape. Many of today’s medium and large scale companies began small and through passion and dedication towards their work have made it big in the commercial world. Starlight Fabrics won the ‘Best Small Business’ of the year award.
Customer Service
Hanau General Stores won for the second year in succession the ‘Business Excellence in Retail Award’ category.
New Zealand businesses rely heavily on good customer service for growth and expansion. Link 2 Group won the Business Excellence in Customer Service Award.
The adage, ‘A happy customer is a repeat customer’ continues to be the norm.
A good marketing campaign is imperative for a business to get its message out to the market. There should be awareness, curiosity and excitement generated to make any product successful. The past few years have seen digital marketing through social media evolve as an important tool in a company’s efforts to be visible.
Global Imports & Exports Limited won the ‘Business Excellence in Marketing’ Category and were praised by the panel of judges for their innovative and engaging campaigns.
Young Entrepreneur
INLIBA 2016 also recognised talented and successful youngsters in the business community. Rahul Sirigiri from Link 2 Group was declared the winner. This was his second such Award after INLIBA 2013.
New Zealand was the first country in the world to accord Woman suffrage in 1893. It is only befitting that our Awards Programme recognised the outstanding contribution that women make in running successful businesses.
Ashima Singh from Legal Associates Barristers and Solicitors was the winner.
Supreme Business
The biggest honour of the evening was Supreme Business of the Year Award, which was won by Link 2 Group.
Their success typified the migrant success story in New Zealand.
Company Chairman Indra Sirigiri said, “I arrived in New Zealand in Year 2000 with just US$1600. I was one of the two-member staff but never imagined that it would grow to engage more than 200 people,” he said.
Sponsors’ patronage
Our sponsors formed the heart of the project, fostering a mutually rewarding relationship. We believe that association with INLIBA has accrued a two-way benefit, helping all of us to reach out to the community.
The cordiality and goodwill promoted over the past nine years will extend to a new era of partnership with growing mutual respect, which in itself is an ‘Award for Best Partnership for Business Progress.’
As we congratulate the finalists and winners in each category and the winner of the Supreme Business Award, we wish to reiterate our commitment for excellence in everything that we do.
We look forward to another Gala Black Tie Dinner and Awards Presentation ceremony at Sky City Convention Centre on November 27, 2017, to celebrate the success of the participants in INLIBA 2017 and another Special Awards Issue to inform you with special reports and pictures.
