Venkat Raman
Auckland, March 1, 2024
We are happy to launch the Annual Indian Newslink Business Awards Programme, calling for entries from companies owned, operated, managed and franchised by people of Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi, Nepali and Sri Lankan origin. Entry to the Business Excellence in International Trade with India (including exporters, importers, distributors, outsourced businesses and investors) is open to all businesses registered in New Zealand.
Our call for entries begins today (March 1, 2024) and ends on August 31, 2024. Thereafter, an independent panel of judges will evaluate the entries and select the category winners and the winner of the Supreme Business of the Year Award.
Awards Categories
Following discussions with our panel of judges and other stakeholders, the number of categories has been reduced to ten this year.
The categories are 1. Business Excellence in Retail Trade 2. Business Excellence in Innovation 3. Business Excellence in Marketing 4. Business Excellence in Customer Service 5. Best Small Business 6. Best Large Business 7. Business Excellence in International Trade with India 8. Best Young Entrepreneur of the Year 9. Best Financial Advisor (Mortgage & Insurance) of the Year 10. Best Businesswoman of the Year. Winners in all these categories will be eligible to be considered for the Supreme Business of the Year Award.
Entrants are required to fill out two forms: Form 1 which contains basic information about the company and Form 2 relating to a specific category. Eligible companies can enter any three categories from 1 to 7 while categories 8 to 10 are individual categories.
Completed entries must be sent by 6 pm on or before August 31, 2024, only by email to
The Entry Process
The Indian Newslink Business Awards, the 15th in an annual series, is considered to be a benchmark in assessing the business excellence of companies, professionals and emerging entrepreneurs.
As well as a robust process of evaluation by an independent panel of judges, entrants are required to conform to certain minimum standards of business including a well-placed business strategy, marketing approach and readiness to respond to the evolving trends.
Participating companies explain how they operate their business, achieve their objectives, comply with the legal and reporting standards, pursue accepted ethical practices and reinvest in technical and human resources. Each company entering the Awards Programme provides its production, sales and profit performance over the preceding two or three years (or the past year in the case of new companies), all of which help the judges in their evaluation process.
While entrants are required to provide substantial information about their companies and performance, these are held in total confidence by the panel of judges and deleted after the Awards Night Ceremony. This is also the reason for insisting on the submission of applications in the digital format.
Indian Newslink management and staff are not involved in the judging process.
Professional Assistance
The entry process is as robust as the judging process and hence the Indian Newslink Business Awards Programme provides six months for entrants to complete the prescribed forms. It is common for companies to appoint internal teams to brainstorm and complete the forms, nominate their colleagues for individual categories and catch the deadline. Some companies seek the assistance of their advisors or accountants.
External support provided by professionals is also gaining popularity in our Awards Programme. We have identified the following entities as reliable. They are also reported to have been involved with several winning categories and the Supreme Business Awards.
They are independent of Indian Newslink and the Panel of Judges.
Entrants should negotiate terms and fees with the following directly:
Georgia Saxon, The Awards Shop, Hawkes Bay; Mobile: 021-715479; Email:georgia@awardshop.co.nz; Website: www.awardshop.co.nz
Manish Tanna, Vmindurbiz Services, Auckland; Mobile: 021-822772; Email: manish.tanna@hotmail.com;
A Milestone Year
2024 is a year of milestones for Indian Newslink.
The publication will celebrate its Silver Jubilee along with the 15th Annual Indian Newslink Business Awards on November 25, 2024. Departing from the erstwhile format, this year’s Awards Night will witness a panel discussion that will be of use to companies, executives, suppliers and IT specialists. We will announce the details of this programme in due course.
As we wish all the entrants the best in their efforts, the panel of judges looks forward, as always, to an increasing number of quality entries.
Indian Newslink Business Awards celebrate the success of our businesses and as such reflect the confidence in the economy.
