“We believe that the Indian business community is one of the most significant partners in New Zealand’s progress and development.
It is gratifying that over the years, the Indian Newslink Indian Business Awards (IBA) have become the single most significant avenue to recognise and reward their success.”
That was the general view expressed by officials representing the Sponsors of the IBA 2012 at a dinner held in their honour on Monday, September 17, 2012 at Stamford Plaza Hotel in Auckland.
They said that the Awards Scheme has been growing from strength to strength and that the various categories had evinced the interest of a wide range of companies owned, operated, managed and franchised by people of Indian origin.
Export excellence
“The Business Excellence in Export to India Award’ which is the only category open to all New Zealand businesses exporting a product or service, is proving to be popular, as more and more companies look out for commercial ventures and other opportunities in India,” Feroz Ali, Chief Executive Officer of New Zealand Career College (NZCC) said.
NZCC has been sponsoring the category since last year.
Mr Ali, who will be in India this month as a part of an official delegation of education providers led by Tertiary Education Minister Steven Joyce, said that there was a need to do more to attract students from India to choose New Zealand as their education destination.
“As New Zealanders, we must engage closely with our business counterparts in India. We must have a common strategy in place to fully utilise the existing and emerging potential in that vast market,” he said.
Title Sponsor
Lyndon Settle and Ansuya Naidoo, respectively Managing Partner and Senior Partner of BNZ Partners, said that the Bank was extremely happy to be associated with the Award programme as the Title Sponsor and as Sponsors of the ‘Best Large Business’ Category and ‘Supreme Business of the Year Award. ’
“We look forward to the Awards Night,” they said.
BNZ is also sponsoring the visit of Gopalkrishna Gandhi, grandson of Mahatma Gandhi (Father of the Indian Nation) and C Rajagopalachari (the first Governor General of Independent India) and former Governor of West Bengal to New Zealand to attend the Awards Programme.
Mr Gandhi will be flying Singapore Airlines, Sponsor of the ‘Business Excellence in Innovation’ Category.
Innovative airline
Marketing Executives Paula Harrall and Dylan Ford, who attended the Sponsors Dinner on behalf of Singapore Airlines, said that the Company was delighted to be associated with Indian Newslink again this year.
“Innovation is at the heart of our business and hence it is appropriate that Singapore Airlines is sponsoring this category,” Ms Harrall said.
Hayden Syers, Chief Operating Office of New Zealand Mint Limited, who attended the dinner with Bullion Trader Marianne Findlay, said that the Company’s products and services will appeal to the wider Indian community.
“We have an extensive range of the highest quality .999 silver and .9999 gold bullion products. New Zealand Mint is an expert in gold and silver bullion, commemorative coins and jewellery,” he said.
The company provides a high end and secure service for investors globally to buy and sell internationally tradable physical bullion products, store their bullion products through allocated facilities and their valuable items in safety deposit boxes.
“We are happy to sponsor ‘The Business Excellence in Restaurant Trade; category,” Mr Syers said.
Million customers
Daniel Relf, Head of Business Sales at 2degrees Mobile Limited, said that his company was deluged to be associated with IBA 2012 as sponsor of the ‘Business Excellence in Small Business’ category.
The company has been witnessing rapid growth since its establishment three years ago. It now serves more than 1 million customers throughout New Zealand, with a number of plans that suit companies and individuals.
Recognising success
Kalamazoo Group Chairman & Chief Executive Steve D’Souza and Managing Director Odelia D’Souza said that the Sponsors Dinner enabled them to meet likeminded people and share their views.
The Company is the sponsor of the ‘Business Excellence in Customer Care’ category.
“The purpose of the Sponsorship is to recognise and encourage people in business. We are in the service industry and we appreciate companies that excel in their service to customers,” they said.
Young entrepreneurs
Patton Limited Chief Executive Sameer Handa said that IBA provided an opportunity to recognise the contributions of the younger generation to the progress of the New Zealand economy.
Patton is the sponsor of the ‘Best Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award,’ since the category was established three years ago.
Mr Handa hoped that the category would attract an increasing number of young entrepreneurs to participate in the Awards Scheme.
Among the others who attended the dinner were Chandan Ohri (KPMG) and his wife Natasha, Mahesh Ranchhod (The Ranchhod Group) and his wife Tejal, Callum MacGilvray (Triangle TV), Robert Khan (Radio Tarana) and his wife Prakashni, Ken Simpson and Diana Sharma (Unitec), Wenceslaus Anthony (WAML Group) and his wife Susan.
Additional reading under Homelink, Businesslink and Propertylink.
Photo :
Sponsors of the Indian Newslink Indian Business Awards 2012 represent some of the finest brands in New Zealand
A section of the guests viewing a Presentation (Pictures by Narendra Bedekar)
