Eastern promise

In recent years, a special event, the Yorkshire Asian Business Association Awards (YABA), has acted as a showcase for entrepreneurs who rarely step into the spotlight.

Many of them work around the clock, turning small enterprises into companies with a global reach.

YABA works under the framework of the National Asian Business Association (NABA – www.nabauk.org) to develop a strategy to speak up for Asian businesses.

As YABA states on its website: “The Asian business community makes an enormous contribution to UK plc, providing the backbone of UK enterprise with a share of over 11 per cent of new business start-ups”.

The British Asian community generates around 10 per cent of the country’s GDP, despite making up only four per cent of the population, according to CBI researchers.

Sharon Jandu, the director of business development and partnerships at YABA, believes the awards reflect the changing face of Yorkshire business.

She said: “At YABA, we aim to promote success stories that might not necessarily get recognition on the wider stage, because Asian business-owners tend to work quietly and diligently, without looking for the media spotlight. We want to promote these businesses.”

Ms Jandu believes the awards promote integration and diversity, and they also provide a platform for the business leaders of the future.

The awards are attracting a rising number of applications, partly due to YABA’s links with Government bodies such as UK Trade and Investment, the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills and the high commissions around the world.

Ms Jandu added: “Yorkshire business leaders are increasingly diversifying, and penetrating foreign markets, where conducting business presents a set of challenges. Providing a bridge between the UK and other countries enables businesses to access information and form trade links.”

“For example, the Make in India campaign, which was started by Prime Minister Modi of India, has attracted a number of businesses from Yorkshire to explore the benefits of manufacturing in India.

Speaking at the awards, Rajeev Dewedi said Asians brought the concept of being prepared to work 24 hours a day, seven days a week to the UK.

“That’s what everybody is doing today, and that’s the key of success,” he told the audience in Bradford.

Last year, the winners included Amjad Pervez, the founding partner of the Seafresh food group. He was acutely aware of the giant strides taken by previous generations. He told the audience to “think of the global village because we have an interconnected world”.

The winners last year included Ahmed Mulla of Mullaco Dewsbury, Bobby Patel of Prashad, Qari Asim of DLA Piper, Sukhvinder Javeed of Milkysnugz, Zak Patel of Talk Direct and Arnab Basu of Kromek Group.

Tommy Sandhu, the BBC radio DJ, presented the event at Cedar Court Hotel and the special guests included Jitendra Kumar Sharma, the Consul General of India.

Mr Dewedi said: “While we are proud and pleased to see Yorkshire Asians flourishing in their various endeavours, we also would like to pay tribute to the UK and the splendid county of Yorkshire for giving our businessmen and women the opportunity, the motivation and above all, [the] success they have all achieved.”