Friday, November 25 2005 15:26 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

London: Surina Narula, a London-based businesswoman and fundraiser for charitable causes, particularly for street children in India, has been declared as the 'Asian of the Year 2005' for her outstanding achievements.

Instituted by 'Asian Who's Who International', a yearly publication, the trophy was presented to Surina last night at a glittering function at the Grosvenor House Hotel in the heart of the city by Dr Kartar Lalvani, Chief of the Vitabiotics, a vitamin and nutrition company in London and winner of the Asian of the year award in 2003.

To mark the 30th anniversary of the publication, its Managing Editor J S Sachar announced the launch of two new awards.

R S Baxi, Chairman and Managing Director of J and H Sales (International), a company dealing in waste paper from the US, UK, France and several European countries and exporting them to India, China and many far eastern countries won the Asian Leadership in Europe award.

Dr Avtar Lit, founder of Sunrise Radio, the largest commercial Asian radio network in the world, was chosen for the Asian Leadership in Diversity Award.

Prominent among those who attended the awards ceremony were Lord Swraj Paul, recipient of the First Asian of the Year award in 1987-88, Keith Vaz, MP, former minister, Lord Bhikhu Parekh, Sir G K Noon, Baroness Shreela Flather, Raj Loomba, Lord Navnit Dholakia, Gurdip Singh Gujral and Karan Bilimoria (all recipients of the awards in the past).