London: Leading NRI entrepreneur Rami Ranger has won the Asian Achievers Award for Community Service while the Woman of the Year Award was bagged by Kamel Hothi, Head of Asian Markets and Event of the Lloyds TSB bank.

According to the citation, Rami Ranger was chosen for the award for being successful in business, society and politics. He runs two of UK's fastest growing companies and is a recipient of the Queen's Award for Export. He works to make Asians more publicly and politically spirited. Hothi has been a role model within the bank and the Asian Community, the citation said.

A child of the partition of India and Pakistan, Kamel Hothi migrated to England with her family to build a better life. She worked hard to be recognised for her achievements with numerous awards, the citation said. Other recipients of the 8th Asian Achievers Awards held at the Radison SAS Portman Hotel last night were Ravi Sharma, Sunrise Radio anchor and commentator for achievements in media, art and culture and Yogesh Mehta, Managing Director of Amertrans Shipping. He was named the Business person of the year. Nishma Gosrani, an ambassador on the Merrill Lynch was adored with Professional of the year award. The Young entrepreneur of the year award was bagged by Kuljinder Singh Bahia, Managing director of Southall Travel.

Among the other awardees were Dak Patel, Maiyuran Ratneswaran, PC Mebs Ahmed and Reeta Chakrabarti, BBC political Correspondent. A minute's silence was observed in memory of those killed in the Mumbai terror attacks. Speaking on the occasion, Lord Karan Billimoria, Chairman of the UK-India Business Council described the attack on Mumbai as "ruthless and deliberate." and nothing could justify it.

Source : PTI