11 Indo-Canadian achievers to be honoured

The Indo-Canadian Chamber of Commerce (ICCC) will honour 11 outstanding Indo-Canadian achievers at the chamber's Annual Awards and Gala Night 2013 Saturday.

Among those who will be honoured at the event at Metro Toronto Convention Centre are Deepak Chopra, president of Canada Post, Raj Kothari, managing partner for Toronto for PriceWaterhouse Cooper, and young achiever Bilaal Rajan.

The event is expected to be attended by 1,200 people, including guest of honour Kathleen Wynne, premier of the Canadian province of Ontario, and a business delegation from the Indian state of Karnataka, the Globe and Mail reported.

Chopra, who will be honoured as the 'Corporate Executive of the Year', said that the award "is truly a tribute to numerous unsung heroes who helped shape my thinking along the way".

"I believe, success is never a random stroke of individual brilliance (as) it is the sum total of influences you have had along your life," he was quoted as saying.

Terming Canada Post as one of the crown jewels of this north American country's economic infrastructure, Chopra said that when he joined it as president in 2011, "it was facing the onslaught of electronic substitution eating into its revenues and a difficult labour relations environment".

He said that he helped ensure sharpen the focus on physical delivery as well as digital delivery networks.

Kothari, who will be honoured as 'Male Professional of the Year", said that he has "always been focused on how I can make a difference - first in the profession that I work in and second in the community that I live in".

Rajan, 16, who will be honoured as the 'Young Achiever of the Year', is a motivational speaker and the UNICEF's children ambassador.

An environmental and social activist, he was only four years old when in 2001, the Indian state of Gujarat was devastated by an earthquake.

He then raised funds to help the victims by selling oranges.

Stating that he was humbled by the ICCC award, he said: "It reaffirms to me that the activism work that I am doing to especially engage others (and primarily youth) is being taken seriously and is having an impact to change the mindsets of society."

Others who will be honoured in Saturday's event are Sarabjit Hans as 'Female Entrepreneur of the Year', Sujay Shah as 'Male Entrepreneur of the Year', Sadhna Joshi as 'Female Professional of the Year', Sapna Shah as 'Young Achiever of the Year', Nilesh Bansal as 'Technology Achiever of the Year', Chandrasekhar Sankurathri as 'Humanitarian of the Year', and Jananath Wani for 'Lifetime/Outstanding Achievement'.

The ICCC is one of the largest membership-based national business organisations in Canada with over 1,500 members representing all sections of the nation's economy.

At its annual gala and awards night, it promotes trade and commerce between India and Canada and recognises the achievements of Indo-Canadians from all over Canada.

The 2013 event is the 36th edition.