Twenty-six non-resident Indians from all over the world, including Rami Ranger, a London-based entrepreneur-cum-Tory activist, were given the NRI Award 2004 at a gala banquet in London on Wednesday night.
As many as 12 awards went to NRIs from the UK, four from the US, two from South Africa and one each from Canada, New Zealand, Seychelles, Kenya, Tanzania, Netherlands and Oman.
One award went to an NRI currently residing in India.
Keith Vaz, MP and former minister for Europe; Lord Navnit Dholakia, president of the Liberal Democrats Party;
Baroness Shriela Flather; and Kiran Billimoria, NRI entrepreneur, were among
the dignitaries who attended the banquet organised by the NRI Institute.
Ranger was chosen for the award for excelling not only in business but also in British society and mainstream politics.
"From humble beginnings to running a couple of Britain's successful companies, specialising in shipping and forwarding and ultimately establishing a new marketing company, Sun Oil Ltd, of consumer products spoke volumes about the man," said the citation about Ranger.
Other award recipients included A P S Chawla, for helping cancer causes in the UK; Parmjit Dhanda, the youngest MP in the House of Commons; and S B Tibrewal, for excellence in the medical field.