Ten Indians forging a new identity and sharing their vision at home and abroad
By Kevin Rego
Anshu Jain – Businessman
Forty-something Anshu Jain, who belongs to the Jain community – known for their business acumen – is head of Global Markets at Deutsche Bank and is responsible for turning the bank into a bond-market powerhouse. His knowledge on stocks, bonds, loans, currencies and commodities is perhaps second to none. India-born, London-based Jain manages almost half of Deutsche Bank’s revenue. By his own admission, he has in his 22 years in the world of finance experienced “hyper growth.”
Lady Ru – Music Artist
With a repertoire ranging from urban dance tracks to sweet soul ballads, Lady Ru (or Rupal Pujara) is set to storm the British charts. This 20-something Philadelphia export, trained in opera, modern and classical Indian music, has worked with Sly Dunbar and Robbie Shakespeare and has all it takes to become the first Gujarati girl to make it on the international scene.
Anjula Acharia Bath – CEO, desihits.com
Buckinghamshire-born Anjula Acharia Bath’s website is the sole official iTunes store for Asian music. Anjula’s venture, which she co-founded, draws a loyal audience looking to listen to their favourite music legally. She recently wrote her first book on second-generation South Asians.
Renu Mehta – Charity Fundraiser
Former model and reformed socialite Renu Mehta last year raised £1 m in a single night for four charities fighting poverty, disease and pollution in the developing world. The same night she launched her charity Fortune Forum. She used her passion, drive and determination to bring Bill Clinton and Michael Douglas to the star-studded inaugural night.
Manish Bhasin – Presenter
The new face of sport on TV, Bhasin presented ‘Football Focus’ and looked so competent that even before the season ended, he was dispatched to the Caribbean to present cricket world cup highlights. A TV natural, he was nominated for Commentator of the Year at the Royal Television Society Sports Awards.
Manish Arora – Fashion
Fashion designer Manish Arora started his own label in 1997. In 2001 Arora set about wooing the fashion world with the exuberant colours of his diffusion label ‘Fish Fry’, opening 75 shops worldwide and creating a range of shoes for Reebok. Arora debuted at London Fashion Week in 2005; his latest creations will be showcased at the V&A’s Fashion In Motion event on September 7.
Katrina Kaif – Actress
Four years after her first disaster flick ‘Boom’, Katrina Kaif – who is half-Indian, half-English – has made her mark in Bollywood with a brilliant performance in ‘Namastey London’. Her endearing smile, angelic face and stunning figure have made her one of the most sought-after actresses in Bollywood, with a string of releases in the coming year. She has the potential to become the first actress of British origin to make it to the top in Bollywood in the future.
Rohit Khattar – Restaurateur
Known as a showman restaurateur for successfully blending two of his passions – food and films – into a flourishing enterprise in India and the UK, Khattar is the Managing Director of Old World Hospitality, the company that operates Habitat World, a leading cultural hotspot in India’s capital, and the Chor Bizarre restaurants in Delhi and London. He recently opened the opulent Sitaaray restaurant in the heart of the West End.
Anjali Bhatia – Popstar
Anjali Bhatia first appeared on the British music scene’s radar as a member of lo-fi indie bands Mambo Taxi and The Voodoo Queens in the early 1990s. She has now swapped riot-grrrl noise for seductive global lounge pop; her melodic voice purring through a soundscape of trip-hop beats, alluring 60s pop and funk ideas,and a rich musical influence from the Bollywood world she loves.
Nikhil and Niret Alva – Television Software
In India’s booming television market, two brothers – Nikhil and Niret Alva – have struck gold. Their company Miditech Private Limited produced the Indian versions of ‘Pop Idol’, ‘Fame Academy’, ‘Deal or No Deal’ and ‘Sesame Street’.
