‘Case for diversity is proven and essential for collective prosperity’

THE BBC chair, Dr Samir Shah CBE, won the top honour at the annual GG2 Leadership and Diversity Awards, which recognise top talent among ethnic minority communities in the UK.

Shah received the GG2 Hammer award, which refers to the proverbial smashing of the glass ceiling, for his influential role at the broadcaster.

Kalpesh Solanki

One of the leading Asian ministers in government, Seema Malhotra, won the Woman of the Year, while entrepreneur and philanthropist Shabir Randeree CBE, chairman, DCD London and Mutual Plc, was named Man of the Year.

Hosted by the Asian Media Group (AMG), publishers of Garavi Gujarat and Eastern Eye news weeklies, the GG2 Leadership and Diversity Awards celebrate the achievements of Britain’s ethnic minorities.

The deputy prime minister, Angela Rayner, was the chief guest at the 26th edition of the event in central London last Tuesday (4). More than 600 guests attended, among them Labour MPs, Conservative and Liberal Democrat politicians, as well as business, community and faith leaders.

Sridhar Ramamurthy from pladis

In total, 20 awards were presented during the event.

Rayner praised the Asian community, saying their “fantastic achievements” in the UK were visible everywhere, across every field – politics, business, the arts, the public sector, sports, and academia. “This community has contributed so much to our country,” she added.

She also paid tribute to AMG’s late founders, Ramniklal Solanki and Parvatiben Solanki, who she said, “did so much to fight prejudice and discrimination through this platform, from launching a small publication in a terraced house in Wembley to today’s form as the Asian Media Group.

(From left) Barry Gardiner MP, Lord Tariq Ahmad, Kalpesh Solanki and Shailesh Solanki

“It’s incredible efforts like these that form the foundations of the community, often against the odds, and I am honoured to pay tribute to that today.

“I share in the values that this community holds close. Having made the journey from a council estate to the office of deputy prime minister, I know what it feels like to constantly have to prove yourself and most of all, the importance of hard work and determination.”

(From left) Shailesh Solanki, the Royal Navy Commander Robert Jaffier, Dr Panjwani and Kalpesh Solanki

At the event, Rayner unveiled the 2025 edition of the GG2 Power List, which profiles the 101 most influential and powerful south Asians in Britain. London mayor Sir Sadiq Khan topped the rankings.

In light-hearted comments, the deputy prime minister said, “It is south Asian influence that saw London have a ‘brat’ girl summer last year.

“And no, I’m not just talking about the musical sides of Charli XCX. I’m talking about my good friend, Sadiq Khan, the first British Asian and first Mus lim mayor of London who won a historic third term last year.

(From left) Shailesh Solanki, National Trust's Hilary McGrady, Dr Bukhari and Kalpesh Solanki

“Charli XCX and Sadiq have been an unlikely pairing, both succeeding in their ambition to turn London green.”

Kalpesh Solanki, AMG group managing editor, said, “Tonight’s celebration takes on additional significance as we find ourselves at a crucial inflection point.

“Recent statements from the highest office in America suggesting that diversity initiatives are unnecessary or counterproductive demand our thoughtful response.

(From left) Shailesh Solanki, Anish Vij, the Daily Mail's Inderdeep Bains and Kalpesh Solanki

“When powerful voices question the value of inclusion, we must answer not with anger, but with evidence and renewed commitment. The case for diversity is not ideological – it is practical, proven, and essential for our collective prosperity.”

He added, “When diverse voices are elevated to positions of influence, they bring lived experiences that can identify and counter dangerous narratives before they take root.

“The notion that recruiting ethnic talent somehow compromises excellence, fundamentally misunderstands what excellence requires in our interconnected world.

(From left) Shailesh Solanki, Zee TV's Parul Goel, Umar Nawaz, Samina Nawaz Khan and Kalpesh Solanki

“True meritocracy isn’t about ignoring differences – it’s about recognising that merit manifests differently across various backgrounds and experiences. Our goal should never be to lower standards, but rather to widen the pool from which we draw talent and ensure minorities are actively targeted.”

Among key winners on the night were Lord Tariq Ahmad of Wimbledon, one of the longest-serving ministers of Asian descent. He received the Ram Solanki Beacon award, presented to an individual for their contribution to Britain and ethnic communities.

The Bestway Wholesale CEO, Dawood Pervez, won CEO of the Year and Tharshiny Pankaj, joint CEO, Regent Group, won the Social Entrepreneur of the Year award.

(From left) Shailesh Solanki, RandalSun's Dr Nik Kotecha, Prof Dhawan, Jonathan Bracey of JB360Solutions and Kalpesh Solanki

Professor Anil Dhawan, director of research and innovation at Kings College Hospital, won the Outstanding Achievement in Medicine award, while Dr Imranali Panjwani, senior lecturer in law at Anglia Ruskin University, scooped the Spirit in the Community award for his work in reviewing immigration procedures relating to religious, linguistic and cultural evidence.

The Premila Puri-led Be Kind Movement, which teaches “kindness values” including compassion, respect and integrity, received the Charity of the Year award.

(From left) Shailesh Solanki, actress Ayesha Dharker, Dawood Pervez and Kalpesh Solanki

Brothers Ahmad and Umar Nawaz, who suffered injuries in the terrorist attack in 2014 at the Army Public School in Peshawar, Pakistan, and moved to the UK for medical attention, won the Achievement Through Adversity award.

Umar joined the Wrexham Football Club’s academy last year. After Oxford, Ahmad started the Ahmad Nawaz Empowerment Projects which provides scholarships to underprivileged children and also built a school for Syrian refugees in Lebanon.

The Young Achiever gong went to Jai Kanwar, co-founder and managing director of Zeus, a digital platform that allows large manufacturers to manage their entire supplier network in one cohesive system.

(From left) Shailesh Solanki, pladis' Sridhar Ramamurthy, Dr Samir Shah and Kalpesh Solanki

The Healing Garden of the Asian Women’s Resource Centre in Harlesden, London, was named winner of the Blossom award. It supports black, Asian and minority ethnic women affected by forced marriage, honour-based or faith-based abuse.

Dr Aneela Bukhari, head of education for the Ormiston Trust, which supports 50,000 young people, often socially and economically disadvantaged, won the Embrace award.

Anish Vij of Ladbible was named the Young Journalist of the Year.

(From left) Shailesh Solanki, Satish Chatwani of Fairview Hotel Collection, Shabir Randeree CBE and Kalpesh Solanki

(From left) Shailesh Solanki, JTI's Ruth Forbes, Seema Malhotra and Kalpesh Solanki

(From left) Shailesh Solanki, Tharshiny Pankaj, SBI UK's Sudhir Sharma and Kalpesh Solanki

(From left) Shailesh Solanki, AWRC's Punam Kharbanda, Dr Suzanne Moss of the RHS and Kalpesh Solanki

(From left) Shailesh Solanki, Bestway's Kenton Burchell, Be Kind Movement co-founder Shavy Makh, Premila Puri and Kalpesh Solanki

(From left) Shailesh Solanki, the RAF's Air Marshal Paul Lloyd, Prathive Viswanandan (who collected the award on behalf of Jai Kanwar, as he was unable to attend and sent a video message) and Kalpesh Solanki

(From left) Barry Gardiner MP, Otavio Delavi, Priyesh Shah, Maneeze Chowdhury, Raoul Shah, Christabel Baguma, Guy Brookfield, Amber Rowson, Maria Krupa and Aditya Solanki

(From left) Barry Gardiner, Geraldine Fraser, Mark Randall, Sridhar Ramamurthy and Aditya Solanki

(From left) Barry Gardiner, Piere Forbes, Tyreish Softleigh-Palmer and Aditya Solanki

(From left) Barry Gardiner, Maryam Malik, Amanda Antoinette and Alex Elkomaty from the Met, and Aditya Solanki

(From left) Barry Gardiner, Neale Proud, Neelam Katechia, Pippa Lee, Louisa Minto, Allison Hogg and Aditya Solanki

(From left) Barry Gardiner, Roshni Singh from Dabur International, Here & Now 365\u2019s Preet Khanna, Manish Tiwari and Suhrud Chimbalkar, and Aditya Solanki