Outstanding Oshwal community members recognised with New Year Honours

Oshwal Connect, a network dedicated to bringing together members of the Oshwal community, has awarded Year New Year Honours to 30 outstanding achievers.

The awardees chosen from 12 countries have contributed to various fields including charity, mental health, golfing, hospitality and music and encouraged diversity, inclusion and equality in their fields.

They were shortlisted from 256 nominations received from all over the world in three categories - Oshwal Pioneers, OC Next Generation of Leaders’ and Game Changing Young Oshwals.

Prominent winners included Manu Chandaria of Kenya who works with charities, his compatriot and young golfing talent Rohini Shah and renowned pianist Nirek Mokar of Paris.

Founded by cousins Bunty and Chaitan Shah in March 2021, Oshwal Connect seeks to unite the Oshwal community whose history can be traced back to 457 BC in India. Records show the presence of Oshwals in the UK right from the 1950s.

Oshwal Connect is an intergenerational group having its primary presence on Facebook with more than 7,500 members. It has a large active younger audience base.

Bunty and Chaitan attribute the group’s growth to its focus on “creating a stronger united community by being more inclusive and open and by not involving religion and politics.”

Bunty is involved in charity, community projects and good causes, such as food banks. In 2019, Hertsmere Borough Council in England’s Hertfordshire honoured him with a civic award for his local community work.

Chaitan, the other co-founder, runs businesses mainly in media. One of his enterprises provides acting talent to UK and US production companies working on films, television and commercials.