Asian Business Chamber celebrates Vaisakhi
The Asian Business Chamber of Commerce (ABCC) successfully held its annual Vaisakhi celebration, a highlight of the Sikh calendar, writes Feron Jayawardene.
The event was held at Conference Aston yesterday, with the attendance of around 100 members and guests. It was chaired by ABCC vice president Sapreena Kumari.
The significance of the festival involves how the tenth Guru of the Sikhs introduced the 'Order of the Pure Ones ', as well as honouring the work of farmers and paying tribute to God for food and praying for future prosperity.
The guests were welcomed by ABCC president Omar Rashid. He said: “It is amazing to see such a great turnout to our first ABCC festival event of 2023.
“Just as Vaisakhi signifies a new beginning for Sikhs, I like to draw parallels to the business world, who like many in this room also seek to renew and refresh themselves to achieve greater success.
“Moreover, the principles of community, equality, and selfless service that form the foundation of Vaisakhi are also essential for businesses to thrive.
“By embracing these values, businesses can create a culture of unity and collaboration, driving growth and success for all members of the community. ”
Omar also announced the launch of the annual ABCC awards dinner which takes place on November 18 at the National Conference Centre at Solihull.
Speeches were given by Amrit Chandan, CEO & Co-Founder of Aceleron and Mark Smith, executive director of business engagement at Aston University.
Amrit, who is also in the Forbes 30 and under 30 list, spoke about creating a sustainable future. He said: “We got a good market for sustainability and growth.
“The market for clean tech and clean growth is growing by 30 per cent. This also means that businesses will be designed to be here for the future, creating a long-standing effect on the world.
“Green entrepreneurship is profitable, creates jobs, builds a sustainable economy and saves the planet. There has never been a better time. There is a big damage to nature done by our previous generations and by the current generation as well. We need to do more on the environment.
“Aceleron is a company I co-founded where we saw a big need for sustainable batteries, which are a critical medium of storing energy. The batteries we currently have are not designed to be reused for a long time.
“We produce batteries that are built locally and easy to maintain and recycle which can extract six times of more lifetime than a conventional battery. ”
Mark Smith said: “Vaisakhi is a time to come together as a community and a time to build bridges and respect everyone. I 'd like to thank ABCC for choosing Conference Aston.
“Sponsoring ABCC events is a great way of reaching out to the audience. ”
Pictured from left to right: Director of ABCC Anjum Khan, ABCC vice president Sapreena Kumari, executive director of business engagement at Aston University Mark Smith, ABCC president Omar Rashid, CEO & Co-Founder of Aceleron Amrit Chandan, and ABCC vice president Neelam Afzal