The winners’ way

"Year after year we come across Zarathushtis who make us proud to be alive in this day and age,” commented outgoing corporate secretary of the World Zarathushti Chamber of Commerce (WZCC) Behroze Daruwalla before introducing the award winners for 2015 at a function at The International Centre in Goa on December 19, 2015. Outlining the selection process adopted by the judges who are appointed from five continents to independently assess the nominees, she explained the parameters to judge a nominee are: global presence of the awardee and his work; involvement with WZCC; contribution of time and effort; commitment to the cause; involvement in various trade and commerce organizations; and most importantly, proven success in profession and/or business.
Based on the point tally Dr Zarir Sholapurwala was recognized as the Outstanding Entrepreneur of the Year, Jasmin Sohrabji was named the Outstanding Professional of the Year, Dr Urvakhsh Mehta was honored as the Outstanding Young Zarathushti Professional of the Year and Tanya Balsara was conferred a Special Award for her "outstanding entrepreneurial contribution under most challenging circumstances to help the visually impaired.” The awards were presented by chief guest Lord Meghnad Desai, well-known economist and Labour politician in UK.

Bangalore based Sholapurwala is a pioneer in the field of plasma generation and manufacture of advance weapon systems and nuclear warhead hardware. With 33 years of experience he has worked with leading scientists and participated in critical programs of national importance like integrated guided missile programs, radar, weapon locating radar, and Doppler weather radars. A radiation safety officer of the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board, he is authorized to handle highly radioactive materials. An entrepreneur since 1981, he first founded Zeonics Electronic Engineers and Consultants, and followed it with Systech Capacitors Private Limited, merging these two companies in 2006 to form Zeonics Systech Defence and Aerospace Engineers Private Limited, supplying several types of defence equipment to 330 customers in several countries. He has to his credit more than 2,000 products of which nearly 980 are regularly used by the forces. The Z. H. Sholapurwala Charitable Trust that he has founded provides educational funds to more than 70 students annually.
"Indians are extremely brilliant and capable, and Parsis I believe are one grade higher,” commented Sholapurwala in his message to the audience. "The cream of the community is getting very old. Even if a son has to get into his father’s (successful) business he can’t do so unless he is willing to work hard and then value what he has,” he reminded.
Since WZCC does not restrict itself to entrepreneurs but recognizes too the "very important role” played by professionals, Sohrabji who has been controlling the South East Asia and India operations of Omnicom Media Group (OMG) was recognized as a "remarkable professional.” She started her career in 1987 as economics research associate and since then has climbed the echelons to work as media planner, media supervisor, media director with MediaCom, traveling from Indonesia to New York and back to India to work as president of MediaCom India. After serving as managing director of OMD India she was subsequently appointed chief executive officer of OMD and OMG. "Her rapid growth in the advertising world has been due to vast local understanding and expertise coupled with international exposure and experience,” announced Daruwalla. Being unable to receive her award in person, it was accepted by Sam Balsara, chairman and managing director of Madison World and Madison Communications.
Assistant professor of psychiatry at the National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences (NIMHANS) Bangalore, Mehta has established himself as a leading clinician scientist in the domains of mental health and neuro-sciences. He has developed the Social Cognition Rating Tools in Indian Setting, called SOCRATIS, which is now used extensively throughout the country. Last year he spent some time as a visiting assistant professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School where apart from teaching he also learnt new research techniques that he is applying in India. At 28 years he was the first senior resident at NIMHANS to be awarded a grant as principal investigator from the Department of Biotechnology, Government of India to study the mirror-neuron basis of social cognitive deficits.
The WZCC award will "push me to strive and work harder,” declared Mehta, offering "to collaborate at any level, to interact with the youth or to generate ideas” whereby he could "blend neuro-science with technology.” The functioning of WZCC "is an eye-opener for me,” he confessed having gained "insights into establishing businesses.”
"The blind may not have sight but that does not mean they should have no vision,” believes Tanya Balsara who despite her visual handicap has been using her training and resources to successfully run the Tanya Computer Centre for the Blind. Besides imparting free computer skills to the economically challenged students to make them employable, she tries to improve their quality of life by teaching them English, conversational and social skills like dining out at restaurants, and developing their personality. Daruwalla described the multifaceted Tanya as "a great conversationalist…who plays the piano, goes to the gym for regular workouts and goes to the agiary almost every day.”
"Every student of ours is a champion in his/her own right,” commented Tanya who operates from "a true oasis in a congested locality” as she described the family garage at Malcolm Baug in Jogeshwari that has been converted into a state-of-the-art computer center. Fond of teaching since her childhood when she would use the walls of her home as a blackboard, she reminded the gathering not to treat any physically handicapped person with pity: "They don’t do different things; they do things differently.”