Petra Group chairman is AsiaOne Magazine’s ‘Person of the Year’

KUALA LUMPUR – AsiaOne Magazine has recognised Petra Group chairman and group CEO Datuk Dr Vinod Sekhar with the Person of the Year 2020-21 Award, at the 14th edition of its Asian Business & Social Forum recently.

The award, announced on Tuesday, acknowledges Vinod’s dedication to social capitalism and his exemplary efforts in bringing positive changes to peoples’ lives, impacting communities, and thereby making a substantial difference and inclusive changes in the socio-economic paradigm.

“As a Malaysian, I’m very proud and touched to receive this accolade. However, I’d like to say it’s an award I accept on behalf of the entire Petra Group, as it comes on the back of having an amazing team at my side,” said Vinod.

“What I most appreciate is being allowed to put a spotlight on the initiatives and values that matter most to me, and hopefully, share my thoughts with a larger audience in India and across Asia.

“I look forward to the growth of our existing businesses in India, including modular homes, rail, green rubber and the vanilla project. I look forward to expanding social capitalism in India through the Sekhar Foundation and other projects.”

He emphasised that social capitalism is about lifting people out of poverty and creating a bigger middle class, allowing more people to be able to afford products and services created by businesses.

“It supports healthier, more sustainable economies, and ultimately builds better nations. It would be amazing if everyone could do something, however small, to help uplift the communities that we are in.”

The award also compliments the excellent work of the Sekhar Foundation that impacts the lives of over 15,000 individuals worldwide each year through initiatives that emphasise better education programmes, job creation, and an all-round better quality of life.

The Person of the Year Award is part of the magazine’s annual World’s Greatest Brands and Leaders Awards, first introduced in 2015.

Selection is made through a vigorous process of research, readers’ recommendations, online polls, data evaluation, and picks by a panel that includes past winners.

Previous recipients include renowned reproductive medicine researcher Dr Ashok Aggarwal, industrialist and chairman of NITI Group Manoj Shroff, and educationist Grace Pinto.

AsiaOne Magazine is part of AsiaOne Media Holdings LLC, which has an audience of 1.5 million high-income readers, spread over 15 Asian and Gulf Cooperation Council countries.

The awards will be broadcast by CNBC India on January 23. – The Vibes, January 21, 2021