Karan Bilimoria gets British ‘Asian of the Year 2002’ award

Mumbai: Karan Bilimoria, founder and chief executive of Cobra Beer, has been named "Asian of the Year 2002".

The awards are given annually by the Asian Who''s Who International. The award recognises the achievements and contributions of British Asians and coincides with the launch of the 15th edition of the "Asian Who’s Who". The "Who''s Who" has grown from its first edition in 1974 with 250 entries to over 2,000 now.

Leading NRIs including Lord Swraj Paul, Imran Khan, Baroness Flather, SirAnwar Pervez, Raj Loomba, Sir Gulam Noon, Lord Dholakia, Lord Bhiku Parekh, all previous winners of the award also attended the function.

On receiving the Award in London, Karan Bilimoria said: "What I have come to learn, from creating Cobra Beer against all odds in the most competitive Beer market in the world, is that if you have the passion, drive and aspiration to succeed, there is no more meritocratic country in which to achieve this than Great Britain."

Karan Bilimoria has received the Executive Association of Great Britain’s Outstanding Achievement Award in 2002, and in 2001 was the recipient of the India - NRI Millennium Honour awarded to him by the Non-Resident Indian Institute, UK.

In 1990 Karan Bilimoria developed a less gassy Indian lager designed to perfectly complement Indian cuisine and appeal to ale drinkers. Twelve years later, Cobra Beer is one of the fastest growing beer brands in the UK and was ranked in the 1999 Sunday Times Virgin Atlantic Fast Track 100. The brand is sold in 5,000 Indian restaurants and leading multiplexes throughout the UK, and has been exported to over 30 countries.