Birmingham Black History - Dr Sarindar Singh Sahota OBE

Dr Sarindar Singh Sahota OBE

Sarindar was born in Nairobi, Kenya and came to the UK in 1967 to join his sister. Although an average student he found that he really enjoyed Maths. He did A’ Levels at Handsworth Technical College and went on to the University of Birmingham to do a degree in Electronic Engineering. At that time there were very few students from black communities and he had to work hard to try and settle in.

After graduating in 1971, Sarindar returned to Kenya and joined the family business.

Following an attempted coup in Kenya after 1982, Sarindar decided to return his family to Birmingham when he joined Nanak Electricals established by his brother.

After some years growing the business he realised that he had to give so much time to his business that he had overlooked society, and started to involve himself in community activities and organisations.

He went along to meetings in the community in which he lived and worked.

He had his business on Dudley Road and realising the strength in the collective voice he got the traders together and formed Dudley Road Traders Association in 2000 and was elected as Chair. He is still Chair today. Seeing the power of the collective voice to raise concerns about the challenges faced by black businesses that were mainly micro in nature, Sarindar worked with others to encourage Asian businesses that had no support to form the Asian Business Forum. (ABF) This was in 2001 and he was elected as the Chairman. The ABF evolved to become the Institute of Asian Businesses and again Sarindar was elected as its first Chairman. Making the ‘Asian’ voice heard and ensuring those businesses had appropriate support and opportunities were Sarindar’s priority.

Sarindar has been involved in the Single Regeneration Budget (SRB6) in the North West of Birmingham serving some of the most deprived wards in the city to encourage renewal by the communities themselves, and in 2005 he was elected as its Chair. He is the Vice Chair of the West Midlands Business Council and sits on a number of other influential boards relating to business.

In 2005 in the Queen’s New Year Honours List he was awarded the OBE for Services to Business.

Comments (1)

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... : Anilkumar Gajera

Dear Sir

i am a student and studing at Coventry university so i am writing my thesis on internation trading business so polease can you give me appointment to meet you.

Thank you
Anil Gajera

July 21, 2008

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