OUTSTANDING achievements by Asian business people are to be honoured at a special awards ceremony in Manchester later this month.

North west companies and individuals are among those shortlisted for the 2008 Lloyds TSB's Northern Jewel Awards.

The awards celebrate the huge impact of British Asians in both the commercial and corporate sectors.

Among the nominees from Manchester for the `business and commerce excellence award' are Rajan and Sanjay Kumar of the Rajan Group.

Their fashionwear distribution empire has its international headquarters in Great Ducie Street, Manchester, as well as offices in Düsseldorf, Hong Kong, London, Madrid and New York. The family business - founded by their father - employs 150 staff.

Trafford Park-based Envious - which is run by Irfan and Ehsan Naseem - has been nominated for a `retail excellence award'.

The company, which was founded by the brothers in 2003, distributes audio and visual equipment to some of the biggest names in retail including Hamleys and Selfridges.

Envious was founded with an initial investment of £8,000 and last year had a turnover of £1,090,000.

Professor Pervez N Ghauri of Manchester Business School has been nominated in the `education and healthcare excellence' category.

He has written more than 20 books and his expertise is often in demand by organisations including Airbus Industries and Ericsson.

Finally, Kuljeet Hothi of Deansgate-based law firm Eversheds has been nominated within the `professional excellence' category.

She has advised the Northwest Development Agency on regeneration deals worth in excess of £100m and is a frequent key speaker at conferences discussing sustainable regeneration.

The 2008 Lloyds TSB's Northern Jewel Awards will take place at the Palace Hotel, in Manchester, on Saturday, April 19.

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