New Zealand (Commonwealth Union)_ This year, more than a dozen people of Asian background living in New Zealand were presented with special honors on the King’s Birthday. Among them, seven pioneers have roots in India. These awards are a testament to how people of different cultures help make New Zealand a better and more diverse place to live. Accordingly, Indian people now make up about 6% of the country’s population, and their impact is being noticed in many sectors like healthcare, technology, and community work.
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Ranjna Patel
At the top of the list is Ranjna Patel, who was given one of the highest honors, Dame Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit. This was for her efforts in healthcare, supporting ethnic communities, and working to prevent family violence. She helped start Tāmaki Health back in 1977. Now, it’s the biggest private health group in New Zealand, helping over 330,000 patients. Patel was also the first person of Indian background to be added to the New Zealand Business Hall of Fame in 2024. Additionally, in 2021, she was named Innovator of the Year by Kiwibank, becoming the first woman to win that award. Another big part of her work is Gandhi Nivas, a program she co-founded in 2014. It supports men who might be at risk of harming their families. So far, it’s helped more than 6,000 families in Auckland. According to her, this honor is a major leap in her career and shows how important it is to care for others and work together as a community.
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Panchanatham Narayanan
The next honoree is Panchanatham Narayanan, head of the New Zealand Federation of Multicultural Councils. He became an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit for his work with different cultural groups. He is already a winner of the Queen’s Service Medal. Narayanan played a major role in a project called Huarahi Hou, which helps newcomers adjust while respecting New Zealand’s own cultural roots. He expressed that the award belonged to everyone who supports diversity and inclusion.
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Sunit Prakash and Lalita Vanmali Kasanji
Sunit Prakash and Lalita Vanmali Kasanji, a husband-wife team, received the title of Members of the New Zealand Order of Merit. Their award was for supporting the Indian community and helping grow the tech industry. In 2023, they started the New Zealand Centre for Digital Connections with India. The goal was to build tech partnerships between the two countries. Their work has helped highlight the value of Indian IT workers in New Zealand. It also created space for future growth and new ideas in tech.
Narendra Bhana
Narendra Bhana, Parminder Kaur, and Narayanan Kutty Pulloothpadath each received the King’s Service Medal. Bhana leads the New Zealand Indian Central Association. He made a case for the Indian community to be more involved in politics and leadership.
Parminder Kaur
Parminder Kaur runs the Indian NZ Association in Christchurch and also helps women through her charity, Women’s Helping Hand Trust. She said the award was for all the women and volunteers she works with.
Narayanan Kutty Pulloothpadath
Pulloothpadath has been helping people in the Taranaki area for 25 years. He spoke about the value of community service and the need to include everyone.
These awards remind us how much Indian New Zealanders contribute to the country. Their work in community care, tech, culture, and leadership is helping to build a more welcoming and united New Zealand for everyone.
