Empowering Zarathushti Entrepreneurs and Professionals

World Zarathushti Chamber of Commerce

Mentoring • Training • Networking

“The follow-up sessions and mentoring put together is a very valuable feature of EDP. On the whole my confidence to stay in business is renewed and I feel more capable of progressing in my venture.”Kayomarz Gazder - 3D Web Solutions, Embbox Solutions

“I felt that EDP to start-ups is what a mother’s womb is to the embryo. It nourishes with all that is required before standing out in today’s competitive corporate world.WZCC provides access to a huge network, for professional and social growth.”

Percy Elavia – Hotel Franchiser, Budget Inn, Hotel Chain

“There is definitely much more confidence now than what I had before as I was exposed to many new concepts than what I knew previously.”

Cusrow Poonawalla – Solar Systems, Mabhlakh Corporation

“WZCC has done a wonderful job taking me through a series of logical steps before I got to the final stage.”

Hormazd Yazdabadi – Cinetech India Enterprises,

Software Products and ERP Solutions

“WZCC has done a great mentoring job. The Chamber has helped me to restructure and strategize my business.”

Farrokh Irani - Donut chain, Donut Magic

WZCC - Gives your Business the Competi t ive Edge

NextGen Youth Commend WZCC’s Programmes

World ZarathushtiChamber of Commerce

Industry and commerce are the building blocks of a nation’s economic progress. It has always been a matter of great pride for our community to know that the seeds of trade and industry in India were sown in the early 1800s by Parsi Zarathushtis. Though minuscule in number, Zarathushti entrepreneurs were recognized as bold, enterprising, intelligent and above all, honest and dependable. The industrial houses — Tata, Wadia, Godrej and the Shapoorji Pallonji group — all starting from humble beginnings are remarkable examples of our community’s entrepreneurial spirit, perseverance and dedicated efforts at creating wealth with integrity. While creating wealth for their varied enterprises these stalwarts also generated huge employment opportunities and never hesitated in giving back to the community and society at large, sizeable portions of their wealth, through well-conceived philanthropic organizations.

Big industrial houses apart, Zarathushtis have been successful in identifying opportunities in the small scale sector and in niche areas and converting them into successful business ventures. Small businesses and professional services are best suited for our community’s psyche.

Since the 1950s however, a gradual shift has set in within the community, as the youth concentrating on higher education, began moving away from enterprise to more lucrative career options in the corporate world. Whether it was the security of a steady job or the attraction of higher immediate rewards and recognition or the lack of the right political environment, the community was gradually moving away from entrepreneurship, which was its hallmark till then, to the secure avenues of employment.

It was with the idea of reversing this trend and rekindling the spirit of enterprise within the community, that World Zarathushti Chamber of Commerce (WZCC), the first of its kind, was conceived. The Chamber was incorporated in the State of Illinois, USA in December 2000, by a core group of Zarathushtis under the leadership of Rohinton Rivetna.

Building the Spirit of Entrepreneurship

Mission of WZCC The Mission of the Chamber as charted by the core group is to ‘Energize the Zarathushti entrepreneurial spirit and to make WZCC the economic engine for the prosperity and well-being of our community’.

Objectives of WZCC The main objectives of WZCC are to promote Zarathushti business enterprises through education, training and propagation of ideas, to disseminate information on developments in trade and industry through lectures and seminars, to promote networking and co-operation among Zarathushti businesses and the professional community for mutual benefits and to associate with other Chambers of Commerce and public bodies to promote Zarathushti business organizations, individuals and professionals.

WZCC launched in 2000 The Chamber was formally launched by Nadir Godrej at the Seventh World Zoroastrian Congress at Houston on December 29, 2000. In the following year, seven local Chapters were established in USA and two in Canada followed by one in Tehran. In 2002, the Middle East Chapter was inaugurated with headquarters in Dubai. Later in 2003 and 2004 Chapters were set up in India, UK, Sydney and Karachi, followed by representative offices in Hong Kong and Singapore. Today, the total active membership of WZCC worldwide is reckoned to be around 1,000. India with the largest Zarathushti community has three Chapters located strategically at Mumbai, Delhi and Pune.

WZCC governed by an International BoardAt the global level WZCC is governed by an International Board of Directors currently headed by Minoo Shroff as its International President. He is a well-known Economist, a Corporate Counsellor and a Director on the board of many companies. He has worked relentlessly for the community

for the last 25 years, first as a Trustee of the Bombay Parsi Punchayet and later as its Chairman.

He is actively supported by Rustom Engineer, International Vice President, Houston; Behroze Daruwalla, International Corporate Secretary, Houston and Framroze Patel, Treasurer, New York.

WZCC - India The launch of WZCC in India was well timed in 2003, as the winds of liberalization were sweeping across the nation and tremendous opportunities were thrown open to large and small enterprises. Today, after eight eventful years, WZCC India has a membership of over 500 businessmen, professionals, corporate executives and youth spread across

the three Chapters. The India Chamber co-ordinates the activities of all the three Chapters and is governed by a dedicated and experienced Board of Directors headed by a professional and highly experienced President. The President of India Chamber is Cyrus Bagwadia, Director on the boards of many companies; he is actively engaged in mentoring and promoting entrepreneurship. The Chamber has taken several initiatives in organizing activities which are in line with

WZCC’s mission and objectives. In particular the Business Plan contest and the Entrepreneur Development Programme have invoked an excellent response from members and other businessmen in the community.

WZCC - Mumbai The Mumbai Chapter is by far the most vibrant Chapter in India. The Chapter has organized a series of informative and inspiring lectures and training programmes, facilitated members’ exposure to modernized large-sized factories and arranged structured networking sessions, all aimed at rejuvenating the spirit of entrepreneurship. Members have gained immensely from these programmes.

WZCC presented the first and only ‘Entrepreneur of the Century’ Award to Ratan Tata at the World Zoroastrian Con-gress in 2005.

WZCC’s Mission and Objectives

WZCC’s vision is to become the engine for promoting eco-nomic growth of our community, by facilitating and mentoring business enterprises and encouraging start-ups to implement their ideas. We are focusing on building a strong membership base and attracting young budding entrepreneurs and profes-sionals, start-ups, established businessmen, women entre-preneurs and students to become WZCC members. We are also inviting industry experts and professional advisors to be mentors to our members and share their experiences. While trying to project entrepreneurship as a more reward-ing and fulfilling option, we are encouraging our community members to realize their full potential and face the challenges of building a successful business. The interactions, mentoring and networking opportunities at WZCC have created an en-abling environment which will be of immense value to all.

Successful businessmen are not necessarily born; they can be made with appropriate incentives and mature guidance.

As our International President Minoo Shroff puts it, “In the emerging economy there will be more scope for entrepreneur-ship than employment. Daring, energy, tenacity and persever-ance are the ingredients for fulfilling one’s desire to succeed.” According to him “An entrepreneur requires the stamina of a boxer and the patience of a chess player.” We have several among our younger generation with these latent qualities.

Today finance is not a problem if the promoter is seriously committed, has the right qualifications or skill and has a good project on hand. WZCC will provide the training and even help arrange for finance. For this we have developed linkages with leading banks and venture capitalists.

We have laid down the path and we need the support from business leaders and community stalwarts to join us in our mission. Together we can help our aspiring entrepreneurs to rediscover their confidence and face the emerging challenges in a competitive environment.

WZCC values your Involvement and Support

WZCC WebsiteIntegral to WZCC is its worldwide website, www.wzcc.net, which has become the focal point of the organization and its activities. The website showcases the Chamber’s activities across all Chapters and provides a platform for networking and business development among members. It is managed by Yazdi Tantra, Technical Director on International Board of WZCC.

The WZCC Newsletter The newsletter brought out by WZCC Mumbai Chapter is uploaded on the website giving glimpses of the Chapter’s activities and some insightful articles and ideas on starting and building a successful enterprise. It also provides a platform to showcase business enterprises of members

SynergyZThe journal of WZCC, SynergyZ published by the Middle East Chapter spreads awareness of the multifarious activities of WZCC Chapters worldwide along with profiles of eminent personalities including

distinguished honorary members of WZCC.

WZCC Awards Every year WZCC presents three awards for outstanding contributions in one’s chosen business or profession: • Outstanding Zarathushti Entrepreneur • Outstanding Zarathushti Professional • Outstanding Young Zarathushti Professional or Entrepreneur

WZCC’s Guiding Stars

‘‘WZCC is pursuing a very laudable cause which is re-energizing the Zarathushti entrepreneurial spirit and that should be supported wholeheartedly by one and all.”

“I urge all the youngsters here to start a business without fear. With passion and a worthy cause, much courage but a cautious pause… And if you stay true to your creed you too are destined to succeed. And when you need a helping hand the WZCC is there…”

Nadir GodrejMD, Godrej Industries Ltd., eminent Industrialist and Director of several leading companies. He is the Honorary Member who had launched WZCC in Chicago in 2000.

Rohinton RivetnaFounder President and main Architect of WZCC. He has been the leading light of WZCC for over a decade and still evinces keen interest in its activities.

“Entrepreneurship entails great patience and resilience to withstand the uncertainties which are inherent and unavoidable. However the rewards from a successful venture can be most alluring besides offering enormous freedom for initiative and creativity.”

Minoo ShroffPresident and Honorary member of WZCC, has been Chairman and President of several leading professional and business bodies. He is the recipient of the highest civilian award conferred by the Emperor of Japan. Very actively involved with WZCC since the last eight years; he is the real Guiding Force behind its multifarious activities.

“Our community is blessed with a glorious business tradition. We have a vision — which is to be the engine that drives the economic prosperity and well-being of our global community, through our Mission which is to energize the Zarathushti spirit of enterprise.”

“I am very deeply touched by your words… Over time, one has lost touch with the community. To be recognized by them is a great and special honour,” referring to the ‘Entrepreneur of the Century’ Award presented to him by WZCC at the World Zoroastrian Congress in 2005. “Zoroastrians stand out in Business as they did in past years. I would love to re-engage… be associated with your organization to make that happen. If there are young Zoroastrians that have a good idea, I will be happy to contribute.”

Ratan Tata Chairman, Tata Group,Highly respected and recognized globally for his Vision, Integrity and Leadership. An unending source of inspiration to entrepreneurs in India.

Pallonji MistryLeading construction magnate and Chairman, Shapoorji Pallonji group of companies, he is the single largest shareholder of Tata Sons Ltd. As WZCC’s Honorary Member, he has extended a very generous support to WZCC.

“The world of commerce and business has great opportunities. If I can go to the US with $ 200 and make it work anybody can accomplish the biggest dream that he may have.”

Alayar DabestaniFounder Director of WZCC, he is a leading businessman based in USA. As an Honorary Member he has taken an active part in the growth of WZCC .

Message to Youth “Get out of your comfort zone and be prepared to take challenges. Set out to conquer. Do things that nobody else wants to do.”

“This is almost a definition of Entrepreneurship: You come up with an Idea, you have limited means, you have the odds stacked against you; but you want to get somewhere with your idea and you go out and make it happen. Sometimes people ask me if being a Parsi has helped me succeed. I believe the Zoroastrian emphasis on Good Thoughts, Good Words and Good Deeds definitely helps.”

“The initiative taken in the formation of the World Zarathusthi Chamber of Commerce itself and more recently by its India Chamber by instituting a Business Plan Contest has generated tremendous response. The model needs to be replicated in all geographies and repeatedly administered at regular intervals.”Dr. Jamshed Irani

A leading technocrat and Senior Director of Tatas, played a very active role as Chairman of leading Industrial Bodies and Public Commissions. Proud recipient of Padma Bhushan and widely honored in India and globally for his outstanding contribution to the growth of industry in India.

Sam BalsaraChairman and Managing Director, Madison World he was ranked as India’s Most Influential Media Person for five consecutive years. He is an Honorary Member of WZCC.

Lord Karan Billimoria CBE, DLFirst generation entrepreneur in UK and the first Zarathushti to be appointed as a member of the House of Lords. He is the Founder President of WZCC, UK.

Kersi Limathwalla Immediate Past President, WZCC, he has played a major role in the growth and development of WZCC in India.

“Today we are counted upon by one and all not just for industry but also for Industry with Integrity. This has enabled us to stand apart from the rest and be reckoned among the best. These values have come to be identified as our Brand Equity because they are undoubtedly an integral part of our Zarathushti ethos.”

Select Programmes of WZCC

Houston ChapterTenth Annual WZCC Gala at Houston The Houston Chapter has over the years continued to encourage and mentor young and budding entrepreneurs of our community. The keynote speaker at the Tenth Annual WZCC Gala at Houston was the celebrity Chef Jehangir Mehta, the ‘Iron Chef’ finalist from the exciting Food Channel’s main show. He shared his experiences with the audience with his aptly titled presentation ‘Passion & Risk – Two Sides of the Same Coin’.

New York ChapterLecture by noted Economist Amar BhideA compelling session was held at the Chapter’s meeting at Suffern where Amar Bhide, Professor of Business at Columbia University spoke on his provocative book, ‘The Venturesome Economy, How Innovation Sustains Prosperity in a more Connected World.’ In his view, many analysts put too much emphasis on the production of new technological ideas. Instead, he observed, the real economic payoff lies in innovations in how technologies are used.

‘Real Estate Opportunities in Challenging Times’ a Panel DiscussionDuring this discussion, professional experts made presentations on Foreclosures and Short Sales, Securing Mortgages Today and The Role of the Title Company. Rusi Gandhi, the moderator, spoke on ‘Real Estate Internet Auctions’. On the occasion, the outgoing Chapter Chair Arnaz

Maneckshana, summarized the Chapter’s strong progress over her three-year term. Arnaz was awarded with a plaque of fine mahogany, in appreciation of her dedicated efforts and devotion to the Chapter.

Chicago ChapterInvestment Planning In Uncertain Economic Times An informative presentation on Investment Planning was made by Farrokh Billimoria one of the nation’s top-notch financial advisors and Kayomarsh Mehta another financial expert. Members learnt how to maneuver through turbulent yet potentially attractive economic times and the strategies to be adopted for protecting, preserving and growing their

financial portfolio.

Southern California Chapter The Five Models of Creating Wealth A lecture by Cush Bhada, a successful real estate consultant was organised which touched upon the Five Models to create wealth; Net Worth Model, Financial Model, Network Model, Lead Generation Model and Acquisition Model. He walked through the foundational approach to thinking and becoming a millionaire, focusing on Criteria (the potential deals), Terms (to determine the best deals) and Network (to support the deals).

Global ProGrammeS

Members of WZCC Houston Chapter; Behroze Daruwalla, Corporate Secretary; Rustom Engineer, Vice President, WZCC with Hon. Consul General of India, Sanjiv Arora and Keynote Speaker Jehangir Mehta.

Members of the New York Chapter with outgoing Chapter Chair Arnaz Maneckshana, current Chapter Chair Natalie Vania-Gandhi, Rusi Gandhi and Edul Daver.

Empowering through Mentoring, Training, Networking and Recognition

North Texas ChapterOutstanding Zarathushti Professional Award to Jal Shroff of Hong KongEvery year WZCC recognizes outstanding Zarathushtis for their achievements in various business categories. The award for the Outstanding Zarathushti Professional was presented to Jal Soli Shroff of Hong Kong. A special ceremony was held at Dallas, when Firdosh Mehta, the then Chapter Chair, presented the award to Mr. Shroff for his varied achievements in the field of business and community services. Active in many voluntary services in Hong Kong, Mr. Shroff has been the Chairman of the Zoroastrian Trust Funds of Hong Kong, Canton and Macau for more than 15 years. He is the Promoter and Director of the world famous watch and accessories company FOSSIL Inc. which was launched in Dallas.

United Kingdom Chapter

Career Clinic on ‘Recession-proofing your Career’Over 70 young members attended a Career Clinic organized by Chapter Chair Shernaz Engineer. Kris Wadia, Executive Partner, Accenture, led the presentations which covered career protection during recession from four perspectives — Employee, Legal, Recruitment and HR. Rustom Tata, Partner and Head of Employment Group at DMH Stallard, covered the theme from a legal perspective while structuring the exit deal. The other speakers gave tactical advice to the youth on adapting to change to stave off redundancy. Kris Wadia then chaired an extensive Q & A session reflecting real life and practical problems faced by employees and job seekers.

Outstanding Young Zarathushti Entrepreneur Award to Khushroo Daruwalla of UK Khushroo Daruwalla of Khushtech Computer Services was presented the Outstanding Young Zarathushti Entrepreneur Award, 2010 by Lord Karan Billimoria, Founder President of WZCC, UK at a specially held function. Khushroo is a me-

chanical engineer from India and is a qualified software engineer from NIIT. His company which started in 2008 provides high level graphic web designs to clients. Khushroo is the only Zara-thushti who provides bespoke IT support services round the clock. In Khushroo’s

words, “The WZCC Award will not only boost my morale to a great level but infuse pride towards recognition for the sin-cere hard work that I have put in.”

Middle East Chapter - DubaiNinth World Zoroastrian Congress The Ninth World Zoroastrian Congress organized at Dubai by WZCC Chapter Chair, Meher Bhesania, was the largest gathering of leading industrialists, businessmen and professionals from the Zarathushti community. The Congress brought together leading businessmen and professionals to network with over 750 community members over four days.

Iran Chapter Seminar on ‘Economic Turmoil and its Remedies’The Iran Chapter invited Dr. Babak Khazaei from the University of California to be the main speaker at the Seminar which was attended by 150 members. The Iran Chapter has attracted many young business-oriented persons to become members.

Hashar Maktoum Juma Al Maktoum, Sheikh of Dubai being greeted by Pallonji Mistry, Lord Karan Billimoria and Meher Bhesania

Kris Wadia, Partner at Accenture; Christopher Forbes of Ph.D. Search and Selection; Shernaz Engineer, Chapter Chair; Phil Nun-nerley and RustomTata, Partner at DMH Stallard.

Khushroo Daruwalla receiving the Award for Outstanding Young Zarathushti Entrepreneur from Lord Karan Billimoria and Chapter Chair, Shernaz Engineer

99% Perspiration and 1% Inspiration’. He said that Trust and Reliability are the main characteristics that consumers look for in a product or service and these are the very attributes our community is known for. The interactive session that followed provided the youth with an opportunity to exchange their ideas with the speakers on how to overcome the challenges faced by early stage entrepreneurs. Awards were presented by the distinguished guests to all the EDP participants

Trade Delegations WZCC Mumbai Chapter successfully organized three trade delegations to Dubai, Iran and Karachi to encourage and facilitate business promotion, partnerships and networking with businessmen and industry associations in these countries.

Igniting Entrepreneurial Zeal - Training and Networking Programmes Inspiring lectures and interactive sessions with successful entrepreneurs have created awareness of the opportunities available to the community members, for launching business enterprises. These have been followed up with specific training and development programmes to equip them with the necessary skills to fructify their ideas.

Entrepreneur Development Programme (EDP) The five-day programme organized by WZCC India, covered various aspects of starting and conducting a business which enabled the participants to understand and appreciate the

Trade Delegation to Karachi hosted by Byram Avari, Honorary Member, WZCC.

Inspiring lectures and presentations to motivate Zarathushti entrepreneurs Modern Trends in Execution of Construction ProjectsAn interesting presentation was organized by the India Chamber which showcased the advances in construction technology made by Shapoorji Pallonji & Co. Ltd. in diverse civil and structural engineering projects. The Executives of the Group and one of its leading associate companies, Sterling & Wilson led the audience through the challenges of constructing mega projects and highlighted several bottlenecks, including government regulations, project cost control, timely execution and completion with a focus on quality control at all stages.

Presentation on ‘Nano’Executives of Tata Motors, vividly unfolded the story of ‘Nano’ the small and affordable car, right from the concept stage to its launch in the Indian and global markets. Potential entrepreneurs were greatly enlightened by the stages involved in developing a global product and the outsourcing opportunities offered by Tata Motors.

Renaissance of EntrepreneurshipThe event was organized to give an opportunity to the budding entrepreneurs who had participated in the Entrepreneur Development Programme (EDP), to present their business profiles. On the occasion, Chief Guest Shernaz Vakil of the Netarwala Group spoke on the Role of Women Entrepreneurs in Indian Society. The keynote speaker Sam Balsara, Chairman and MD, Madison World, inspired the aspiring young businessmen with his insightful talk on ‘Entrepreneurship —

ProgrammEs IN INDIa

Executives of Shapoorji Pallonji & Co. Ltd. and Sterling & Wilson with Kersi Limathwalla, Past President, WZCC and Phili Kharas, Chapter Chair, Mumbai.

Sam Balsara, Shernaz Vakil and Minoo Shroff, President WZCC at the event, ‘Renaissance of Entrepreneurship’.

Communicating Across Cultures Dr. Zareen Karani Araoz, President, Managing Across Cultures and one of the International Directors of WZCC, facilitated an evening of fun and learning in Pune about ‘Communicating across Cultures’. Participants benefited from her inputs as a cross-cultural management consultant, trainer and global leadership coach, with professional experience across several countries.

Entrepreneurship Development Programme at EDII, Ahmedabad A week-long residential Entrepreneurship Development Programme was organized by WZCC Mumbai Chapter for entrepreneurs in small and medium enterprises. The programme was designed and conducted by Entrepreneurship Development Institute of India (EDII), Ahmedabad. The objective of the Programme was to enhance the entrepreneurial skills of these businessmen, who had not undergone any formal training in entrepreneurship or management.

Seminar for Women EntrepreneursThe seminar specially designed for women entrepreneurs in the micro, small and medium enterprises was conducted in association with TiE - Stree Shakti. Over 60 women in business benefited through structured sessions and ensuing interactions on Marketing, Branding, Social Media Marketing, Government Finance Schemes for MSMEs, Bank Finance and Equity Funding. The keynote speaker, Pilloo Aga, Director, Gold Seal Group of Companies shared the challenges faced by her as a woman entrepreneur and described her ‘Marketing Mantra’ to the audience. The seminar provided a good platform for networking between women entrepreneurs of all communities.

Exposure to Industry Industrial visits to the manufacturing facilities promoted and managed by leading Zarathushti business houses like Tatas, Godrej Group, Forbes Marshall, Thermax and others, have proved to be an eye-opener for members, particularly the young entrepreneurs.

challenges facing their businesses. Participants were given the opportunity of presenting their business plans to a panel of Mentors and Financiers. Awards were presented to all the participants in various categories.

All-India Business Plan ContestA Business Plan Contest was organized by WZCC India for Zarathushti start-ups in Mumbai to provide guidance, instructions and a template for preparing and presenting a professional Business Plan. At the end, presenters of three top Business Plans were recognized and given cash awards. Their Business Plans were further scrutinized for funding.

Opportunities in the IT and ITES SectorsTata Consultancy Services (TCS), the IT giant, hosted a programme on ‘Exploring Opportunities for Entrepreneurs in the IT and ITES Sectors’ for over 40 WZCC enthusiasts. The presentation highlighted the various IT related activities having a good market potential both nationally and globally. Apart from the BPO sector, the other important IT services listed were, Mobile Applications, Applications for Social Networking Sites, Animation, Gaming, Conversions to Digital forms, et al. Members with the right aptitude and skills were encouraged to partner with TCS in its high growth initiatives.

The Winners of the Entrepreneur Development Programme held in Mumbai in 2010

Participants with faculty at EDII, Ahmedabad

Winners of Business Plan Contest with Dr. J J Irani, Shernaz Vakil, Homi Khusrokhan, Shernaz Mehta and Behram Sorabji

Youth Wing Programmes

Eric Engineer, Director Youth Affairs on WZCC International Board, conducted an interactive session for 150 attendees, mostly youth, who were divided into 12 groups based on their industry experience and aspirations. Each group was seeded with community members who had deep experience in their respective fields. The groups gained through structured discussions and sharing of ideas and experiences. Each group was tasked with brainstorming on ways in which it could collectively give back to the community. Common themes that developed included mentor and internship programmes, professional on-line directories and networks and pro-bono services for the community.

Youth Leadership Enhancement Programme (YLEP)At the Houston Chapter’s meeting, Eric Engineer explained the leveraging of online social and professional networks such as LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter and enlightened the audience on the effective use of these internet based avenues for keeping in touch and exponentially increasing our level of connectedness. Eric also introduced the YLEP project headed by him, to assist potential employers and employees to keep in touch in these trying economic times.

Youth Wing Programmes in MumbaiWZCC, Mumbai Chapter launched its Youth Wing in February 2010 with a programme ‘Excellence Across Generations’. The Objectives of the Youth Wing are:

a) Reigniting the spirit of entrepreneurship among the youth of our community

b) Creating a new generation of success stories in the professional world, and

c) Enhancing the economic well-being of the community by increasing intellectual capital, growing existing business talent and creating more opportunities for growth of entrepreneurship.

Nadir Godrej, MD, Godrej Industries Ltd., inaugurated the event with his inspiring address. Shernaz Engineer, Editor, Jam-e-Jamshed, motivated and encouraged the youth. Kainaz Messman, a young entrepreneur spoke about her journey to entrepreneurial success.

Business Networking Session The Mumbai Youth Wing organized a Business Networking Session for the youth, for exchange of leads and referrals for their business. The youth also got an opportunity to interact with a highly successful and young businessman.

Youth Leadership Workshop, Lonavla The workshop encouraged the youth to understand the demands of today’s corporate and business environment, strengthen interpersonal relationships and remain motivated. It had an amalgamation of several sessions on Finance, Marketing, Motivation and Entrepreneurship conducted by young experts which was followed by a hands-on session which reinforced the lessons learnt from the speakers.

Youth Career Connect at Houston

Eric Engineer leading the discussions on Youth Career Connect

Mumbai Youth Wing members at the Inauguration

Excerpts from Speeches of Distinguished Zarathushti Personalities

“We Zoroastrians are eminently suited to being Social Entrepreneurs and this is something that should come to us naturally. We believe that righteousness is the greatest virtue of all. We have an amazing track record for parting with our wealth for philanthropic purposes.”

Homi KhusrokhanFormer MD, Tata Chemicals Ltd. and Glaxo Wellcome Ltd. He is currently serv-ing on Boards of many public limited companies as Non Executive Independent Director.

“Enterprise is basically a sense of adventure and a leap of faith.” He likened a successful entrepreneur to a person who has the stamina of a boxer and patience of a chess player. “Failures are unavoidable but only then you learn what doesn’t work and failures give you an opportunity to try a new approach. You can never win if you never begin.”

Minoo ShroffPresident, WZCC

Neville Shroff Trustee, Zoroastrian Trust Funds of Hong Kong, Canton and Macau

“In this competitive environment it is important to have high caliber capable people able to demonstrate a high degree of flair and are flexible and innovative in their approach. The business environment has totally changed from my father’s days, where your word was your bond; today one has to be versatile, smart and be one step ahead of the competition.”

Cyrus BagwadiaPresident, WZCC, India Chamber. He is actively engaged inmentoring and promoting entrepreneurship.

“WZCC is an opportunity to play a positive and constructive role to bring about renaissance of entrepreneur-ship within our community. Vision with action is imperative. Our boys and girls have vision, have passion and must be guided to develop a de-finitive road map of actions to build an enterprise.”

“We are losing our sense of adventure, refusing to take risks. Discover the meaning of Profit. It is to make others happy.”

“Somebody helped me to grow in life, especially my community. I don’t have pots of money to give away; but I give whatever advice I can or contacts I have to others. My concern is what we can give to communities.”

Byram AvariUndoubtedly, the most prominent Zarathushti entrepreneur in Pakistan, having built up a large hospitality business in Pakistan, Dubai and Canada. He is an Honorary Member of WZCC.

Dadi Mistry Past Vice President WZCC and President Delhi Parsi Anjuman

Minoo Shroff President, International Board

Kersi Limathwalla Imm. Past President, International Board

Yazdi Tantra Technical Director, International Board

Zareen Karani Araoz Director, Global and External Relations, International Board

Eric Engineer Director, Youth Affairs,

International Board

Cyrus Bagwadia President, India Chamber

Phil MadonChairman, Recognition Committee for Awards

Framroze Patel Treasurer and Director,

International Board

Behroze Daruwalla Corporate Secretary and

Director, International Board

Bomy Boyce Past President,

International Board

Rustom Engineer Vice President,

International Board

Rohinton Rivetna Founder and Past President,

International Board

Phili Kharas Chairman, Mumbai Chapter

Adi Engineer Chairman, Pune Chapter

WZCC Leadership Team

WZCC’s Global PresenceChapter Chapter Chair E-mail

USAChicago Jim Engineer jim.engineer@e-rainmaker.com

Houston Zarir Sethna zarirs@sbcglobal.net

New York Natalie Vania-Gandhi nvania@encouragenewbiz.com

Boston Zareen Karani Araoz zareen@managingcultures.com

Seattle Behram Shahrvini shahrvini@gmail.com

Atlanta Rustom S. Kanga rkanga@comcast.net

North Texas Eric Engineer eric.engineer@gmail.com

Southern California Perinne Medora perinne@zubin.com

San Francisco Jamshed Gandi jbgandi@bgwbcpas.com

Central Florida Er. Soli Dastur dastur@comcast.net

Canada Vancouver Fariborz Rahnamoon fariborzr@hotmail.com

Toronto Armaity Bamji armaity.bamji@gmail.com

United KingdomLondon Shernaz Engineer shernaz@verityappointments.com

AustraliaSydney Adil Sarkari adilsarkari@gmail.com

Middle East Dubai Rumi Sarkari rsarkari@emirates.net.in

Iran

Tehran Shahram Jiveh shjiveh@yahoo.com

India Chamber Cyrus Bagwadia, President bagwadia@hotmail.com

Mumbai Phili Kharas phili.kharas@gmail.com

Pune Adi Engineer adijengineer@gmail.com

Delhi Cyrus Engineer delhi@indboilers.com

RepresentativesHong Kong Jal Shroff shroff@fossil.com

Singapore Russi Ghadiali russighadiali@yahoo.com

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Registered in the State of Illinois, USAIndia office: 8, R.N. Gamadia Polyclinic, Gamadia Colony, Tardeo, Mumbai 400 007

Tel: 022-3296 8175/ 2353 2522 • Email: wzccindia@on-lyne.com • Website: www.wzcc.net

World Zarathushti Chamber of Commerce