INDIAN-BORN restaurateur Asheesh Dewan, founder of the Jaipur Indian restaurant chain, has been named overall winner of the Permanent TSB Ethnic Entrepreneur of the Year awards.
Mr Dewan received his award from the Minister for Integration Policy, Conor Lenihan, at an awards ceremony in Dublin's Morrison Hotel yesterday afternoon.
As well as winning the overall prize, Mr Dewan won the services entrepreneur of the year award. He described winning as a great honour and said it would drive him to succeed further. "When I began business here, only 15 per cent of Indian outlets in the country were restaurants. The environment has changed dramatically and Irish people have definitely embraced the whole Indian dining experience. Ireland of the last 10 years was the only market to be in."
Mr Dewan moved to Ireland from India in 1995. His Jaipur chain, started in 1998, consists of five restaurants in the Dublin-Wicklow area, with a sixth due to open in Dundrum Town Centre. It employs about 90 people and has a turnover of almost €5 million. Mr Dewan owns a twice Michelin-starred restaurant in London and is involved in IT companies.
Mr Lenihan paid tribute to the contribution the growing ethnic community - representing 12 per cent of the State's population - was making to Irish society. "These new communities play an important role in our society by creating employment opportunities for others, helping to sustain our economic growth," he said.
Other award-winners included:
• Best Business Idea - Maria Angolo of Life Line Nursing Ltd;
• Best Emerging Entrepreneur - Marco Giannantonio of Flavour of Italy;
• Social Ethnic Entrepreneur - Yemi Ojo for her in role the Integration of African Children in Ireland Network (IACI);
• Special Judges' Award - Lord Diljit Rana MBE.
The awards are sponsored by Permanent TSB, Newstalk 106, Tullow Oil, Communicorp and The Irish Times.
Denis O'Brien, of Communicorp, said that ethnic businesses had helped to diversify the core of the economy. "These businesses need to be admired, encouraged and to receive accolades," he said.
