Uganda’s business magnate Sudhir Ruparelia and honorary Consul of Nepal in Uganda Sudhir Ruparelia has been honored with the Pan Africanist Entrepreneur Award of the year at PAP Global Award 2024.
Sudhir is also the Chairman of Ruparelia Group of Companies whose investments span education, real estate, insurance, broadcasting, leisure and hotel management and floriculture among others
Sudhir was awarded for his exceptional leadership and entrepreneurial spirit, which has had a great influence on development.
Bishop Joshua Maponga from Zimbabwe a Pan Africanist and Hajjat Hadijah Namyalo, the coordinator in the office of the National Chairman of the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) party attended the function. She presented the award to Sudhir on behalf of PAP.
The theme was “Pan-Africanism + Environmentalism = Humanism,” highlights the importance of collective action and determination in shaping a better future for Africa.
Sudhir returned to Uganda in 1985, with $25,000 earned from several casual jobs including working in supermarkets, factories, and butcheries. He started selling beer and spirits imported from Kenya. In 1989, beer importation was banned to encourage local brewing of alcohol and he realized he could not make beer. But since his customers, who were mainly foreigners, paid him in foreign currency, he started Crane Forex Bureau, the first in Uganda. With his profits, Sudhir ventured into other businesses, including forming Crane Bank in 1995.
