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City. University of London sponsored the event, which celebrates the professional and social contributions of Indians who have studied in the UK.

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Launched last year to commemorate 75 years since India’s independence, the India-UK Achievers Honours is led by the National Indian Students and Alumni Union UK (NISAU) in partnership with the British Council.

City sponsored the event  with staff attending the Achievers Awards ceremony. As with last year’s awards, these recognised Indian alumni and students from UK institutions who have made a significant contribution to society and their professions.

Two City alumni were finalists at this year’s award: Eshita Kabra (MSc Management, 2014) who founded By Rotation, the world's first social fashion rental app, and Nausheen Basha (PhD Mechanical Engineering, 2021).

‌Eshita’s online fashion business venture has been described as the ‘Airbnb of designer fashion’ and the ‘Instagram of fashion rental’. She said it was an honour to be a finalist at the awards.

As a proud Indian citizen, I am especially passionate about creating a global business that makes sustainability accessible to people from all walks of life, and I am excited to be able to do this for the United Kingdom. I will continue to champion for more immigrant talent in my career, as they are the true underdogs.

Nausheen is currently a researcher in Fluids Engineering at Imperial College London and said she was delighted to be shortlisted as a finalist at the awards under the ‘education, science and innovation’ category.

She said: “It was an eventful evening celebrating outstanding contributions of global achievers whose contributions shape not only the India-UK bilateral relationship but also global discourse on critical issues. Congratulations to all other finalists!”

City is proud to host over 1,100 Indian students and values its educational and research partnerships with Indian universities. Akanksha Kumar, Student Union President, who was also a panelist at the awards, said the event acknowledged the importance of celebrating the diversity that exists in the Higher Education Sector.

“The panel addressed burning questions, the importance of being student first and practicing what institutions preach. Our finalists achievements exemplify the excellence and dedication that Indian students bring to City. They are not just students; they are the future leaders shaping our global landscape.

As the first Indian SU President since we became an independent charity, the glass ceiling has found its first crack, and I look forward to seeing more City students shatter through it.

At last year’s awards, City alumna Tripti Maheshwari (MSc Finance, 2015) was recognised in the Business & Entrepreneurship category for her work in founding the online platform for international students, Student Circus. Following the ceremony eight Fireside events involving Achievers took place across India.

Although this initiative was due to be a one-off, given its tremendous success, NISAU decided to run it again this year. It kicked off with a reception at the Palace of Westminster, with alumni, politicians and stakeholders coming together to celebrate the achievements of Indian students across the UK. Professor Raj Roy, Executive Dean of SST represented City at this event.

On the following day a conference was held on the future of Higher Education before the awards ceremony took place in the evening. This event brought together leaders in the UK and Indian HE sectors to interact directly with students, alumni and those that support international HE.

City were well represented at the conference, with Dr Sionade Robinson, Vice President Enterprise, Engagement & Employability contributing to a panel on employability entitled ‘Preparing the workforce of the future’ and Akanksha sharing insights on life as an Indian student in the UK on a panel entitled Koffee with NISAU.

Commenting on the initiative Mark Hertlein (Head of Global Engagement), who is coordinating City’s engagement, said:

“City is delighted to support this initiative for the second year running. The conference highlighted what an exciting time it is for Higher Education in India and provided insights on how UK universities can position themselves to engage with India, work with Indian universities and respond to the needs of Indian students. We recognise the important role that NISAU plays in the sector: the Achievers awards provide an important reminder of the value of the relationship between the UK and India and the wealth of talent that has emerged as a result of this relationship.”

As part of its engagement with this initiative City is sponsoring an Achievers Dialogue taking place in Mumbai in July.

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