LDC, the private equity arm of Lloyds Banking Group, has unveiled its latest list of the UK’s most ambitious business leaders.
Each year, the LDC Top 50 recognises trailblazers who are driving growth, creating jobs, and making a lasting impact in their industries. These leaders stand out for their commitment to sustainability, fostering positive change, expanding internationally, and prioritising employee wellbeing. As featured in The Times, the 2024 Top 50 highlights the individuals shaping the future of UK business.
Here, we spotlight the South Asian faces who have earned a place on this prestigious list.
Younis Chaudhry, CEO, Regal Food Products Group: Starting from scratch in 2009, Younis Chaudhry faced immense challenges while building what is now a £40m-turnover food empire. Today, Regal Food Products Group supplies a wide range of items, from cakes to confectionery, to major retailers like Tesco, Morrisons, Asda, and Sainsbury’s, with 10% of its revenue coming from exports.
Tiku Chauhan and Kavita Parmar, Founders, Word360: In 2013, husband-and-wife duo Tiku Chauhan and Kavita Parmar took over a small translation business from Chauhan’s uncle, which at the time had a turnover of just £600,000. Optometrist Parmar used her clinical expertise to transform Word360 into an essential partner for clients in health and social care, evolving into a technologist along the way. Today, Word360 boasts a national network of 15,000 linguists, covering 450 languages, offering critical language support in settings from emergency rooms to GP practices.
Ram Gupta, Founder, Nybble: Ram Gupta’s goal is clear: to invest in people. At his tech firm Nybble, he’s cultivated a diverse team from various backgrounds. As the son of immigrant parents, Gupta’s upbringing—filled with both abundance and scarcity—shaped his leadership style. Gupta launched Nybble in 1998 as an IT retailer, and in 2010, he pivoted the company into a managed service provider (MSP) serving the automotive and manufacturing sectors. Now a multi-million-pound enterprise, Nybble is projected to grow by 30% next year, with plans for international expansion.
Ankit Modani, Director, Nustone: Ankit Modani comes from an entrepreneurial family, having scaled his family’s business in northern India to £15m in just a few years. However, he always aspired to strike out on his own. In 2020, he purchased Nustone, a paving stone retailer that was struggling at the time. He revitalised the company by expanding product lines, improving customer service, and focusing on e-commerce. This year, Nustone is set to reach £25m in turnover.
Sat Sanghera, CEO, IPI: After selling his technology firm, Datapoint Europe, Sat Sanghera spent a day working on a market stall. In 2019, he joined contact centre specialist IPI, becoming CEO just a year later. Under his leadership, IPI has doubled in size, launched its own software products, and earned a ‘World Class’ rating from Best Companies. Sat was honoured with ‘The People Award’ for his commitment to supporting his team and fostering an exceptional workplace culture at IPI.
Individual award winners
Apart from Sat Sanghera being recognised with ‘The People Award’, Diptesh Patel, founder and CEO of UBDS Group was honoured with the ‘The Alumni Award’.
Since being featured in The LDC Top 50 in 2022, Diptesh has embarked on a journey of both professional and personal growth. The digital transformation agency he founded in 2019, UBDS Group, has nearly tripled its workforce to 150 employees in just two years, expanded its client base by 60%, completed its first acquisition, and is on track to achieve £35m in turnover by 2026.
Patel is also taking steps to transform UBDS into an incubator for talented entrepreneurs and visionaries. UBDS is committed to creating social value, not only through its public sector work but also by bringing new skills into the industry with its apprenticeship programs and initiatives for ex-military personnel.
The Ones to Watch 2024
The Ones to Watch 2024 are LDC’s choice of entrepreneurs poised for remarkable success, disrupting industries like healthcare and finance to transform traditional business practices. South Asian faces that made an appearance on the list include:
Assad Ahmed, Founder & CEO, Phase 3 , a transformation consultancy in HR, Payroll and Finance.
Dr Shorful Islam, Chief Executive Officer, Be Data Solutions, a comprehensive data company specialising in Data Strategy, Engineering, and Analytics
Vinod Kakkar, Managing Director, Citycom. The company manages the complexities of Mobile, Fixed Line, Broadband, Cloud, Networking, and more.
Amad Tababa, Founder & Director, Autify Digital, one of the UK’s leading e-commerce integration and digital marketing specialists providing services like SEO, PPC, web design and e-commerce integration.
