Hind Management Founder and Chief Executive Sudesh Jhunjhnuwala ONZM has received the Raman (Ray) Ranchhod Commemoration Award at the 17th Annual Indian Newslink Business Awards, recognising his excellence in business and contributions to the environment and Māori education.

Prime Minister the Rt Hon Christopher Luxon presented the award at a ceremony at the Due Drop Events Centre on 2 November 2026, attended by Members of Parliament and business and community leaders.

The recognition reflects the belief at the heart of Hind Management: hospitality should create lasting value for guests, people, communities and the places they share.

Building a business with purpose

Sudesh has taken a long-term approach to growing Hind Management, bringing together commercial ambition, care for people and responsibility for the environment.

As a family-owned business with an owner-operator mindset, Hind Management takes a personal stake in the experiences it creates and the relationships it builds. Sudesh’s leadership has embedded that responsibility throughout the business, shaping how it operates today and invests for the future.

Since founding Hind Management in 2000, Sudesh has grown it from a single hotel into a group operating eight hotels across Auckland, Rotorua, Kaikōura, Christchurch and Queenstown. Its portfolio spans accommodation, restaurants, bars, wellness and co-working, with more than $450 million in owned and managed assets and over 650 employees.

Caring for people and place

The values of manaakitanga and kaitiakitanga shape how the business welcomes guests, supports its teams and contributes to the destinations it calls home.

Across Sudima Hotels, environmental commitments are backed by measurable action. Every property is certified under the Toitū Carbon Reduce programme, with emissions measured, managed and independently audited. All Sudima Hotels also hold Qualmark Gold Sustainable Tourism accreditation, while the Go Green programme supports the planting of 12,000 native trees each year.

Hind Management also invests in opportunities that help more people build a future in hospitality through:

• The Māori and Pasifika Scholarship Programme, creating education-to-employment pathways.

• The Ngāti Whakaue Scholarship Programme in Rotorua, established in 2014.

• The Open Doors Disability Internship Programme.

• The Māori Leadership Hui, now in its third year.

The award follows Sudesh’s appointment as an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit in the 2025 New Year Honours, for services to the hospitality industry and philanthropy.

Together, these initiatives bring Sudesh’s belief to life: growing a successful business means looking after people, caring for the environment and giving back to the communities it is part of.