Aban Pestonjee awarded with Sramaabhimanee Gold Award

Abans Group Founder and Chairperson Aban Pestonjee was recently awarded the Sramaabhimanee Gold Award, a prestigious award presented to individuals with a proven track record of excellence, innovation, and impact in their respective fields at a glittering ceremony held on 7 June at BMICH. The award was received on behalf of Aban Pestonjee by her daughter, Abans Director Dr. Saroshi Dubash. 

The Sramaabhimanee Awards have honoured numerous outstanding individuals and organisations, such as educators, healthcare professionals, business leaders, artists, and environmentalists who have made remarkable contributions to society since 2008. Through this honour, Pestonjee’s dedicated service rendered for the welfare of the country and future progress has been honoured, while being an icon of pride to Sri Lanka. 

With almost six decades of experience in the business world, Pestonjee’s vision, leadership and entrepreneurial spirit have been instrumental in driving the growth and success of the Abans Group. An embodiment of the company’s ethos of ‘identifying a need and fulfilling it’, her passion, drive and courage as a South Asian woman in a male-dominated business world have served as an inspiration to subsequent generations of Sri Lankan businesswomen.

Speaking to the World Bank blog “End Poverty in South Asia”, compiled by experts focused on improving lives and bringing opportunities to South Asia, Pestonjee also spoke on the extensive steps she had taken throughout her career that made her deserving of the title “Sri Lanka’s Top Women Entrepreneur”. She said that the winning formula lies in none other than three cornerstone principles that defined her life: Honesty, Hard work and Perseverance.

Among the repertoire of other accolades received by Pestonjee is the Global Strategy Leadership Award presented at the World Strategy Summit; Award of Excellence for Women Achievers for Outstanding Achievements, presented by the SAARC Women’s Association and the Bronze Award, under the large business category at the Women Entrepreneur of the Year awards by the Women’s Chamber of Industry and Commerce, both in the year 2000; KOTRA Plaque of Appreciation presented in 2005, for forging strategic foreign economic ties between Korea and Sri Lanka; Leading Woman Entrepreneur of the World Award presented by the Princess of Thailand in 2006; Woman Entrepreneur of the Year Award by the Women’s Chamber of Industry and Commerce at the Woman Entrepreneur of the Year 2017 Awards as well as the Gold Award in the Extra Large Business Enterprise Category and Sri Lanka’s Entrepreneur of the Year Award at the Derana Sri Lankan of the Year Awards 2017.

In 2021, she was recognised as one of Sri Lanka’s most admired leaders at the Most Admired Companies Awards, organised by the International Chamber of Commerce Sri Lanka and the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants. Her latest accolade was being awarded the Lifetime Achievement award at the inaugural SLID–ACCA National Corporate Director Awards 2025. Mrs Pestonjee has also been interviewed by The Harvard Business School, and the transcript of the interview is held in the school’s Baker Library, available to students for research and case studies.

The Sramaabhimanee awards were graced by distinguished guests, including Cabinet Ministers and prominent figures in Sri Lanka. This recognition honours the journey which began in 1968 in a closed economy, which has evolved into one of Sri Lanka’s leading diversified conglomerates today. The Abans Group has played an integral role in modernising Sri Lankan households, bringing solutions from world-class brands to people across the island.