[ Global Nris ]

Sculptor Anish Kapoor Joins Uk's Millionaire List

Turner prize-winner Indian-origin sculptor Anish Kapoor, whose giant sculptures adorn squares from Chicago to Nottingham, has joined the ranks of UK's super-rich artists with a multi-million pound fortune.

55-year-old Kapoor made a 17 million pounds of profit in 2008, taking the fortune he has made from his art to £40 million, new company accounts showed.

Mumbai-born Kapoor now plans to add a 5 million pounds country house in the Berkshire downs to his assets.

He will be included in The Sunday Times Rich List when the 2010 edition comes out, the first specialist sculptor to appear, joining artists such as Damien Hirst and Lucian Freud.

The reputation of Kapoor, a Turner prize-winner, has soared in the past decade. He is now engaged in the world's largest commission, a 15 million series of sculptures known as the Tees Valley Giants, destined for five towns in northeast England.

Last year 29 Kapoor sculptures were sold at auction for 5.5 million pounds. The most expensive lot, a reflective stainless-steel globe, went for 1.17 million pounds.

His private gallery often sells his works for more than 1 million pounds. According to the Companies House filing, the main activity of Kapoor's company, White Dark, is "the creation and sale of the art".

Indian Researcher Named For Australian Honor

Professor Ralph Martins

Indian-origin researcher of Alzheimer's disease, Ralph Martins, has been named Australian of the Year 2010 by the government of Western Australia.

Born to parents who were from India, Martins, a professor, moved to Perth at 16 years of age.

He will join recipients from other Australian states and territories as finalists for the national awards to be announced on January 25 in Canberra.

Peter Varghese, Australian high commissioner to India, said: "The award signals Professor Martins' contributions to research on Alzheimer's disease. It is a recognition of the contribution by Professor Martins to medical science."

"I am particularly delighted that Professor Martins has been honored. His Indian background speaks of the contributions of the diaspora in Australia and stands testament to the multicultural nature of Australian society," he added.

Martins shares Australia's breakthrough research on Alzheimer's disease with specialists in India.

Currently Martins is collaborating with Jacob Roy, who is president and founder of the Alzheimer's and Related Disorders Society of India (ARDSI) that is involved in running clinics and research centers in India.

India-Born Businessman Nominated To Canadian Senate

For the first time, an India-born businessman has been nominated to the Canadian Senate by Prime Minister Stephen Harper. 73-year-old Vim Kochhar is expected to take the oath of office next week.

Kochhar is among five outstanding Canadians who have been nominated to the Senate by Harper, whose Conservatives party is now closer to taking back control of the Upper House with the new appointments.

The government is still three seats shy of absolute control of the 105-member Senate.

Born in India, Kochhar received his engineering degree at the University of Texas and migrated to Canada in 1967, becoming a Canadian citizen in 1974.

Kochhar is the President and founder of the Vimal Group of Companies in Toronto. Working for InterContinental Hotels and Howard Johnson Hotels, he was responsible for project management of major hotels around the world.

For the past 30 years, Kochhar has played an active role in the community by creating the Canadian Foundation for Physically Disabled Persons.

He is currently serving as Board Member for the Canadian Museum for Human Rights and as Chair of the Canadian Paralympic Foundation.