London: A Ghana-based Indian entrepreneur has won a prestigious business award in the UK for his efforts to bring innovative IT solutions to Africa.   

Birendra Sasmal, CEO of Subah, bagged the International Business Person of the Year at the Asian Achievers Awards in London last week, for turning the company into a thriving IT, telecoms and manufacturing success story with operations across West Africa.  

"We are successful because we are very focused on providing innovative solutions to solve problems that are being experienced not only in Africa but across the world," said Sasmal, who has his roots in West Bengal. "For example, in Ghana we are currently carrying out the largest household data collection and streets and building mapping exercise in African history.   

"The information gathered from this three-year project will enable the government to properly plan the expansion of municipal services including roads, schools, medical facilities etc – and apply property taxes consistently to maximise its revenues," he added.  

Headquartered in Accra, Ghana, the Subah Group employs around 350 people with offices in Guinea, Sierra Leone, New York City and Dubai. Under Sasmal's leadership, the group's revenues have increased by over 3,000 per cent and it has been named among one of Africa's fastest growing tech companies.   

"Since I moved to Ghana, the most striking change has been, as in India, the number of people who have mobile phones these days and how easy it is to access the internet and make cheap calls overseas.   

"We are working with Governments and operators in West Africa to help reduce fraud on their networks and maximise revenues," said the entrepreneur who has been based in Ghana since 2010.   

The IT expert believes the next phase of growth for the industry will most likely involve artificial intelligence. PTI