Focus Dinner with Meenu Malhotra, The Malhotra Group

The culture of his Punjabi birthplace to put the care of family and elders first is a doctrine that Meenu Malhotra has lived out for the past 35 years.

As head of the family business, he has helped built a group of enterprises that is now focusing on Care company across the North East, whilst back in India he is aiming to build a £50m sister hospital to Newcastle’s Freeman.

It’s all part of a mission not just to achieve success today, but also to leave a lasting legacy for tomorrow, whether that is improving healthcare in the city of his birth or creating jobs and wealth in his adopted home.

Meenu’s ambition, drive and commitment to the North East saw him shortlisted as the Forum’s Entrepreneur of the Year this year.

Since arriving in the region for a family wedding as an 18-year-old, Meenu immediately put a natural instinct for business to good use, building first a chain of clothing stores, care homes and then commercial property.

The group now owns around 150 major buildings in Newcastle alone that are occupied by banks and other significant tenants. Trophies of his success, he calls the more significant buildings his "babies".

The Malhotra Group, which also includes Prestwick Care division, turns over around £40m and employs over 1,000 people. The empire is set to grow still further with plans to invest £100m over the next five years following a successful bid to the Funding for Lending Scheme structured by RBS.

As well as mentoring his son and brother with a view to them taking over the business in the future, Meenu is a generous donor to charity and education, and a keen supporter of SMEs.

This is an evening not to be missed, a unique chance to share with and learn from a legend of North East business in the making, alongside like minded entrepreneurs.