It is both a momentous and yet an emotional time for me at this particular juncture of my life as I recap the last one year. It has been a particularly difficult year for me as I’ve had to come to the end of a period of my life and this year has been spent in handing over in stages, various responsibilities and duties to a group of people who are going to carry on the baton in different aspects and in different parts of the group. Yet there is a feeling of innate satisfaction in all of this in knowing that the dream that once was, is now history. A new dream begins, a new vision, one that is virtually in a different paradigm; one that I would have never imagined a decade ago. But the most satisfying part of this year has been in realising and recognising that I have created a team of people who are not just capable and conscientious but compassionate, especially with an equal concern for the same value that I have cherished all these years. I feel confident that this group who have inherited the responsibilities that I have carried for the last ten years will carry on for another ten years at least.

The moments that I hold dear in the last 12 months are V-Malaysia in Penang which was the best ever, the most exciting ever and the most intense ever held. It was literally the V Con of the decade! We had 5000 people from 90 countries, a veritable United Nations, that came together for 5 days not just to celebrate the business but to celebrate each other. It was a manifestation of all our hopes for the future and will be the source of inspiration for all the coming years ahead. Then, we had V Africa, which was a truly inspirational event despite being smaller in that about 1500 people came together but was equally intense and so full of hopes and aspirations and love. What I clearly remember as one of the high points of those heady days in Uganda was when I clasped hands with two highly placed Muslim clerics and a Christian bishop in brotherhood, depicting our common goal of a united mankind.

Then again there were the memories of India. Not always pleasant, yet another challenge amongst our midst reminding us that ours is a world where victory has to be wrought with drive and determination, with clarity of purpose and compassion in our veins, with understanding and a meeting of the hearts. India is still the heartbeat of the Group. We are after all talking about one fifth of the world’s population. Hence, clearly one fifth of our target market. But more so, because our mentor and icon of the Group, Mahatma Gandhi himself hails from this great and wonderful land. We will and we must prevail in this current environment or like all other successful companies we have rivals who will use any ways or means to halt our progress. But fortunately, with the tremendous spirit and strength of our Indian leaders and corporate staff, I am confident that we are above and beyond the depth of this particular crisis. Now begins the long steady and strenuous climb forward. As I said all those years ago, when we set foot on this great continent, we have come to stay.

The next ten years are going to be defined both by our challenges and our victories, each of which will contribute to the greater picture, to the greater vision of who we are. May the Lord continue to lend us His Grace and guide our every step.

I wish you all an exuberant and exciting Christmas and a truly, wonderful New Year 2009, the first year of the new decade.