Kavita Oberoi

Kavita Oberoi

Kavita Oberoi is one of the UK’s most successful female entrepreneurs. Kavita is the founder and Managing Director of an extremely successful IT and Business Healthcare Consultancy, Oberoi Consulting, which she started from scratch in 2001. Kavita’s creative approach to business and motivational skills are an inspiration for others to emulate. The passion to excel is the driving force in her life.

Already well known in Derbyshire, where her business is based, Kavita came to receive wider public attention in August 2008 when she appeared on Channel 4′s hit show The Secret Millionaire.

Kavita left university with a First Class Degree in Applied Chemistry, and embarked on a highly successful career with Bayer Pharmaceuticals where she quickly established herself as one of their leading medical representatives. Missing out on a promotion with Bayer led Kavita to make the decision to go it alone, which she now says is the best thing that ever happened to her in career terms. She spotted a gap in the market for clinical audit and IT training and business consulting for GP Practices. She quickly won a contract with International Blue Chip Pharmaceutical company, Pfizer. By August 2001, demand for her services had become so great that she established Oberoi Consulting.

Kavita ensures new technologies and streamlining methods are constantly in development to keep pace with the demand for new solutions.

Kavita’s other business interests include commercial property, and the provision of conference facilities and serviced offices. In January 2010 Kavita became co-owner of the global, award winning security company, Octavian, which employs over 500 personnel. Kavita’s latest business ventures are Adherence Science of which she is a shareholder and Director, and Oberoi InConsortia. Adherence Science focuses on supporting patient compliance to medication through the use of mobile phones, while Oberoi InConsortia aims to support the move towards GP commissioning and away from Primary Care Trust commissioning, while offering assistance to the new social enterprises and GP consortia that form as a result of the Government White Paper on NHS reform.

Raised in a traditional Indian family, Kavita credits her mother with giving her the determination to seek out an education for herself, and her father for giving her the entrepreneurial spirit which has made her such a success in business. She says, ‘My father died when I was only 15, but I will always remember how his entrepreneurial spirit inspired me. He came to England in the 1960′s with nothing, and built up a really successful business through sheer hard work and determination.’ As a result, Kavita was the first woman in her family to get a University degree and be allowed to work.

In 2005, Kavita was awarded the prestigious NRI Pride of India Gold Award in recognition of her achievements and received a special commendation in the Entrepreneur of the Year Section in the Asian Woman of Achievement Awards. Kavita was then given a Fellowship of the RSA (The Royal Society for the Encouragement of Arts, Manufacture and Commerce). In 2007 the NRI presented Kavita with the NRI Achiever Pinnacle Award in the category of Business Empress which recognises single minded dedication and hard work in pursuit of ones goals. In 2009 Kavita was named in the HBOS report as one of ‘Britain’s 100 Most Entrepreneurial Women’. She was also short-listed for the business and commerce award in the Lloyds Bank Jewel Awards and was a judge and mentor for the HBOS Social Entrepreneur Awards.

The Secret Millionaire has inspired Kavita to become more involved with charity work – Kavita says; “I want to be able to share my success and inspire and help people. My father was well known for his philanthropy, and I want to follow in his footsteps” Kavita is now a Director of one of the charities, Martha’s Oasis, that she supported on Channel 4′s Secret Millionaire.

In April 2010, International Girl Guiding and Girl Scouting appointed Kavita as Chair of the Global Girls’ Fund Board, with HRH Princess Benedikte of Denmark acting as Patron of the Fund. The Global Girls Fund, which seeks to raise £10million to support international Girl Guiding and Girl Scouting, is dedicated to empowering all girls and young women.

In 2010 Kavita also accepted an appointment to become a Patron of Burton College, where she supports the student body and aims to raise the aspirations of young people, helping them to achieve their full potential.

In February 2011 Derby Renaissance Board asked Kavita to join them as a Board Member. The Board aims to develop a strategic vision for Derby and influence the development of the city towards the 2020 Vision. Board members also act as ambassadors and advocates of the city, promoting Derby at home and abroad.

Dynamic, innovative, entrepreneurial, she sets by example standards of excellence and this is reflected in her success to date.