The Award was presented at the TISA Bank SME Breakfast with the Prime Minister on Friday 27th June, at the Hilton Hotel in Port Moresby, by the Prime Minister himself, Hon. James Marape, to Ajay Patel, representing Sir. Mahesh.
In his acceptance speech, Ajay said:
“It is both a great honour and a deeply personal privilege to stand before you today on behalf of my father, Sir Mahesh Patel, as he is inducted into the Papua New Guinea Business Hall of Fame.
This award is not just a tribute to one man—it is a celebration of the journey that so many of you in this room understand intimately: the leap of faith from an idea to a business, from a lone vision to building something that impacts thousands.
And I am proud that I was intimately involved with him for over 5 years learning, arguing and jointly agreeing on various projects – it was both challenging and fun.
Over 40 years ago, my father arrived in Papua New Guinea from Fiji with little more than determination, an entrepreneurial spark, and a strong sense of purpose. From that seed ,and the ever strong support of my mother, Lady Usha, grew CPL Group—now the largest retail network in the country—built not just through business acumen, but through deep relationships with communities, employees, and partners across PNG.
He has always said that the greatest legacy is not the size of your enterprise, but the number of lives you uplift along the way.
That is why this recognition means so much to him—because it is not just about success, but about service and to the SME community—especially the rising generation of innovators and risk-takers—this award serves as a powerful reminder that the path may be long, but with perseverance, purpose, and people at your heart, greatness is within reach.
On behalf of my father, thank you for this incredible honour. Thank you for believing in his journey, and thank you for continuing to believe in what’s possible here in Papua New Guinea.
Tenkyu tru. God bless you all.”
