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"The new board’s first objective was to make all regions more inclusive and improve global communication in real time. It was made very clear that every director must be a champion, leading the effort in their regions/chapters and ‘wall flowers’ would not be acceptable,” declared Edul Daver when presenting his presidential report at the annual general meeting (AGM) of the World Zarathushti Chamber of Commerce (WZCC) at the Zoroastrian Building in Hong Kong on December 17, 2016. The first AGM that he attended after taking office a year ago in Goa, the meet hosted by the Zoroastrian Charity Funds of Hongkong, Canton and Macao (ZCFHCM) saw attendance from 10 of the 15 directors and office bearers on the international board plus members and well-wishers who had come from India, Iran, Dubai, UK, Singapore, Australia, USA and Canada.
Reiterating that "we are a business organization and the first rule for any business is fiscal discipline to operate within our means,” Daver stressed the need for every chapter and region to improve their financial position over and above their normal dues by generating income from event surpluses, sponsorships and fund-raisers. To those who feel WZCC is being too ambitious, Daver assured, "Not failure but low aim is a crime.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Iran Trade Mission has been tentatively planned from October 1-11, 2017 to gauge the "business landscape… and assess the barriers in doing business there,” said Daver. It will be an eight to 10-day business cum leisure trip covering Tehran, Shiraz, Persepolis, Isfahan and is expected to cost US $1,600-1,700 (Rs 1,08,800 to Rs 1,15,600, not inclusive of airfare. The 18th largest country in the world with the second largest natural gas reserves, the trip to Iran promises to be "an eye-opener” offering "a significant opportunity… with early market penetration advantages,” he said.
"You may wish to emotionally and financially invest in Iran,” urged Siavosh Kaviani, the lone Zoroastrian representative from Iran at the AGM who was speaking on behalf of the Iran region chair Parviz Varjavand.  The current commerce scenario in Iran is placing "a large pressure on Iranian Zoroastrians,” said Kaviani who felt that the option before them was "fight or flight.”
The socio-business project envisaged with the active participation of the World Zoroastrian Organisation Trust (WZOT) hopes to bring clean well water to eight/nine families living in a cluster in Wangan in Vansda taluka of Gujarat. After the success of their solar project in Zavda village undertaken at the behest of the Lions Club of Byculla, WZOT is emboldened to execute the Wangan project by hitting a bore well in April or May 2017 at a cost of around seven lakh rupees (USD 10,319), stated WZOT trustee Dinshaw Tamboly. To cite the advantage of networking, Daver related how a chance meeting with his ex-customer at a retirement party resulted in Hoeganaes Corp of Sweden pledging to donate one unit of their low cost water purification system using iron powder for use by WZCC/WZOT.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

To formulate a Zarathushti Futuristic Fund after raising two to five crores of rupees (USD 294,875 to 1,031,923) is the aim of the new board with the driving force being former WZCC global president Minoo Shroff, India chapter chair Capt Percy Master and India director Pheroze Kharas. Consultants were appointed and a blueprint is being finalized so that its constitutional clauses give it a Zarathushti approach. They will invite professionals to invest in this fund on the premise that they will get their due returns from applicants who will not be required to give collaterals but postdated cheques. The earlier Venture Capital Fund with monies in the custody of the Bombay Parsi Punchayet (BPP) is lying dormant. 
"We will be striving to make 2017 the Year of the Youth and perhaps forming a Young Entrepreneur/Business (YEB) Wing” to encourage them to plan and promote their own activities. The two needs identified by the youth are availability of relatively easy financing and added value activities in their quest for "instant results and gratification,” revealed Daver who wanted to impress on them that instant results are seldom long lasting and they should instead develop patience and persistence.
The revised website of WZCC with financial contributions from chapters all over the world has been made web and mobile friendly with "autonomy to each chapter to post developments directly on the website. It will be more interactive where prospective entrepreneurs can post their queries… (and will include) a job portal as requested by members,” reported WZCC vice president Yazdi Tantra "encouraging members to participate.” The WZCC app that is under development is currently Poona centric, added Xerxes Dastur, treasurer of the WZCC India region who recommended that  it should include a location map with a directory of WZCC members in that region that could be of use to members visiting the city.
The WZCC compiled financial statement for the year ended October 31, 2016 showed a closing balance of US $ 155,408 (Rs 10,567,744). It included the statement of accounts received from Houston, British Columbia, New York and Chicago chapters, Australia, Middle East and India regions and the global treasurer Katayun Kapadia.
When WZCC co-founder Rohinton Rivetna enquired whether donations in kind can be monetized, Kapadia stated that "we can consider after studying the country/regional laws …” As WZCC corporate secretary Adi Siganporia reminded, erstwhile WZCC global president Minoo Shroff’s "efforts to bring in money” had resulted in the global body benefitting by Rs 40-50 lakhs (USD 58,880 to 73,600).
WZCC has announced its plans to take an "active part” in the 2018 World Zoroastrian Congress in Perth, Australia. The Australian region includes members from Melbourne, Perth, Sydney and other cities too, reported regional chair Jimmy Medhora. "Strong proponents of WE (Women’s Entrepreneurs) wing,” they also like to "encourage the youth from a succession planning perspective.” Being a volunteer based organization, "we understand the need to work smarter rather than just work harder,” he added.
In the time slot for regional/chapter reports Rustom Engineer stated that in Houston they hold four events a year and focus on the youth by organizing career programs at the high school level. Homi Italia of Vancouver mentioned that their chapter was established in 2009 but was not active. They have now started organizing four meetings a year, often inviting "our own community members as speakers. There are not many entrepreneurs,” regretted Italia. Toronto has more Zoroastrians than Vancouver but it does not have a WZCC chapter.
"Ours is the youngest team as all our directors are less than 45 years of age,” mentioned Meher Bhesania of Dubai on behalf of their Middle East regional director Porus Guzder who could not attend. She referred to their Dubai Pravasi Yatra held in October 2016 that succeeded in "promoting business and igniting a spirit of entrepreneurship” besides advocating Dubai as a world expo city in 2020. SynergyZ, the 12-year-old WZCC publication that is now published from Dubai, "tries to bring in stories not told elsewhere.” In their quest to make it an award winning publication, the yearly magazine "places a heavy burden on us… We need SynergyZ to be self funding. All our work is gratis. We don’t pay contributors. Those who want to submit profiles should get in touch with their chapter chairs.”
The Iran region has a membership count of 84 of whom around one-fourth attend the meetings held every alternate Saturday and the family outings that are organized in a member’s garden or convenient restaurant to strengthen the bonds among coreligionists. "One of our honored guests this year was Neville Shroff, president of the Hong Kong based Shroff and Company… While getting to know his business better, we also got to learn about the trade possibilities Iran might have with the Far East,” stated their report for the year 2016. To bridge language barriers, they have been conducting English language classes for the last 14 years sponsored by Varjavand. They are also keen to promote youth exchange programs to expose youngsters of the community to their rich heritage in varied milieux.

 

 

In UK, WZCC was set up by Karan Bilimoria who in 2006 was an "icon for entrepreneurship,” revealed Dorab Mistry, former president of the Zoroastrian Trust Funds of Europe. "He is the unquestioned voice of business in the House of Lords.” The current chair is Shernaz Engineer who with the support of chef Cyrus Todiwala regularly organizes meetings for businessmen and professionals. Mistry referred to the success of young Zoroastrian technocrats, citing the instance of Cityfalcon, an information dissemination company founded by Ruzbeh Bacha, that seeks to level the playing field for investors and traders by making financial news available to all and not only those who can afford subscription services each month. Through crowd funding Cityfalcon was able to raise  £ 250,000 (Rs 20,750,000) instead of the targeted £ 150,000 (Rs 1,24,50,000).
The Business Advisory Service (BAS) program of the WZCC that seeks to mentor young professionals or entrepreneurs to grow or succeed needs to be promoted through the social media, recommended Kharas. "Hardly one or two youngsters come for BAS which is quite discouraging,” he mentioned. "One of the first challenges for an entrepreneur is to convert an idea into a business plan for funding. People are willing to put in equity for those who have a reasonably good business plan.” Lack of knowledge of management, how to get results through and with people, is often the reason why start-ups fail. Clarity is required on the objective of an organization and its critical performance area, he specified.
When Shroff enquired, "What is the reason for lack of entrepreneurship?” several delegates res-ponded. Hormaz Hilloo-wala, founder of Yazdan Enterprise in Surat, a trading firm that deals in agriculture products, chemicals, briquettes (biofuel), asserted that "Today’s Parsis are not willing to take insults; not willing to accept reality.” He referred to the "struggles and insults” he had to encounter before his company that started with an investment of Rs 75,000 (USD 1,103) could grow into a one crore (USD 147,059) company that has zero debt. "Surat has only 10-15 entrepreneurs,” he stated, regretting that people lacked guts to overcome financial problems.
"Smart kids with a good education join companies that pay very good salaries and offer entrepreneurial opportunities within the organization,” observed Engineer referring to companies like Google and Amazon that helped its employees to simultaneously grow professionally and entrepreneurially. Referring to a recent campus level recruitment of students, five of whom were Parsis who had yet to complete their MBA, global chair of the WZCC WE wing Behroze Daruwalla mentioned how they were offered a monthly starting package of Rs 2.5 lakhs (USD 3,906) by Google. 
Kharas mentioned how he had worked for 18 years with Union Carbide but when he realized that his "projects were not being accepted and I was not working to my full potential, I decided to become an entrepreneur.”"After the British left India, the majority of Parsis went into safe mode,” stated Firoz Pestonji of Aussie Perth Tours. After his early education in India, he too was advised to join Central Bank of India but opted to study engineering, "got a break with Godrej and am standing where I am today.” When he offered to host the Congress in Perth on behalf of the organizing committee "there was a lot of fear… but we will make it a success,” he announced. With the average age of the community in Perth between 45-50 years, he described the Zoroastrians there as "religious, tolerant and friendly.”
Dastur felt it necessary to impress upon parents that "failure is acceptable” and they should permit their children to evolve and try new things. He noted that many parents are happy to offer advice "but prefer to play safe with their own kids.” He referred to one case of a Parsi youth seeking a bank job. On Dastur’s recommendation the manager helped the applicant clear the first round. The manager then specifically called Dastur to say, "For the next round don’t send the mother with the applicant!”
Divorce parents from the children at the time of career orientation, advised Tamboly adding that the "youth are not competitive” and the plethora of trusts "have created a community of professional beggars” as observed in an earlier study by S. F. Markham commissioned by the Sir Ratan Tata Trust in 1932. "Youngsters don’t have humility,” stated WZCC corporate secretary Adi Siganporia, comparing their demeanor with the likes of Naval Tata (the late father of Ratan Tata) who would open the rear door of his car for Siganporia, then a junior with Tatas, before occupying his own seat.
"Let WE brainwash the women and see what results we can produce,” stated Daruwalla. When giving an overview of WE that was formalized at the previous AGM in Goa in 2015, she stated, "Ladies’ needs are a little different.” It is often the mother-and-daughter duo who are opting to become WE members and avail of the courses they offer on: How do you use the apps on your mobile? How do you manage stress at home with work pressures? "Often members tell us what they want from us… At talks by motivational speakers, the interaction is phenomenal,” she mentioned. "Don’t sit at home…Step out and do business,” she urged recommending that the women be "empowered.” When men too show an interest in attending meetings, they sometimes have joint programs. In Bombay, a core committee of few ladies meet every month. She urged other regions to, "at least have two programs in a year geared to ladies.”
Natalie Gandhi of New York referred to a webinar that she attended when she noticed a lack of women participants and recommended that women be brought into private equity which has a window of opportunities. Dastur referred to a study that revealed that if a wife is handling the finance in a family business, it is in safe hands; if the husbands handle the finance, the risk is much higher.
Commending the "meticulous planning by (ZCFHCM president) Neville Shroff,” India chapter chair Capt Percy Master appreciated that WZCC stood for "respect, recognition and reward.” He valued the inspiration from his mentor Minoo Shroff and hoped that Daver would be able to create a "miracle with WZCC” just as he had succeeded in creating one for New York when their new Dar-e-Mehr was inaugurated with community contributions in March 2016. To take stock of chapter activities, the board in India meets once a month. Although they interacted with youth communities, they realized that youngsters find the age gap too wide to digest and are considering inducting a youngster on the board. Since the Delhi chapter is dormant, he said they have nominated livewire Nergish Mistry to turn it around. Their intention is to increase performance based chapters rather than only a higher number of chapters. A specially constituted WhatsApp group is meant to bring members closer. "Mere talking is not enough; we need action,” stated Master who realized we have "to do something out of the box; we have to think very hard to bring the community forward.” Rather than see the community divided along the lines of orthodox and liberal he advocated the need for a committee of well-known Parsis who can suggest ways and means of promoting it in a professional way. "To succeed we must believe we can …”
With the opening of the Bangalore chapter during the year, Daver announced that the next AGM will be held in Bangalore and the one thereafter, hopefully at Dinyar Mehta’s hotel in Orlando, since the Florida chapter has now been revived.