Editing Aban Pestonjee

{{Infobox person
| name       = Aban Pestonjee
| image      = Aban_Pestonjee.jpg
| occupation = [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Entrepreneurship Entrepreneur]
| website    = [https://abansgroup.com/ http://abansgroup.com]
}}

Aban Pestonjee is the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chair_(officer) chairperson] and founder of the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abans Abans] group of companies. She is known as one of the first entrepreneurs who initiated in first bringing Korean technology to [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sri_Lanka Sri Lankan] consumers.

Pestonjee launched her business in 1968 in her home garage where she managed to restore the used appliances which she acquired from auctions and home sales to better working condition and sell them at her corner shop in Galle Road.<ref name="ref1">[https://www.ft.lk/business/A-Sri-Lankan-story-Abans-Group-s-journey-from-corner-store-to-corporate-giant/34-689270 A Sri Lankan story: Abans Group's journey from corner store to corporate giant | Daily FT].www.ft.lk. Retrieved 2024-03-24.</ref>

==Personal life==
Pestonjee is of [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parsis Parsi] descent.

==Business life==
Aban Pestonjee launched her business under the name Abans in 1968 at her home garage, where she managed to restore the used appliances she acquired from auctions and home sales to better working condition and sell them at her corner shop at [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bambalapitiya Bambalapitiya], Galle Road.<ref name="ref1"/> She came up with the idea to launch her own company at a time when Sri Lanka entered into the prospect of a closed economy in the 1960s, which also resulted in the subsequent ban on imports. Aban also took note of how difficult it was to complete household chores through manual labour due to restrictions imposed by Sri Lankan government on importing raw materials and cashed in on the potential by selling secondhand home appliances sourced through embassy auctions.<ref name="ref1"/>

In 1978, the economy opened up and there was a large inflow of imported products. This led to an increased demand from the customers for quality global brands. First, she imported products from [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/England England], then from [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thailand Thailand],[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/China China],[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japan Japan] and [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Korea Korea].

Abans Group is mainly divided into 5 business categories such as retail, services,<ref>[https://buyabans.com/ Abans retail].Retrieved 27 June 2013.</ref>  logistics, manufacturing and real estate and infrastructure development under which come Abans (Pvt) Ltd, Abans automobile,<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20130704021256/http://www.abansgroup.com/loader/page/automobile/index Abans Automobile Division]. Retrieved 27 June 2013.</ref> Abans Abstract,<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20130629155333/http://www.abansgroup.com/loader/page/aworld/index  Abans Group - Abstract]. Retrieved 27 June 2013.</ref> S.A. Electricals (Pvt) Ltd Services, Abans Central AC Division, Abans Finance,<ref>Abans Finance. Retrieved 26 June 2013.</ref> Abans Tours,<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20130531111532/http://www.abanstours.lk/  Abans Tours]. Retrieved 26 June 2013.</ref> AB Securities (Pvt) Ltd etc.

==Awards and honours==
*The Award of Excellence for Woman Achievers for Outstanding Achievement from the SAARC Women's association in Year 2000.<ref name="ref2">[https://archive.ph/20130628040440/http://www.slbo.lk/investcse/forum/viewtopic.php?f=11&t=43 Aban Pestonjee]. Retrieved 26 June 2013.</ref> 

*The Bronze Award for the Large Business Category by the Women's Chamber of Industry & Commerce at the Year 2000 Women Entrepreneurs of the Year Award Ceremony.<ref name="ref2"/>

*KOTRA Plaque of Appreciation -- 2005 for forging strategic foreign economic ties between Korea & Sri Lanka presented by Mr. Young Kyo, president and CEO of the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/KOTRA Korea Trade Promotion Agency].<ref>[https://archives.sundayobserver.lk/2005/01/23/bus12.html  Aban Pestonjee receives 'Kotra' plaque]. Retrieved 2013-06-26.</ref> 

*In 2006, she received International Recognition for winning the Leading Women Entrepreneur of the World award.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20080524075352/http://www.dailynews.lk/2006/03/20/fin07.asp Women Entrepreneurs Award for Abans Chief]. Retrieved 26 June 2013.</ref>  Mrs. Pestonjee was awarded the prize by the Princess of [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thailand Thailand].



*She also received the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LG LG] award for the Best Importer on [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Southeast_Asia South-East Asia] on behalf of Abans Limited.<ref>[http://www.island.lk/2006/11/18/business7.html  Abans awarded Best LG Importer in SouthEast Asia]. Official website of the Island paper, Sri Lanka.</ref>

==References==
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