Highlights
- Ved Berani left India 'disillusioned' after failing to secure a seat in a government college
- He worked at a Melbourne servo, got robbed at gunpoint
- The couple got married in 2003 and purchased a practice at Blackburn in Melbourne in 2004
- Their business 'pioneers' in 'sleep dentistry' and employs 35 staff
- They donated $10,000 award money to a Sikh foundation
- There had been other Indian-origin winners but in other categories: EBA
Dentist Ved Berani arrived in Australia to pursue a degree in business administration at Monash University in 2001 after failing to secure a post-graduate dental seat at a government college in Mumbai.
"There was only one seat for the general category, and I couldn't secure it despite being an excellent student. I was disillusioned, so I decided to move to Australia to do something altogether new," Dr Berani told SBS Hindi.
Dr Berani enrolled at Monash University and began working at a servo. "On one of my graveyard shifts, I got robbed at gunpoint. That incident shocked me to the core. My parents wanted me to come back, but somehow I decided to stay on," he said.
"The incident changed everything. I decided to do something in my previous [dental] field. So, I sat for the licence exams and cleared them on the first attempt. Barely three per cent of candidates clear this exam every year in Australia," Dr Berani proudly said.
Dr Berani said he married Priyanka Sethi in 2003. Ms Sethi had a business background. The couple decided to buy a running practice, but no bank would loan them.
"A finance company believed in us and gave us all the funding. I started treating the patients, and my wife became the receptionist. And the rest is history," he said.
The couple employs 35 staff at Healthy Smiles Dental Group, and 11 doctors are on their contract. De Berani said their practice has pioneered sleep dentistry, where doctors administer local anesthesia to patients before operating on them.
Dr Ved Berani and his wife Priyanka Sethi Berani run Healthy Smiles Dental Group in Melbourne. Source: Supplied by Ethnic Business Awards
Dr Berani said they are associated with a Sikh volunteer organisation and have donated them the $10,000 prize money.
"We [practice] were open during the pandemic and provided emergency support to patients. We treated 35 international students for free during that time despite our low revenues," he said.
"We also didn't lay off any staff during that period and provided them with all possible support," Dr Bernai added.
He advises members of the Indian community not to be afraid of speaking up.
"The Indian migrant community is very fortunate. They are motivated and highly skilled. Please don't be afraid to speak up. This is the time to shine for India, and we can lead from the front," he said.
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