Lord Rana is the first ethnic businessman to be elected President of the Northern Ireland Chamber of Commerce, the region’s biggest business organisation. He has actively promoted business, education, political and cultural links between India and Northern Ireland. He was appointed by the Government of India as Honorary Consul for India to Northern Ireland from 2004-2012 and then reappointed in 2014.
He was awarded the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (MBE) in 1996. He was elected President of GOPIO (Global Organisation of People of Indian Origin) International in 2009 and is currently the Chairman of GOPIO International, headquartered in Mauritius. He has also been awarded Pravasi Bharti Samman Award by Dr Abdul Kalam.