Labour Party MP from Hamilton West, Dr Gaurav Sharma, who also holds the recognition of being the first-ever Kiwi-Indian electorate MP was awarded as the Kiwi-Indian Hall of Fame Young Achiever Award 2021.
Dr Sharma has traversed an inspiring journey in New Zealand after having first migrated from India at the age of 12, working hard and achieving many impressive academic milestones, including getting into medical and then excelling in abroad while being involved in public health, policy and consulting in Spain, USA, Nepal, Vietnam, Switzerland and Mongolia.
Reaching the higher echelons of lawmaking in the New Zealand parliament, Dr Sharma has been able to fulfil one of the long-pending aspirations of the Kiwi-Indian community to have an electorate MP from the community.
Dr Sharma’s long list of achievement at a freshening young age is not just limited to academic excellence and political success, but also in volunteering and community service and the desire to help others, which makes him a true role model for the younger generations of the Kiwi-Indian community.
Born in the picturesque state of Himachal Pradesh, India, which reminds one of New Zealand’s scenery and shares its love of growing apples, he moved to NZ with his family when he was just a young boy. He excelled at Auckland Grammar School, where he was the Proxime Accessit, or runner-up Dux, in his final year of high school. In 2005, The New Zealand Herald named him as one of the top six students in the country.
Volunteering to work as a caregiver in a rest home inspired him to pursue a career in medicine. He qualified as a medical doctor from the University of Auckland's School of Medicine where he was also involved with the New Zealand Medical Students' Association.
He practiced clinical medicine in New Zealand before receiving the Fulbright Scholarship for further studies in the United States. Whilst studying business, politics and public health during his Fulbright-funded MBA at George Washington University in Washington DC, he was involved on campus in Hillary Clinton's campaign for the United States Presidency in 2016. He was also a Senator on the George Washington University's Student Senate during his time there as a student.
He has been involved in public health, policy and consulting in New Zealand, Spain, USA, Nepal, Vietnam, Switzerland and Mongolia. He has a Master in Business Administration (MBA) from The George Washington University in Washington D.C. where he was a Fulbright Scholar.
As a former Board Member of Auckland Refugee Council, he advocated for equal rights for non-quota refugees and the doubling of our refugee quotas for years before it became Labour Party policy. He has been involved in rebuilding two villages and helping communities affected by the 2015 earthquake in Nepal.
He has pushed his boundaries on the back of his stellar academic career and a deep love for serving people to become one of only two Members of Parliament of Indian origin who won their seats electorally.
He is a worthy recipient of Kiwi-Indian Hall of Fame Young Achiever Award 2021.
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