Lord Diljit Rana formed Andras House Ltd in 1981 as a vehicle for a range of business and property interests.

The Belfast-based Andras House Group now operates across three sectors - hospitality and leisure, commercial property and software development for the hospitality industry.

Despite the high level of terrorist activity, which affected his businesses several times, he has continued to show both his faith in Belfast and leadership by expanding and reinvesting continually.

He opened restaurants in Great Victoria Street in Belfast in the 1980s that kick-started the "Golden Mile", and then introduced much needed retail and office space.

The company's achievements include the construction in 1990 of the first hotel in Belfast for more than 20 years and attracting the first international brand, Plaza, to the city. This was subsequently followed by international hotel franchises, the Ramada Belfast and Express by Holiday Inn. Andras House now employs more than 300 people and has an annual turnover of £15 million and an asset base of £100 million.

Products/services:Andras House Ltd operates successfully in three sectors, hospitality and leisure, commercial property and software development for the hospitality industry. The company sees hotels and property as the way forward for future growth, especially affordable accommodation to reflect the growth in budget airlines.

The group is supporting these projects with the development of software designed to enhance current hospitality management systems.

Customers:National and international leisure and corporate markets.

Q:What vision prompted you to start up in business?

A:I arrived in England in 1963 with no money and I had to feed my family. I realised quickly that this could best be achieved through self-employment, because the only jobs that were open to me had no real career prospects and no real hope of delivering my vision of a good lifestyle for my family.

Q:Are there any interesting or unusual circumstances surrounding the inception of the company or its evolution?

A:Starting a cafe with absolutely no catering experience and little cash was both unusual and interesting. It was a risk that proved successful, until the advent of the bombing campaign. I then moved into women's fashion retailing and wholesaling, another business sector I knew nothing about. It too proved successful.

Investing in commercial property was also new ground that helped to provide the funds for the development of the hotels, yet another new industry for me.

Environment, Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and fair trade - what role have these played in your business strategy? How critical will these be in the future?

I recognise the importance of sustainability and the role of our business in the community. We are committed, for example, to the use of recycled materials in construction. About 1 per cent of profits are donated annually to local charities. I am also committed to initiatives to counter poverty through education in India.

Q:Express the biggest challenge you see your industry facing?

A:Each business area has different challenges. In property development, for example, the current planning process inhibits growth. The hospitality industry needs to focus on recruitment and staff training, including the integration of migrants from other EU countries because of the pressure on the local pool of potential employees.

Overall, there is a need to extend investment in tourism to enable Ireland to compete more successfully with other destinations. Current visa regulations are also inhibiting growth.