Rishi Sunak’s ascent to the top job in UK politics has brought a wave of happiness at his maternal grandfather’s ancestral village in India’s northern state of Punjab where some overjoyed relatives threw a grand party to celebrate the news.
Mr Sunak, 42, was chosen by MPs as the UK’s prime minister earlier this week.
His victory is historic because he is the first person of Asian descent to lead Britain and the first leader to be sworn in by King Charles.
Mr Sunak was born in Southampton to father Yashvir Sunak, a retired doctor, and mother Usha Sunak, a pharmacist, both of Indian descent.
The investment banker turned politician is the youngest British prime minister in 210 years. He is also Britain's first Hindu prime minister.
He is married to Akshata Murthy, the daughter of Infosys co-founder Narayan Murthy. The couple have two daughters, Krishna and Anoushka.
Both his grandfathers were born in undivided Punjab province in British India before moving to Africa and then moving to the UK in the 1960s.
His maternal grandfather Raghubir Berry, 92, was born in Ludhiana in the northern state and had migrated to East Africa in early 1950s. He later moved to the UK.
At Mr Berry’s ancestral village in Ludhiana, his nephew Subhash Berry, 74, said a “wave of happiness” has gripped the village as everyone is “proud of their son”.
“Everybody in the village is proud … he is so young and he has become the PM of a country that ruled over us for centuries. He is not just a member of our family but the whole village,” Subhash Berry told The National.
“It is human nature. We may not be in touch with him but we are proud of him. He is a proud Hindu too.”
He said it is a moment of pride to see a person of Indian origin becoming the prime minister of the country that once ruled India.
The Berrys were a close-knit family. Even after Raghubir Berry moved to Africa, they remained in touch.
“His grandfather was my youngest uncle. He used to visit the village once every four-five years. My auntie, Sunak’s grandmother, was not born in India and we never met her.
“But we had good relations with our uncle and were like any other family. The women in the family speak with Usha over the phone sometimes,” Mr Berry said.
Mr Berry said that the family has never met Mr Sunak but had met his uncle in 2009 when he was in India for Mr Sunak’s wedding.
“Rishi got married in 2009 but my wife died a week after. My uncle had paid us a visit. That was the last time we met. Over the years, our connection has weakened but we are a family and that love and pride would always remain,” he said.
Mr Berry said that the whole family spread across many Indian states were following the news and were elated when Mr Sunak was finally selected for the prime minister’s post.
They even organised a party to celebrate the moment.
“We distributed sweets and cut a cake. Relatives and villagers gathered together for the celebration,” he said.
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1. Domestic VAT refund amendments: request your refund within five years
If a business does not apply for the refund on time, they lose their credit.
2. E-invoicing in the UAE
Businesses should continue preparing for the implementation of e-invoicing in the UAE, with 2026 a preparation and transition period ahead of phased mandatory adoption.
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Tax authorities are increasingly using data already available across multiple filings to identify audit risks.
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Transfer pricing enforcement, which refers to the practice of establishing prices for internal transactions between related entities, is expected to broaden in scope. The UAE will shortly open the possibility to negotiate advance pricing agreements, or essentially rulings for transfer pricing purposes.
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Recent amendments also introduce a default five-year limitation period for tax audits and assessments, subject to specific statutory exceptions. While the standard audit and assessment period is five years, this may be extended to up to 15 years in cases involving fraud or tax evasion.
8. Pillar 2 implementation
Many multinational groups will begin to feel the practical effect of the Domestic Minimum Top-Up Tax (DMTT), the UAE's implementation of the OECD’s global minimum tax under Pillar 2. While the rules apply for financial years starting on or after January 1, 2025, it is 2026 that marks the transition to an operational phase.
9. Reduced compliance obligations for imported goods and services
Businesses that apply the reverse-charge mechanism for VAT purposes in the UAE may benefit from reduced compliance obligations.
10. Substance and CbC reporting focus
Tax authorities are expected to continue strengthening the enforcement of economic substance and Country-by-Country (CbC) reporting frameworks. In the UAE, these regimes are increasingly being used as risk-assessment tools, providing tax authorities with a comprehensive view of multinational groups’ global footprints and enabling them to assess whether profits are aligned with real economic activity.
Contributed by Thomas Vanhee and Hend Rashwan, Aurifer
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