India’s ASK Financials Donates Over US$91,000 To Build 100 Houses With Habitat

Financial Services Company Inspired By Habitat Goodwill Ambassador John Abraham’s Call

MUMBAI, 19th October 2007: When Indian movie star and Habitat for Humanity’s goodwill ambassador, John Abraham, urged “Join me”, ASK Financials responded with a 3.6 million rupee (US91,880) donation. At a recent ceremony in Mumbai, the local financial services company presented the check to Habitat for Humanity in India to fund the construction of 100 houses in the Karjattaluka (an administrative block of some 90 to 100 villages), Raigad district, south of Mumbai.

Committed: (From left) ASK Financials chairman Asit Koticha, his wife Kanan, Habitat for Humanity India’s CEO Peter Selvarajan, Habitat’s IndiaBUILDS advisory committee’s co-chairpersons Rajashree Birla and Sanjay Nayar, and John Abraham.

Abraham makes the call in the Join John’s Brigade campaign, a public service video announcement that is currently airing on CNBC TV channels in India. The campaign is part of Habitat’s IndiaBUILDS that aims to construct 50,000 homes by 2011 through harnessing volunteers and resources.

At the check presentation ceremony, Abraham urged those present: “Come join my brigade to build decent homes for the poor. Come on India, let’s show we care!”

The call evidently resonated with Asit Koticha, chairman of ASK, who said: “The ASK-Habitat partnership is inspired by the Join John’s Brigade campaign of Habitat, led by my favorite film star, Mr. John Abraham”.

In addition to building houses, the Habitat-ASK partnership will also fund the construction of a school and a primary healthcare center. The project is scheduled to be completed by March 2008. About 30 ASK Financials employees will also build with Habitat in Nagewadi village, Karjat, at the end of November 2007.

Showing support for the first-time partnership were several members of Habitat’s IndiaBUILDS advisory committee. Rajashree Birla, chair of the advisory committee, hosted the check presentation ceremony, while other members who attended included co-chair Sanjay Nayar, CEO of Citigroup, Gul Kripalani, chairman and managing director of Pijikay Group of Companies, and Anil Singhvi, managing director and CEO of I-Can Investments Advisors Private Limited.

Set up in 1983, Mumbai-based ASK Financials is known primarily for equity research and investment advisory services in India and abroad. The diversified group also has expertise in portfolio management, financial planning, institutional broking and investment banking.