Businessman and Bhangra music visionary Ninder Johal's pride at role representing The Queen

The businessman has become a Deputy Lieutenant of the West Midlands.

The honour is a special one for a man who had a working class upbringing in Smethwick and who, as a musician, once featured on Top of the Pops.

He said he was “surprised” to be approached to take on the role, adding: “I went to a comprehensive school and have a very normal background.”

As a practising Sikh, Ninder feels that his religion helps him, adding: “It’s an open religion that doesn’t discriminate against anyone.”

He said: “It was a surprise to receive this appointment, but a very pleasant surprise, and it’s nice to know that there are a collection of people out there who think you’re worthy of such a position.

“I’m from a working class background and I went to a comprehensive school when I grew up in Smethwick.

“So if anyone had said to me at any stage of my childhood that I would be, in some way, related to The Queen, who was such a distant figure to me as a child, I would never have believed it in a million years.”

Ninder’s appointment as Deputy Lieutenant went viral after he posted a picture of himself in his ceremonial uniform on Twitter.

The role makes him one of The Queen’s representatives in this region.

He said: “I didn’t realise until I put the photo of myself in my uniform that it would get the reaction it did. It’s gone past one million reactions on social media and a lot of social media coverage.”

The journey of the 56-year-old from Warley started when he studied finance at Leeds University with an aim of becoming an accountant.

After being unable to find work, he completed an MBA at Aston University and began work in management consultancy.

At the same time, he was touring with his band Achanak as a tabla player and found that his heart was in his music, leading him to quit his job and set up a record company with the aim of selling and promoting bhangra music.

He said: “I had this vision that, one day, bhangra music would pass into the charts, which most people though, quite rightly, was mission impossible.

“But we reached number five in the UK charts in 2003 with Mundian To Bach Ke [released by Panjabi MC] and it was a great feeling when I switched on Top of the Pops and the track came on.”

Following this success, he moved into event and video production with his company Nachural, a venture that has seen major events produced in the Midlands, with a view to move into London and Manchester by next year and overseas by 2023.

This had led to his non-employment roles with organisations such as University of Wolverhampton, Black Country Local Enterprise Partnership, the West Midlands Growth Company and the Albion Foundation, roles he cherishes for the opportunity to give back.

He said: “I was 10 years old when my father lost his sight from working in the foundries and spent a lot of time in and out of hospital.

"I got to see up close how the NHS looked after him and I got a free education, so I always thought, when the time was right, to give something back.

"The driving force is that I was fortunate and if there are people less fortunate than you, you should do everything you can to help them.”

He also has a passion for education, viewing it as a tool that can change a person’s life.

He said: “I did a stint for about two or three years where I lectured in business and that’s where I saw the importance of having an education, and the importance of how it can liberate an individual and, I suppose, it was that two or three years that I did that really gave me the real belief about skills and education.”

As a practising Sikh, Ninder feels that his religion helps him do his work in all the areas he works in.

He said: “Sikhism is a very practical and pragmatic religion and there’s no element of it that would stop me doing what I’m doing on a regular basis.

“It’s an open religion that doesn’t discriminate against anyone, whether it’s gender, sexual orientation or religion.

“I think that Sikhs are proud that one of theirs is a deputy lieutenant and that for those who didn’t know much about Sikhism, which was quite apparent from Twitter, they now have a much better understanding of the faith and that we, as Sikhs, are pretty integrated and part of British life.”

And Ninder has a message for anyone who has a dream they want to follow.

He said: “My message to everyone is that if someone tells you that you can’t do something, I think you should ignore them.

"If someone tells you that you haven’t got the skills set to do something, you should ignore them and if someone says that you shouldn’t dream, then you should ignore them.

“I think we’re all born equal and while we don’t all get the same opportunities, we all have talents and if we all think positively, I think anything is achievable.”