After leaving India, Lord Bhatia joined his family business in Tanzania. He administered some 55 Kindergarten and technical schools, and managed a large scholarship program that enabled students to receive a university education in Europe, U.S.A., Canada and other parts of the world. After arriving in the UK in 1972 (where he lives now) he built a successful business and has become an outstanding leader and champion of social and charitable causes in the UK. As an Ismaili Muslim, Lord Bhatia has been involved in a wide range of initiatives focused on ethnic minorities. He is on the Board of the Queens Awards for Enterprise Advisory Committee, the Diana Princess of Wales Memorial Fund, St. Christopher Hospice, Project Fullemploy, Overseas Students Hostels, Water Aid Project and many more. He was awarded the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 1977 and was amongst the 15 peers appointed from 3000 nominations to the House of Lords in 2001.