Business Standard Annual Awards 2018: Toasting the spirit of success
The Business Standard Annual Awards for Corporate Excellence, held on Saturday evening, toasted the indomitable spirit of Indian entrepreneurship that was ready to fight all odds. The Crystal Room at the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel in Mumbai, filled to capacity with familiar faces and famous names, witnessed much cheer when Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, the chief guest at the function, lauded Corporate India for going beyond business and making a difference in the lives of marginalised people such as the Araku tribals of Andhra Pradesh by giving them an opportunity. “Each one of you has done excellent work in corporate social responsibility (CSR), especially in the communities you work,� she said.
Banker of the Year, Arundhati Bhattacharya, Former chairman, SBI | Photo: Kamlesh PednekarArundhati Bhattacharya Czars of the corporate world trooped in early to catch up with their peers and the camaraderie was infectious even among rivals, as they took time to exchange notes and share insights in a relaxed environment. “The BS awards are prestigious. They are purely based on the statistics provided by the BS Research Bureau for the last financial year. I wanted to opt out as jury chairman, as Maruti Suzuki was shortlisted in three categories, but I was not allowed. We looked at the data provided to us to pick the winners who led from the front,” he said.The best example of that spirit was JSW Group Chairman and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Sajjan Jindal, who won the CEO of the Year award. Jindal said he had prepared an acceptance speech as “no one had given me an award before”. (From left) Anand Mahindra, chairman, Mahindra & Mahindra and Rajeev Dubey, President (HR, After-Market and Corporate Services) with Business Standard Socially Aware Corporate of the Year award in Mumbai“My strength is the work ethic we have cultivated at JSW. We have built a company where all of us relentlessly and collectively pursue the goal of excellence. I receive this award on behalf of all my 50,000 employees who think of JSW as their very own company. This award is a recognition of their belief in my stewardship. Our great nation deserves great infrastructure and we are here to help develop it,” Jindal promised, amid thunderous applause from the gathering. “To all my young friends who are listening to me as I accept this award, I would like to say one thing – pursue your ideas with passion, strengthen them with faith; translate them with determination, and dedication. No one will have the strength to snatch success away from you,” Jindal said.Jindal, 58, is turning out to be a beacon of entrepreneurship for the rest of Corporate India, at a time when the entire economy was going through a slowdown. With a vision on the future of India’s steel industry, Jindal’s JSW Steel has emerged the No. 1 player in the Indian steel industry, with a capacity of 18 million tonnes per annum. Jindal is now eyeing a similar high-octane growth in the cement sector, where it plans to double its capacity via acquisitions. The hard work of Jindal and his team was appreciated by the jury during its deliberations a month before. I am hoping the best performing businesses will be socially aware businesses,” he said.While acknowledging Corporate India’s efforts in CSR, Sitharaman highlighted Mahindra’s support in helping the Araku community grow coffee, which is now being sold in Paris. The Business Standard CSR awards were selected by a jury headed by S Ramadorai, chairman, Tata Institute of Social Sciences.Arundhati Bhattacharya, former chairman of State Bank of India (SBI) and winner of Banker of the Year award, thanked the 270,000 staff of SBI and her family. “Today, we are here enjoying a nice evening. But all my colleagues are at their desks completing the year-end exercise and working till 2 am. I am truly honoured by this award. I would like to acknowledge the 270,000 SBI workers and my family for this honour,” said Bhattacharya. The Banker of the Year award was chosen by a separate jury led by C M Vasudev.
Bhattacharya said India should reap the benefits of demographic dividend available for the next 20 years to emerge as a developed country. “When we look at the negatives, we often forget the positives. Today, we have the best ports, roads, and core industries. None of them would have been possible if the bankers had not lent them,” Bhattacharya said.Bharat Petroleum Corporation (BPCL) won the Star PSU of the Year award. “We are honoured and privileged to receive this award,” said D Rajkumar, chairman and MD of BPCL, promising to do even better in the fiscal year ended March 2018. Education technology player Byju’s was given the Start-Up of the Year. “We have not even reached out to 5% of the schoolgoing population of India; there is a long way to go,” said 37-year-old Byju Raveendran, founder and CEO of Byju’s app, which teaches basic mathematics and science to school students.
ARTICLE SOURCE- BUSINESS STANDARD.