Signed, sealed & delivered

Mukesh Ambani
Business Leader

The Award, said Mukesh Ambani, is in recognition of the journey he has traversed in the last 26 years. When Dhirubhai handed over the organisation to him, it was a Rs 100- crore entity.

Today, its revenues are nudging Rs 100,000 crore with a global workforce of 70,000. He called India, not a country of a billion people, but a country of billion opportunities. “Every Indian is an opportunity for us to tap,” he said.

The government has done its job in removing the policy impediments and emphasising on rural prosperity. “Now it’s our turn as business to deliver. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for any nation,” he said. The Businessman Of The Year Award, he added, was a great honour. But what made it greater was the high-profiled jury “comprising outstanding achievers –– much greater than me,” he said.

N Vaghul
Lifetime Achievement

Money and spirituality make strange bedfellows. But for Narayanan Vaghul, they have been perfectly compatible. Mr Vaghul thanked the divine consciousness and his family for the prestigious honour. “

Most of my achievements in the past have been largely due to my more talented colleagues, with whom I have had the privilege of working in the last three decades in several institutions including the SBI, the Central Bank of India, the Bank of India and finally ICICI,” said Mr Vaghul.

He pointed out that his involvement with ICICI was so complete that he integrated himself with the organisation in the same manner as a river flowing into the ocean. According to him, the architects of reform left a deep imprint on his personality, and also on ICICI Bank.

Indra Nooyi
Global Indian

In a video-taped speech, Indra Nooyi regretted not being able to collect her award personally as this was her first week at PepsiCo’s helm. “I’m deeply honoured to have been chosen for this prestigious recognition,” she said.

Acknowledging the contribution of her family, she added, “So much of what I am and what I have become is directly attributable to so many who have given me their care and counsel. Ms Nooyi saluted her mother, “who challenged me to dream big,” and thanked her husband Raj, “who has supported me in every step of the way.

And like all of you, Mother India taught me that there are no limits and her children can and must make a difference, within her boundaries and across the world,” she stressed.

TCS
Company Of The Year

While some of the winners used wit and sarcasm to amuse the audience, Mr Ramadorai stuck to his script. It was simple, and echoed the TCS way of doing business: the outcome is predictable.

“It is indeed a proud moment for every one of the 72,000 TCSers spread across 35 countries... this award truly belongs to them.” TCS now employs more people than Reliance Industries and will possibly remain the biggest private sector employer in India for years to come.

“Today, we stand at the brink of a great opportunity, TCS as a company, and we as a nation. Our collective intellect is helping us become a knowledge-based econ-omy and ICT technologies are making our world more equitable in more ways than one,” he said.

Amtek Auto
Emerging Company

Talk about children of economic reforms and there can’t be a better brand ambassador than Arvind Dham, chairman & MD of Amtek Auto. Amid a slow pace of economic reforms, poor infrastructure and red-tape, Mr Dham is all about optimism, confidence and grabbing every opportunity coming his way.

“A border-less world market has emerged in this information age, where the customer has literally become the king and world-wide competition has become the norm rather than exception. In these competitive times, only those who react and adapt would ultimately be able to survive,” he said.

He defined his winning strategy as one that combines “globalisation, strategic alliances among low-cost and high-technology companies, benchmarking with the best, waste elimination and continuous improvement”.

HK Mittal
Entrepreneur Of The Year

This unassuming entrepreneur was humble throughout his acceptance speech. “It is just the beginning of a harvest, seeds of which were sown in the form of a committed policy framework envisioned about one-and-half decades ago.

We thank you for making ‘Made in India’ a USP, rather than a taboo,” he said. Then came an inspiring couplet: “Mitaa de apni hasti ko, gar doh martaba chaahe. Ki daana khaak mein milke hee gul-e-gulzaar hota hai.”

(Only when a seed is mixed with mud, it grows and blooms. So be humble.) He then said that the Indian shipping industry can also do the country proud “like the Indian IT industry, if it is given a global level-playing field. I am sure, we as Indians shall realise all our dreams.”

Mallika Srinivasan
Businesswoman Of The Year

Accepting ET’s Businesswoman Of The Year award, Mallika Srinivasan, director of Tractors and Farm Equipments (Tafe) said, “This award is an inspiration for us in our efforts to establish our brands as global brands.”

Going forward, Ms Srinivasan believes, “Innovation will provide the competitive edge and that diversity is a fundamental pre-requisite for an innovative organisation.” Women will bring in “this vital edge to the enterprise”, she added.

She acknowledged the role played by the Amalgamations Group and her family in supporting her efforts, and thanked colleagues, dealers and suppliers for sharing her dream of taking Tafe global. Finally, she had a special word of appreciation for ET in “spearheading the encouragement of women in the corporate world”.

Premji Foundation
Corporate Citizen

Finance minister, your sense of humour today is more impressive than your budgets!” On that winsome note, the chairman of Azim Premji Foundation turned his peers’ attention to the serious task of ensuring that every child in the country gets quality education at an affordable cost.

Introduced as India’s own Warren Buffet, Azim Premji, who has given away over Rs 470 crore of his personal money to the foundation, said, “APF (Azim Premji Foundation) works only with children of less than 14 years of age in the villages of India.

Education is often reduced to numbers. I believe the issue of quality of education goes beyond that.” It is on quality education that hinges, in no small measure, the destiny of our nation,he said.