Mumbai: Like every year, the Business Today MindRush and Best CEO Awards, a much-awaited event for India, recently concluded with much pomp and fervour, with the who’s who of India Inc. in attendance. Hosted by the India Today Group, the event serves as a pivotal platform for industry stalwarts, entrepreneurs, and thought leaders to converge, exchange ideas, and recognise outstanding achievements in business leadership.

The annual event, known for its robust discussions on emerging trends and challenges in the business landscape, witnessed the captains of India Inc. across sectors coming together to share insights and experiences. This year’s BT MindRush was no exception. There were several thought-provoking sessions at the event. Hardeep Singh Puri, Union Minister for Housing & Urban Affairs and Petroleum & Natural Gas, said that the time had come for the Indian private sector to shed some of its inhibitions and to accept global challenges, which were “low-hanging fruit for them”.

In another session, India’s G20 Sherpa Amitabh Kant said that the country could not only grow on the back of services. “It has to grow in manufacturing, services, sustainable urbanisation, and also agricultural productivity,” he said. Apollo Hospitals Enterprise executive vice chairperson Preetha Reddy said there was an urgent need to transform healthcare into a fundamental right, aligning it with education, while Bharti Enterprises chairman Sunil Bharti Mittal, in a message for young Indian entrepreneurs, said that India was a country of possibilities and opportunities. Federal Bank MD & CEO Shyam Srinivasan said that India was witnessing a Cinderella moment in terms of banking and economy, while ITC Ltd chairman & MD Sanjiv Puri, highlighted the resilience of India, adding that consumer demand should be back in a couple of quarters.

The highlight of the event was the felicitation of this year’s awardees of the prestigious BT-PwC India’s Best CEOs ranking, where a distinguished panel of industry experts picked the winners awards after a rigorous process.

This year, telecom tycoon Bharti Enterprises chairman Sunil Bharti Mittal, was honoured as the “Business Icon of the Year”, symbolising resilience and visionary leadership in the face of challenges. The jury also picked India’s G20 Sherpa Amitabh Kant as the “Impact Leader of the Year”, a special award underscoring his significant contributions to the country’s economic growth and global stature. Another distinguished awardee was healthcare pioneer Dr Prathap C Reddy. The visionary founder chairman of Apollo Hospitals was honoured with the “Lifetime Achievement Award” for his unparalleled dedication to healthcare and innovation.

Winners were recognised across diverse sectors of Indian business, including infrastructure, healthcare, consumer goods, IT, energy, and more. The awardees included Kushal N Desai, CMD of APAR Industries, Satyanarayana Chava, founder & CEO of Laurus Labs, and Sunil Vachani, executive chairman of Dixon Technologies (India), among others. Meanwhile, Satish Pai, MD of Hindalco Industries, won in the category of super large companies; Sanjiv Puri, CMD of ITC Ltd for large companies; and Abhyuday Jindal, MD of Jindal Stainless, in the mid-sized category.

The event also celebrated emerging companies and leaders who are shaping the future of the Indian business landscape. Naresh Jalan, MD of Ramkrishna Forgings, and Pradeep Gaur, CMD of RVNL, were among the distinguished awardees. Business leaders were also recognised for demonstrating exceptional leadership qualities and resilience. Patanjali G. Keswani, CMD of Lemon Tree Hotels, won the “Resilient CEO” award, while K.P. Ramasamy, Chairman of KPR Mill, received the award for “Glocal CEO”.

Exemplary achievements in deal-making and disruptive innovation were recognised, with LTIMindtree CEO & MD Debashis Chatterjee, receiving the “Best Deal” award, while OfBusiness co-founder & CEO Asish Mohapatra won in the “Unicorn” category.

India Today group chairman and editor-in-chief Aroon Purie also spoke on the occasion, outlining that while India had made progress on many fronts, there was more work to be done in moving from a regulatory mindset to that of facilitation. He lauded the efforts of the winners in creating enterprises that India can be proud of.

The special issue of Business Today on India’s Best CEOs was also unveiled at the event.