BS Awards: EAC-PM Chairman Bibek Debroy to deliver keynote address

With the pandemic still not behind us, Business Standard’s Annual Awards for Corporate Excellence 2020 would be held in a virtual event for the second year in a row, on Tuesday, with stalwarts of Corporate India in attendance.  

Bibek Debroy, chairman of the Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister, will deliver the keynote address at the event, with special focus on the post-pandemic era and implications for the Indian economy.  

As the year 2021 draws to a close, the Business Standard awards would bring together the highest-achieving companies and their leaders together on one platform to share their success stories and future vision. 

From CEO of the Year K B S Anand of Asian Paints, Shyam Srinivasan of Federal Bank conferred the Banker of the Year to Star PSU Gujarat Gas, and the new kid on the block and Start-up of the Year Freshworks, the list is as varied as it is inspiring. 

How India Inc would navigate the post-Covid world would be the subject of inquiry for a panel discussion by the award winners. This would also include Vishal Bhola, managing director (MD) of Whirlpool of India and C Vijayakumar, chief executive officer and MD of HCL Technologies (HCL Tech). While Whirlpool was chosen the Star MNC of the Year, HCL Tech bagged the Company of the Year title.  

It is not just the big companies but the small and medium enterprises (SMEs) which form the backbone of the Indian economy who have been recognised by the awards as well. Star SME of the Year Alkyl Amines Chemicals won the top honours in this category. The company’s Chairman and MD Yogesh Kothari would bring in his perspective on the challenges and the role ahead for SMEs in a post-pandemic scenario. 

The Business Standard’s awards would also honour A M Naik, group chairman of Larsen & Toubro, with the lifetime achievement award.