Memoirs from a journey

ERNST & YOUNG ENTREPRENEUR OF THE YEAR 2008

It’s with immense pleasure that I write this article celebrating the 10th edition of Ernst & Young’s Entrepreneur Of The Year Award Program in India.

I have been a happy traveller on a journey called EOY. Having been chosen for the award in the Information, Communication and Entertainment category in the year 2000, I was delighted to be picked to represent India on the World EOY stage in the year 2005. I was impressed by what I saw. The rigour of the judging criteria and a dedicated jury focused on recognizing entrepreneurial talent on a world stage. Moving to the year 2006, I was invited to chair the world jury. It’s an experience I will always cherish.

I learnt of fascinating stories of entrepreneurs, some of whom we met. Being a first generation entrepreneur myself, I was delighted to see a burning desire to excel and innovate, resulting in some of the best business ideas that have created wealth and well being.

An entrepreneur has to have a vision, a dream and the ability to execute it to perfection. And more importantly while doing so, he should be able to build a great team around him with people who are perhaps even more capable than him in skill sets to take the business forward.

Today, Bharti Enterprises has emerged as one of the top conglomerates in India. Having established leadership position in telecom, we are building businesses in several new areas like financial services, modern retail and agriculture. I am pleased that Bharti today exemplifies the best and perhaps a potent combination of professional competence and spirit of entrepreneurship. This spirit is personified not just in the CEOs of our businesses but in all our employees.

I believe Indian entrepreneurs are up there with the very best in the world. The spirit of entrepreneurship has always been an integral part of India. The last decade in particular has seen a new crop of Indian entrepreneurs emerge in newer business areas, making a mark even beyond the domestic shores.

India has come a long way in the WEOY award program since Mukesh Ambani first participated in 2001. Recognition for India at the WEOY has also come with the participation of T N Ninan in 2005 as member of the jury and K V Kamath of ICICI Bank representing India in 2009. The high point of course will be Narayana Murthy’s win as the World Entrepreneur of the year in 2003. There couldn’t have been a better role model of corporate India to celebrate on the world stage.

The connect with the Indian entrepreneurial circle has only just begun.