EY announces finalists for 'Entrepreneur of the Year 2018' awards

Azim Premji honoured with the Lifetime Achievement Award

EY, the global professional services organisation, on Monday announced a list of 16 of the country’s 'most exceptional' entrepreneurs as finalists for the '20th Entrepreneur of the Year — India 2018' awards.

The finalists include Sanjay Agarwal, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, AU Small Finance Bank; Ritesh Agarwal, Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Oravel Stays (OYO Hotels and Homes); Sahil Barua, Chief Executive Officer, Delhivery; Bhaskar Bhat, Managing Director, Titan Company; Karan Bhagat, Founder, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, IIFL Investment Managers; Kishore Biyani, Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Future Group; and Kishore Biyani, Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Future Group.

The other finalists are: Satyanarayana Chava, Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Laurus Labs; Binish Chudgar, Vice Chairman and Managing Director, Intas Pharmaceuticals; Tarang Jain, Managing Director, Varroc Group; Manu Kumar Jain, Managing Director - Xiaomi India; Siddhartha Lal, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Eicher Motors; Rajesh Mehra, Promoter and Director, Jaquar Group; Nirmal K Minda, Chairman and Managing Director, Minda Industries; Ashok Reddy, Managing Director and Co- Founder, TeamLease Services; Byju Raveendran, Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Think & Learn (BYJU’S); and Atul Ruia, Chairman and Managing Director, The Phoenix Mills.  

Azim Premji, Chairman of Wipro Ltd will be felicitated with the Lifetime Achievement Award. A highly respected business leader, Premji has been instrumental in developing the Indian information technology industry. He led Wipro’s transformation from a vegetable oil business into a multi-business technology organization with revenues of over $9 billion today. He is also a Padma Vibhushan and a Padma Bhushan awardee.

The finalists were selected by an eminent eight-member independent jury panel, led by Uday Kotak, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Kotak Mahindra Bank. 

The winners will be announced across several categories and will be felicitated at a grand celebratory Awards Banquet to be held on 12 February in Mumbai. The national winner will represent India at the EY World Entrepreneur of the Year Award (WEOY) in Monte Carlo from 5 – 9 June 2019.