Mumbai: The prestigious Forbes India Leadership Awards 2025 came to a sparkling conclusion at the Jio World Convention Centre, Mumbai, where the country’s leading visionaries were recognised for their transformative leadership and invaluable contributions to the nation’s progress across various industries.
The glittering ceremony showcased a series of standout achievements, beginning with the recognition of groundbreaking innovators:
- Emerging Innovator Award: BugWorks Research, with co-founders Dr Anand Anandkumar, Dr V Balasubramanium, and Dr Santanu Datta, who said, “Innovation isn’t just discovery; it’s impact.”
- Outstanding Startup Award: BrowserStack, accepted by co-founders Ritesh Arora and Nakul Aggarwal, who remarked, “We power half the world’s airlines, banks, and tech firms.”
- Icons of Excellence: Ajay Singh of SpiceJet and Katrina Kaif of Kay Beauty were honoured, with Singh commenting, “We started SpiceJet against all odds,” while Kaif emphasized, “If you enter business, you must have something unique to say.”
The evening continued with engaging discussions and insights during the Fireside Chat featuring Katrina Kaif, who spoke with Naini Thaker of Forbes India about her journey from Bollywood to the boardroom and the importance of inclusivity in branding.
The Business & Economy Panel featured leaders like KVS Manian, Rajesh Jejurikar, and Madan Sabnavis, who explored key economic outlooks, trade challenges, and MSMEs’ role in job creation. Rajesh Jejurikar also made a noteworthy statement: “The world needs India more than India needs the world.”
The final set of awards honoured several exceptional individuals and organisations:
- Icons of Excellence: Jay Shah, Chairman of ICC; Shyam Srinivasan, Veteran Banker; and Mohit Joshi of Tech Mahindra.
- Promising Startup: Minimalist, received by Rahul Yadav and Mohit Yadav.
- Regional Goliath: MTR Foods, accepted by Sunay Bhasin and Sanjay Sharma.
- Grassroots Philanthropists: Rizwan Koita and Rekha Koita of Koita Foundation.
- Climate Warrior: Indra Water, received by Amrit Om Nayak and Krunal Patel.
- Turnaround Star: Indian Hotels Co Ltd (IHCL), accepted by Puneet Chhatwal.
- Next-Gen Entrepreneur: Varun Jaipuria of Varun Beverages.
- Institution Builder: Ashish Dhawan of Central Square Foundation and Ashoka University.
- Entrepreneur of the Year: Supam Maheshwari of FirstCry.
- CEO of the Year: Rajesh Jejurikar of Mahindra & Mahindra.
Suveen Sinha, Editor of Forbes India, remarked during the event, “These are tricky times, when great leaders and transformational leadership are needed more than ever. These are people who seize the day. Today, we have a hall full of people who seize the day, and we are here to raise a toast to them.”
The event concluded with a celebratory toast and a group photo of all the winners, capturing the essence of collaborative success and leadership. Special acknowledgments were made to partners Federal Bank, KIA, Indiqube, Rajasthan Tourism, and Reliance Industries for their support in making the event a grand success.
