|
MUMBAI:
At a recent event, IBN 7 & Divya Bhaskar's extensive search
for the 'Sabse Bada Gujarati' came to an end when the winners of
the initiative were finally announced. The first of its kind opinion
poll was conducted in the country from 4th October to 21st October
and was a search to find the greatest living non-political Gujarati.
The citizens voted through a myriad of mediums such as SMS, IVR
and IBN 7's website, IBNLive.com. Upon tallying the hordes of votes
received from across the country, including those of prominent Gujarati
personalities, the title went to none other than Mukesh and Anil
Ambani! Winning by a considerable margin, the Ambani's won the coveted
title due to their unsurpassed achievements in numerous fields that
made their state shine and their country proud.
With
seven other contestants in the race for the title, second place
went to educationist Bakul Dholakia; followed closely in third place
by Cricket sensation Irfan Pathan. Entrepreneurs, Gautam Adani and
Sam Pitroda; singer & composer Himmesh Reshamiya; founder of
SEWA, Ela Bhat and classical danseuse, Mrinalini Mirabhai followed
closely behind.
As
a part of the entire series a panel discussion on the subject of
'Gujarat - Kal, Aaj aur Kal' was also conducted to gain a deeper
understanding into the journey the state and its people have made
over the years. This consequently helped delineate the reasons how
people like the Ambanis, Irfan Pathan, Dholakia, Adani, etc. have
contributed to making their home-state one of the most progressive
in the country. The discussion saw active participation from Ajay
Umath, Resident Editor, Divya Bhaskar; Mrinalini Mirabhai; Mukesh
Patel, Economist; Paroben Jaikrishna, President, Gujarat Chamber
of Commerce and Sunil Parikh, Management Consultant.
'Sabse
Bada Gujarati' is IBN 7's way of acknowledging and celebrating the
achievements of the country's most influential non-political Gujaratis
across various disciplines. It acts as an exclusive platform for
people to review and compare the works of the candidates and subsequently
choose the ultimate Gujarat ki Jaan… Bharat ki Shaan!
Speaking
on the occasion, Ashutosh, Managing Editor, IBN 7 said, "Sabse
Bada Gujarati has been an immense success with citizens sending
in their votes from across the country. While it is commendable
that the Ambani brothers won the title, the achievements of the
other candidates have been no less important. The aim of the initiative
was to showcase the gems of Gujarat and how they have gone beyond
state and national boundaries to make the entire country proud."
"Our editorial collaboration with IBN 7 for this initiative
was very fruitful as both readers and viewers alike enthusiastically
participated in deciding the 'Sabse Bada Gujarati'. We look forward
to working together again in the future." Added, Ajay Umath,
Resident Editor, Divya Bhaskar.
|
