GECs
ICICI Bank, CNBC-TV18, CRISIL shortlisted nominees for ‘Emerging India Awards’
MUMBAI: CNBC-TV18 and ICICI Bank have tied-up with CRISIL to shortlist the nominees for ‘Emerging India Awards’, an initiative to recognise the the contribution of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) to the growth of the Indian economy.
CRISIL, the credit rating agency for designing and executing, evaluated the process for the awards. In a statement, the SMEs in the country having a net worth of a maximum of Rs 50 crore (RS 5 million) were eligible for ‘Emerging India Awards’.
The awards was declared open for entries from the SME sector on 7 December, 2004. For this particular awards, over 5,000 entries from all over the country from ten different sectors. Twenty-five nominees were shortlisted in each category based on value creation parameters of financial data provided by the entities.
The awards will be given away on a countrywide basis targeting 10 different categories like auto, engineering and ancillaries, pharma and chemicals, FMCG, food and agri-business, gems and jewellery, textiles and apparel, information technology, communications and entertainment (ICE), IT enabled Services (ITeS), infrastructure, travel and tourism, retail trade and commodity traders and others.
The second round of screening will involve a review of financial statements of the nominees by CRISIL to shortlist three entries per category. Each of the three shortlisted entities per category will have to make a final round of offsite presentations about their respective businesses. The awards will be presented to winners as well as runners-up in each category.
As a part of this initiative, ICICI Bank and CNBC TV-18 had also organised forums in Mumbai, Delhi, Chennai, Bangalore and Ahmedabad to discuss the various issues and opportunities for SMEs in various industries. The panelists represented experts and eminent personalities from different industries/SMEs and ICICI Bank’s top management.
GECs
Asianet Television Awards 2026 celebrates women power in Malayalam TV
“She is the Colour” theme honours icons as ceremony airs on March 14 and 15 at 7 PM.
MUMBAI: If television lights up living rooms, this year Asianet decided to let women provide the colour. The Asianet Television Awards 2026 turned the spotlight firmly on women empowerment with the theme “She is the Colour”, celebrating the strength, resilience and achievements of women who continue to shape society and the Malayalam entertainment industry.
The ceremony honoured several distinguished personalities whose journeys have left a lasting cultural imprint. Among them was legendary playback singer Vimala Varma, widely recognised as the first Malayalam playback singer. The evening also paid tribute to Padma Shri awardees Devaki Amma and Vimala Menon for their exceptional contributions in their respective fields.
Leading women from the Malayalam film industry were also recognised during the event, including actor Shweta Menon, who currently serves as president of the Association of Malayalam Movie Artists, and National Award winning actor Surabhi Lakshmi.
The awards ceremony brought together a glittering lineup of actors and industry figures, including Jayasurya, Vijay Babu, Asha Sarath, Lena, Esther Anil, Anumol, Akhila Bhargavan, Sarayu Mohan, Prajod Kalabhavan, Gayathri Suresh, Sabumon Abdusamad, Swasika, Tini Tom, Sijoy Varghese, Kailash, Veena Nandakumar, Sabareesh Varma, Ansiba Hassan and Dinesh Prabhakar. Kishan Kumar, executive vice president Malayalam at JioStar, was also present at the event.
Beyond individual recognitions, the awards celebrated excellence across Malayalam television, acknowledging artists and technicians whose work continues to drive the industry forward.
The evening also offered plenty of spectacle, with elaborate dance performances, stunt acts and comedy skits performed by popular television and film personalities, turning the ceremony into a full fledged entertainment showcase.
Viewers will get to watch the celebrations when the Asianet Television Awards 2026 air on Asianet on March 14 and 15, Saturday and Sunday, from 7 pm onwards, bringing the star studded tribute to homes across Kerala and beyond.
