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After corporate excellence awards, CNBC zeroes in on auto industry
CNBC India has instituted the equivalent of the Oscars for the Indian automotive industry.
The annual awards will reward excellence in car manufacturing in India and provide vital car buying information to the Indian consumer. The awards ceremony will be held in New Delhi on 14 January 2002. While the awards in the first year will focus on passenger cars, the scope will be widened in the coming years. The awards are being jointly given along with Autocar, the magazine for the auto industry.
A jury of 17 experts with a vast experience in the field of evaluating cars, including car designer Dilip Chhabria, leading auto historian Manvendra Singh, India’s leading female driver Navaz Bhathena, Indian National Rally champion N Leelakrishnan, Autocar editor Hormazd Sorabjee, associate editor Shapur Kotwal and Rajeev Khanna. The jury will be helped in its analysis by Autocar’s database on car performances aggregated from car tests through the year. They will then assess the vehicles and rank them in relation to their rivals. A Car of The Year award is also scheduled to be given away, among the different categories.
CNBC CEO Harish Chawla surmises the importance of the awards thus: “For CNBC, the launch of the auto awards has special significance. Historically, the fortunes of world economies have been closely intertwined with those of the automotive industry. This industry has served as the quintessential barometer of industrial production and consumption – two drivers of economic growth. These awards underline CNBC’s commitment to providing essential business insights and supporting the establishment of standards in leading industrial sectors.”
While the Mercedes Benz C Class, Opel Corsa Swing, Hyundai Sonata and Honda Accord figure among the list of eligibles, stringent criteria have been laid down for the awards. These include – fitness, relevance to Indian market, value for money, design and styling, space, comfort and practicality, engine and performance, and overall safety.
The chosen cars shortlisted for the awards will be driven over thousands of kilometers to evaluate these parameters, CNBC officials say.
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Kamlesh Singh receives Haldi Ghati Award from MMCF
India Today Group editor honoured for three decades of journalism at Udaipur ceremony.
MUMBAI- Kamlesh Singh just turned a lifetime of sharp words into a shiny shield because when journalism wakes up a society, even the Maharana of Mewar wants to pin a medal on it.
The Maharana of Mewar Charitable Foundation (MMCF) conferred its prestigious Haldi Ghati Award on Kamlesh Singh, a senior editor at the India Today Group, during a ceremony in Udaipur on 15 March 2026. The national award, instituted in 1981-82, recognises “work of permanent value that initiates an awakening in society through the medium of journalism.”
Singh, who leads several editorial initiatives including Aaj Tak Radio, the Teen Taal community and The Lallantop, was presented the honour by Lakshyaraj Singh Mewar, Managing Trustee of MMCF. The citation highlighted his three decades of contributions to Indian media, innovations in digital journalism, mentoring young reporters, and his popular podcast persona “Tau” on Teen Taal, which fosters thoughtful public discourse.
The Haldi Ghati Award, named after the historic Battle of Haldighati symbolising valour and resilience, is one of four national awards given annually by MMCF. Past recipients include Tavleen Singh, Piyush Pandey and Raj Chengappa.
Other honourees this year included Padma Vibhushan Pt Hari Prasad Chaurasia, Vedamurti Devvrat Rekhe, Treeman of India Marimuthu Yoganathan, Vir Chakra Capt Rizwan Malik, and US-based researcher Molly Emma Aitken, who received the Colonel James Tod Award for contributions to understanding Mewar’s spirit and values.
In an era where headlines often shout louder than substance, the MMCF quietly reminded everyone that real journalism isn’t about noise, it’s about the quiet, persistent work that stirs society awake, one thoughtful story at a time.
