NDTV Profit unveils nominees for 2026 Business Leadership Awards ahead of July gala

MUMBAI: The race for corporate glory is officially on. NDTV Profit has announced the nominees for the NDTV Profit Business Leadership Awards 2026, recognising the leaders, companies and institutions shaping India’s next chapter of economic growth through innovation, governance and enterprise.

Now in its two-decade journey since its launch in 2006, the awards honour excellence across business, finance, technology, sustainability, entrepreneurship and public leadership. The winners have already been selected by an independent jury and will be announced on 26 July in Mumbai, with Nirmala Sitharaman attending as the chief guest.

The jury is chaired by Sunil Bharti Mittal and includes Noel Tata, Cyril Shroff, Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, U.K. Sinha, Jayant Sinha, Ramesh Damani and C.S. Setty.

The shortlist reflects the breadth of India’s evolving business landscape. In the AI Champion of the Year category, nominees include Sarvam AI, Neysa, Fractal Analytics, Qure.ai, Karya and Emergent.

The Wealth Creator of the Year category features BSE, Transformers & Rectifiers India, MCX India, Himadri Speciality Chemical, Gallantt Ispat, Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers and Neuland Laboratories, while the New Economy Leader of the Year category includes Eternal, Policybazaar, Nykaa, CarTrade Tech and Delhivery.

Financial institutions also feature prominently. The non-PSU Financial Powerhouse category includes Shriram Finance, ICICI Bank, Axis Bank, Cholamandalam Investment and Finance Company, Bajaj Finance and HDFC Bank. The PSU category comprises Punjab National Bank, Indian Bank, Union Bank of India, Power Finance Corporation, Canara Bank, State Bank of India and Bank of Baroda.

Among the most closely watched categories, the IPO of the Year nominees include Meesho, Groww, ICICI Prudential Asset Management Company, LG Electronics, Lenskart, HDB Financial Services and Tata Capital.

The awards also recognise sustainability, leadership and nation building. Green Champion nominees include Lupin, Tech Mahindra, Godrej Consumer Products, Godrej Properties, Firstsource Solutions and Mahindra Group.

Trailblazer of the Year nominees are Geetanjali Kirloskar, Roshni Nadar Malhotra, Falguni Nayar, Mallika Srinivasan, Vibha Padalkar and Prabha Narasimhan.

For Philanthropist of the Year, the nominees are Shiv Nadar, Azim Premji, Rohini Nilekani, Nandan Nilekani, Nithin Kamath, Nikhil Kamath and Susmita Bagchi.

The Reformer of the Year shortlist features Ashwini Vaishnaw, Yogi Adityanath, Devendra Fadnavis, N. Chandrababu Naidu and Himanta Biswa Sarma.

India’s Atmanirbharta Champion nominees include ONGC, Tata Electronics, Hindustan Aeronautics Limited, Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories and Wockhardt.

Speaking on the nominations, NDTV chief executive officer and editor-in-chief Rahul Kanwal said, “The NDTV Profit Business Leadership Awards have always celebrated leadership that matters, leadership that builds institutions, creates value, strengthens trust and contributes to India’s larger growth story. This year’s nominees represent the full spectrum of India Inc.”

Echoing that view, NDTV Profit managing editor Tamanna Inamdar said the nominations reflect “a country that is winning on the global stage”, adding that the awards celebrate not just market performance but the people and institutions driving India’s next phase of growth.

With winners already chosen through the jury process, the spotlight now shifts to Mumbai on 26 July, where India’s corporate leaders, policymakers and entrepreneurs will gather to celebrate excellence across business, innovation and nation building.