GECs
Business Today honours ZEEL MD & CEO Punit Goenka with ‘Best CEO’ award
MUMBAI: Zee Entertainment Enterprises Limited (ZEEL) MD & CEO Punit Goenka has received the coveted Business Today ‘Best CEO’ award in the Media and Entertainment category for 2016. The award was presented by the minister of law & justice and electronics & information technology Ravi Shankar Prasad, India Today group chairman & editor-in-chief Aroon Purie & Wave group vice chairman Manpreet Chadha, at the BT Best CEO Awards ceremony in New Delhi.
Acknowledging the award, Goenka said, “I accept this award with pride on behalf of our visionary chairman, Dr. Subhash Chandra, and my team at ZEE, whose dedication, hard work and support have enabled the organisation to reach greater heights. We have consistently grown ahead of market, expanded our network viewership share and experienced growth of our product bouquet, both in India and internationally.”
The methodology of Business Today’s Best CEO Awards focused on the operational performance of companies and their shareholders returns which was conducted by BT’s Knowledge support partner for the process PwC India. To arrive at the BT Best CEO Award winners for 2016, Business Today first used the BT500 list of Most Valuable Indian Companies as a base and then analysed three-year data, using parameters such as growth in total income, total shareholder returns and PBIT. Based on this analysis, an independent jury comprising renowned business leaders — JM Financial Group chairman Nimesh Kampani, JP Morgan India CEO Kalpana Morparia, Khaitan & Co. senior partner Haigreve Khaitan, and Bain & Co. India chairman Sri Rajan chose the final winners.
Other recipients of the BT Best CEO Awards 2016 include Airtel chairman Sunil Bharti Mittal, Tech Mahindra CEO & MD C P Gurnani, and Dabur India CEO Sunil Duggal, among other.
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.
