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Uday Shankar named Best CEO at Forbes India Leadership Award 2015
MUMBAI: Leading one of India’s biggest broadcast company from the front – Star India CEO Uday Shankar – has time and again challenged the status quo and taken multiple risks, which have in turn reaped multiple rewards.
One of the most powerful man in the Indian media and entertainment industry, Shankar has been named as the Best CEO of a Multi-National Company (MNC) at the Forbes India Leadership Awards (FILA) 2015, which were held at the Grand Hyatt, Mumbai.
The award marks a break from convention at FILA, with Shankar becoming the first MNC head of a media and entertainment company to receive the honour.
Shankar was selected from amongst a shortlist of nominees that included leaders from top-notch companies like Hindustan Unilever, Samsung, ABB India and Maruti Suzuki India Ltd.
The jury for the Forbes India Leadership Award 2015 comprised the likes Marico India chairman Harish Mariwala, HSBC India chairman Naina Lal Kidwai, McKinsey India managing director Noshir Kaka and Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co India country head Sanjay Nayar.
Accepting the award, Shankar said, “I feel enormously humbled to be receiving this honour on behalf of Star India. We are a multinational company albeit with an Indian heart. Our endeavour has been to harness the transformational power of media to foster social change and thereby inspire a billion imaginations.’”
“I would not be here receiving this award, if I was not a journalist – that introduced me to the value of being socially relevant and to see the nuances that the untrained eye could easily miss. It also showed me that the value in life comes from doing big things – the headlines. And finally, it taught me to do the right thing, not be intimidated by competition because everybody makes as many mistakes,” he added.
From shaping the content and marketing strategy for Star India’s multiple channels across genres, charting out the company’s digital strategy with Hotstar, heading the Indian Broadcasting Federation (IBF) – the apex organisation representing television broadcasters, to being a part of power-packed policy meetings with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and 21st Century Fox CEO James Murdoch, Shankar juggles multiple responsibilities with élan. In fact, he was the only Indian CEO to be present at PM Modi’s roundtable meeting on media, technology and communications in the US recently alongside News Corp and 21st Century Fox executive chairman Rupert Murdoch and a host of other CEOs from various American organisations.
Shankar took on as CEO of Star India in 2006 and will be completing a decade in the role next year.
NEW DELHI: Hamdard Laboratories gathered a cross-section of India’s achievers in New Delhi on Friday, handing out the Hakeem Abdul Hameed Excellence Awards to figures who have left their mark across healthcare, education, sport, public service and the arts.
The ceremony, attended by minister of state for defence Sanjay Seth and senior officials from the ministry of Ayush, celebrated individuals whose work blends professional success with a sense of public purpose. It was as much a roll call of achievement as it was a reminder that influence is not measured only in profits or podiums, but in people reached and lives improved.
Among the headline awardees was Alakh Pandey, founder and chief executive of PhysicsWallah, recognised for turning affordable digital learning into a mass movement. On the sporting front, Arjuna Awardee and kabaddi player Sakshi Puniya was honoured for her contribution to the game and for pushing women’s participation onto bigger stages.
The cultural spotlight fell on veteran lyricist and poet Santosh Anand, whose songs have echoed across generations of Hindi cinema. At 97, Anand accepted the honour with characteristic humility, reflecting on a life shaped by perseverance and hope.
Healthcare honours spanned both modern and traditional systems. Manoj N. Nesari was recognised for strengthening Ayurveda’s place in national and global health frameworks. Padma shri Mohammed Abdul Waheed was honoured for his research-backed work in Unani medicine, while padma shri Mohsin Wali received recognition for his long-standing contribution to patient-centred care.
Education and social development also featured prominently. Padma shri Zahir Ishaq Kazi was honoured for decades of work in education, while former Meghalaya superintendent of Police T. C. Chacko was recognised for public service. Goonj founder Anshu Gupta received an award for his dignity-centred rural development initiatives, and the Hunar Shakti Foundation was honoured for empowering women and young girls through skill development.
The Lifetime Achievement Award went to former IAS officer Shailaja Chandra for her long career in public healthcare and governance, particularly in the traditional systems under Ayush.
Speaking at the event, Hamdard chairman Abdul Majeed said the awards were a tribute to those who combine excellence with empathy. “These awardees reflect Hakeem Sahib’s belief that healthcare, education and public service must ultimately serve humanity,” he said.
Minister Seth struck a forward-looking note, saying India’s young population gives the country a unique opportunity to become a global destination for learning, health and wellness by 2047.
The ceremony also featured the trailer launch of Unani Ki Kahaani, an upcoming documentary starring actor Jim Sarbh, set to premiere on Discovery on 11 February.
Instituted in memory of Unani scholar and educationist Hakeem Abdul Hameed, the awards have grown into a national platform that celebrates those building a more inclusive and resilient India. For one evening at least, the spotlight was not just on success, but on service with substance.
