News Broadcasting
5th Edition of Times NOW & ICICI Bank NRI of the Year Awards 2018 Honors Global Indians
MUMBAI: Times NOW, India’s leading English news channel from the Times Network and ICICI Bank hosted the 5th edition of NRI of the Year Awards 2018 today in Mumbai. The NRI of the Year Awards salute the spirit of global Indians who have been an inspiration and made a mark for themselves worldwide. Sunil Chhetri, Indian football team Captain was presented with the prestigious Global Indian Icon and Prem Watsa, Founder, Chairman and Chief Executive of Fairfax Financial Holdings was conferred with the Special Jury NRI of the Year Award, amidst a glittering evening.
To celebrate NRI of the Year Awards 5th edition, a coffee table book was launched by Kiren Rijiju, Hon’ble Union Minister of State for Home Affairs of India, MK Anand, MD and CEO, Times Network, Vijay Chandok, Executive Director ICICI Bank, Lt. Gen Sudhir Sharma, Advisory Board – India, GIIS and Farokh Balsara -Partner and National Director – Consumer Products and Health Services, Ernst & Young. A new trophy designed by renowned jewellery designer Poonam Soni was also unveiled at the ceremony by Bollywood actress, Chitrangada Singh. Mr. Kiren Rijiju, Union Minister of State for Home Affairs of India was the chief guest for the evening and the event was graced by notable personalities including Indian footballer Sunil Chhetri, actress Chitrangada Singh, singer Akriti Kakar many more from the TV and Bollywood industry. Anukreethy Vas, Miss India 2018, Meenakshi Chaudhary, First Runner Up, and Shreya Rao Kamavarapu, Second Runner Up made their first appearances on the red carpet after winning the Miss India tittles. The gala event was hosted by Sameer Kochhar and Mandira Bedi. The evening also witnessed a mesmerizing dance performance by Terrence Lewis Dance Institute.
NRI of the Year is India’s most distinctive awards recognising the outstanding achievements of the Indian diaspora globally. With their grit and perseverance, Non-Resident Indians (NRIs) have achieved tremendous success in various fields in the countries they have chosen to adopt as their homes. The awards were given in six different categories – Entrepreneur, Professional, Academics, Arts & Culture, Philanthropy, and Start-up, along with other awards such as India’s Global Icon Award Special Jury Award.
This year, the awards covered the top four regions across the globe – North America, UK, Middle East and Asia Pacific, where 23 winners were selected and awarded. NRI of the Year Awards 2018 was open to all Non-Resident Indians (NRI), Overseas Citizens of India (OCI) and Persons of Indian Origin (PIO). The high-profile jury for NRI of the Year Awards 2018 comprised Deepak Bagla, Managing Director & CEO, Invest India; Ashish Chauhan, MD & CEO, BSE; Partho Dasgupta, CEO, BARC India; Harsha Bhogle, cricket commentator and Dalip Tahil, renowned film, television and theatre actor.
Commenting on the 5th edition of NRI of the Year Awards 2018, Times Network, MD and CEO, MK Anand said, “Over the course of 5 editions, NRI of the Year, our flagship property has emerged as the most distinctive and coveted awards platform, instituted to recognize the achievements of the global Indians. It is an important component of our engagement with the Indian diaspora as a media group representing a nation with a global agenda. This year, NRI of the Year awards has set new benchmarks and it, indeed, is a matter of great pride and honor for us to recognize the indelible mark made by each one of them. I congratulate all the winners present here tonight and I’m sure their success stories will inspire a new generation of Indians.”
Executive Director ICICI Bank, Vijay Chandok said, “The ‘TIMES NOW & ICICI Bank NRI of the Year’ awards programme has completed five glorious years and it continues to grow in stature and relevance among the NRI diaspora. This year’s nominations have far exceeded last seasons’. This is an indication of the award’s growing popularity. Our association with this programme is a testimony to our commitment to the NRI community and the pride we feel on witnessing the overwhelming achievements of the NRIs across the globe.”
Singapore, Co -Founder & Chairman Global Schools Foundation, Mr. Atul Temurnikar said, “I have been working with expats and the NRI community for the last 16 years and have experienced the great contributions of NRIs and PIOs to Singapore. The NRI community has done lots of amazing work not only in social circles but also around the world. They have been an inspiration to many. Times Now NRI awards have recognized the talent and contributions of these achievers to the society. Such recognition has motivated other people to follow in the footsteps of these achievers and excel in their own fields”.
Times Network, Head – International Business, Mr. Naveen Chandra shared, “We are delighted that this year, NRI of the Year awards received an overwhelming 11500 registrations which is testimony of the high esteem the awards are held in. The journey over the last five years has been incredible and not only the awards become a gateway for accomplished Indians to contribute to India’s growth story and also our partners have expanded their international operations. As we move ahead, we hope to expand our footprint into new markets to reach the Indian diasporas and contribute significantly to India’s progress”.
Times Now & ICICI Bank NRI of the Year awards, powered by Global Indian International School (GIIS) captures the journey of global Indians who have kept the Indian flag flying high globally and continue to inspire other Indians. Ernst & Young is the Process Advisors for NRI of the Year awards and has been associated with the event since its inception. EY has defined the process for evaluating the entries received and facilitating winner determination.
News Broadcasting
Rajesh Sundaram joins NDTV Profit as senior editor, assignment
The 32-year newsroom veteran has launched channels on three continents and covered everything from 9/11 to South African television
MUMBAI: NDTV Profit has bolstered its newsroom with a hire who has done rather more than most. Rajesh Sundaram, a journalist with over three decades of editorial, managerial and consultative experience across India and international markets, joins as senior editor, assignment, tasked with sharpening the network’s newsgathering and real-time response.
Sundaram’s career reads like a tour of Indian media’s most formative moments. He began at Businessworld in 1994, moved to Zee News as bureau chief across Mumbai and Chennai, then joined NDTV in 2002 as part of its political bureau during a particularly febrile period in Indian politics. A stint as India correspondent for Al Jazeera International followed, where he covered key geopolitical developments and got his first serious taste of the global newsroom.
What sets Sundaram apart, however, is his serial channel-launching habit. At NewsX, he helped get the operation off the ground. At Headlines Today, part of the India Today Group, he served as editor. At News Nation, he helped launch the Hindi news channel and its digital ecosystem. He then crossed continents to lead the launch of ANN7 in South Africa as editor-in-chief, overseeing both television and digital. Back in India, he launched Tamil news channels News7 Tamil and Cauvery News, and later served as principal consultant for the launch of Marathi channel Lokshahi. Most recently, he helped build and lead the Press Trust of India’s video service and content studio, before stints consulting for Business Today and The Himalayan Times.
Rahul Kanwal, chief executive and editor-in-chief of NDTV, left little doubt about what Sundaram is expected to deliver. “The assignment desk is where a newsroom’s intent becomes action,” he said. “Rajesh brings a rare combination of field experience and leadership in building news operations at scale.”
Sundaram has reported from across India and the world, covering elections, civil conflicts, the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks and the 2008 US presidential election.
At NDTV Profit, he will lead the assignment desk, driving editorial coordination and real-time response across markets and breaking developments. For a business news network sharpening its focus on speed and multi-platform delivery, it has hired a man who has built newsrooms from scratch on three continents. The assignment desk is in good hands.
