Indian Entrepreneurs

Indian entrepreneurs are making waves all across the world. Indian business firms are making acquisitions abroad and spreading their tentacles in various corners of the world. Indian Entrepreneurs have proved all doomsday prophecies wrong and on the contrary have flourished under globalisation. Here is a brief profile of famous Indian entrepreneurs.

Dhirubhai Ambani JRD Tata Jamsetji Tata Adi Godrej Anil Ambani Dr. K. Anji Reddy Azim Premji Bhai Mohan Singh B.M. Munjal Ekta Kapoor Ghanshyam Das Birla Karsanbhai Patel Kiran Mazumdar Shaw K.P. Singh Kumar Mangalam Birla Lalit Suri M.S. Oberoi Mukesh Ambani Nandan Nilekani Kasturbhai Lalbhai S.L. Kirloskar A.M. Naik Analjit Singh Anand Mahindra Biki Oberoi Captain Gopinath Chanda Kochhar Deepak Parekh Harish Manwani

Naresh Goyal Dr. Pratap Reddy Rahul Bajaj Ramalinga Raju Ratan Tata Raunaq Singh Shiv Nadar Subhash Chandra Subroto Roy Sunil Mittal Tulsi Tanti Verghese Kurien Vijay Mallya Mallika Srinivasan Naina Lal Kidwai Shahnaz Hussain Sulajja Firodia Motwani Shobhana Bhartia Aditya Vikram Birla Gulshan Kumar Vaman Srinivas Kudva Karan Bilimoria K.V. Kamath Lalit Modi Ronnie Screwvala Shikha Sharma T.V Sundaram Iyengar T.V. Mohandas Pai Y.C Deveshwar

Dhirubhai Ambani Biography

Born: December 28, 1932 Died: July 6, 2002 Achievements: Dhiru Bhai Ambani built India's largest private sector company. Created an equity cult in the Indian capital market. Reliance is the first Indian company to feature in Forbes 500 list Dhirubhai Ambani was the most enterprising Indian entrepreneur. His life journey is reminiscent of the rags to riches story. He is remembered as the one who rewrote Indian corporate history and built a truly global corporate group. Dhirubhai Ambani alias Dhirajlal Hirachand Ambani was born on December 28, 1932, at Chorwad, Gujarat, into a Modh family. His father was a school teacher. Dhirubhai Ambani started his entrepreneurial career by selling "bhajias" to pilgrims in Mount Girnar over the weekends. After doing his matriculation at the age of 16, Dhirubhai moved to Aden, Yemen. He worked there as a gas-station attendant, and as a clerk in an oil company. He returned to India in 1958 with Rs 50,000 and set up a textile trading company. Assisted by his two sons, Mukesh and Anil, Dhiru Bhai Ambani built India's largest private sector company, Reliance India Limited, from a scratch. Over time his business has diversified into a core specialisation in petrochemicals with additional interests in telecommunications, information technology, energy, power, retail, textiles, infrastructure services, capital markets, and logistics. Dhirubhai Ambani is credited with shaping India's equity culture, attracting millions of retail investors in a market till then dominated by financial institutions. Dhirubhai revolutionised capital markets. From nothing, he generated billions of rupees in wealth for those who put their trust in his companies. His efforts helped create an 'equity cult' in the Indian capital market. With innovative instruments like the convertible debenture, Reliance quickly became a favorite of the stock market in the 1980s. In 1992, Reliance became the first Indian company to raise money in global markets, its high credit-taking in international markets limited only by India's sovereign rating. Reliance also became the first Indian company to feature in Forbes 500 list. Dhirubhai Ambani was named the Indian Entrepreneur of the 20th Century by the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI). A poll conducted by The Times of India in 2000 voted him "greatest creator of wealth in the century". Dhirubhai Ambani died on July 6, 2002, at Mumbai.

JRD Tata Biography

Born: July 29, 1904 Died: on November 29, 1993 Achievements: He had the honor of being India's first pilot; was Chairman of Tata & Sons for 50 years; launched Air India International as India's first international airline; received Bharat Ratna in 1992. JRD Tata was one of the most enterprising Indian entrepreneurs. He was a pioneer aviator and built one of the largest industrial houses of India. JRD Tata was born on July 29, 1904 in Paris. His mother was a French, while his father was Parsi. JRD's full name was Jehangir Ratanji Dadabhoy Tata and he was popularly known as Jeh to his friends. JRD's father Ratanji Dadabhoy Tata and Sri Jamsetji Tata shared their greatness from the same great-great-grandfather, Ervad Jamsheed Tata, a priest of Navsari. JRD Tata was the second of four children. He was educated in France, Japan and England before being drafted into the French army for a mandatory one-year period. JRD wanted to extend his service in the forces but destiny had something else in store for him. By leaving the French army JRD's life was saved because shortly thereafter, the regiment in which he served was totally wiped out during an expedition in Morocco. JRD Tata joined Tata & Sons as an unpaid apprentice in 1925. He has great interest in flying. On February 10, 1929, JRD became the first Indian to pass the pilot's examination. With this distinctive honor of being India's first pilot, he was instrumental in giving wings to India by building Tata Airlines, which ultimately became Air India. His passion for flying was fulfilled with the formation of the Tata Aviation Service in 1932. In 1938, at the age of 34, JRD was elected Chairman of Tata & Sons making him the head of the largest industrial group in India. He started with 14 enterprises under his leadership and half a century later on July 26, 1988, when he left , Tata & Sons was a conglomerate of 95 enterprises which they either started or in which they had controlling interest. JRD was the trustee of Sir Dorabji Tata Trust from its inception in 1932, which remained under his wings for over half a century. Under his guidance, this Trust established Asia's first cancer hospital, the Tata Memorial Center for Cancer, Research and Treatment, Bombay, 1941. It also founded the Tata Institute of Social Sciences, 1936 (TISS), the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, 1945 (TIFR), and the National Center for Performing Arts. In 1948, JRD Tata launched Air India International as India's first international airline. In 1953, the Indian Government appointed JRD as Chairman of Air-India and a director on the Board of Indian Airlines-a position JRD retained for 25-years. For his crowning achievements in Aviation, JRD was bestowed with the title of Honorary Air Commodore of India. In 1956, JRD Tata initiated a program of closer "employee association with management" to give workers a stronger voice in the affairs of the company. He firmly believed in employee welfare and espoused the principles of an eight-hour working day, free medical aid, workers' provident scheme, and workmen's accident compensation schemes, which were later, adopted as statutory requirements in India. JRD Tata cared greatly for his workers. In 1979, Tata Steel instituted a new practice; a worker is deemed to be "at work" from the moment he leaves home for work till he returns home from work. The company is financially liable to the worker if any mishap takes place on the way to and from work. Tata Steel Township was also selected as a UN Global Compact City because of the quality of life, conditions of sanitation, roads and welfare that were offered by Tata Steel. JRD Tata received a number of awards. He received the Padma Vibhushan in 1957 on the eve of silver jubilee of Air India. He also received the Guggenheim Medal for aviation in 1988. In 1992, because of his selfless humanitarian endeavors, JRD Tata was awarded India's highest civilian honor, the Bharat Ratna-one of the rarest instances in which this award was granted during a person's lifetime. In the same year, JRD Tata was also bestowed with the United Nations Population Award for his crusading endeavors towards initiating and successfully implementing the family planning movement in India, much before it became an official government policy. JRD Tata died in Geneva, Switzerland on November 29, 1993 at the age of 89. On his death, the Indian Parliament was adjourned in his memory-an honor not usually given to persons who are not Members of Parliament.

Jamsetji Tata
Born On: March 3, 1839 Born In: Navsari, Gujarat, India Died On: May 19, 1904 Occupation: Industrialist, Entrepreneur Nationality: Indian Whenever we think of the name Jamsetji Tata, we think of the expansive Tata Group of companies which continue to rule the industrial world of India till today. Jamsetji Tata founded the vast industrial empire that has received an identity today all over the world. Jamsetji Tata belonged to a trading family and business ran in his blood, therefore it was quite natural that he chose to be a businessman very early in his life. However, little did anybody know that Jamsetji Tata would be successful in redefining the concept of industries in India and would be listed in the pages of history as the 'Father of Indian Industry'! Early Life Born as Jamsetji Nusserwanji Tata on March 3, 1839, Jamsetji Tata was the son of Nusserwanji Tata, the only businessman in a Parsi family that earned its living as Zoroastrian priests. Along with his wife Jeevanbai Tata, Nusserwanji Tata had moved out of his family to carry on his passion of business in Bombay. Nusserwanji Tata started off as a small trader, but nevertheless did quite well. Jamsetji Tata completed his graduation at Elphinstone College in Bombay, where he was known as such a bright student that the principal decided to refund Jamsetji Tata's fees once he completed his degree. Jamsetji Tata took up trading at a very early age of 14, a time when he was still studying. Since child marriage was practiced during those days, the future business tycoon got married at the tender age of sixteen to the ten year old Hirabai Daboo. He graduated from college in 1858 and joined his father's trading firm. It was a turbulent time to step into business as the Indian Rebellion of 1857 had just been suppressed by the British government. Career As A Businessman Though Jamestji Tata started off working ever since he was 14, his real contribution came only after he had graduated in 1858. He became actively involved in his father's export business at a time when the business scenario in India was far from prosperous, largely because of the Sepoy Mutiny of 1857, which had been suppressed by the British Raj and had taken India by storm. Nevertheless, Nusserwanji Tata sent his son on a trip to Hong Kong in 1859 to expand his business interests there, a work that Jamsetji Tata completed successfully. Jamsetji Tata remained in Hong Kong for the next four years, trying to fulfill and realize his father's dream of setting up a branch of the Tata & Co. office there. The establishment of the new Tata & Co. office in Hong Kong was the beginning of the expansion of the Tata empire throughout Asia and the first step towards the creation of Tata & Sons. By the year 1863, there were Tata offices not only in Hong Kong, but also in Japan and China. Following the huge business success in Asia, Jamsetji Tata now traveled to Europe, but unlike in Asia, he faced with a drawback in the initial stages. Part of Jamsetji Tata's aims in visiting England, apart from increasing the number of contacts for his father's export business based in India, was to establish an Indian Bank in London. This project, however, proved highly unsuccessful for the Tatas because it was not a favorable time for the banking sector, with a financial crisis hitting the markets in several parts of India. The Tata companies in India and all over Asia faced huge monetary loss after the failure of the establishment of the Indian bank. Later Stages of Career Jamsetji Tata worked with his father until the age of 29, after which he started a trading company of his own. This was in the year 1868, following which Jamsetji Tata gradually acquired and established several cotton mills of his own. The Empress Mill set up in Nagpur in 1874 brought Jamsetji Tata huge amounts of money. The name of the mill was so inspired after Queen Victoria became the Empress Of India. The mills made large amounts of profit, but were thereafter sold off by Jamsetji Tata for a higher sum of money. Jamsetji Tata's cotton mills produced cloth which were used in India and also exported to countries of Japan, Korea, China and several parts of the Middle East. The mills were largely established to satisfy Jamsetji Tata's business acumen, but it may be recalled that the Dharamsi cotton mill which was later renamed to Swadeshi cotton mill kept the nationalistic sentiment in mind and made use of only Indian products, particularly promoting the non-use of British raw material. Just like it is today, even in the pre-independent era, Jamsetji Tata made it a point to look after the best interests of the workers in Tata & Sons. The Tata companies were then also known to provide the best working atmosphere for its workers. Policies which were unheard of during those times, like medical facilities for the sick and for women with children, provision of pensions, accident compensations and on the job training, were a part of the companies owned by Jamsetji Tata. It was Jamsetji Tata who appealed to the Japanese Steam Navigation Company to reduce freight charges, a factor which was largely diminishing his profits. Though it was for the benefit for the entire nation, Jamsetji Tata made it a point to spend his own money to get the case solved when his demands led to huge upheavals in Japan. Eventually, Jamsetji Tata did emerge successful in reducing freight charges and thereby increasing profits for

Indian traders. Business Legacy The cotton mills did satisfy his business acumen, but to remain stuck on the production of cloth was not the aim of Jamsetji Tata. His vision was to establish an iron and steel plant, a world class hotel, a learning institution and a hydro electric power project. Among his four wishes, only the second was fulfilled during Jamsetji Tata's lifetime when the Taj Mahal Hotel was established on December 3, 1903. In 1901, Jamsetji Tata traveled to Europe and America to educate himself on the making of steel. In addition, he made it a point to educate himself on the latest technological progress that had taken place over the years all around the world so that he may use it for the betterment of the industries under Tata & Sons. Sadly, Jamsetji Tata could not stay alive to realize his dream of establishing an iron and steel plant in India. Death Jamsetji Tata breathed his last on May 19, 1904. He was the sole inspiration behind a group that today is one of the biggest industries of not only India but of the world also. Legacy Post Jamshetji Tata's death, The Tata Group was succeeded by his two sons, Dorabji Tata and Ratanji Tata. One of the most affluent, prosperous and well-to-do organizations, the Tata Group is today amongst the largest and most respected companies of the world. A pioneer of his field, the vision and aim of Jamsetji Tata came to life with time as his family gave wings to each of his dream projects. In fact, such was his contribution that the city of Jamshedpur in Jhakhand is today popularly known as Tatanagar, because of the many facilities that the group has endowed the city with. Today, the group boasts of being the founder of projects like Tata Steel, the Indian Institute of Science, the Tata Power Company Limited, the Taj Mahal Palace & Tower, the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research and many more. Timeline 1839: Jamsetji Tata was born on March 3. 1853: He married Hirabai Daboo. 1858: Joined his father's trade firm. 1868: Established his first independent company. 1874: Set up the Empress Mill. 1901: Traveled to Europe and America to receive education on making of steel. 1903: Established the Taj Mahal Hotel. 1904: Died on May 19.

Adi Godrej Profile

Achievements: Chairman of Godrej Group Adi Godrej is one of the icons of Indian Industry. He is the chairman of Godrej Group. .Adi Godrej was born in a business family. His father's name was Burjorji Godrej and his mother's name was Jai Godrej. More than a century age, the Godrej's were into manufacturing locks and vegetable-based soaps. The Godrej products were among the first indigenously manufactured products to displace entrenched foreign brands. Adi Godrej left India at the age of 17 to enroll at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Though he planned to study mechanical engineering but he later on switched to management. After his return to India, Adi Godrej joined the family business. He modernized and systematized management structures and implemented process improvements. Adi Godrej took the Godrej Group to great height during controlled economy era. After the liberalization process, Adi Godrej restructured company's policies to meet the challenges of globalisation. In the early 2000s, the Group completed a 10-year restructuring process through which each business became a stand-alone company with a CEO/COO from outside the Godrej family. Under Adi Godrej's leadership, the group is also involved in philanthropic activities. Godrej is major supporter of the World Wildlife Fund in India, it has developed a green business campus in the Vikhroli township of Mumbai, which includes a 150-acre mangrove forest and a school for the children of company employees.

Anil Ambani Profile

Born: June 4, 1959 Achievement: Chairman of Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Group; Chosen as the 'CEO of the Year 2004' in the Platts Global Energy Awards and MTV Youth Icon of the Year' in September 2003 Anil Ambani is one of the foremost entrepreneurs of Independent India. He is the Chairman of Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Group. Earlier, before the split in the Reliance Group, Anil Ambani held the post of Vice Chairman and Managing Director in Reliance Industries Limited (RIL). Born on June 4, 1959, Anil Ambani did his Bachelors in Science from the University of Bombay and Masters in Business Administration The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. Anil Ambani joined Reliance in 1983 as Co-Chief Executive Officer. He pioneered India Inc's forays into overseas capital markets with international public offerings of global depository receipts, convertibles and bonds. Starting from 1991, he led Reliance in its efforts to raise, around US$2 billion from overseas financial markets. In January 1997, the 100-year Yankee bond issue was launched under his stewardship. After the split in Reliance Group, Anil Ambani founded Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Group. He is the Chairman of all listed Group companies, which include: Reliance Communications, Reliance Capital, Reliance Energy and Reliance Natural Resources Limited. Anil Ambai was elected as an independent member Rajya Sabha MP in June 2004. But he resigned voluntarily on March 25, 2006. Anil Ambani has won several awards and honours. Major among these include: 'CEO of the Year 2004' in the Platts Global Energy Awards, 'MTV Youth Icon of the Year' in September 2003, 'The Entrepreneur of the Decade Award' by the Bombay Management Association, and 'Businessman of the Year Award' by leading Business Magazine, Business India in 1997.

Dr. K. Anji Reddy Profile

Achievements: Founder-chairman of Dr Reddy's Group of Companies; Awarded with Padma Shri in 2001. Dr. K. Anji Reddy is a pioneer in the pharmaceutical research in India and is founder-chairman of Dr Reddy's Group of Companies. Dr Kallam Anji Reddy did his B.Sc in Pharmaceuticals and Fine chemicals from Bombay University and subsequently completed his PhD in Chemical Engineering from National Chemical Laboratory, Pune, in 1969. Dr. K. Anji Reddy served in PSU Indian Drugs and Pharmaceuticals Limited from 1969 to 1975. Dr. Reddy was the founder-Managing Director of Uniloids Ltd from 1976 to 1980 and Standard Organics Limited from 1980 to 1984. In 1984, Dr. K. Anji Reddy founded Dr. Reddy's Laboratories and soon the company established new benchmarks in the Indian Pharmaceutical industry. Dr. Reddy's Laboratories transformed Indian bulk drug industry from import-dependent in mid-80s to self-reliant in mid-90s and finally into the export-oriented industry that it is presently. In 1993, Dr. Reddy's became the first company to take up drug discovery research in India and in April 2001 it became the first non-Japanese Asian pharmaceutical company to list on NYSE. By the end of fiscal year 2005, Dr. Reddy's Laboratories was India's second largest pharmaceutical company and the youngest among its peer group. Presently, Dr. Reddy is a serving member of the Prime Minister's Council on Trade & Industry, Government of India, and has been nominated to the Board of National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research (NIPER). Dr. K. Anji Reddy is also a philanthropist. He is the founder-Chairman of Dr. Reddy's Foundation for Human & Social Development, a social arm of Dr. Reddy's, which acts as a catalyst of change to achieve sustainable development. Dr. K. Anji Reddy has received many awards and honors. These include Sir PC Ray award (conferred twice, in 1984 and 1992); Federation of Asian Pharmaceutical Associations (FAPA)'s FAPA-Ishidate Award for Pharmaceutical Research in 1998; leading business magazine Business India voted him Businessman of the Year in 2001; CHEMTECH Foundation bestowed on him the Achiever of the Year award in the year 2000 and the 'Hall of Fame' award in 2005, for his Entrepreneurship, Leadership and thrust on Innovation; and in 2001, he was awarded the Padma Shri by the Government of India.

Azim Premji Profile

Born: July 24, 1945 Achievements: Chairman of Wipro Technologies; Richest Indian for the past several years; Honored with Padma Bhushan in 2005. Azim Premji is Chairman of Wipro Technologies, one of the largest software companies in India. He is an icon among Indian businessmen and his success story is a source of inspiration to a number of budding entrepreneurs. Born on July 24, 1945, Azim Hashim Premji was studying Electrical Engineering from Stanford University, USA when due to the sudden demise of his father, he was called upon to handle the family business. Azim Premji took over the reins of family business in 1966 at the age of 21. At the first annual general meeting of the company attended by Azeem Premji, a shareholder doubted Premji's ability to handle business at such a young age and publicly advised him to sell his shareholding and give it to a more mature management. This spurred Azim Premji and made him all the more determined to make Wipro a success story. And the rest is history. When Azim Premji occupied the hot seat, Wipro dealt in hydrogenated cooking fats and later diversified to bakery fats, ethnic ingredient based toiletries, hair care soaps, baby toiletries, lighting products and hydraulic cylinders. Thereafter Premji made a focused shift from soaps to software. Under Azim Premji's leadership Wipro has metamorphosed from a Rs.70 million company in hydrogenated cooking fats to a pioneer in providing integrated business, technology and process solutions on a global delivery platform. Today, Wipro Technologies is the largest independent R&D service provider in the world. Azim Premji has several achievements to his credit. In 2000, Asiaweek magazine, voted Premji among the 20 most powerful men in the world. Azim Premji was among the 50 richest people in the world from 2001 to 2003 listed by Forbes. In April 2004, Times Magazine, rated him among the 100 most influential people in the world by Time magazine. He is also the richest Indian for the past several years. In 2005,Government of India honored Azim Premji with Padma Bhushan.

Bhai Mohan Singh Profile

Born: December 30, 1917 Achievement: Founder of pharmaceutical giant Ranbaxy Laboratories Ltd; Awarded with Padma Shri Bhai Mohan Singh can be called as the doyen of pharmaceutical industry in India. He is the founder of pharmaceutical giant Ranbaxy Laboratories Ltd. Bhai Mohan Singh was born on December 30, 1917 in Rawalpindi district. His father Bhai Gyan Chand was a Hindu and his mother Sunder Dai was a Sikh. Bhai Mohan Singh began his business career in the construction business during the Second World War. His firm bagged a contract to build roads in the North East. After Partition, he left Rawalpindi and settled down in New Delhi. Bhai Mohan Singh started business as a moneylender. Ranbaxy was started by his cousins Ranjit Singh and Gurbax Singh. Ranbaxy's name was a fusion of Ranjit and Gurbax's names. They were distributors for A. Shionogi, a Japanese pharmaceutical company manufacturing vitamins and anti-TB drugs. When Ranbaxy defaulted on a loan, Bhai Mohan Singh bought the company on August 1, 1952, for Rs 2.5 lakh. Bhai Mohan Singh collaborated with Italian pharma company Lapetit Spa and later on bought it. Bhai Mohan Singh made his mark in the pharmaceuticals industry in the late 1960s when he launched his first superbrand, Calmpose. Calmpose was an imitation of Roche's valium. But Roche had not patented it in India. In early 1970s when Indian adopted a regime of process patents in the Bhai Mohan Singh quickly realised that one could make any product in the world through reverse engineering. He established an R&D facility at Mohali and launched one blockbuster pill after the other, such as Roscillin, Cifran etc. Ranbaxy Laboratories Ltd went public in 1973. At this time Bhai Mohan Singh introduced his eldest son Parvinder Singh in the company, who later on became the company's Managing Director in 1982. Bhai Mohan Singh also co-founded Max India with his youngest son, Analjit Singh. With liberalisation differences arose between Bhai Mohan Singh and Parvinder Singh over the expansion and professionalisation strategy of Ranbaxy. Subsequently, in 1999 in a boardroom coup of sorts Bhai Mohan Singh was forced to bow down and Parvider took over the company. This broke Bhai Mohan Singh's spirit and he retired from active company affairs. He died on March 27, 2006. Bhai Mohan Singh was a former vice president of the New Delhi Municipal Corporation (NDMC) and was awarded the Padma Shri for his contribution in civic matters. For his contribution to the industrial development of Punjab, the Punjab Goverment had named an Industrial Township near Ropar after Bhai Mohan Singh.

B.M. Munjal Profile

Achievement: Chairman of the Hero Group; Honored with Ernst & Young's Entrepreneur of the Year award in 2001 B.M. Munjal (Brij Mohan Lall Munjal) is the Chairman of the Hero Group. He is a first generation entrepreneur who started very small and through sheer hard work and perseverance made it to the top. Today, Hero Group is the largest manufacturer of two-wheelers in the world and Brij Mohan Lal Munjal is the man widely credited with its success. B.M. Munjal's journey began in 1944 at the age of 20. Brij Mohanlall along with his three brothers, Dayanand (32), Satyanand (27) and Om Prakash (16) moved from his birthplace Kamalia in Pakistan to Amritsar. The brothers started supplying components to the local bicycle business. After partition in 1947, the family was forced to move to Ludhiana. The town of Ludhiana was already a major hub of the Indian bicycle business and an important textile center. The Munjals slowly spread their bicycle component distribution network in other parts of the country and became one of India's largest bicycle parts suppliers. In 1952 Munjals made a shift from supplying to manufacturing. They started manufacturing handlebars, front forks and chains. In 1956, the Punjab state government announced the issue of twelve new industrial licenses to make bicycles in Ludhiana. The Munjal brothers cashed on this opportunity. Helped by the Punjab government financing of Rs 600,000 to supplement their own limited capital resources, the Munjals set up Hero Cycles. Hero Cycles was registered as a 'large-scale industrial unit' and it initially produced 7,500 units per year. Soon Hero Cycles started giving well-established players such as Raleigh, Hind Cycles, and Atlas Cycles a run for their money. The hero cycle was comparatively cheaper and was sturdy and reliable. It gave the customers value for their money. In January 1984, Japan's Honda, the world's largest manufacturer of motorcycles, elicited interest in collaborating with the Hero Group to manufacture motor cycles in India. An agreement was signed and on 13 April 1985, the first Hero Honda motorbike was rolled out. Today, the company is the largest manufacturer of motorcycles in the world. For his outstanding contribution to the success of Hero Group, B.M. Munjal was honored with Ernst & Young's Entrepreneur of the Year award in 2001.

Ekta Kapoor Profile

Born: June 7, 1975 Achievement: Creative Director of Balaji Telefilms; Awarded with Ernst & Young (E&Y) Startup Entrepreneur Of The Year award in 2001. Ekta Kapoor can be aptly called as the reigning queen of Indian television industry. The serials produced by her company Balaji Telefilms are a great hit with the masses and are dominating all the major T.V. channels in India. Born on June 7, 1975, Ekta Kapoor is daughter of former Bollywood superstar Jeetendra and sister of current Bollywood hero Tusshar Kapoor. Ekta Kapoor did her schooling from Bombay Scottish School and later on joined Mithibai College. She was not interested in academics and on the advice of her father ventured into TV-serial production at the age of 19. And soon she changed the face of Indian television industry and completely dominated it. Today, Ekta Kapoor is the creative director of Balaji Telefilms. Her company has produced more than 25 serials and each one is being shown, on an average, four times a week on different television channels. Ekta Kapoor's serials have captured the imagination of masses. She broken all previous records of TV serial production and popularity in India. Her most famous television venture has been "Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi" which began in 2000 and is still leading the TRP ratings in India. Her other famous serials include "Kahaani Ghar Ghar Ki", "Kahiin To Hoga", "Kavyanjali", "Kyaa Hoga Nimmo Kaa", "Kasamh Se", "Kahin Kisii Roz", "Kasautii Zindagi Kay", "Kkusum", "Kutumb", "Kalash", and "Kundali". For her entrepreneurial skills and achievements Ekta Kapoor was awarded with Ernst & Young (E&Y) Startup Entrepreneur Of The Year award in 2001.

Ghanshyam Das Birla Profile

Born: April 10, 1894 Achievement: Laid the foundations of the Birla Empire; founder of the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI). Ghanshyam Das Birla is considered as a doyen of Indian Industry. He was the man who laid the foundations of the Birla Empire. G.D. Birla was a multi-faceted personality. He was a close associate of Mahatma Gandhi and advised Gandhiji on economic policies. He was the most important pre-Independence contributor to the Indian National Congress. Ghanshyam Das Birla was the founder of the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI). He is also popularly known as the builder of Birla Mandirs. Born on April 10, 1894, G.D. Birla, was a native of Pilani. His grandfather Shiv Narayan Birla was a traditional marwari moneylender. Ghanshyam Das Birla entered the business arena during the time of First World War. He established a cotton mill in Sabzi Mandi, and later on established Keshoram Cotton Mills. Along with cotton mills he diversified to jute business and shifted his base to Calcutta city in Bengal, the world's largest jute producing region. He established Birla Jute Mills in Bengal, much to the consternation of established European merchants. In 1919, with an investment of Rs. 50 lakhs, the Birla Brothers Limited was formed and a mill was set up in Gwalior. In 1930s, G.D. Birla set up Sugar and Paper mills. In 1940s, he ventured into the territory of cars and established Hindustan Motors. After independence, Ghanshyam Das Birla invested in tea and textiles through a series of acquisitions of erstwhile European companies. He also expanded and diversified into cement, chemicals, rayon and steel tubes. Ghanshyam Das Birla also founded several educational institutions. Birla Institute of Technology and Sciences (BITS) Pilani has today evolved into one of India's best engineering schools. He also established many temples, planetariums, and hospitals. Ghanshyam Das Birla died in 1983 at the age of 90. In his honour, G.D. Birla award for scientific Research has been established to encourage scientists for their contribution in the various fields of scientific Research.

Karsanbhai Patel Profile

Achievement: Man behind the hugely successful brand, Nirma. Karsanbhai Patel is the man behind the hugely successful brand, Nirma. His' is a legendary rags to riches journey during which he shattered established business theories and rewrote new ones. Karsanbhai Khodidas Patel (K.K. Patel) came from a humble farmer family from Mehsana, Gujarat. He worked as Lab Assistant in the Geology and Mining Department of the Government of Gujarat. In 1969, at the age of 25, Karsan Bhai Patel started a small-scale enterprise. He offered a quality detergent powder, using indigenous technology, at a third of the prevailing price, without compromising on the product. Karsanbhai named the detergent powder Nirma after daughter Nirupama. At that time domestic detergent market was limited only to premium segment and was dominated by MNCs. Karsanbhai Patel started door-to-door selling of Nirma and priced it at Rs. 3 per kg. The next available cheapest brand in the market at that time was Rs.13 per kg. Nirma revolutionized the whole detergent powder segment and in a short span of time created an entirely new market segment in the domestic detergent sector market. It gave the bigger established brands a run for their money and soon occupied the top market share. To add to all this, Nirma was made of an innovative formulation, which global detergent giants were later on compelled to emulate, it was phosphate free and hence environment friendly, and the process of manufacturing was labour intensive, which offered large scale employment. Karsanbhai notched up one success after another. After establishing its leadership in economy-priced detergents, Nirma foray into the premium brand segment, in cakes and detergents was equally successful. It built up a 30% market share in the premium detergent segment and achieved a greater than 20% share in the premium soaps market. Karsanbhai Patel has won many accolades on his way to success. The Federation of Association of Small Scale Industries of India, New Delhi, awarded him with the 'Udyog Ratna'. The Gujarat Chamber of Commerce felicitated him as an 'Outstanding Industrialist of the Eighties'. The Govt. of India twice appointed him Chairman of the Development Council for Oils, Soaps & Detergents.

Kiran Mazumdar Shaw Profile

Born: March 23, 1953 Achievement: Chairman & Managing Director of Biocon Ltd; Felicitated with Padmashri (1989) and Padma Bhushan (2005). Kiran Mazumdar Shaw is the Chairman & Managing Director of Biocon Ltd, India's biggest biotechnology company. In 2004, she became India's richest woman. Kiran Mazumdar Shaw was born on March 23, 1953 in Bangalore. She had her schooling at Bishop Cotton Girls School and Mount Carmel College at Bangalore. After doing completing her B.Sc. in Zoology from Bangalore University in 1973, she went to Ballarat University in Melbourne, Australia and qualified as a master brewer. Kiran Mazumdar Shaw started her professional career as trainee brewer in Carlton & United Beverages in 1974. In 1978, she joined as Trainee Manager with Biocon Biochemicals Limited in Ireland. In the same year, Kiran Mazumdar Shaw founded Biocon India in collaboration with Biocon Biochemicals Limited, with a capital of Rs.10,000. She initially faced many problems regarding funds for her business. Banks were hesitant to give loan to her as biotechnology was a totally new field at that point of time and she was a woman entrepreneur, which was a rare phenomenon. Biocon's initial operation was to extract an enzyme from papaya. Under Kiran Mazumdar Shaw's stewardship Biocon transformed from an industrial enzymes company to an integrated biopharmaceutical company with strategic research initiatives. Today, Biocon is recognised as India's pioneering biotech enterprise. In 2004, Biocon came up with an IPO and the issue was over-subscribed by over 30 times. Post-IPO, Kiran Mazumdar Shaw held close to 40% of the stock of the company and was regarded as India's richest woman with an estimated worth of Rs. 2,100 crore. Kiran Mazumdar Shaw is the recipient of several prestigious awards. These include ET Businesswoman of the Year, Best Woman Entrepreneur, Model Employer, Ernst & Young's Entrepreneur of the Year Award for Life Sciences & Healthcare, Leading Exporter, Outstanding Citizen, Technology Pioneer, etc. Government of India also felicitated her with Padmashri (1989) and Padma Bhushan (2005).

K.P. Singh Profile

Born: August 15, 1931 Achievement: Chairman of DLF Group; Recipient of the 'Delhi Ratna' Award for his valuable contribution to Delhi K.P. Singh is the Chairman of DLF Group and can be christened as the real estate baron of India. DLF has a strong leadership presence in Indian real estate industry and the company is credited with developing the modern township of Gurgaon. K.P. Singh (Kushal Pal Singh) was born on August 15, 1931 at Bulandshahar in Uttar Pradesh. After graduating in Science from Meerut College, he went to UK to study Aeronautical Engineering. While pursuing engineering in UK, K.P. Singh was selected to the prestigious Indian Army, by British Officers Services Selection Board, UK. He joined the Indian Military Academy at Dehradun and was later on commissioned into The Deccan Horse-a renowned cavalry regiment of The Indian Army. In 1960, K.P. Singh joined American Universal Electric Company, a joint venture between Universal Electric Company of Owosso, Michigan and his family. Thereafter, K.P. Singh promoted another company, i.e. Willard India Limited in collaboration with ESB inc of Philadelphia for manufacturing automatic and industrial batteries in India and became its Managing Director. In 1979, K.P. Singh joined DLF Universal Limited. When American Universal Company merged with DLF Universal Limited, K.P. Singh became the Managing Director of the new company. K.P. Singh had the vision to buy land in Gurgaon, which was then a barren village on the outskirts of Delhi. He had the foresight to saw the untapped potential of the place and today Gurgaon is one of the real-estate hotspots of the country. Presently, DLF has 100 million square feet under development in residential, commercial and retail projects all over the country. Kushal Pal Singh also held a number of professional positions in India. He was the President of the ASSOCHAM (Associated Chamber of Commerce and Industry of India) and the PHD Chambers of Commerce & Industry. K.P. Singh is also the recipient of the 'Delhi Ratna' Award for his valuable contribution to Delhi.

Kumar Mangalam Birla Profile

Born: June 14, 1967 Achievement: Chairman of the Aditya Birla Group; Chosen as Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year - India in 2005 Kumar Mangalam Birla is the Chairman of the Aditya Birla Group. The group is India's third largest business house. Major companies of Aditya Birla Group in India are Grasim, Hindalco, UltraTech Cement, Aditya Birla Nuvo and Idea Cellular. Aditya Birla Group's joint ventures include Birla Sun Life (Financial Services) and Birla NGK (Insulators). The group also has its presence in various countries such as Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Egypt, Canada, China and Australia. Born on June 14, 1967, Kumar Mangalam Birla spent the early of his life in Calcutta and Mumbai. He is a Chartered Accountant and did his MBA (Masters in Business Administration) from the London Business School, London. Kumar Mangalam Birla took over as Chairman in 1995, at the age of 28, after sudden demise of his father, noted industrialist Aditya Birla, after whom the group is named. When Kumar Mangalam Birla assumed the mantle at the Aditya Birla Group, Doubts were raised about his ability to handle a giant business house with interests spanning viscose, textiles and garments on the one hand and cement, aluminium and fertilisers on the other. But Kumar Mangalam proved his skeptics wrong. He brought in radical changes, changed business strategies, professionalised the entire group and replaced internal systems. Kumar Mangalam reduced his group's dependence on the cyclic commodities sectors by entering consumer products. Under Kumar Mangalam Birla's leadership, the Aditya Birla Group, apart from consolidating its position in existing businesses, also ventured into sunrise sectors like cellular telephony, asset management, software and BPO. Kumar Mangalam Birla also holds several key positions on various regulatory and professional boards, including chairmanship of the advisory committee constituted by the ministry of company affairs for 2006 and 2007, membership of the prime minister of India's advisory council on trade and industry, chairmanship of the board of trade reconstituted by the union minister of commerce and industry, and membership of the Central Board of Directors of the Reserve Bank of India. Kumar Mangalam Birla has won several honors. Major among them include The Business Leader of the Year (2003) by The Economic Times, Business Man of the Year - 2003 by Business India, and The Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year - India in 2005.

Lalit Suri Profile

Achievement: Chairman of the Bharat Hotels chain and the single largest hotel owner. Lalit Suri can be called as the uncrowned hotel king of India. He is the Chairman of the Bharat Hotels chain and is the single-largest hotel owner with over 1600 rooms. Bharat Hotels chain comprises seven hotels which include the flagship InterContinental The Grand in Delhi, and six Grand hotels in Mumbai, Goa, Bangalore, Srinagar, Udaipur and Khajuraho. Lalit Suri is an alumnus of St Columbus and Sri Ram College of Commerce, New Delhi. He represented both his school and college in swimming and athletics at the state level. Lalit Suri was trained as an automobile engineer and started his career manufacturing vehicle bodies. He commissioned his first hotel in Delhi in 1988. Since then there has been no looking back. In the last few years Bharat Hotels has invested Rs 500 crore on its properties in Mumbai and Goa. In addition, the group has spent Rs 42 crore on a 30-year lease on the former Bangalore Ashok, and a further Rs 40 crore on renovations. Lalit Suri is currently on an expansion mode. Sites for hotels have been identified and negotiated in Amritsar, Ahmedabad and Jaipur, while search is on for the right locations in Chennai and Hyderabad. In the first phase hotels will be constructed in Amritsar, Ahmedabad, and Jaipur adding 400600 rooms to the Grand chain, while the next phase in Chennai, and Hyderabad) will take the tally up by another 500 five-star deluxe rooms. Apart from a successful businessman, Lalit Suri is also an avid traveler and an art lover. Presently, he is also a Rajya Sabha MP.

M.S. Oberoi Profile

Born: August 15, 1898 Achievement: Founder of the Oberoi Group of Hotels; Honored with Padma Bhushan in 2001. M.S. Oberoi can be aptly termed as the father of the Indian hotel industry. Rai Bahadur Mohan Singh Oberoi was among the first to recognize the potential of the tourism industry, its ability to contribute to India's economic growth and generate direct and indirect employment. He worked tirelessly to put Indian hotel industry on global tourism map. M.S. Oberoi was born on August 15, 1898, in the erstwhile undivided Punjab, now in Pakistan. He did his early schooling in Rawalpindi and completed his graduation from Lahore. In 1922, to escape the epidemic of Plague, he came to Shimla, and got a job of front desk clerk, at The Cecil Hotel at a salary of Rs 50 per month. M.S. Oberoi was a quick learner and shouldered many additional responsibilities along with the job of desk clerk. M. S. Oberoi's diligence prompted Mr. Clarke to request Mohan Singh Oberoi to assist him when he acquired Clarkes Hotel. At the Clarkes Hotel, M.S. Oberoi gained first hand experience in all aspects of hotel operations. In 1934, M.S. Oberoi acquired The Clarkes Hotel from his mentor, by mortgaging his wife's jewelry and all his assets. In 1938, he signed a lease to takeover operations of the five hundred room Grand Hotel in Calcutta, which was up for sale following a cholera epidemic. In 1943, Rai Bahadur Mohan Singh Oberoi, acquired the controlling interest in the Associated Hotels of India (AHI) which owned the Cecil, and Corstophans in Shimla, the Maidens and the Imperial in Delhi, and a hotel each in Lahore, Murree, Rawalpindi and Peshawar. He thus became the first Indian to run the largest and finest hotel chain. In 1959, The Oberoi Group became the first group to start flight catering operations in India. In 1965, M.S. Oberoi opened the first modern, five star international hotel in the country, The Oberoi Intercontinental, in Delhi. In 1966 he established the prestigious Oberoi School of Hotel Management, recognized by the International Hotel Association in Paris. In 1973, The Oberoi Group opened the 35 storey Oberoi Sheraton in Mumbai. Rai Bahadur M.S. Oberoi was the first to employ women in the hospitality sector. Today, The Oberoi Group owns or manages 37 luxury and first class international hotels in seven countries. M.S. Oberoi was elected to the Rajya Sabha in 1962 and in 1972. He was also elected to the Lok Sabha in 1968. M.S. Oberoi was recipient of many awards and honours. In 1943, he was conferred the title of Rai Bahadur by the British Government. Other honors include admission to the Hall of Fame by the American Society of Travel Agents (ASTA); Man of The World by the International Hotel Association (IHA) New York; named by Newsweek as one of the "Elite Winners of 1978" and the PHDCCI Millennium award in 2000. M.S. Oberoi was honored with Padma Bhushan in 2001. M.S. Oberoi passed away on May 3, 2002 at the age of 103.

Mukesh Ambani Profile

Born: April 19, 1957 Achievement: Chairman and Managing Director of Reliance Industries Limited, India's largest private sector company; Chosen as ET Business Leader of the Year 2006; Ranked 42nd among the World's Most Respected Business Leaders and second among the four Indian CEOs featured in a survey conducted by PricewaterhouseCoopers and published in Financial Times, London, November 2004. Mukesh Ambani is the face of new emerging India. He is the Chairman and Managing Director of Reliance Industries Limited, India's largest private sector company. Mukesh Ambani was born on April 19, 1957 in Mumbai. His father Dhirubhai Ambani was then a small businessman who later on rose to become one of the legends of Indian industry. Mukesh Ambani did his Bachelors in Chemical Engineering from University of Bombay and Masters in Business Administration from Stanford University, USA. Mukesh Ambani joined Reliance in 1981 and was the brain behind Reliance's backward integration from textiles into polyester fibres and further into petrochemicals. During the process of backward integration, Mukesh Ambani led the creation of 51 new, world-class manufacturing facilities involving diverse technologies that raised Reliance's manufacturing capacities manifold. World's largest grassroots petroleum refinery at Jamnagar is the brainchild of Mukesh Ambani. He was also the incharge of Dhirubhai's dream project Reliance Infocomm. But after the split in the Reliance Empire, Reliance Infocomm went to his brother Anil Ambani. Mukesh Ambani is now planning to enter retail sector in a big way. He has plans to establish big retail stores all over the country. Recently, he also entered into an agreement with Haryana Government to establish a Special Economic Zone (SEZ) with an investment running into thousands of crores. Mukesh Ambani has many achievements and honours to his name. Mukesh Ambani was chosen as the ET Business leader of the Year 2006. He was ranked 42nd among the World's Most Respected Business Leaders and second among the four Indian CEOs featured in a survey conducted by PricewaterhouseCoopers and published in Financial Times, London, November 2004. He was conferred the World Communication Award for the Most Influential Person in Telecommunications in 2004 by Total Telecom, October, 2004. Mukesh Ambani was also conferred the Asia Society Leadership Award by the Asia Society, Washington D.C., USA,

Nandan Nilekani Profile

Achievement: CEO and Managing Director of the Infosys; Conferred the Padma Bhushan in 2006. Nandan Nilekani is the CEO and managing director of the Infosys. Along with Narayan Murthy, he was one of the co-founders of Infosys. He has served as a director on the company's board since its inception in 1981. Before assuming the post of CEO in March 2002, Nandan Nilekani held the post of Managing Director, President and Chief Operating Officer. Nandan Nilekani was born in Bangalore. His father Mohan Nilekani was a manager in Minerva Mills. Nandan Nilekani had his initial schooling in Bangalore. Due to his father's transferable job Nandan moved to his uncle's place at Dharwad at the age of 12. This taught Nandan Nilekani to be independent. In 1973, at the age of 18, Nandan Nilekani got admission in IIT Mumbai. The stint at IIT Mumbai transformed Nandan Nilekani from a small town boy to a confident mature man. The lessons he learnt here-meritocracy; the ability to work as part of a team; hard work; and the importance of giving back to the society-have stood him in good stead. After graduating in electrical engineering from IIT Mumbai in 1978, Nandan Nilekani joined Patni Computers. Here he worked under Narayan Murthy. Three years later in 1981, Nandan Nilekani along with Narayan Murthy and five other co-founders founded Infosys. While Narayan Murthy stayed in India, Nandan Nilekani shifted to the US to take care of Infosys' interests there. He was the company's marketing face. In 1980s and 90s Nandan Nilekani and his team worked hard to build Infosys. Today Infosys' success story has become a legend in India's corporate history. Today, Infosys has an employee strength of 58,000, annual revenue of $2 billion and $21 billion capitalization. Nandan Nilekani is recipient of several honors and awards. In January 2006, Nandan became one of the youngest entrepreneurs to join 20 global leaders on the prestigious World Economic Forum (WEF) Foundation Board. He figures among one of the 100 most influential people in the world by Time Magazine, 2006. In 2005 he was awarded the prestigious Joseph Schumpeter prize for innovative services in field of economy, economic sciences and politics. In 2006, Nandan Nilekani was conferred the Padma Bhushan, one of the highest civilian honors of India.

Narayana Murthy Profile

Born: August 20, 1946 Achievement: One of the founders of Infosys Technologies Limited; Chosen as the World Entrepreneur of the Year - 2003 by Ernst and Young Narayana Murthy is the Non-Executive Chairman and Chief Mentor of Infosys Technologies Limited. He is a living legend and an epitome of the fact that honesty, transparency, and moral integrity are not at variance with business acumen. He set new standards in corporate governance and morality when he stepped down as the Executive Chairman of Infosys at the age of 60. Born on August 20, 1946, N.R. Narayana Murthy is a B.E. Electrical from University of Mysore (1967) and M.Tech from IIT Kanpur (1969). Narayan Murthy began his career with Patni Computer Systems in Pune. In 1981, Narayana Murthy founded Infosys with six other software professionals. In 1987, Infosys opened its first international office in U.S.A. With the liberalization of Indian economy in 1990s, Infosys grew rapidly. In 1993, the company came up with its IPO. In 1995, Infosys set up development centers across cities in India and in 1996, it set up its first office in Europe in Milton Keynes, UK. In 1999, Infosys became the first Indian company to be listed on NASDAQ. Today (in 2006), Infosys has a turnover of more than $ 2billion and has employee strength of over 50,000. In 2002, Infosys was ranked No. 1 in the "Best Employers in India 2002" survey conducted by Hewitt and in the Business World's survey of "India's Most Respected Company." Conducted in the same year. Along with the growth of Infosys, Narayana Moorthy too has grown in stature. He has received many honors and awards. In June 2000, Asiaweek magazine featured him in a list of Asia's 50 Most Powerful People. In 2001, Narayana Murthy was named by TIME/CNN as one of the 25 most influential global executives. He was the first recipient of the Indo-French Forum Medal (2003) and was voted the World Entrepreneur of the Year - 2003 by Ernst and Young. The Economist ranked Narayana Murthy eighth on the list of the 15 most admired global leaders (2005) and Narayan Murthy also topped the Economic Times Corporate Dossier list of India's most powerful CEOs for two consecutive years - 2004 and 2005.

Naresh Goyal Profile

Achievement: Founder Chairman of Jet Airways; Recipient of the first BM Munjal Award for Excellence in Learning & Development in the Private Sector category in 2006. Naresh Goyal is the founder Chairman of Jet Airways, India's largest domestic airline. Jet Airways presently operates over 320 flights daily to 48 destinations, of which five are international. Naresh Goel also figures in Forbes list of Indian billionaires. Naresh Goyal completed his graduation in Commerce in 1967 and joined the travel business with the GSA for Lebanese International Airlines. From 1967 to 1974 he learnt the intricacies of the travel business through his association with several foreign airlines. In May 1974, Naresh Goyal founded Jetair (Private) Limited to look after Sales and Marketing operations of foreign airlines in India. Naresh Goyal was involved in developing studies of traffic patterns, route structures, and operational economics and flight scheduling. His rich and varied experience made him an authority in the world of aviation and travel. In 1991, when the Indian economy was being opened up, Naresh Goyal took advantage of Open Skies Policy of the Government of India and set up Jet Airways for the operation of scheduled air services on domestic sectors in India. Jet Airways started commercial operations on May 05, 1993. Today, Jet Airways has evolved into India's largest private domestic airline. Jet Airways has been voted India's "Best Domestic Airline" by several organisations of world-class repute. In 2005, Jet Airways came up with an IPO and it was a huge success. Jet Airways was recently in controversy over its merger deal with Air Sahara. The merger was called off and the too airlines are currently considering arbitration. Along with Jet's meteoric rise, Naresh Goyal too rose in the entrepreneurial arena. He has won several honors and accolades. These include Entrepreneur of the Year Award for Services' from Ernst & Young in 2000, 'Distinguished Alumni Award-2000 for meritorious and distinguished performance as an Entrepreneur', Outstanding Asian-Indian' award for leadership and contribution to the global community given by the Indian American Centre for Political Awareness, 'Aerospace Laurels' for outstanding contribution in the field of Commercial Air Transport twice, in April 2000 and February 2004. Naresh Goyal also received the first BM Munjal Award for Excellence in Learning & Development in the Private Sector category in 2006.

Dr. Pratap Reddy Profile

Achievement: Founder of the Apollo Hospital Group Dr. Pratap Reddy is the founder of the Apollo Hospital Group, India's first corporate hospital group. He revolutionized the whole health care scenario of India and inspired others to follow the suit. Today, India has over 750 corporate hospitals all over the country. Dr. Pratap Reddy came to India after serving as the Chief Resident of the Worcenter City Hospital in the US to start his practice in Madras with a modest earning of Rs 100/- per day. The idea to establish Apollo Group of Hospitals came when Dr. Reddy lost a patient who couldn't make it to Texas for an open heart surgery. This inspired Dr. Pratap Reddy to create world-class medical infrastructure in India and make it more accessible and affordable to common people. Dr. Reddy's efforts bore fruit when he succeeded in setting up the first center of the Apollo Hospitals Group in Chennai in 1983. Dr, Pratap Reddy soon followed this with India 's first hospital consultancy body - the Indian Hospitals Corporation - and commissioned two more Tertiary Care Centers in India. Since its inception, Apollo has demonstrated that Indian skills are equivalent to the best centers in the world and has produced world-class results in the most complicated Cadaver Transplant. Today, the Apollo Hospitals Group has over 22 centers in major cities in India and a combined turnover of over US $ 100 million. Dr Reddy is now spreading Apollo Hospitals Group to other parts of Asia. The group opened its first clinic in Dubai in March 1999 and is coming up with projects in Sri Lanka, Africa, Bangladesh, and Oman. Dr. Reddy is currently looking at secondary health centers in semi urban and smaller cities and has already identified 23 sites for the purpose. Dr. Pratap Reddy's latest initiatives are "Med Varsity"-a virtual medical university providing total access to experts in the field of medicine anywhere in the world- and "MEDNET" - Hospital Systems Management package. Both the initiatives are expected to transform health care sector in India.

Rahul Bajaj Profile

Achievement: Chairman of the Bajaj Group Rahul Bajaj is the Chairman of the Bajaj Group, which ranks among the top 10 business houses in India. The Bajaj Group has diversified interests ranging from automobiles, home appliances, lighting, iron and steel, insurance, travel and finance. Rahul Bajaj is one of India's most distinguished business leaders and internationally respected for his business acumen and entrepreneurial spirit. Rahul Bajaj is an alumnus of Harvard, St. Stephen's and Cathedral. He took over the reins of Bajaj Group in 1965. Under his stewardship, the turnover of the Bajaj Auto the flagship company has risen from Rs.72 million to Rs.46.16 billion. Rahul Bajaj created one of India's best companies in the difficult days of the licence-permit raj. He established factories at Akurdi and Waluj. In 1980s Bajaj Auto was top scooter producer in India and its Chetak brand had a 10-year waiting period. The initiation of liberalization in India posed great challenges for Bajaj Auto. Liberalisation brought the threat of cheap imports and FDI from top companies like Honda. Rahul Bajaj became famous as the head of the Bombay Club, which opposed liberalization. The scooter sails plummeted as people were more interested in motorcycles and the rival Hero Honda was a pioneer in it. The recession and stock market collapse of 2001 hit the company hard and it was predicted that the days of Bajaj Auto were numbered. However, Bajaj Auto re-invented itself, established a world-class factory in Chakan, invested in R&D and came up with Bajaj Pulsar Motorcycle. Bajaj Pulsar is currently a leader in its segment. Recently, Rahul Bajaj was elected to Rajya Sabha from Maharashtra.

Ramalinga Raju Profile

Born: September 16, 1954 Achievement: Founder and Chairman of Satyam Computer Services Ltd; Chosen as Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year for Services in 1999 Ramalinga Raju is one of the pioneers of the Information Technology industry in India. He is the founder and Chairman of Satyam Computer Services Ltd. Ramalinga Raju was born on September 16, 1954 in a family of farmers. He did his B. Com from Andhra Loyola College at Vijayawada and subsequently did his MBA from Ohio University, USA. Ramalinga Raju had a stint at Harvard too. He attended the Owner / President course at Harvard. After returning to India in 1977, Ramalinga Raju moved away from the traditional agriculture business and set up a spinning and weaving mill named Sri Satyam. . Thereafter he shifted to the real estate business and started a construction company called Satyam Constructions. In 1987, Ramalinga Raju founded Satyam Computer Services along with one of his brothers-in-law, DVS Raju. The company went public in 1992. With the launch of Satyam Infoway (Sify) Satyam became one of the first to enter Indian internet service market. Today, Satyam has a global presence and serves 44 Fortune 500 and over 390 multinational corporations. Ramalinga Raju has won several awards and honors. These include Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year for Services in 1999, Dataquest IT Man of the Year in 2000, CNBC's Asian Business Leader - Corporate Citizen of the Year award in 2002 and E&Y Entrepreneur of the Year Award in 2007. The ever-soaring share prices of Satyam witnessed a sharp decline in December 2008, following a failed acquisition attempt involving Maytas, a company owned by Raju's family. In January 2009, Raju resigned as the Chairman of Satyam after he admitted to major financial wrong-doings. In Januray 2009, Raju confessed of his involvement in inflating the profits of the company for the past couple of years. The 7,800-crore fraud started with an initial cover-up for a poor quarterly performance and assumed massive proportion, with time.

Ratan Tata Profile

Born: December 28, 1937 Achievement: Honored with Padma Bhushan, one of the highest civilian awards in 2000. Ratan Tata is presently the Chairman of Tata Sons, the holding company of the Tata Group. Ratan Naval Tata is also the Chairman of the major Tata companies such as Tata Steel, Tata Motors, Tata Power, Tata Consultancy Services, Tata Tea, Tata Chemicals, Indian Hotels and Tata Teleservices. He has taken Tata Group to new heights and under his leadership Group's revenues have grown manifold. Ratan Tata was born on December 28, 1937, in Bombay. He received a Bachelor of Science degree in architecture from Cornell University in 1962. Ratan Tata had a short stint with Jones and Emmons in Los Angeles, California, before returning to India in late 1962. He joined the Tata Group and was assigned to various companies before being appointed director-in-charge of The National Radio & Electronics Company (NELCO) in 1971. Ratan Tata was appointed Chairman of Tata Industries in 1981. He was assigned the task of transforming the company into a Group strategy think-tank, and a promoter of new ventures in high technology businesses. In 1991, Ratan Tata took over the Chairmanship from JRD Tata. Under him Tata Consultancy Services went public and Tata Motors was listed in the New York Stock Exchange. In 1998, Tata Motors came up with Tata Indica, the first truly Indian car. The car was the brainchild of Ratan Tata. Ratan Tata was honored with Padma Bhushan, one of the highest civilian awards in 2000. He was also conferred an honorary doctorate in business administration by Ohio State University, an honorary doctorate in technology by the Asian Institute of Technology, Bangkok, and an honorary doctorate in science by the University of Warwick.

Raunaq Singh Profile

Born: 1922 Achievement: Founder of Raunaq Group; Elected as a member of the Executive Board of the International Chamber of Commerce, Paris Raunaq Singh was one of the earliest entrepreneurs of independent India who made it big. He was the founder of Raunaq group. The Raunaq Group's major companies include Apollo Tyres Ltd, Bharat Gears Ltd, Bharat Steel Tubes Ltd, Raunaq International Ltd, Menarini Raunaq Pharma Ltd, and Raunaq Automotive Components Ltd. Raunaq Singh was born in 1922. After initial struggle he went on to become a powerful figure in corporate India. At one point of time in his life he could afford only one paisa a day for meals and when he retired his group was employing 9000 people on his payroll. Raunaq Singh was a great advocate of economic liberalization and globalization of the Indian business. He worked tirelessly to put the Indian industry on the global map. He held several key leadership positions in Industry & Trade Associations. These included President Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FICCI), President The Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (ASSOCHAM), Chairman Engineering Export Promotion Council (EEPC), Chairman Automotive Tyre Manufacturers Association, and President Federation of Indian Export Organization. Raunaq Singh won several awards for his entrepreneurship. He was often referred as "Mr. Exporter", because of his inclination for exports and export promotion for Indian Industry. Raunaq Singh also won international recognition for his entrepreneurial skills. was elected as a member of the Executive Board of the International Chamber of Commerce, Paris for a three-year term. Raunaq Singh died on September 30, 2002.

Shiv Nadar Profile

Achevement: Chief Executive Officer of Hindustan Computers Limited (HCL), India's largest infotech conglomerate Shiv Nadar is the Chief Executive Officer of Hindustan Computers Limited (HCL), India's largest infotech conglomerate. He figures in the Forbes list of Indian billionaires. Originally hailing from Moolaipozhi Village,Trichendur,Tutocorin District, Tamil Nadu, Shiv Nadar moved to Delhi in 1968. He worked as an engineer with DCM Ltd. But the entrepreneur in Shiv Nadar wanted to set up his own business. Therefore, he along with six of his colleagues launched a firm making office products like copiers. In late 1970s, when IBM quit India, Shiv Nadar's HCL stepped in to fill the vacuum. In 1982, HCL came out with its first computer. Today, HCL derives 80% of its revenue from computers and office equipment. HCL has also been spreading its global reach. Its Singapore subsidiary, Far East Computers, achieved a breakthrough in imaging technology, which, among other applications, enables computers to read handwritten tax returns. HCL has adopted innovative practices to achieve growth. In the U.S, a software subsidiary, HCL America, has reaped huge dividends by taking advantage of global time zones. Every morning, the company's Chennai office receives software assignments from the U.S, just after work stops there for the night. A team of Indian engineers, with salaries much lower than those of their American counterparts, complete the jobs and send them back in the evening. In a short span of time, Shiv Nadar has reached pinnacle of success by his hardwork, vision, and entrepreneurial spirit.

Subhash Chandra Profile

Achievement: Founder of Zee TV, India's first private TV channel Subhash Chandra is the founder of Zee TV, India's first private TV channel. This onetime rice trader from Hissar, Haryana has today transformed into a media baron and his other interests include packaging, theme parks, lotteries and cinema multiplexes. Subhash Chandra launched Zee Telefilms Limited in October 1992 as a content supplier for Zee TV - India's first Hindi satellite channel. Subash Chandra was the first in India who sought to harness the huge business potential of satellite television channels. Before the launch of Zee TV viewers in India were under the firm grip of Doordarshan, the state-controlled terrestrial network. It was Subhash Chandra's vision that helped give birth to the satellite TV industry in India and inspired others to follow suit. After the launch of Zee TV, he commenced Siticable operations in 1995 and also started a joint venture with News Corp. In 1995, he launched two new channels, Zee News and Zee Cinema. In 2000, Zee TV became the first cable company in India to launch Internet over Cable services. In 2003, Zee TV became the first service provider in India to launch Direct to Home (DTH) services. In a short span of time Zee TV has become a big media and has give tough competition to international media moghuls such as Rupert Murdoch. Subhash Chandra's meteoric rise in the past decade is somewhat similar to the rise of Dhirubhai Ambani in 1980s and 1990s.

Subroto Roy Profile

Achievement: Chairman of the Sahara Group Subroto Roy, is the head of the $10bn (5.5bn) Sahara Group. Sahara Group has interests in banking, aviation, media and housing. Subroto Roy began his journey in 1978, when he founded Sahara in 1978 with three workers in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh as a small deposits para-banking business. Today, the group has diversified into a giant business conglomerate with interests in housing, entertainment, media and aviation. Sahara Group presently runs a private airline, entertainment and news television channels, a newspaper, and claims to own some 33,000 acres of real estate across India. It also sponsors the Indian cricket and hockey teams and intends to move into life insurance, housing finance, consumer products, sportswear, and healthcare. Sahara Group has come up with one of the most prestigious real estate projects in India, namely Amby Valley Project. The project boasts some of the biggest name in Indian entertainment and sports arena as well as some former international Olympic medal winners as its brand ambassadors. Sahara Airline was recently in news for its merger with Jet Airlines. But the deal fell through. Sahara Group has a huge complex in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh. The complex is known as Sahara City. Subrato Roy is famous for his flamboyant lifestyle. The wedding of his two sons became talk of the town. The who's who of Indian elite attended it and its expenditure ran into hundreds of crores. Subroto Roy calls himself as the group's "chief guardian".

Sunil Mittal Profile

Achievement: Chairman and Managing Director of Bharti Group, India's largest GSM-based mobile phone service provider; IT Man of the Year Award 2002 from Dataquest and CEO Of the Year, 2002 Award from World HRD Congress. Sunil Mittal can be called as originator of cellular phone revolution in India. He is the founder, Chairman and Managing Director of Bharti Group and runs India's largest GSM-based mobile phone service. Sunil Bharti Mittal's father was an M.P. Sunil did not followed his father's footsteps. After graduating from Punjab University in 1970s, he set up a small bicycle business in Ludhiana in partnership with his friend. By 1979, Sunil Mittal realized that his ambitions could not be fulfilled in Ludhiana, so he moved out to Mumbai from Ludhiana. He spent a few years in Mumbai and in 1982, Sunil Mittal started a full-fledged business selling portable generators imported from Japan. This gave him a chance to acquaint himself with the nitty-gritty's of marketing and advertising. His business was running smoothly but later on the government banned the import of generators as two Indian companies were awarded licenses to manufacture generators locally. In 1986, Sunil Bharti Mittal incorporated Bharti Telecom Limited (BTL) and entered into a technical tie up with Siemens AG of Germany for manufacture of electronic push button phones. Gradually he expanded his business and by early 1990s, Sunil Mittal was making fax machines, cordless phones and other telecom gear. In 1992, when the Indian government was awarding licenses for mobile phone services for the first time, Sunil Mittal clinched Delhi cellular license in collaboration with French telecom group Vivendi. In 1995, Sunil Mittal founded Bharti Cellular Limited (BCL) to offer cellular services under the brand name AirTel. Soon, Bharti became the first telecom company to cross the 2-million mobile subscriber mark. Bharti Cellular Limited also rolled out India's first private national as well as international long-distance service under the brand name IndiaOne. In 2001, BCL entered into a joint venture with Singapore Telecom International for a $650-million submarine cable project, India's first ever undersea cable link connecting Chennai in India and Singapore. Today, Sunil Mittal runs a successful empire with a market capitalization of approximately $ 2 billion and employing over 5,000 people. He has been honored with several awards. Sunil Bharti Mittal was chosen as one of the top entrepreneurs in the world for the year 2000 and amongst 'Stars Of Asia', by 'Business Week'. He also received IT Man of the Year Award 2002 from Dataquest and CEO Of the Year, 2002 Award (World HRD Congress).

Tulsi Tanti Profile

Achievement: Chairman of Suzlon Energy Ltd, Ranks among top 10 richest men of India. Tulsi Tanti is the Chairman of Suzlon Energy Ltd, a company dealing in wind energy. He is one of those first time entrepreneurs who saw potential in an inchoate idea, ventured into it, and made it big. Today, he ranks among top 10 richest men of India. A commerce graduate and a diploma holder in mechanical engineering, Tulsi Tanti originally hails from Gujarat and is presently based in Pune, Maharashtra. Tulsi Tanti was earlier into textiles. He started his textile business in Gujarat. But he found that the prospects stunted due to infrastructural bottlenecks. The biggest of them all was the cost and unavailability of power, which formed a high proportion of operating expenses of textile industry. In 1990, Tulsi Tanti invested in two windmills and realized its huge potential. In 1995, he formed Suzlon and gradually quit textiles. Suzlon Energy is the sixth largest wind energy company in the world and the largest in Asia. It is presently building what will be among the world's largest wind parks of its kind at 1,000 MW capacity. Suzlon is currently concentrating on global expansion drive. It recently acquired Hansen Transmissions, a Belgian maker of windturbine gearboxes. Suzlon is also building a rotor-blade factory in Minnesota and has invested $60m in a factory in Tianjin, China. Tulsi Tanti is poised to make India a wind-power export hub.

Verghese Kurien Profile

Born: November 26, 1921 Achievement: Known as the "father of the white revolution" in India; Winner of Ramon Magsaysay Award; Awarded with Padma Shri (1965), Padma Bhushan (1966), and Padma Vibhushan (1999). Dr. Verghese Kurien is better known as the "father of the white revolution" in India. He is also called as the Milkman of India. Dr. Varghese Kurien was the architect behind the success of the largest dairy development program in the world, christened as Operation Flood. He was the chairman of the Gujarat Co-operative Milk Marketing Federation Ltd. (GCMMF) and his name was synonymous with the Amul brand. Born on November 26, 1921 in Kozhikode, Kerala, Dr. Verghese Kurien graduated with Physics from Loyola College, Madras in 1940. Subsequently, he did his B.E.(Mechanical) from the Madras University and went to USA on a government scholarship to do his Masters in Mechanical Engineering from Michigan State University. In between, he completed special studies in engineering at the Tata Iron and Steel Company Institute at Jamshedpur, Bihar, in February 1946 and underwent nine months of specialized training in dairy engineering at the National Dairy Research Institute of Bangalore. Dr. Verghese Kurien returned from America in 1948 and joined the Dairy Department of the Government of India. In May 1949, he was posted as Dairy Engineer at the Government Research Creamery, a small milk-powder factory, in Anand, Gujarat. Around this time, the newly formed cooperative dairy, Kaira District Cooperative Milk Producers' Union Limited ((KDCMPUL), was engaged in battle of survival with the privately owned Polson Dairy, which was a giant in its field. Enthused by the challenge, Dr. Verghese Kurien left his government job and volunteered to help Shri Tribhuvandas Patel, the Chairman of KDCMPUL, to set up a processing plant. This led to the birth of AMUL and the rest is history. In 1965, the then Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri, created the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) under the leadership of Dr. Verghese Kurien to replicate the success story of Amul throughout the country. In 1973, Dr. Kurien set up GCMMF (Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation) to market the products produced by the dairies. Under Dr. Kurien's stewardship India became the as the largest producer of milk in the world, During his illustrious career, Dr. Verghese Kurien won many accolades and awards. These include: Ramon Magsaysay Award for Community Leadership (1963), Padma Shri (1965), Padma Bhushan (1966), Krishi Ratna Award (1986), Wateler Peace Prize Award of Carnegie Foundation (1986), World Food Prize Laureate (1989), International Person of the Year(1993) by the World Dairy Expo, Madison, Wisconsin, USA, and Padma Vibhushan (1999).

Vijay Mallya Profile

Achievement: Chairman of the United Beverages (UB) Group; Launched a new domestic airline called Kingfisher Airline; Rajya Sabha M.P. Vijay Mallya is the Chairman of the United Beverages (UB) Group. He recently launched a new domestic airline called Kingfisher Airline which is making great waves. Vijay Mallya is famous for his flamboyant and flashy lifestyle. Vijay Mallya is the son of a famous industrialist Vittal Mallya. He assumed the Chairman of the UB Group in 1983 and took the company to great heights. Under his dynamic leadership the group has grown into a multi-national conglomerate of over sixty companies. During this process United Beverages acquired several companies abroad. The UB Group has diversified business interests ranging from alcoholic beverages to life sciences, engineering, agriculture, chemicals, information technology and leisure. In 2005, Vijay Mallya established Kingfisher Airlines. In a short span of time Kingfisher Airline has carved a niche for itself. It was the first airline in India to operate with all new aircrafts. Kingfisher Airlines is also the first Indian airline to order the Airbus A380. Vijay Mallya has other interests too apart from business. He has won trophies in professional car racing circuits and is a keen yachtsman and aviator. Vijay Mallya has also won numerous trophies in horse racing including several prestigious Derbies. In 2000, Vijay Mallya entered politics superceded Subramaniam Swamy as the president of Janata Party. Presently, he is a Rajya Sabha M.P.

Mallika Srinivasan
Economic Times Businesswoman of the year 2006, she is a well known entrepreneur of India. She has always strived hard to reach for skies, but has deeply rooted her foot into the ground. She is a strong headed woman, who is leading the activities of a Company that is involved in macho business such as tractor manufacturing. She has been able to rise and stand out above all others and make a name for herself in the competitive business world of today. Well, we are talking about Mallika Srinivasan, director of the Rs 2500 crore Amalgamations Group Tafe. Mallika Srinivasan is one of the most successful women CEOs in India. In this article, we will present you with the biography of Mallika Srinivasan, so read on Life History Born on November 19, 1959 as the eldest daughter of industrialist A Sivasailam, she is the pride of her parents. She was always brilliant in academics. She did her in MA (econometrics) from Madras University. Thereafter, she went abroad to pursue further studies. She did her MBA from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. Married to Venu Srinivasan, the CMD of TVS Motor, she is living happily with their two children. In the year 1986, she planned to join the family business. She was made the General Manager of Tafe (Tractors and Farm Equipment) Company. When she took over the responsibility of furthering the economic wealth and business, the turnover of the Company was Rs 85 cr. Under the expert guidance of her father and the whole hearted support of the team, she brought about a major transformation. She converted Tafe into a hi technology-oriented company, thereby becoming the initial choice of the farmers. There was a period, when the Company had to face a tough time, however; even then, the Company invested a huge amount of over Rs 70 crore in the designing and development of product. At present, the Company is earning a business over Rs 1,200 cr. It has been a long journey for the Company, which has witnessed many ups and downs. But, it was the strong determination of this courageous woman that slowly and steadily made the firm climb the ladders of success. Today, the Company has not only found a niche for itself as the leading tractor manufacturer, but also expanded its area of operations. It has also entered into others businesses like engineering plastics, panel instruments, automotive batteries gears, hydraulic pumps, and farm implements. The company has had a long alliance with Massey Ferguson, which is now a part of Agco. The company is looking forward to exporting fully constructed tractors to Agco. Presently, Agro has a stake of 24% in the company and the rest lies with Simpson & Co. Presently, Mallika Srinivasan is serving as the president of premier industrial bodies like Tractor Manufacturers Association and the Madras Management Association. She is the first lady to have assumed the role of a president of the Madras Chamber of Commerce and Industry. She is also a prominent member of the governing board of the Indian School of Business, Hyderabad.

Naina Lal Kidwai

A prominent personality of the corporate world, she is the first woman to guide the functioning of a foreign bank in India. At present, she is working as the Group General Manager and Country Head of HSBC India. Well, we are talking about the corporate diva Naina Lal Kidwai. In this article, we will present you with the biography of Naina Lal Kidwai. She was born in the year 1957. Raised in Mumbai and Delhi, she did her schooling from Simla. Alumna of Delhi University, she is the first Indian woman to have graduated from Harvard Business School. She is among the top business women of India, who have made it to the top with their constant hard work and sincerity. To know the complete life history of Naina Lal Kidwai, read on. She began her career in the year 1982, when she joined the ANZ Grindlays Bank, which is now known as the Standard Chartered Bank. She took up a variety of banking assignments before moving to Morgan Stanley's India operation. She kept climbing the ladders of success. She played an important role in NYSE listing of Wipro. She was instrumental in facilitating the cellular phone services nationwide through a deal involving the Tatas and Birlas. Last November, she became the Managing Director of the HSBC bank. In the year 2000, the Fortune magazine declared her as the third most powerful businesswoman in Asia. She is the mother of two children, who is maintaining a great balance between work and home. She is very fond of Indian classical as well as western music. She loves to go on trekking tours to the Himalayas. She is a nature lover, who has a keen interest in observing the wildlife. For her praiseworthy work, Naina Lal Kidwai has received many accolades. Her commendable work has been given due recognition by honoring her with the Padmashri award.

Shahnaz Hussain
She is one of the most prominent personalities of the corporate world. She is making a constant effort to beautify the skin of people with her beauty products. She has been continuously striving hard to slow down the aging process and nourish the skin of people and thus make them look younger than their age. Well, we are talking about none other than the ruler of the beauty world, Shahnaz Hussain. In this article, we will present you with the biography of Shahnaz Hussain. She comes from a royal Muslim family and her father was a very powerful man. She did her schooling from the Irish convent. Since a very young age, she had an interest in poetry and English literature. She grew up in a traditional family, but was privileged to receive modern education. She got married, when she was only fifteen years old. The next year after her marriage, she became a mother. When she went to Teheran along with her husband, she developed a keen interest in beauty treatments. Eventually, she decided to study the cosmetology course. She wanted to be self independent and so she began writing articles for the Iran Tribune on varied subjects. While pursuing studies, she learnt about the harmful effects of chemicals on human body. She studied Ayurveda and believed that it is the best alternative to chemical cosmetics. After leaving Teheran, she took an extensive training in cosmetic therapy for a long period of 10 years from the leading institutions of London, Paris, New York and Copenhagen. She returned to India in the year 1977 and established her first beauty salon in her abode. Unlike other salons, she did not use chemical cosmetics. Rather, she made use of Ayurvedic products that are absolutely safe on the human body. She has ushered an era of herbal cosmetics. The products launched by her Company head their way to leading global stores such as Blooming Dales (New York), Harrods and Selfridges (London), Seibu (Japan), Galleries Lafayette (Paris), and La Rinaeccente (Milan). Her beauty products are very skin friendly and give a beautiful glowing look. She has not only been able to tap the markets of India, but made her presence felt in international market too. Now, her aim is to set her foothold in the space. People who go to space usually suffer from skin problems. At present, Shahnaz Hussain is focusing her attention on creating products that can prove to be beneficial for the astronauts. To know the complete life history of Shahnaz Hussain, read on. Her company Shahnaz Husain Herbals has witnessed tremendous growth throughout these years. She has launched more than 400 different kinds of beauty products. In the contemporary times, people are becoming more and more conscious about the way they look. It is here that Shahnaz Hussain comes to play a major role by providing people with products that can bring the glow back to their skin. She has dominated the market from the USA to Asia. During 1990s, the average growth rate of her company, which is based in New Delhi, was nearly 19.4%. In the year 2002, her Company touched $100 million. Her works are real praiseworthy and have been appreciated all over the world. She has received many awards such as "The Arch of Europe Gold Star for Quality", "The 2000 Millennium Medal of Honor", "Rajiv Gandhi Sadbhavana Award" and many more.

Sulajja Firodia Motwani

Joint Managing Director of Kinetic Engineering Ltd, she is the in charge of the Company's overall business developmental activities. She is also very well performing the role of the Director of Kinetic Motor Company Limited and Kinetic Marketing Services Limited. Well, we are talking about Sulajja Firodia Motwani. In this article, we will provide you with the biography of Sulajja Firodia Motwani, who has made an incredible contribution in making the firm reach heights of success. She is a fitness person, who is very conscious about her health. She is very particular about carrying out one or the other activity for keeping fit and active. She has always been enthusiastic about sports, especially badminton. She has played badminton on the national level. She is also very fond of pursuing adventurous sports like skiing & scuba diving. She tries to spend as much time as possible with her five year old son Sidhant. Read on to know the complete life history of Sulajja Firodia Motwani. Prior to joining Kinetic Company, Sulajja worked for a period of four years with a well known investment analytics company, BARRA International, based in California. She has been an active participant in setting the operations of the company in India. Throughout her studies, she has been a rank holder. She has always cleared exams with merit. Her name appeared in the toppers list in the SSC examinations and HSC examinations. She graduated from the Pune University. Thereafter, she went to the United States for pursuing further studies. She is an MBA degree holder from the reputed Carnegie Mellon University at Pittsburgh. She is an epitome of boldness and courage. With her strong determination and courage, she has been able to establish a niche for the firm in the business world. The Company has witnessed tremendous expansion during her tenure. From being a mere moped manufacturer, today, it has set its foothold in the industry as a manufacturer offering a complete range of two wheelers right from mopeds, scooters to motorcycles. This major transformation can be attributed to the new competitive business strategy that the Company has adopted, which is driven by the market and customers. Kinetic Company has been constantly coming up with new models to cater to all segments of the society. Sulajja has been instrumental in designing and implementing the marketing strategies of the Company. In the recent times, Kinetic has collaborated with the well known Italian company, Italjet Moto. This acquisition has given full rights to the Kinetic Company to launch seven new scooter models in the country. Kinetic is also working in partnership with Hyosung Motors of South Korea. This major collaboration has led to the launching of the most popular Kinetic Aquila and Comet. These motorcycles are very much in demand. Sulajja has played an active role in plotting the course of action for the Kinetic Company. For her great job, she has received many accolades. She has been called upon to deliver speech in a number of public forums. "India Today", a well known magazine honored her by presenting her with the title of business "Face of the Millennium". It ranked her among the top twenty five business entrepreneurs of the country. She was presented with the Society Young Achiever's Award for Business in the year 2002. The same year, she was chosen as the "Global Leader of Tomorrow" by the World Economic Forum. In the year 2003, the Institute of Marketing and Management bestowed her with the award for excellent performance as the woman CEO. She also received the Young Super Achiever Award from the leading magazine "Business Today" in 2003.

Shobhana Bhartia
Born - 1957 Achievements - Daughter of renowned industrialist KK Birla, Shobhana Bhartia is the vice-chairperson as well as the editorial director of the Hindustan Times group, which is among India's major newspaper and media houses. In the year 2001, she received the Outstanding Business Woman of the Year award. Born in the year 1957, the daughter of renowned industrialist KK Birla and grand daughter of GD Birla, Shobhana Bhartia is the vicechairperson as well as the editorial director of the Hindustan Times group, which is among India's major newspaper and media houses. This lady holds the credit of raising Rs 400 Crore via public equity launch of the HT Media group in the year 2005. Till the year 2004, the Birla family owned 75.36 per cent stake in HT Media. Here's more information about the biography of Shobhana Bhartia, who graduated from the Calcutta University and later, wedded Shyam Sunder Bhartia. This particular gentleman is the chairman of the Rs 14 billion Jubilant Organosys Limited, a Pharma company. Shamit Bhartia, their son, is also a member in the HT Media group. At the same time, he operates lifestyle businesses like Domino's Pizza franchise in the country and a convenience store chain in Bangalore city. At the time when Shobhana Bharatiya became a member of the Hindustan Times in the year 1986, she was the very first woman chief executive of a national newspaper and in all probability, also among the youngest. Shobhana Bhartia is regarded as one of the crucial people there who played a pivotal role in revamping the image of the Hindustan Times into a "bright and young paper". The life history of Shobhana Bhartia's career is full of achievements. Shobhana was nominated the member of the upper house of the Indian Parliament i.e. the Rajya Sabha. Shobhana Bhartia was also handed the Global Leader of Tomorrow award by the World Economic Forum in the year 1996. Then again in the year 2001, she received the Outstanding Business Woman of the Year award. The National Press India Award was given to Shobhana in the year 1992.

Aditya Vikram Birla

Born On: November 14, 1943 Born In: Kolkata, West Bengal Died On: October 1, 1995 Career: Industrialist Nationality: Indian The grandson of the legendary G.D. Birla, Aditya Vikram Birla was one of the most inspirational and outstanding industrialists that India has ever had. His innovative ideas and marvelous abilities helped India to expand trade to foreign countries, thereby leaving an indelible mark on the corporate landscape. He was one of the first Indian industrialists to set up the largest multinational empire, thereby creating Indias first truly global corporation. Apart from carrying forward his grandfathers legacy, he introduced the concept of sustainable livelihood, wherein he taught people to work and feed themselves and their families for lifetime rather than simply living on the food given. With this, he not only gained name and fame amongst the masses but also set an example for other businessmen to learn from him. With his magnificent and phenomenal efforts to develop his business across India and overseas, he became the new face of Indian business - professional, modern, and forward looking. Early Life Aditya Vikram Birla was born to the industrialist Basant Kumar Birla and Sarala Birla in Kolkata in West Bengal. He was the grandson of the legendary G.D. Birla, a prominent industrialist and founder of the vast Birla industrial empire. The latter had good terms with Mahatma Gandhi and began his fortune with building the popular Ambassador car and aluminum prospecting. Aditya received his formal education from Kolkata and graduated in science from St. Xaviers College. He then went to United States to pursue higher studies in chemical engineering from Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Career Life After Aditya completed his degree course in chemical engineering, he returned to India and was handed over a part of Birla Company to run. Not to be satisfied with just that, he started his own textile business with Eastern Spinning Mills that became an instant hit in Kolkata. With this, he put the companys sinking rayon and textile business back on track. This was, however, just the beginning as he showed immense interest and paved the group towards success with every assignment handed over. Adityas next challenge was the expansion of the groups oil sector which again was a victorious attempt. However, with Indira Gandhis socialist ideas of preventing foreign trade, importing world-class technology, and expansion of old plants, Aditya concentrated on Indian rayon with accepting bigger challenges of taking it worldwide. Instead of moving towards the West, Aditya focused on the east and set up Indo-Thai Synthetics Company Ltd. in Thailand in 1969, thereby launching the groups first overseas company. Flourishing Years After the flying success of Indo-Thai Synthetics Company Ltd., Aditya established P.T. Elegant Textiles for manufacturing spun yarn in Indonesia in 1973. This was the companys first venture there. In 1974, he incorporated the groups Viscose Rayon Staple Fiber as Thai Rayon in Thailand. In the following year in 1975, the first Indo-Filipino joint venture producing spun yarn was established with The Indo Phil Group of Companies in The Philippines. Over the next few years, Aditya launched several more companies and joint ventures throughout the Southeast. He established Pan Century Edible Oils in Malaysia in 1977, which later became the worlds largest singlelocation palm oil refinery. In 1978, he launched the groups first carbon black company, Thai Carbon Black in Thailand and in 1982, P.T. Indo Bharat Rayon in Indonesia. These were just some efforts that transformed the Birla Group into a blooming blue-chip company and one of Indias largest business conglomerates. Aditya, himself became one of Indias foremost businessmen. With immense profits from overseas joint industrial ventures, Birla Group became the largest multinational company set up by a resident Indian industrialist. By the 1980s, Aditya had established 19 companies in South and Southeast Asia and the Middle East. Contribution to India It was under the dynamic and influential leadership of Aditya Birla that the company was able to intensify and firm its presence in the core sectors. Even before the word globalization was included in Indias dictionary, Aditya set up a global business empire, thereby placing India on the world map in 1969. Under his guidance, the companies were making immense profits in key sectors of textiles, cement, aluminum, chemicals, fertilizers, fiber, financial services, sponge iron, software, and petro-refinery. Aditya is said to be highly responsible for building and improving the countrys commodity business. With the marvelous success of his Grasim, Hindalco, Indian Rayon, and Indo Gulf Fertilizers, he helped several companies prosper. Though his companies had over 70,000 employees, Aditya was actually generating indirect employment for more than 2 lakh people. Such was the contribution and prosperity brought to India that Aditya helped in earning respect for the Made in India quality stamp. Besides giving name to one of the largest industrial empires in India, Aditya Birla served as the director of Reserve Bank of India, Air India, and The India Fund. He had been a member of the Economic and Trade Mission to Japan led by late L.K. Jha in 1985. Further, he even served as a member of the Trade Mission led by the Indian Finance Minister in 1992. He was appointed as a director on the

boards of Industrial Credit and Industrial Corporation, Infrastructure Leasing and Financial Services Ltd., and Bajaj Auto amongst other organizations. Personal Life Aditya Vikram Birla was married to Rajshree. The couple had two kids, daughter Vasavadatta (married to Kushagra Nayan Bajaj), and son Kumar Mangalam (current head of the Aditya Birla Group). Death Aditya Birla was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 1993, thereby transferring the responsibilities of the group to wife and son. He was admitted to Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland, United States for treatment and died after four months of struggle on October 1, 1995, at the age of 51, leaving the entire Birla Empire under the charge of his young son Kumar Mangalam. Honors & Awards Outstanding Young Person Award by Bombay Metropolitan Jaycees, 1978 Outstanding Citizen Award by North Bombay Jaycees, 1984 Man of the Year Award by Amravathi Chamber of Commerce & Industry, 1985 Giant Internationals Award in the filed of Business & Industry, 1986 Business Leadership Award by Madras Management Association, 1990 Businessman of the Year Award by Business India, 1990 Management Man of the Year Award by Bombay Management Association, 1992 Rashtra Bhushan Award by FIE Foundation, 1992 Platinum Jubilee Rotary Award for contribution to industry by Rotary Club of Calcutta, 1994 Vocational Excellence Award by Rotary International, January 1995 Lifetime Achievement Award by All India Association of Industries, January 1996 Award for Outstanding Contribution to the Phenomenal Growth of the Indian Cement Industry by All India Management Association, September 1996 Melvin Jones Fellow Award for Dedicated Humanitarian Services by Lions Club International Foundation Paul Harris Fellow Award by Rotary Foundation of Rotary International Timeline 1943: Born in Kolkata, West Bengal 1965: Completed chemical engineering from Massachusetts Institute of Technology and returned to India 1965: Started Eastern Spinning Mills in Kolkata 1969: Set up Indo-Thai Synthetics Company Ltd. in Thailand 1973: Established P.T. Elegant Textiles in Indonesia 1974: Incorporated Thai Rayon in Thailand 1975: Launched The Indo Phil Group of companies in Philippines 1977: Set up the worlds largest single-location palm oil refinery, Pan Century Edible Oils in Malaysia 1978: Established Thai Carbon Black in Thailand 1982: P.T. Indo Bharat Rayon launched in Indonesia 1985: Conferred upon the Man of the Year Award by Amravathi Chamber of Commerce & Industry 1990: Awarded Businessman of the Year Award by Business India 1995: Died on October 1 from prostate cancer in Baltimore, USA, aged 51 1996: Bestowed with Lifetime Achievement Award by All India Association of Industries

Gulshan Kumar
Born On: May 5, 1956 Born In: Delhi, India Died On: August 12, 1997 Career: Businessman, Film Producer Nationality: Indian While the music industry was still lacking the much-needed appreciation to get popular amongst the masses, an ordinary man named Gulshan Kumar entered from nowhere and raised the industry to its unbelievable heights. By presenting the general public what it wanted, Gulshan Kumar successfully infused life and energy into the music industry. Beginning with selling of audio cassettes and later, producing them at cheap rates so that they were made available to all classes of people, Kumar established a vast music empire, only to rule Bollywood. As if this was not enough, Kumar got involved in producing movies and launching several new faces to the Indian cinema that have turned into distinguished celebrities today. Early Life Gulshan Kumar was born as Gulshan Dua into a Punjabi Arora family in the heart of the capital city, Delhi. His father was a fruit juice seller in the Daryaganj market in New Delhi. Thats where Gulshan started earning his life in his early days. At the age of 23, he, with support from his family, acquired a shop and started selling records and cheap audio cassettes. This was just the beginning of the career of a music baron. With the music business producing fruitful profits, he started producing cassettes himself. Music Business Gulshan Kumar then started his own audio cassette operation known as Super Cassettes Industries, which turned into a profitable organization later on. To add on, he began a music production company in Noida, near Delhi. To cover up the overpriced poor-quality audio tapes marketed and sold by reputed music companies, Gulshan Kumar started selling the 1970s music cassettes with a decent quality at cheap rates. As his business started growing, he began exporting good-quality music cassettes to abroad. Soon, he became a millionaire and rose to the top of music business. With an aim of ruling Bollywood just as he did with music, he moved to Bombay. He introduced religious music cassettes at extremely low prices with the aim of promoting religion amongst Hindu fellows. He had even made and produced movies and serials pertaining to Hindu mythology. Film Career His first movie in Bollywood was Lal Dupatta Malmal Ka in 1989. The film had romantic melodious and catchy songs which declared the movie a great hit. Next came the big musical blockbuster Aashiqui in 1990, starring Rahul Roy and Anu Agarwal, which is still remembered for the romantic and harmonious music. Although his next two movies, Bahaar Aane Tak and Jeena Teri Gali Mein didnt fair well, the music of both the movies was highly appreciated. His 1991 Dil Hai Ki Manta Nahi, featuring Aamir Khan and Pooja Bhatt, grossed an average overall earning, but its music was a big success. With this, Gulshan Kumar established himself as the music tycoon in the film industry. His other movies included Ayee Milan Ki Raat, Meera Ka Mohan, and Jeena Marna Tere Sang which failed on the box office. Introduction of New Talents Gulshan Kumar was known not only as the ruler of music in Bollywood, but he also introduced several new talents to the film fraternity. He launched his younger brother Krishan Kumar in the 1993 movies Aaja Meri Jaan and Kasam Teri Kasam. However, both of them proved to be major duds. Despite the discouragement received from both the movies, Gulshan went ahead and made a third movie with Krishan Bewafa Sanam in 1995, which became a massive hit, particularly for its music. This film also brought the, then, struggling singer Sonu Nigam into limelight. Apart from Sonu Nigam, other young talented signers introduced to the music world by Gulshan Kumar include Anuradha Paudwal, Vandana Bajpai, and Kumar Sanu, amongst several others. Launch of T-Series Music Label Established by Gulshan Kumar, Super Cassettes Industries Limited (SCIL) became the topmost music company in India. He founded the T-Series music label, under the same music company, which eventually turned into one of the top music labels in India. Today, TSeries is the largest producer and publisher of music and videos in the country. It runs the business of publishing original soundtrack from movies, remixes, old devotional songs, new-age albums, melodies from the 1960s, and pop hits of the 1990s. It not only covers over 60% of the Indian music market, but also exports music to 24 countries across six continents. With over 2500 dealers in India, TSeries has the largest distribution network. Social Life Apart from being a prominent personality in the film media, Gulshan Kumar set an example for Indian businessmen by donating a part of his wealth to the community. He established a bhandara, serving free food to the pilgrims who visited the Hindu shrine of Shri Mata Vaishno Devi. He was the top tax payer for the financial year 1992-93. Word has it that he got involved with the Indian Mafia, or the

Mumbai Underworld, known for financing Bollywood movies. He refused to succumb to the extortion demands, which was why it is believed that he was shot dead. Death Gulshan Kumar was shot dead outside Jeeteshwar Mahadev Mandir, a Hindu temple in Jeet Nagar in Andheri West suburb of Mumbai city on August 12, 1997. Although the police accused Nadeem of music-director duo Nadeem-Shravan for planning the assassination, on January 9, 2001, Abdul Rauf confessed on receiving money for assassinating Gulshan Kumar. On April 29, 2009, Rauf was sentenced to life imprisonment, rather than death sentence, on the grounds of failing to provide evidence of him being a contract killer. Gulshan Kumar was later cremated in Delhi, as per his familys wishes. Legacy After Gulshan Kumars death, his son Bhushan Kumar took over Super Cassettes Industries Limited. His daughter, Tulsi Kumar, is a celebrated playback singer. Movies Produced Laal Dupatta Malmal ka, 1989 Bahar Aane Tak, 1990 Aashiqui, 1990 Jeena Teri Gali Mein, 1991 Aye Milan Ki Raat, 1991 Dil Hai Ke Manta Nahin, 1991 Meera Ka Mohan, 1992 Jeena Marna Tere Sang, 1992 Aaja Meri Jaan, 1993 Kasam Teri Kasam, 1993 Bewafa Sanam, 1995 Jai Maa Vaishanav Devi, 1995 Char Dham, 1998 Papa - The Great, 2000 Timeline 1956: Born on May 5 in Delhi 1979: Started a music shop selling records and audio cassettes 1989: Produced first Bollywood movie Lal Dupatta Malmal Ka 1993: Launched younger brother Krishan Kumar with Aaja Meri Jaan 1995: Introduced singer Sonu Nigam with Bewafa Sanam 1997: Shot dead in Andheri West, Mumbai on August 12, aged 41

S.L. Kirloskar
Born On: May 28, 1903 Born In: Sholapur, Maharashtra Died On: April 24, 1994 Career: Entrepreneur, Industrialist Nationality: Indian What had started off with a small bicycle business by his father and uncle, emerged as one of India's flourishing business ventures, thanks to the ingenuity and business mind of Shantanurao Laxmanrao Kirloskar, S.L. Kirloskar for short. Right from oil engines and electric motors to machine tools and tractors to hotels and consultancy services, the Kirloskar Group has set its foot in all branches across the world. A man of both Indian and international stature, Kirloskar expanded the Kirloskar Brothers Ltd. throughout India and gave it a global perspective. A man of principles, strong thoughts, and unending struggles, Kirloskar successfully established a golden age for Indian industry and the country on the whole. Today, he is believed to be one of the best role models for young industrialists who are keen on following his footsteps. Early Life Shantanurao Laxmanrao Kirloskar was born as the eldest child to Laxmanrao Kirloskar and Radhabai in Sholapur, 220 miles southeast of Bombay. He was born in the Karhade Brahmin family of the Kirloskars, scattered over the southern portion of Bombay presidency. He was followed by brothers, Rajaram, Prabhakar, and Ravindra, and sister Prabhavati. His father and his uncle, Ramchandrarao had set up the Kirloskar Group and the township of Kirloskarwadi on March 10, 1910. The company then ran a bicycle business in Belgaum, now in Karnataka. Shantanurao received his primary education from Aundh and joined New English School in Poona for the rest of his schooling. In 1922, he went to Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Cambridge, in USA to pursue his bachelor's of science degree in mechanical engineering. He returned back to India in 1926 and was one amongst the batch of first Indians to graduate from MIT, the other being Chintalapati Satya Narayana Raju. Career On his return to India in 1926, Kirloskar Brothers was already making plows to establish the company. With the entry of junior Kirloskar, the company expanded and extended the manufacturing of diesel engines, the most popular products amongst them being pumps, electric motors, and other engineering equipment. Such was his courage and confidence that Kirloskar turned the family business into one of India's largest companies and an energetic exporter. After the end of World War II, Kirloskar spread the Kirloskar Group on a national level and later globally. This became evident with the establishment of Kirloskar Electric Company at Bangalore and Kirloskar Oil Engines Limited at Pune in 1946. During the period 1950 to 1991, Kirloskar raised the company generating one of the highest growth rates in Indian history. The group, during that phase, exhibited an unbelievable 32,401% growth of assets. Presently, Kirloskar Group is the largest engineering conglomerate in India. Amongst the numerous companies set up by Kirloskar, some of them include Kirloskar Oil Engines, Kirloskar Ferrous Industries, Kirloskar Pneumatic Company, Kirloskar Ebara Pumps Ltd., Kirloskar Construction and Engineers Ltd., SPP Pumps, and Gondwana Engineers Ltd. Apart from attending and managing the Kirloskar Group, Kirloskar served as the first president of Indo-American Chamber of Commerce. Additionally, he also worked as the director of Reserve Bank of India and Industrial Development Bank of India. Personal Life S.L. Kirloskar was married to Yamuna (fondly known as Yamunatai), daughter of Rangnath Pathak. The couple had two sons, Chandrakant Kirloskar and Srikant Kirloskar. Death S.L. Kirloskar died on April 24, 1994 in a hospital in Pune after a stroke. He was 90 years old. Honors Rajiv Gandhi, the then Prime Minister of India released a commemorative postage stamp to honor the Kirloskar Group's 100th anniversary, in 1988. In 2003, a memorial postage stamp was yet again released by the then Prime Minister of India, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, on the birth centenary of Kirloskar. Timeline 1903: Born in Sholapur, Maharashtra 1922: Went to Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) 1926: Completed mechanical engineering degree and returned to India 1946: Established Kirloskar Electric Company in Bangalore and Kirloskar Oil Engines Limited in Pune 1988: Memorial postage stamp released on the occasion of Kirloskar Group's 100 years 1994: Died on April 24 in Pune, aged 90 2003: Honored with a commemorative postage stamp as his 100th birth anniversary

Kasturbhai Lalbhai
Born On: December 19, 1894 Born In: Ahmedabad, Gujarat Died On: January 20, 1980 Career: Industrialist Nationality: Indian Very few people are able to achieve a meticulous working system and win the appreciation of a very large number of people. Kasturbhai Lalbhai was one such prominent industrialist who was successful in attaining the honor of a nationalist businessman and a renowned magnate, a tribute that is often related with another business tycoon G.D. Birla. Right from stabilizing his father's yet-to-be established business to instituting a vast business empire, Kasturbhai worked throughout his life with immense hard work, dedication, honesty, and determination, thereby keeping his family business ongoing, ever since his ancestor Shantidas Zaveri began in the Mughal Era. Apart from setting up numerous companies in various industries, he was also associated with establishing new institutions to promote education in the country. Early Life Kasturbhai Lalbhai was born in a Visa Oswal Jain family, belonging to a temple town named Osian in Rajasthan, in Ahmedabad. He was the second of the three sons and belonged to a reputed family running their own textile mills in Ahmedabad. He completed his schooling in 1911 in Ahmedabad. However in 1912, his father Lalbhai suffered a serious heart attack and died, leaving 17-year old Kasturbhai in charge of his father's share of the business. Just a few days before his death, his father had divided the property amongst his brothers. As such, Kasturbhai received Raipur Mills in his share but since the business was not fully established at the time of his father's death, Kasturbhai had to abandon his studies to look after the operations of the mills. Struggle as a Businessman To start off with, Kasturbhai began working as a timekeeper in the mill but was unhappy with the job profile. Thus, he started working with the suppliers and traveled far and wide to understand the supplier market. After the end of World War I, he managed to stabilize the operations of the firm due to the increasing demands. His far-sighted vision, sincerity, and devotion helped him reach the highest position in the industry and community. He was elected as a Representative of Mill Owners Association to the Central Legislative Council of 144 members constituted under Montague-Chelmsford Reforms Act 1919 at a young age of 29 years. Kasturbhai served in the council for a three-year term. Further in 1924, he was appointed as a member of the Standing Committee of Department of Industries and Labor of Government of India. With the right kind of experience and knowledge of operations, he was able to gain recognition in the management of the mill and became famous for his abilities of handling dealings. He became the chairman of the mill in January 1928 and established a new company named Saraspur Mill Ltd. to run the old mill. Henceforth, there was no looking back for this determined and powerful man as he turned into a successful industrialist establishing a large empire in the coming years. Flourishing Years The first large scale textile mill was established as Asoka Mills in 1920 with a capital of Rs. 20 lakh, at a time when the largest mills were built with a capital not more than Rs. 5 lakh. With the Swadeshi Movement in its peak time during 1930-31, Kasturbhai saw this period as the most effective time for prosperity and growth. Hence, he set up Arvind Limited in 1931 with a capital of Rs. 25 lakh. He later founded three mills for the families of his three sisters, Aruna Mills in 1928, Nutan Mills in 1931, and Ahmedabad New Cotton Mills in 1938. With gradual expansion, Kasturbhai was able to rule over the textile industry, thereby becoming a great business magnate in the country. After tasting success in the textile industry, he diversified his business into other fields as well after independence, such as dyes, pharmaceuticals, chemicals, and so on. His first diversification was Anil Starch Limited in 1939, followed by Atul Products Limited in 1952 for producing textile-related chemicals and dyestuff. With a wide business spread over the country, Kasturbhai formed joint ventures with foreign companies through Atul. He formed Ciba-Geigy called Cibatul, with American Cyanamid called Cyanamid of India, and with ICI of UK called Atic Industries. Building Institutions Kasturbhai was elected as the President of Federation of Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industries in 1934 and the President of Ahmedabad Mill Owners Association in 1935. From 1937 to 1949, he served as the Director of Reserve Bank of India and took steps to groom the Indian employees to run operations in independent India. Apart from handling responsibilities for expanding his business across India, he was also involved in promoting institutions that served both the country and the industry. He established the Ahmedabad Education Society in 1936, along with Sheth Shri Amrutlal Hargovindas and Shri Ganesh Mavlankar. This society was later transformed into Gujarat University. It was this society that donated land for establishing the prestigious Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad (IIM-A) in 1961. He, along with Vikram Sarabhai, was the main face behind instituting IIM-A. Though he was amongst the

board of members, he refused to become the chairman. Today, IIM-A has a Kasturbhai Lalbhai Management Development Center and a Kasturbhai Lalbhai Chair in Entrepreneurship. Later, Kasturbhai worked as the Chairman of Industrial Committee of Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Fund. In 1948, he founded the Lalbhai Dalpatbhai College of Engineering to promote technology and engineering, adjacent to Gujarat University. In 1949, he founded the Gujarat Chamber of Commerce and Industries, thereby becoming its Founder-President. From 1955 to 1965, he served as the chairman of Indian Institute of Technology. In 1957, he was elected as the Governing Trustee of Kasturba Gandhi National Memorial Trust. He was appointed as the Trustee of Gandhi Smarak Nidhi, Member of Indian Investment Centre, and Member of Board and Governing Body of Council of Scientific and Industrial Research. He founded the Lalbhai Dalpatbhai Institute of Indology in 1962, which is an encyclopedia of manuscripts, rare books, and microfilms on various subjects. In 1972, Sankat Nivaran Society was jointly set up by Gujarat Chamber of Commerce and Industries and Ahmedabad Mills Owners' Association. With this, Kasturbhai became the President of the society. Honors & Awards In 1952, when Kasturbhai founded Cyanamid of India with American Cyanamid, to become India's first modern dyestuff manufacturer, the company was inaugurated by Jawaharlal Nehru, India's first Prime Minister. He was awarded the Padma Bhushan Award by the Government of India in 1968. Death Due to his declining health, he retired from his services in 1977 and handed over the responsibilities to his relations. He died on January 20, 1980 in Ahmedabad, aged 85. Timeline 1894: Born on December 19 in Ahmedabad, Gujarat 1911: Completed matriculation 1912: Father died and took over the Raipur Mills 1920: Established Asoka Mills 1923: Elected as Representative of Mill Owners Association to the Central Legislative Council 1924: Appointed member of Standing Committee of Department of Industries and Labor of Government of India 1928: Formed Saraspur Mill Ltd. 1931: Founded Arvind Limited 1934: Elected President of Federation of Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industries 1935: Appointed President of Ahmedabad Mill Owners Association 1936: Founded the Ahmedabad Education Society, known as Gujarat University today 1937-49: Served as Director of Reserve Bank of India 1939: First diversification company Anil Starch Limited formed 1948: Set up the Lalbhai Dalpatbhai College of Engineering 1949: Founded Gujarat Chamber of Commerce and Industries; became Founder-President 1952: Established Atul Products Limited 1961: Co-founded the Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad (IIMA), with Vikram Sarabhai 1962: Established the Lalbhai Institute of Indology 1968: Honored with Padma Bhushan Award 1972: Sankat Nivaran Society was launched 1977: Retired from business responsibilities 1980: Died in Ahmedabad on January 20, aged 85

Vaman Srinivas Kudva

Born On: June 9, 1899 Born In: Mulki, Karnataka Died On: June 30, 1967 Career: Journalist, Social Leader, Industrialist Nationality: Indian Known for establishing one of the oldest and commercial banks in India, Vaman Srinivas Kudva was one of the founding directors of Syndicate Bank, launched as Canara Industrial and Banking Syndicate Limited. With just a capital of Rs. 8000, Kudva, along with other founders Upendra Ananth Pai and T.M.A. Pai, extended the business to over 20 banks within few years of its establishment. With the change of its name to Syndicate Bank in 1964, the company expanded its business to all over India and overseas as well. Apart from the establishment of this commercial bank, Kudva had been involved in several other social activities through setting up industries for the common man as a source of living. Kudva is popularly known as "Karmayogi" by the people of Mangalore and Dakshina Kannada, who remember him for his unexceptional endeavors and extreme hardships faced throughout life. Early Life Vaman Srinivas Kudva, or V.S. Kudva for short, was born in the panchayat town of Mulki in Dakshina Kannada district of Indian state of Karnataka. His was a conservative and traditional Gowda Saraswath Brahmin (GSB) family that was known as the Mulky Kudvas in his hometown. He was brought up in a simple environment with primary education at Mulky and high school education at Udupi. His father Srinivas Ramachandra Kudva ran a small handloom unit in Mulky and began a hardware shop on relocating to Udupi in 1908. Kudva completed his intermediate studies from Government College, Mangalore in 1918 and went to Bombay to pursue a course in mechanical engineering from Victoria Jubilee Technical Institute (VJTI). Despite being a topper for three continuous years, he gave up his studies as a mode of support to Gandhiji's Non-Cooperation Movement. As such, he traveled back to Udupi in 1921 and volunteered as a teacher in a national school started by Congress Party. Career as an Industrialist Kudva began an engineering workshop in Udupi between 1922 and 1926, following which he went to Mangalore in 1926. On being invited by V.S. Kamath, the then Managing Director of The Canara Public Conveyance Co. Ltd. (CPC Co. Ltd.), Kudva joined the company as works manager. On Kamath's death in 1932, Kudva became the General Manager of the company. Later in 1938, he was selected as Managing Director which he held until 1966. It was during his tenure that the company reached extensive growth and success, thereby generating heavy revenues and earning name and fame across the nation. During this period, Kudva realized that Indian required more industries to create employment. With this, he established The Canara Sales Corporation Ltd. in 1938, followed by The Canara Motor & General Insurance Co. Ltd. in 1941. This was not all as Kudva founded The Canara Workshops Ltd. in 1943 through which he started manufacturing automobile leaf springs in 1950. The leaf springs were branded under the name Canara Springs. Kudva set up another factory in Nagpur to meet with the increasing demands in North India. However, this unit was shut down in the 1960s due to undisclosed problems faced by the company. To produce the leaf springs, raw materials were imported. As such, Kudva thought about starting a mini steel plant to manufacture the desired spring steel in the country itself. Therefore, a mini steel plant was materialized that constituted of 5 metric tonne electric arc furnace, vertical continuous casting machine, and rolling mill. To add on, Kudva began The Canara Tyre & Rubber Works Ltd. in 1947, followed by several other transport concerns over the years. Career as a Journalist Kudva was very keen into journalism since his student days. This proved right when he started editing the Kannada Weekly "Sathyagrahi" in 1922. Later in 1923, he took up the job of an editor in Kannada Weekly "Swadeshabhimani" which he continued till 1924. Apart from being associated with various industries, Kudva set up The Newspaper Publishers Pvt. Ltd. in 1941 which started the publication of Kannada daily newspaper "Navabharath". While serving as an editor, he gained high recognition and respect from Kannada journalists that later resulted in the Akhila Karnataka Journalist conference in Mangalore. Career as a Social Leader Kudva founded the Canara Industrial and Banking Syndicate Ltd. (now called Syndicate Bank) in 1925, along with T.M.A. Pai and Upendra Ananth Pai in Mangalore (now Udupi). It is deemed to be one of the oldest and major commercial banks of India which was nationalized on July 19, 1969 by the Government of India. He was selected as the President of Kanara Chamber of Commerce and Industries in 1948, which he continued for the next three years. He was one of the major supporters for bringing the weather port and airport to Mangalore, along with his good friend U. Srinivas Mallya. Further in 1955, he established the Canara Foundation for employing loan scholarships to students for continuing their higher technical education in foreign countries. Yet again in 1960, he joined hands with U. Srinivas Mallya and set up the Karnataka Regional Engineering College, now known as National Institute of Technology, Karnataka (NITK), at Suratkal. Establishment of Rotary Club

Kudva brought the first Rotary Club to Mangalore for which he held the position of Charter President for quite some time. He then became and held the post of the President of several other companies and social organizations, namely, S.K. Development and Welfare Board, Small Scale Industries Association, and S.K. Village Industries Association. During his lifetime, Kudva made numerous trips across India and abroad, particularly during a time when traveling to foreign lands was difficult and unusual. In 1951, he went to the Middle East, Europe, and United States. Later in 1960 and 1963, he traveled yet again to Europe, United States, and Japan. Personal Life Kudva married Shantha, daughter of V.S. Kamath, in 1928. The couple had five sons and one daughter. Death Vaman Srinivas Kudva passed away on June 30, 1967 at the age of 68 years. Timeline 1899: Was born on June 9 in Mulki, Dakshina Kannada, Karnataka 1918: Completed schooling from Government College, Mangalore 1918: Took admission in Victoria Jubilee Technical Institute (VJTI), Bombay 1921: Quit studies and went back to Udupi to support Non-Cooperation Movement 1922: Started editing the Kannada Weekly "Sathyagrahi" 1923: Turned editor in Kannada Weekly "Swadeshabhimani" 1925: Co-founded the Canara Industrial and Banking Syndicate Limited 1926: Went to Mangalore and joined as works manager in CPC Co. Ltd. 1928: Married Shantha 1932: Became General Manager of CPC Co. Ltd. 1938: Turned Managing Director and held the position till 1966 1938: The Canara Sales Corporation Ltd. was set up 1941: Established The Newspaper Publishers Pvt. Ltd. 1941: The Canara Motor & General Insurance Co. Ltd. was launched 1943: Founded The Canara Workshops Ltd. 1947: Launched The Canara Tyre & Rubber Works Ltd. 1948: Elected as President of Kanara Chamber of Commerce and Industries 1950: Began manufacturing of automobile leaf springs under the brand Canara Springs 1955: Founded the Canara Foundation 1960: Established Karnataka Regional Engineering College at Suratkal 1964: Canara Industrial and Banking Syndicate Limited changed to Syndicate Bank 1967: Died on June 30 in Mangalore, aged 68 1969: Syndicate Bank was nationalized on July 19

A.M. Naik
Born On: June 3, 1942 Born In: Endhal, Gujarat Career: Chairman and Managing Director of Larsen and Turbo The Chairman and Chief Operating Officer of India's biggest engineering and construction conglomerate, Anil Manibhai Naik, is one of the most influential entrepreneurs in India. Ever since he took charge of Larsen & Turbo, he has fought many battles to take the company to the top. He made L&T a global leader through sheer hard work and through what he calls 'devotion beyond dedication'. He was the first professional to head the company and led it through its most unstable times. Under his dynamic leadership, the company recorded its most robust performance. In a long career spanning around forty-five years, Anil took just a day off. Now isn't this fact a testimony to his achievements? It sure is! Early Life A.M. Naik was born into a family of teachers in June 3, 1942 in Endhal in Southern Gujarat. His father was a teacher and also a strict Gandhian. Naik received his early education in Navsari. He finished a degree in mechanical engineering from the prestigious Birla Viswakarma Mahavidyalaya Engineering College in VV Nagar in Anand. Career In 1965, Anil. M. Naik joined Larsen & Turbo as a junior engineer and became the youngest manager in the history of the organisation. In 1985, he was made the 'General Manager' as he rose quickly through the ranks. In 1989, he took over as the Vice-President of the organisation and became the member of the Director Board. Anil M. Naik's broader perspective enabled the company to expand its horizons beyond domestic borders and reach a position which enabled it to become a global player. He restructured the company into several operating divisions and focused on improving shareholder value. The emphasis on HR and IT as twin engines of growth yielded the organization fruitful results. In 1995, Anil became the President of L&T and in 1999, took over as the 'Chief Executive Officer' and the Managing Director. In 2003, he became the Chairman and Managing Director of the organisation. In the early nineties, Anil M. Naik came up with the idea of manufacturing engineering equipments which saw the organization treading down the manufacturing path. It began manufacturing plastic machinery, tire machinery and custom engineering products. This enabled L&T to achieve major success in the indigenization of technology and in the technology and nuclear sectors. This paid rich dividends and the turnover of the company grew fifty times in eight years. This happened when Anil M. Naik took over as the Chief Executive Officer. Under his leadership, the company expanded its horizons in the IT sector and made huge profits. Anil.M. Naik has involved himself in many social activities and is currently into the development of an educational institution set up by his father in Navsari in Gujarat. He is also associated with several educational and charitable institutions that help support the rural population of India. He is also a member of the Board of Trustees of the Indian Business Trust for HIV/AIDS. Contributions As soon as he took over as the CEO of L &T, he came up with a 90 days action plan. He brought back a merit system to attract the younger generation to the company. According to him, the best way to attract young engineers to an organization was to change the way of rewarding them. Anil Manibhai Naik was also instrumental in leading the organization through a manufacturing path which helped raise the turnover of the company fifty times over in around eight years. Legacy Anil Manibhai Naik is an inspirational entrepreneur since he dedicated half of his life to make his organisation, the biggest engineering giant in India and one of the largest in the world. Awards And Accolades Business Leader of the Year Building India by NDTV Profit. Gujarat Garima Award, 2009 'Lakshya Business Visionary Award by the National Institute of Industrial Engineering (NITIE) 'Asia Business Leader Award, CNBC Asia, 2010 'CNBC Asia - Outstanding Business Leader Award, 2010. Timeline 1942 - Born in Endhal in Southern Gujarat. 1965 - Joins Larsen & Turbo as a junior engineer. 1985 - Is appointed as the General Manager of L & T. 1989 - Took over as the vice-president of the organization and became member of the director board. 1995 - Becomes the President of L&T 1999 - Takes over as the Chief Executive Officer and the Managing Director. 2003 - Was appointed as the Chairman and Managing Director of the organisation.

Analjit Singh
Analjit Singh is a self driven man, his dedication and hard work is an inspiration to many new entrepreneurs. Coming from an illustrious business family background most would assume that his journey towards being a successful capitalist was an effortless one. Well not in his case, backed by buoyancy and zest to achieve his goals Singh managed to outshine his peers. He is the Chairperson and founding member of Max India, Max New Life Insurance ltd, Max Healthcare and Max Bupa Health Insurance. With his business expertise and astuteness he has been constantly reinventing and streamlining his ideas to keep up with changing business trends. Analjit Singh is a member of the Prime Minister's Joint Indo-US CEOs Forum and continues to hold top ranking positions in several renowned Indian companies Vodafone Essar, Tata Tea, Industrial Development Bank of India and Hero Honda Motors. Read on to know more about the man behind Max New York Life Insurance, Analjit Singh. Early Life Analjit is the youngest son of Bhai Mohan Singh who was the former founder of Ranbaxy Laboratories and Max India. He completed his early education from Doon School, Dehradun and then went on to enroll himself in the Shriram College of Commerce to earn a degree in commerce. Analjit then later moved to the USA to earn his MBA from a graduate school of management that was associated with the Bostan University. He grew up with two siblings named Parvinder and Manjit. Career When Analjit returned from the USA after completing his MBA he joined the family business, a pharmaceutical company named Ranbaxy. However, his work at Ranbaxy was short lived due to a family dispute; his father divided the business in 1989 to settle the differences. His elder brother Parvinder was given Ranbaxy Laboratories and the real estate portion of the business went to his Manjit Singh, Analjit's other brother. Analjit was left with a rundown factory at Okhla where he had to offer a voluntary retirement scheme to his workers from his own earnings. In 1992, his hard work and dedication paid off when he put together an alliance with Hutchison Telecommunications, Hong Kong, to gain cellular and radio paging services in India. The venture proved to be profitable despite its operations being functional only in Mumbai. In a short span of just six years the company earned a profit of Rs. 1,368 crores. Hutch held a stake of 49% in the business and the remaining 51% of the equity holdings was held by Analjit's company. Due to the successful business venture in Mumbai, the obvious thing to do was to expand the business by going national but Analjit's ambition to do so failed. His business partner Hutch felt that the licensing fee was exorbitant along with certain qualms. Despite several efforts to expand his prevailing telecom business Analjit was left with no other option but to close down the company for a whopping Rs. 561 crores for the sale of just 41% of the shares. Although retirement was on the cards Analjit refused to back away from the business circuit as he felt that there were many unexplored pockets. He thereafter ventured into life insurance and healthcare in 1999, but then had no idea that he had actually hit a jackpot. During his initial years Analjit gradually sold off his assets at a profitable price to pump capital for his new business. His company Max India has a trustworthy approach combined with a great business strategy that he strongly believes in. Analjit also wanted to get into education and soon figured that the best way to get involved was to become a member of a governing body; he is the founder member of Indian School of Business in Mohali. Awards and Achievements Over the years Analjit has not only proved to be a dynamic business personality but also shown that he is great with philanthropist ideas. He has been actively involved in several social causes, being the Chairperson and the Chief Beneficiary of Max India Foundation (MIF). MIF is a socially responsible organization and has tied up with many NGO's such as SOS Children's Village, Manav Seva Sannidhi, CanSupport and Chinmaya Mission. To aid underprivileged children with good healthcare services, provide medical awareness among womenfolk, and support environmental issues are few of the concerns the foundation has focused on. During his career. Analjit has been conferred with several accolades but the one that stands out the most is the one he received from Senator Hillary Clinton by The Indian American Center for Political Awareness (IACPA). The award was given to honor his outstanding contributions in addressing the global community to help understand a modern and effervescent India. Recently, he also received the Padma Bhushan from the Indian President. Timeline 1986: He joined his father's company Ranbaxy Laboratories 1992: He partnered with Hutchison Telecommunications 1998: Sells 41% of his holdings to Hutchison and Kotak Mahindra Group. 2000: He establishes Max New York Life Insurance. 2005: Sell 10% of the holdings. 2008: Ties up with Bupa Finance Plc of London to set up a health insurance scheme.

Anand Mahindra
Born On: 1st May, 1955 Born In: Mumbai, Maharashtra Career: Entrepreneur Anand Mahindra is the Managing Director and Vice Chairman of the Mahindra & Mahindra Group, which is amongst the top ten industrial houses in India. This renowned group was established by his grandfather K.C. Mahindra in Ludhiana, Punjab. Anand Mahindra is interested in educational issues and sports and thus, is a member of Harvard Business School - Asia-Pacific Advisory Board, Harvard Business School - Member of the Board of Dean's Advisors, Harvard University Asia Centre - Advisory Committee, Asia Business Council, National Sports Development Fund (NSDF), Government of India - Council and Executive Committee, The Nehru Centre, Mumbai - Executive Committee, National Council of Applied Economic Research, National Institute of Bank Management, Pune - Governing Board. A long list, don't you think? Apart from this, he is a big fan of football and plays tennis quite a lot too. Read on to know more about the man behind the Mahindra & Mahindra Group. Early Life Anand Mahindra was born on 1st May, 1955 in Mumbai, Maharashtra and belongs to a famous business family. He is the son of late Harish Mahindra and Indira Mahindra. In 1977, he pursued a graduate degree at the Harvard College, Cambridge, Massachusetts. He was a member of the Phoenix S.K. Club. In 1981, he finished his Masters in Business Administration from the Harvard Business School, Boston, Massachusetts. He is now married to Anuradha Mahindra, who is the famous editor of the magazines 'Verve' and 'Man's World' and is the Editor-in-Chief of Rolling Stone India. The couple together has two daughters. Career In 1981, Anand Mahindra came back to India and joined the Mahindra Ugine Steel Company (MUSCO) as an Executive Assistant to the Finance Director. In 1989, he became the President of this leading group and this was when he expanded the company into the sectors of real estate development and hospitality. In 1991, he was assigned the duty of Deputy Managing Director of Mahindra & Mahindra Group. He took the responsibility as the Managing Director of the business in 1997 and became the Vice Chairman in 2003. Besides this, he was a Co-Promoter of Kotak Mahindra Finance Ltd., and transformed it into a bank in 2003. Kotak Mahindra Bank is now one of the leading banks in the private sector. It was under Anand's management that his group successfully set up global objectives and standards for achieving success. In the year 2002, the Mahindra & Mahindra Group introduced an indigenously developed SUV, the Scorpio, which built positive impressions for the company and helped give it a global identity. Thus, the company has developed through both acquisitions and Greenfield business development. The company's possession activities include the possession of Satyam Computer Services in 2009, Reva Electric Vehicles in 2010 and Ssangyong Motor Company in 2010. Anand has been the past President (2003-04) of the Confederation of Indian Industry and has also served the Automotive Research Association of India (ARAI) as its President. Anand Mahindra is the Co-Founder of the Harvard Business School Association of India, which is an association devoted to the advancement of professional management in India. He is also the Co-Chairperson of the World Economic Forum at Davos. Mr. Anand is a Director of the National Stock Exchange of India Limited selected under the 'Public Representatives' category. Along with this, he is the Trustee of the K.C. Mahindra Education Trust, which offers scholarships to students and he also on the Board of Governors of the Mahindra United World College of India. He is the Chairman of the National Safety Council of India and is the Founder Chairman of the Mumbai Festival, which began in 2005. This occasion was the first inclusive festival to celebrate the opulent cultural diversity of Maharashtra. Anand Mahindra is the Co-Chairman of the International Council of Asia Society, New York. Awards and Accolades Anand Mahindra was honored as the Knight of the Order of Merit by the President of the French Republic in 2004 and also received the Rajiv Gandhi Award for his outstanding contributions to the business field. It was in 2005, when he was awarded the Person of the Year award from Auto Monitor and the Leadership Award from the American India Foundation for the commitments to corporate social responsibility met by him and the Mahindra & Mahindra Group. In 2006, he received the CNBC Asia Business Leader Award and the Ludhiana Management Association presented him with the Entrepreneur of the Year Award. In 2007, he received the honor/title of the 'Most Inspiring Corporate Leader of the Year' from NDTV Profit. He has been entitled as the Business Leader of the Year (2008-2009) by the Economic Times Awards. Recently, Anand was ranked as one of the most influential men & women in Mumbai by Daily News and Analysis. Contribution Anand Mahindra contributed $ 10 million to the Harvard University in the name of his mother, Indira Mahindra for supporting the Humanities Center. This huge amount was contributed for the advancement of the distinctive interdisciplinary alliances led by the Director of the Humanities Center, Homi Bhabha. Under Anand's supervision, the company opened a new and separate field, Mahindra Systems and Automotive Technologies to lay emphasis on enhanced modules and to offer better engineering services. Apart from this,

the firm has made strategic acquisitions of plants in the United Kingdom and China. It has three assembly plants in the United States of America and has collaborated with international companies like Renault SA, Nissan and the International Truck and Engine Corporation, USA. Timeline 1955: Born in Mumbai, Maharashtra 1981: Returned to India and joined Mahindra Ugine Steel Company (MUSCO) as an Executive Assistant to the Finance Director 1989: Became the President of this leading group 1991: Became the Deputy Managing Director of the Mahindra & Mahindra Group 1997: Became the Managing Director of the Mahindra & Mahindra Group 2003: Became the Vice-Chairman of the Mahindra & Mahindra Group 2004: Knight of the Order of Merit by the President of the French Republic. 2005: Person of the Year from Auto Monitor and Leadership Award from the American India Foundation. 2006: Received the CNBC Asia Business Leader Award and Entrepreneur of the Year Award by the Ludhiana Management Association. 2007: Received the Inspiring Corporate Leader of the Year Award from NDTV Profit.

Biki Oberoi
Born On: 1929 Career: Hotelier Prithvi Raj Singh Oberoi, better known to the world as Bikki Oberoi, is the son of late Rai Bahadur M.S. Oberoi, the founder of the Oberoi chain of hotels. Building up on his father's legacy, Bikki Oberoi steered the Oberoi chain of hotels to further heights, taking every opportunity that came his way and making 'Oberoi' a brand name to reckon with. Coming from an affluent family, Bikki Oberoi had an experience that very few people could boast of. Using this experience into his business, Bikki Oberoi has managed to come a long way, becoming one of the leading hoteliers in the world and making significant contribution in the hospitality industry. He is known for using novel strategies that have become a boon to the business of Oberois-making himself indispensable to the company and proving himself as a worthy heir of the great empire. Early Life Prithvi Raj Singh was born to Rai Bahadur M. S. Oberoi. Right from his childhood, Bikki showed keen interest in his father's business. By the time he was in his early twenties, his father had already established himself as an hotelier and had expanded his business to an extent that he could pamper his son with all the luxuries in the world. After completing his education, Bikki Singh left for a long trip, travelling around the world and experiencing new places and their best hotels. Career Born in an affluent family, Bikki stayed away from the helm of hotel business until the age of thirty-two. After being discreet about the events of his life during these thirty-two years, Bikki finally disclosed the secret in an interview. He revealed that after he finished his studies, he travelled to almost every major country in the world and stayed in their best hotels where he had the firsthand experience of sampling their best, from great food to awesome services. Squeezed from all these years of travel, he took back the rich experience of the world to his father's business and strived to boost it up than before. He took to his father's ability of a businessman and brought in with him higher goals for the Oberoi Group. Excellent in leadership and management skills, he started new chains of luxury hotels in many countries. Because of him, the Oberoi hotels are placed and rated among the international line-up of luxury hotels today. Currently, he is the Chief Executive Officer, Director and Member of Investors Grievances Committee at EIH Ltd. Apart from this, he is the President and Chairman of Investors Grievances Committee at EIH Associated Hotels Ltd., Chairman of the Board at Mercury Travels Limited, Chairman of the Board at Mumtaz Hotels Limited, and Chairman and Managing Director at Indus Hotel Corporation Ltd. and the Chairman of the Oberoi Group. Personal Life In 1959, he married Goodie and had two sons. This year (2011) he declared Vikram as the heir of the Oberoi Empire. His nephew Arjun Oberoi also helps him to manage his vast hotel business spread worldwide. Contributions Bikki Oberoi has made a huge contribution to the hospitality industry, which has made India one of the best in the hotel business in the world. Awards and Accolades Bikki Oberoi was given the Grand Officer of the Alalaoui Wissam award by the King Mohammed VI of Morocco for his contribution to tourism and Indo-Moroccan relations. He was conferred lifetime achievement award by the sixth International Hotels Investment Forum in Berlin in the year 2003. In the year 2004, a special award was conferred to him by the Department of Tourism, Government of India for his contribution in the tourism sector. He was given the lifetime achievement award at the CNBC TV 18 India Business Leader Awards in 2007. He received the Padma Vibhushan award in April 2008. Received lifetime achievement award at the South Asia Travel and Tourism Exchange in 2008. Won Outstanding Business Leader Award from the Chambers of Commerce and Industry and Society of Indian Law Firms in September 2008. Got lifetime achievement award at Ernst and Young Entrepreneur of the year awards in November 2008. He was named businessman of the year by Business India Magazine in 2008. He was felicitated with 'Hall of Fame award at the Hotel Investment Forum India in 2009. Received Lifetime Achievement award at the first Economic Times TAAI travel awards in 2009. Was given Corporate Hotelier of the World award by HOTELS magazine in 2010.

Timeline 1929: Bikki Oberoi was born. 1959: Got married to Goodie, the daughter of an affluent Punjabi landlord. 2001: Received his first award from the King Mohammed VI of Morocco. 2003: Received lifetime achievement award. 2008: Received Padma Vibhushan. 2009: Received Hall of Fame Award. 2010: Received Corporate Hotelier of the World Award. 2011: Declared his son Vikram Oberoi as the heir of the Oberoi Group.

Captain Gopinath
Born In: Gorur, Karnataka Nationality: Indian Known As: Entrepreneur Coming from a modest background, Captain Gopinath is a multi-faceted personality. He comfortably shifted into different guises: an Army Officer, India's leading business man, an independent political candidate, an eco- friendly farmer and a well known author. With so much diversity to his personality it is no doubt that he is one of the most interesting and distinguished persons that one can come cross. Despite his many roles he is well known as a pioneer of low-cost airlines, a venture capitalist who revolutionized the face of Indian aviation in the country. His book "Simply Fly" sheds light on the remarkable journey of turning his ambitious vision into a successful business story. Unlike other entrepreneurs Captain Gopinath's attempts to inspire young business men in the country have been successful. His phenomenal success in such a short span of time has been rewarded by many well known and prestigious institutions. Read on to know more about his life and career. Early Life Captain Gopinath hails from a small town known as Gorur located in the Hassan district in Karnataka state. He finished his early schooling at the Sainik Military School that was situated in Bijapur before he joined the famed National Defence Academy and then passed out from the Indian Military Academy. Once he was done with his graduation he was appointed as an Officer of the Indian Army. Career Once he joined the Army, Captain Gopinath served for eight years before he retired from the 'Armed Forces'. Thereafter he became interested in farming and later started a hotel in Hassan. It was not until the year 1995 when the government took measures to improve the aviation sector in India, several rules where relaxed in order to encourage entrepreneurs to invest and explore air transportation. The reforms initiated by the management did see positive results as many new players started to show a keen interest in this sector, Captain Gopinath was also one among them. It was him and a close friend from the armed services who came together with the idea to start a private commercial helicopter service known as Deccan Aviation. In 1997, the service became operational, while Bangalore became its headquarters. The helicopter service extended to cities like Ahmedabad, Cochin, Delhi, Indore, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Bhubaneswar, Jamshedpur and Coochbehar. This aviation company began with just a single helicopter, but currently boasts of a fleet that commutes across several destinations in the country. In 2003, Captain Gopinath began his first air-craft service known as Air Deccan, this air service was a low-cost brand, the main aim was to fulfill the comman man's dream to fly. Air Deccan was one of the first low-cost services in India and was an instant success but due to the excessive competiton from other similar airline carriers, Air Deccan soon started to lose out to the competition. The company's overwhelming growth also saw the entry of several other low cost airbuses such as Indigo Airlines, Go Air, Spice Jet and Jet Lite. In 2007, Captain Gopinath was left with no other altenative but to consolidate with the Kingfisher Airlines, the merger earned him substanial profits. Currently Air Deccan is known as Kingfisher Red with Vijay Mallya being the CEO and Chairman. Meanwhile, the helicopter services exteneted to Sri Lanka in 2004 promoting itself as a major private charter services. The year 2009 saw Captain Gopinath get into the role of a politician when he stood as an independent candidate in the Lok Sabha elections, but failed to gather sufficent support from the general public. On the business front he was also responsible for starting operations for a new freight flight known as Deccan 360. Awards and Achievements Captain Gopinath has been an important face of India aviation; his business ideologies transformed the airline sector into a thriving and profitable sector. Today, a airline is no more restricted to just an elite group of people but has become a affordable and feasible transportation means in the country. Captain Gopinath's contributions has won him several accolades, some of them have been the Rolex Awards for Enterprise, Rajyotsava Award, Chevalier de la legion d'Honneur, Personality of the Decade Award and Sir M Visvesvaraya Memorial Award. Time Line 1997: He started Deccan Aviation operations. 2003: He commenced Air Deccan operations. 2004: Deccan Aviation extended to Sri Lanka. 2007: Air Deccan merged with Kingfisher Airlines. 2009: He commenced Deccan 360 and ran for the Lok Sabha elections.

Chanda Kochhar
Born On: November 17, 1961 Born In: Jodhpur, Rajasthan Career: MD, CEO, ICICI Bank In India's male dominated banking sphere, Chanda Kochhar carved a niche for herself. This was no easy task. In her career which extends to over three decades of experience, she remained strong willed and alert. Her determination to make it to the top only grew from year to year. Kochhar's career growth can be traced along with the expansion of the bank over the past several years. She never stuttered in her growth and was one of the few who kept up with the aggressive development run of ICICI bank. It was her sharp strategic planning which made the ICICI bank the 'Best Retail Bank in India' for five consecutive years. As per Forbes, It's no wonder then that she has been ranked 20th amongst the most powerful women in business and in the world. Read on to find out more about how Chanda Kochhar made it to the top of the corporate pile. Early Life Chanda Kochhar was born in Jodhpur in Rajasthan on November 17, 1961, but was raised in Jaipur in Rajasthan. She then joined Jai Hind College in Mumbai for a Bachelor of Arts degree. After completing her graduation in 1982, she pursued cost accountancy (ICWAI). Later, she did her Master's degree in management studies from the esteemed Jamnalal Bajaj Institute of Management Studies in Mumbai from where she received a Wockhardt Gold Medal for Excellence in Management Studies. In the same year, she won the J.N Bose gold medal for Cost Accountancy. Career In 1984, after her masters, Chanda Kochhar joined 'The Industrial Credit and Investment Corporation of India Limited' or ICICI Limited as a management trainee. In her initial years in ICICI, she handled project appraisal and monitoring and various projects in Petrochemicals, Textile and Cement and Paper. In 1994, she became the Assistant General Manager and was promoted to the post of Deputy General Manager in 1996. She headed the Infrastructure Industry Group of ICICI. In 1999, she was promoted as the General Manager and became the head of ICICI's 'Major Client Group' which handled relationships with the top 200 clients of the organisation. In 1999, she started handling the Strategy and E-commerce divisions of ICICI. Under Kochhar's leadership, ICICI began its retail business in 2000 and in the next five years, became the biggest retail financer in India. In 2001, she became the executive director of ICICI bank. In April 2006, she was appointed as the Deputy Managing Director of ICICI bank and managed the corporate and retail banking business of ICICI bank. From October 2007 to April 2009, she was the Chief Finance Officer (CFO), Joint Managing Director (JMD), and the official spokesperson of ICICI. She was also the head of the Corporate Center of ICICI bank, the director of the ICICI group of companies, Chairperson of ICICI Bank Eurasia Limited Liability Company and ICICI Investment Management Company Limited. Chanda Kochhar also held the positions of Vice-Chairperson of ICICI Bank UK and ICICI Bank Canada and the position of Director of ICICI International Limited and ICICI Prudential Life Insurance Company Limited. In May 2009, she was appointed as the Managing Director and the Chief Operating Officer of ICICI bank for a term of five years. Contributions Chanda Kochhar was a part of the core team when ICICI decided to set the ICICI Bank 1993. In 2000, when the organisation decided to develop its wings, she decided to keep the bank open for twelve hours in a day when other banks were open for four to seven hours a day. She was also one of the bankers who came up with electronic banking and installed 2000 ATM machines all over India. Under Kochhar's leadership, ICICI was awarded the 'Best Retail Bank in India' in 2001, 2003, 2004 and 2005. In 2002, the bank was given the 'Excellence in Retail Banking Award'. Legacy Chanda Kochhar is one amongst the two women who is the head of an Indian domestic bank. Joining the ICICI bank as a management trainee, she was instrumental in making ICICI bank the largest retail financer in India. She is an inspiration to women all over the world. Awards And Accolades 'Retail Banker of the Year' (Asia - Pacific region) by The Asian Banker, 2004 'Business Woman of the Year' by The Economic Times, 2005 'Rising Star Award' for Global Awards by Retail Banker International, 2006 Featured in the list of '30 Most Powerful Woman Leaders' in business for 8 consecutive years from 2002 to 2010 'Transformational Business Leader of the Year' by All India Management Association, 2010 Ranked 10th in the Fortune's List of 'Most Powerful Women in Business', 2010 Ranked 92nd in the Forbes List of 'Most Powerful Women' in the world, 2010 'Outstanding Woman Business Leader of the Year' award by CNBC TV18, 2010' Ranked 11th in the List of 'Top 50 Woman in World Business' by the Financial Times, 2010 Padma Vibhushan, 2011

Timeline 1961 - Born in Jodhpur in Rajasthan. 1982 - Completed her graduation and pursued cost accountancy. 1984 - Joined 'The Industrial Credit and Investment Corporation of India Limited' or ICICI Limited. 1994 - Became the Assistant General Manager of ICICI bank. 1996 - Became the Deputy General Manager. 1999 - Took over as the General Manager and became the head of ICICI's 'Major Client Group'. 2000 - ICICI began its retail business under Kochhar's leadership. 2001 - Became the executive director of the ICICI bank. 2006 - Appointed as the Deputy Managing Director of ICICI bank. 2009 - Appointed as the Managing Director and the Chief Operating Officer of ICICI bank. 2011 - Awarded Padma Vibhushan.

Deepak Parekh
Born On: 18th October, 1944 Career: Chairman of HDFC Deepak Parekh is the Chairman of HDFC (Housing Development Finance Corporation, which is a top mortgage finance company. Besides being the Chairman, he is also the unofficial crisis consultant of the Indian Government. He, with his hard work and intelligence developed HDFC into the huge financial multinational firm that it is today. He also served Satyam Computer Services as an independent director from 11th January to 17th July, 2009. He believes in hard work, great zeal and perfection. According to him, it is very important to stick on to moral values and ethics, only then can one become a great businessman. Following immoral methods will lead only to the loss of reputation. If a person's reputation is gone it is very difficult to get it back. Read on to know more about Deepak Parekh, a prominent Banker and a well-known expert of finance in India. Early Life Deepak Parekh was born on 18th October, 1944 in India. He pursued his Bachelor of Commerce degree from the Sydenham College of Bombay University and acquired a Financial Chartered Accountant degree from England and Wales. At present, he lives in Mumbai. Career Mr. Parekh started his career as a chartered accountant in Ernst & Young Management Consultancy Services in New York. When he came to back to India, he worked with Grindlays Bank and Chase Manhattan Bank as the assistant representative for South Asia. In 1978, he joined HDFC and was promoted as the Managing Director in 1985 and thus became the Chairman in 1993. Besides this, in 1997, he became the Non-Executive Chairman of IDFC (Infrastructure Development Finance Company Ltd.) which is a Government enterprise for projects of infrastructure. He also served as the Non-Executive Chairman of Glaxo India Ltd. till 2008 and is the Chairman of Burroughs Wellcome (India) Ltd. and worked on the Board of Castrol India Limited, Hindustan Unilever (since 1997), Siemens Ltd, Mahindra & Mahindra (since 1990) and Indian Hotels Company (since 2000). He is a member of the proactive advisory board of the world's biggest student determined organization AIESEC India. Along with this, he has also been a part of several Committees made by Indian Government. In 1964, he was made the Chairman of the high level of expert committee which was formed to suggest the ideas for the growth of the Unit Scheme. He was appointed the Chairman of the Advisory Group for Securities Market Regulation by the Reserve Bank of India. Later on, he became the Chairman of the National Thermal Power Corporation Ltd. He has served the Singapore Telecommunications Ltd. as a Non-Executive Independent Director, has been a Director of WNS Global Services Pvt. Ltd. and a Director of Steel Authority of India Ltd., Airports Authority of India and Lafarge India Pvt. Ltd. He serves the Exide Industries Ltd. as an Alternate Director and as a Director of Indo-German Chamber Of Commerce. Awards and Accolades Deepak Parekh was honored as the Businessman of the Year 1996 by Business India. He was also given the JRD Tata Corporate Leadership Award by All India Management Association (AIMA) and was the first to receive the Qimpro Platinum Award. Mr. Parekh was the youngest man to get the respected Corporate Award for the Life Time Achievement by the Economic Times. He was also honored with the Padma Bhushan in 2006 and in 2009 he attended the state dinner at the White House hosted by US President Barack Obama in honor of the Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. Besides this, he received the Outstanding Business Leader Award from CNBC-TV18. In 2010, for his input to the finance and accountancy profession from many years, the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales honored him with an Outstanding Achievement Award. Contribution Deepak Parekh has played a very significant role in developing the financial sector of India and has also contributed in establishing French firms in India. According to the Government of France, Mr. Parekh has improved the relations of India and France in the economic sector. Mr. Parekh made it possible for the middle class people of India to own their houses or flats by providing them with loans at affordable rates. Timeline 1944: Born in India. 1978: Joined HDFC. 1985: Became the Managing Director of HDFC. 1993: Became the Chairman of HDFC. 1996: Businessman of the Year by Business India. 1997: Became the Non-Executive Chairman of IDFC. 2006: Honored with Padma Bhushan. 2009: Attended a state dinner at the White House hosted by US President Barack Obama in honor of the Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and received the Outstanding Business Leader Award from CNBC-TV18. 2010: Received the Outstanding Achievement Award from the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales.

Harish Manwani
Born On: 1954 Born In: India Career: Entrepreneur Harish Manwani is a business entrepreneur who was named Unilever's first global chief operating officer. He is Unilever's geographical president of Asia, Africa and Central and Eastern Europe. Being a devouring and devoted golfer he loves playing bridge occasionally. Harish Manwani, is described as a go-getter and is known for his consistent performance. He is respected by his colleagues and friends. He is a man who believes in relentless execution. Visiting customers is one of the must-dos in Harish Manwani's list every time he visits a country. He is currently a member of the Executive Board of the Indian School of Business. He is personally considered a bold person with a strong will and a focused mind towards his business and life. Success has been in his hands and he is an expert at balancing fun and work. Read on to know more about the life and profile of Harish Manwani. Early Life Harish Manwani is an honors graduate from the Mumbai University and has a master's degree in management studies. He also attended the Advanced Management Program at the Harvard Business School. He served as the Chairman of Unilever's Latin America Advisory Council. Harish is married and has two daughters. He spends his leisure time with his family and enjoys playing golf and an occasional game of bridge. Career Harish Manwani joined Hindustan Lever Ltd (HLL), now Hindustan Unilever Ltd (HUL), in 1976 and became a board member of HLL in 1995. He was responsible for the Personal Products business. He also took care of the business group in Central Asia and Middle East. He became Senior Vice President of Global Hair Care and Oral Care in 2001 and moved to the UK. The next year he was appointed President of Home and Personal Care of the Latin America division. He was also made Chairman of Unilever's Latin America Advisory Council. He became President and CEO of HPC North America in 2004. He joined Unilever in 2005 as the President of its Asia and Africa division. He is also a member of the Executive Board of the Indian School of Business and serves on the Supervisory Board of ING Group. He was appointed as the global COO for Unilever in June 2011. Mr. Harish Manwaniassumed charge as the Non-Executive Chairman of the Company became effective on 1st July, 2005. He is also the President - Asia & Africa, Central & Eastern Europe and a member of the Unilever Executive (UEx). He is currently Unilever's Chief Operating Officer. Contribution Harish Manwani's professional contribution to the field of business is vast. He has always believed in the 'Think local, Act local' concept to achieve customer satisfaction. This helped in the development of his company. Nitin Paranjpe and Harish Manwani's shared vision contributed to HUL's growth story. HUL produces all fast moving consumable products. Awards and Accolades The Asia Business Leader of the Year in 2008 by CNBC Asia. Timeline 1954: Born and brought up in India. 2000: He moved to the UK as Senior Vice President, Global Hair Care and Oral Care. 2001: He was appointed President, Home and Personal Care, Latin America business group. 2004: He was appointed President and CEO of the HPC North America business group. 2005: Joined Unilever as President, Asia Africa. 2008: Received the CNBC Asia Business Leader of the Year award. 2011: Becomes the President for Asia Africa, Central and Eastern Europe at Unilever.

Karan Bilimoria
Born On: 26 November, 1961 Born In: Hyderabad, India Career: Entrepreneur If the ability of a good entrepreneur is to bounce back from pits and falls, then Karan Bilimoria should be that one man who did so and passed in flying colors. Having started his journey to the top at the age of twenty-seven, he worked hard to carve a path for himself in the world of beers. He finally ended up as the founder of Cobra beer which enjoys a considerably huge turnover and is one of the fastest growing beer brands in the United Kingdom. With sheer hard work and determination, Karan Bilimoria achieved the life of his dreams and even went on to become a member of the House of Lords in England. Bilimoria's profile will leave you wondering a lot on how he found the time to do an endless number of things in life. He is the hands - on executive of Cobra Beer, apart from being at the helm of numerous organisations and charitable institutions. Early Life Karan Bilimoria was born on 26th November, 1961 to Lieutenant Colonel F.N.Bilimoria in a Parsi Zoroastrian family in Hyderabad. He grew up hearing the fascinating stories of his great grandfather D.D.Italia who started a liquor business from scratch. He studied in several schools as a boy since he was born into a military family. However, he completed his education at Hebron School, in the Nilgiri Hils in India. He finished a degree in commerce from the Osmania University in Hyderabad in 1981. Then, he went on to become a chartered accountant for Ernst and Young, where he got trained and worked for four years. In the meantime, he completed his Bachelor of Arts degree in Law from Sidney Sussex College, University of Cambridge. Career Soon after he completed his education, Karan Bilimoria set out to try his hand in business as it was his passion. He started selling polo sticks made in India to retailers from U.K. His family was not supportive of his business as they believed that he had the education to find himself a secure job. However, he always knew he would find a suitable business that would fulfill his dreams. It was in 1989 when he got the idea to manufacture a beer that would be less grassy than conventional beers and a brew that can balance the curry-laden diets of his countrymen. With no experience in brewing and over 20, 000 pound sterling's in debt, he went on to form 'Panther' ( the name was changed to 'Cobra' later) along with his partner Arjun Reddy. Arjun's uncle introduced them to Mysore Breweries in India. Soon, their new beer was brewed and was ready to be sold. Having some experience in sales from his previous polo project, Karan visited pubs and restaurants all over India with the samples of his new brew. However, he found out that many of the owners to whom he was trying to sell the brew did not drink due to religious reasons. He then offered his beer to the regulars of his establishments and this turned out to be an instant success. He brewed Cobra first in Bangalore in India till 1996. Then, in order to capture the U.K. market, he decided to start brewing beer in England along with the Charles Wells Brewery, which is the largest brewery in United Kingdom. His hands on approach enabled Cobra Beer to enter the competitive world wide market. In 1999, he introduced General Bilimoria Wines and by 2006, the sales grew to over 96 million pound sterling. In 2010, Cobra Beer posted a recorded sale of 48 million pound sterling with a profit of 4.9 million pound sterling. At present, the company imports its products to more than 50 countries. Today, Bilimoria is known as Lord Bilimoria of Chelsea and reached the same heights as did his great grandfather, whose stories he loved to hear when he was a child. Contributions and Achievements Karan Bilimoria came up with a program in 2005 called Cobra Vision which allowed amateur film makers in the United Kingdom to screen their films during commercial TV. In 2005, he was appointed the Chancellor of Thames Valley University and became the youngest Chancellor of a university in the United Kingdom. Karan Bilimoria is also the member of a National Employment Panel and is the Chairman of the panel's Small and Medium Sized Enterprise Board (SME). He is the Deputy Lieutenant of Great Britain and a member of the London Chamber of Commerce. He also works as a guest lecturer at the Cranfield University School of Management, London Business School and Cambridge University Business School. His company has won numerous gold medals at premiere international events in Brussels. Karan Bilimoria is into charitable activities too. He is the patron of Thare Mache Starfish Initiative and the Chairman of the Advisory Board of the Shrimati Pushpa Wati Loomba Memorial Trust which takes care of the education of children of financially challenged widows in India. Bilimoria also has authored a book namely 'Bottled for Business: The Less Gassy Guide to Entrepreneurship'.

Awards and Accolades Asian of the Year, 2002 London Entrepreneur of the Year by Ernst & Young, 2003 Commander of the British Empire (CBE), 2004 Business Person of the Year by the London Chamber of Commerce and Industry, 2004 Award for Outstanding Achievement by Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales, 2005 Indo British Partnership Award from the Non-Resident Indian (NRI) Institute, 2005 Man of the Year at the Drinks Business Awards, 2006 Honorary doctorates by Brunel University (2005), Heriot-Watt University and Staffordshire University Timeline 1961: Karan Bilimoria was born in Hyderabad. 1981: Finished his degree in commerce at the Osmania University in Hyderabad. 1988: Completed his Bachelor of Arts degree in law at Sidney Sussex College, University of Cambridge. 1989: Started a beer company that manufactured beer which was less grassy than conventional beers. The beer was initially named 'Panther'. 1990: The name of the beer was changed to 'Cobra' and it was imported to the U.K. 1996: Brewing moved to the U.K. 1999: Introduced General Bilimoria Wines. 2002: Opens offices in India and New York. 2003: Opens offices in South Africa and production moves to Poland too. 2004: Exports Cobra beer as 'Krait' to the United States of America. 2006: Bilimoria becomes Executive Chairman of his company as Adrian McKeon takes over as Chief Executive Officer.

K.V. Kamath
Born On: 2nd December, 1947 Born In: Mangalore, Karnataka Career: Non-Executive Chairman of ICICI Bank Kundapur Vaman Kamath, popularly known as K.V. Kamath is a leading personality of the finance sector in India. He is very intelligent and has modernized the banking sector in India with his excellent and innovative concepts of 'Universal Banking' and proper management of employees. He has been accredited for the expansion of the business of ICICI Bank to change it completely into a tech-savvy financial firm that provided every kind of financial services to retail consumers and corporates. It was all because of his contributions and direction that the ICICI Group was converted into a specialized, technology based financial organization that deals in banking, insurance and asset management in India. It has also become an international company. Thus, with his hard work, devotion and intelligence he achieved popularity on both national and international levels. Claim to fame: K.V.Kamath is the first non-founder to become the Chairman of Infosys. Read on! Early Life K.V.Kamath was born on 2nd December, 1947 in Mangalore, Karnataka. Mr. Kamath belongs to a Gaud Saraswat family. He finished his primary and intermediate education from St. Aloysius School and then pursued his Mechanical Engineering from the Karnataka Regional Engineering College, Surathkal which is presently known as the National Institute of Technology, Karnataka. In 1969, after completing his graduation he finished a Master's Degree in Business Administration from the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad. He married Rajalaxmi and the couple has two children, a son Ajay Kamath and a daughter Ajnya Kamath Pai. Kamath presently resides in Mumbai. Career K.V.Kamath started his career serving the ICICI Bank in the finance division project and then shifted to several departments for gaining experience in establishing new businesses such as venture capitalism, leasing, credit rating and also to be on the position of General Manager. When he became the General Manager, he started and executed the Computerization Programme of ICICI. In 1988, he joined the Private Sector Department of the Asian Development bank, Manila and was the delegate of the Asian Development Bank on the boards of many companies. There he worked on several projects carried in different countries including Indonesia, Philippines, China, Vietnam and Bangladesh. It was in 1996 May, when he came back to ICICI as the Managing Director and Chief Executive and industrialized the retail business. From 1996-98, he introduced a series of acquisitions of non-banking financial firms which resulted in the establishment of ICICI Bank. He retired from the post of Managing Director and Chief Executive in May, 2009 and became the Chairman of the ICICI bank. On 2nd May, 2011, K.V.Kamath was elected as the Chairman of Infosys. Apart from this, he is a member of the governing boards of many educational institutions which include the Indian institute of Management, Ahmedabad, National Institute of Bank Management, Pandit Deendayal Petroleum University, Indian School of Business and Gandhinagar Manipal Academy of Higher Education. He is also a part of the National Council of Confederation of the Indian Industry. He is the Independent Director of the Great Eastern Shipping Company Limited and Schlumberger Limited. K.V.Kamath has also been a Co-Chairman of the World Economic Forum's Annual Meeting in Davos and is a member of the Board of the Institute of International Finance. Awards and Accolades K.V.Kamath received many awards including the Businessman of the Year (2005) award from Business India, Outstanding Business Leader of the Year (2006) award from CNBC-TV18, Business Leader Award of the Year (2007) by The Economic Times and Businessman of the Year award by Forbes Asia. The Mumbai Management Association awarded him the Finance Man of the Year and World HRD Congress gave him an award for the Best CEO for Innovative HR practices. He has been entitled the most e-savvy CEO amongst Asian banks by the Asian Banker Journal of Singapore and Asian Business Leader Award of 2001 was given to K.V. Kamath by CNBC Asia. In 2008, he was honored with Padma Bhushan, India's highest civilian award. Contribution Mr. Kamath has contributed a lot for the progress of the ICICI Bank and after his leadership the balance sheet of this bank has maximized eight times over the last eight years. In present times, the bank has around millions of safety bond investors. Thus, he has played a very important role in the growth of ICICI, which is the second largest bank in India, providing a variety of banking and financial services. Apart from this, it was because of his input that this bank has become the first Indian and second Asian bank to be listed on the New York Stock Exchange. Timeline 1947: Born in Mangalore, Karnataka 1969: Pursued his MBA from IIM-Ahmedabad 2005: Businessman of the Year award by Business India 2006: Outstanding Business Leader of the Year award from CNBC-TV18 2007: Business Leader Award of the Year by the Economic Times 2008: Honored with Padma Bhushan 2011: Chairman of Infosys

Lalit Modi
Born In: New Delhi Born On: 29th November, 1963 Known As: Entrepreneur Lalit Modi, the President and Managing Director of Modi Enterprises is an innovative and self-motivated personality who has instrumented his success in the field of business. He has been the engineer behind the Indian Premium League (IPL) which has had four successful seasons. He has also held several high ranking positions in many cricket associations. In the past, Modi served as the Vice-President of BCCI, president of the Rajasthan Cricket Association and is presently the Vice-President of the Punjab Cricket Association. With his intellectual abilities and remarkable business acumen, Modi has managed to carve a unique identity for himself. Today Modi is regarded as one of the most powerful and influential figures in Indian cricket. He is a maverick opportunist who has managed to build an expanding business empire. Honored with the title of "Game Changers of the Decade" by Business Standard in 2009, Modi has won several presitgious laurels for his innovative and constructive ideas by many international business forums. Read on to know more about the life of Lalit Modi and his uphill ascent. Early Life Lalit Modi was born into an affluent business family and was one of the successors to his father's forty billion business industries. As a young child he was enrolled into the Bishop Cotton School in Shimla and completed his formal education in 1971. During his schooling he was known to have a keen interest in sports and personally played a number of games. Thereafter, he attended St Joseph's College in Nainital but he did not complete his education in India as he had plans to earn a foreign degree. Since he performed well in the entrance exams held for admission to American colleges, he chose to skip his exams in India and attended universities in America. He first completed his electrical engineering and then got a business administration degree at Pace University and Duke University during the years 1983 and 1986. Lalit has two siblings named Samir Modi and Charu Modi. Career Soon after his education, Modi played an active role in his family business that was set up by his grandfather Raj Bahadur Gujarmal Modi and was taken care of by his father Krishan Kumar Modi. He enjoyed a privileged position at the top management level when he was appointed the President and Managing Director of Modi Enterprises. In 1992 he was chosen as the Executive Director of Godfrey Phillips India and has managed to successfully take the company to new heights. Godfrey Phillips India is one of India's leading cigarette companies that is jointly endorsed by Modi Enterprises and Philip Morris International. Lalit's business interests soon diverged to the entertainment networking organization. In 1993 he made his presence felt in this field with a joint venture between Modi Entertainment Networks (MEN) and Walt Disney Pictures. According to the deal Disney gave some of its broadcasting content to MEN to televise it in India. In the same year he also attained the broadcasting rights of Fashion TV for ten years. In the next year he became the sole distributor for the whole of India for the ESPN by signing a ten year contract with the channel heads. The contract was valued at $975 million dollars. His role mainly included the task of collecting funds from local cable companies in return for televising ESPN. The business relationship between MEN and ESPN proved to be a profitable as ESPN bagged commercial rights for the T20 Champions League till 2017. This was done under the support and guidance of Lalit Modi. Being the business visionary that he was, Lalit understood the importance and popularity of cricket in the country. He became a member of the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association in 1999, but failed to succeed in his ambition. In 2004, Lalit Modi joined the Rajasthan Cricket Association and thereafter became the President of the association. This in turn earned him a seat at the BCCI. The following year Modi was elected as the Vice-President of BCCI, during his tenure he was solely responsible for increasing the revenue seven times over in just three years. In the three years as Vice-President of BCCI he was actively involved with the commercial aspects of cricket and this helped the BCCI rake in an annual income of 1 billion USD. In 2008, Modi was the mastermind behind the Indian Premier League (IPL) and it proved to be one of his most profitable business ventures. Legacy In 2008, Lalit Modi was the brain behind the Indian Premium League (IPL), which is a cricket tournament modeled around the T20 form of cricket. The concept of T20 was first seen in England where inter- county tournaments played between England and Wales were held. Modi was the first person to introduce this concept to India and it has managed to be a big crowd puller, thanks to Modi's effective marketing skills. Personal Life Lalit is married to Minal who he met in the USA during his student days. He has three children Karima, Ruchir and Aliya. Karima is Minal's first child from her previous marriage. Currently she is resides in London. Ruchir also lives in London and is said to be close friends with business tycoon, Vijay Mallya's son Siddhartha Mallya. Aliya is pressently purusing her education in Switerzerland at Aiglon College.

Achievemnts and Awards Since 2006, Lalit has been an important face amongst professional cricket circuits in India and has been instantly recognized for his work. During his initial association as BCCI's Vice-President he has been solely responsible for converting it into a thriving and profitable organization. In 2008, when Modi transformed his ideas into a reality, his idea soon became a big success. Modi became an influential and powerful figure in the phase of Indian cricket. The year 2008 proved to be the best year for his business career as he was awarded and honored by a number of business organizations. 'Business Standard Award' for making BCCI the Most Innovative Company in India for 2008 Time Magazine ranked him 16th in a list of the world's best sports executives 'Brand Builder of the Year' by Asia Brand Conference 'Excellence in Innovation' - Frost & Sullivan Growth Excellence Awards 'The Most Innovative Business Leader in India' by NDTV Profit 'The Consumer Award for Transforming Cricket in India' by CNBC Awaaz 'Sport Business Leader' award by CBNC-TV18 Timeline 1963: He was born in New Delhi. 1992: He was appointed as the Executive Director of Godfrey Phillips India. 1993: Modi entered into the entertainment networking industry with a joint venture with Walt Disney. 1994: He signed another deal with ESPN to obtain the channel's broadcasting rights. 2005: He became the President of Rajasthan Cricket Assoication. 2005: In the same year he was appointed as BCCI's Vice President. 2008: He was the first to introduce IPL successfully to India. 2010: He was elected as the Vice-President of the Punjab Cricket Association

Ronnie Screwvala
Born On: 8th June, 1956 Born In: Bombay Ronnie Screwvala is a self made man and an iconic figure in the networking media industry. The CEO and founder of the UTV group he has been one among many others to first introduce cable television in Mumbai. From a cable operator to a media giant he has not only reached the pinnacle of success but also overcome many struggles to survive in the entertainment networking industry. He has been the pioneer in adopting a modern corporate studio approach to film production, which has helped him grow step by step, reaching for the stars all the way. With his decision to back films that are entraining and content heavy, his production house has carved a niche for itself in the Indian and global market. In the recent years, Ronnie has established a higher market value by partnering with international media giants such as Walt Disney, Fox Searchlight, Sony and Overbrook Entertainment with the view to explore and extend his international reach. Read on to know more about Ronnie Screwvala and his story of success. Career Like most business capitalists Ronnie also commenced his career by setting up a cable TV networking company in Mumbai, the firm was established in 1981. It started out as a cable network that provided only three hours of uninterrupted viewing of films by means of a cable service. The service was exclusively restricted to homes that were situated in an affluent locality known as Cuffe Parade, for a nominal monthly fee of Rs. 200. In a short span of time the business increased many folds and proved to be in constant demand among the residents in the area. The venture also provided Ronnie with the sufficient capital for his future endeavor. This in turn saw him making advertisements and producing films and selling airtime on India's only national network known as Doordarshan. Soon after he was seen producing TV serials, his television dramas 'Lifeline' and 'Shanti' were an instant success among many housewives in 1994. In 1990, Ronnie established UTV Software Communications. The entertainment house was actively involved in production, distribution of movies and television family programs and web content. It was only in the year 1996 when the production house actually shifted its focus on film distribution and a year later it produced its first motion film "Dil Ke Jharoke Main". Thereafter, Ronnie decided to enter into television broadcasting, he launched Hungama children television channel. The channel featured Japanese animated shows and other regional language shows. This move proved to be a well thought of one as it put UTV on the top of the pile, surpassing Disney and Time Warner in 2004. Since then, Ronnie has launched many other television channels such as UTV Bindass, UTV Action, UTV World Movies, UTV Movies, etc. In 2007, his company also undertook making of gaming software and content. In the recent years he has been responsible for the growing associations with Hollywood with the intention of going global. Ronnie has co-produced movies like 'I Think I Love My Wife', 'The Happening' and 'The Namesake'. These movies proved to be a success. In 2005 when the Ronnie's company's top management publicly traded it in the stock market, it witnessed extensive diversification in just three years. Ronnie, thus, has only set a benchmark for other upcoming entertainment companies. Achievements And Awards Ronnie's achievement since the beginning of his career is a list that continues defying all odds. From a small cable provider to a media giant, he has surely come a long way. He has been responsible for establishing his presence in television, film making and distribution, animation, broadcasting, gaming, partnerships, joint ventures and the building of subsidiaries. His media organization has won several awards for the movies that were produced under his banner. Some of the films are Rang De Basanti, Khosla Ka Ghosla, Life In A Metro, A Wednesday, Fashion, Dev D, Kaminey, Rajneeti, and the very recent Delhi Belly. Most of these films were not just commercial successes at the box office, but also content heavy. This set them apart from the rest. Movies like Rang De Basanti and Jodhaa-Akbar proved to be commercial blockbusters in the Indian market which took UTV Motion Pictures Ltd. to new heights. Personal Life Ronnie is married to Zarina who is also the co-founder and one of the business exceutives of UTV. The couple live in the posh Breach Candy locality in Mumbai. Time Line 1956: Was born in Bombay. 1981: He began his career as a local cable operator. 1990: UTV Software Communications was established by him. 1994: By this year, had already ventured into television serials. 1996: He ventured into film production. 2005: His company went public by trading in the stock market. 2004: He had earned the number one spot among other children's channels such as Disney and Time Warner. 2007: His company also ventured into the video gaming sector.

Shikha Sharma
Career: Managing Director, CEO, Axis Bank Starting her career with the Industrial Credit and Investment Corporation of India (ICICI) in 1980, Shikha Sharma was picked to head the life insurance division of ICICI when it became the first bank in the private sector to get a license to carry out the business of insurance. She was able to maintain a lead from the first day which helped the organisation to remain the largest private sector life insurance company in India. Considering ICICI as her second home, she worked towards the development of the organisation, the growth of which can be considered parallel to hers. Born to an Army officer, Shikha Sharma maintained discipline in her life and this disciplined showed right through her career too. In a male dominated financial world, she carved a niche for herself. She is the kind of person who considers every job that comes towards her as a challenge. It's no wonder then that she was chosen as the CEO of Axis bank, almost unanimously. Early Life Shikha Sharma was born to a soldier who travelled all over India, before settling down in Delhi. She completed her school education at the Loreto Convent in Delhi and graduated in economics from the Lady Sreeram College, Delhi. She finished her post graduate diploma in software technology from the National Institute of Software Technology, Mumbai. She also completed her Masters in Business Administration from the Indian Institute of Management in Ahmadabad. Career Shikha Sharma started her career with ICICI, India's largest financial service provider in 1980. She joined ICICI right after graduating from IIM, Ahmadabad. In her 28 year association with ICICI Group, she set up various businesses. In 1992, she set up ICICI Securities which is a joint venture of ICICI and J.P. Morgan. She started setting up various group businesses for ICICI which included investment banking and retail finance. In 1995, she moved to ICICI Securities and was deputed to J.P Morgan. In 1997, she rejoined ICICI as the General Manager in charge of Strategic Planning and Development. In 1998, she became the Managing Director of ICICI Personal Financial services. Shikha Sharma also served as the Director of ICICI Prudential Life Insurance Company till April 2009 and was the Independent Director of ACC limited December 2006 to May 2009. She is the Chief Executive Officer, Managing Director of Axis Bank Limited and Chairperson and associate Director of Axis Asset Management company Limited since June 1, 2009. Contributions Shikha Sharma made ICICI Prudential what it is today. It is the organization she built from scratch; the leading player in the life insurance business .In her 28 year old association with the ICICI Group, she was instrumental in setting the foundation for the bank's personal financial services business. Here, she also launched an innovative micro insurance cover of 1 dollar a month for poor people in India. In December 2008, under her leadership, ICICI Prudential commanded a market share of 13 %. Legacy Shikha Sharma is one of the two women entrepreneurs who are at the helm of a private bank in India. In a male dominated banking and insurance sector, she, with her exceptional leadership qualities, made ICICI Prudential, the largest private insurance company in the country. She has left behind a legacy which is followed by millions of women aspirants. Awards and Accolades 'Woman Business Leader' by CNBC TV18, 2007 'Business Woman of the Year' by Economic Times, 2009 Ranked 89th in the list of 'World's 100 Most Powerful Women' by Forbes magazine, 2010 Timeline 1980: Shikha Sharma started her career with ICICI as a project officer. 1992: Set up ICICI Securities which was a joint venture of ICICI and J. P Morgan. 1995: Moved to ICICI Securities and was deputed to J.P. Morgan. 1997: Rejoined ICICI as the General Manager in charge of Strategic Planning and Development. 1998: Became the Managing Director of ICICI Personal Financial Services. 2009: Became the Chief Executive Officer, Managing Director of Axis Bank Limited and Chairperson and Associate Director of Axis Asset Management Company Limited.

T.V Sundaram Iyengar

Born On: 1877 Born In: Thirunelveli, Madras Presidency, British India Died On: April 28, 1955 Career: Industrialist T.V. Sundaram Iyengar was a man of principles and a true visionary. During the 1930's, when riding an automobile was still a distant dream for many Indians, he had the vision to start the first ever rural bus service in Madurai. Business was not only a passion for Sundaram Iyengar, but also a service to the common man. His innovative and visionary ideas, hard work and determination formed the base for 'T.V Sundaram Iyengar and Sons Group of Companies', one of India's largest industrial conglomerates. The group started by Iyengar extended its services to motor industry, motor services and finances in the following years. No wonder, today he is regarded as one of the most successful industrialists of his time. T.V Sundaram Iyengar was also a forward thinker and a stringent follower of Gandhian philosophies. Know all about his life, feats and deeds in the write-up below. Early Life T.V Sundaram Iyengar was born in 1877 in Thirukkurungudi in Thirunelveli district in present day Tamil Nadu (then a part of Madras Presidency). Sundaram Iyengar started his career as a lawyer after which he moved on to work for Indian railways and later in a bank. Career As Sundaram Iyengar always had a passion for business, he left his job and ventured into motor transport industry. In 1912, he started the first bus service in the city of Madurai. In 1923, he established the T.V Sundaram Iyengar and Sons Group of Companies, which paved way for the origin of the 'TVS Group'. During the Second World War, when Madras Presidency faced huge petrol scarcity, he went on to design and start TVS Gas Plant in order to meet the demands of the people. He also started factories for rubber retreading besides Madras Auto Service Limited and Sundaram Motors Limited. Among these, Madras Auto Service Limited was the largest distributor of General Motors in 1950's. Thus, a business, which started as a passion of a single man, evolved into a flourishing family business. Four distinct branches began to work under the name 'TVS'. TVS group is currently the largest automobile distribution company in India. It enjoys a turnover of 40, 000 million. The group functions in varied fields like automotive component manufacturing, automotive dealerships, electronics and finances and employs 40, 000 people. They are also into IT solutions and services. Apart from being an industrialist, T.V Sundaram Iyengar was a patron of art and a forward thinker. Under the auspice of Mahatma Gandhi, he got his teenage daughter, who was a widow, remarried. Rajaji, a senior statesman of Congress heaved praise on Sundaram Iyengar for the gesture of announcing retirement and passing on the business to his children. T.V Sundaram has five sons and three daughters and the business was shared by the male members of the family. T.S Santhanam, the youngest son of T.V Sundaram is the founder of 'Sundaram Finance' and is regarded as the 'Father of Truck Finance Industry' in India. Contributions T.V Sundaram was the one who laid the foundation for the motor transport industry in Southern India. He is credited for starting Madurai's first bus service. During Second World War, when people faced scarcity of petrol, he designed and initiated TVS Gas Plant.

Some of the companies that come under TVS group are: Wheels India Brakes India Sundaram Fasteners TVS InfoTech TVS Motor Company ZF Electronics TVS (India) Private Limited Sundaram Finance Turbo Energy Limited Axles India Sundaram Clayton Lucas TVS Sundaram Motors Sundaram Brake Linings TVS Logistics TVS Southern Roadways LTD Sundaram Hydraulics Limited Legacy The history of TV Sundaram Iyengar and Sons group of companies can be traced back to Thirukurungudi Venkagaruswamy Sundaram Iyengar who quit his lucrative careers in railways and started his own business. He initiated the first bus service in Madurai and consolidated their presence in the transportation business in a period when such a kind of business was nowhere heard of, especially in Southern India. Death Sundaram Iyengar passed away on April 28, 1955 at his residence in Kodaikkanal at the age of 78. Timeline 1877: T.V. Sundaram Iyengar was born in Thirunelveli in Madras Presidency. 1911: He founded T.V. Sundaram Iyengar and Sons Group of Companies founded by T.V Sundaram. 1923: T.V Sundaram established the T.V. Sundaram Iyengar and Sons Group of Companies which paved the way for the TVS Group. 1955: T.V. Sundaram Iyengar passed away at his residence in Kodaikkanal at the age of 78.

T.V. Mohandas Pai

T.V. Mohandas Pai is a well-known chartered accountant and was one of the Board Members of Infosys. He however resigned from Infosys on 15th April, 2011, since he desired to work for the betterment of the educational sector of the country. He has been outstanding and one of the most powerful makers of Infosys. He was the one who framed India's first widely articulated financial strategy for his company. Being the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of Infosys, he played a very crucial role in changing the organization into one of the world's most esteemed and popular software services company. Mr. Pai also played an important role in describing the company amongst the investors and improving comprehensibility and disclosure levels. Under his direction, the Infosys Annual Report received the highest awards constantly from the Institute of Chartered Accountants and also from the South Asian Federation of Accountants. Read on to know more about T.V. Mohandas Pai. Early Life T.V. Mohandas Pai completed his graduation in commerce from St. Joseph's College of Commerce, Bangalore and holds a Bachelor's Degree in Law from the Bangalore University. He is a fellow member of Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI). Career It was in 1994, when T.V. Mohandas Pai joined Infosys and was amongst its Board Members for a long time. He has been the Head of Finacle Infosys Leadership Institute at Infosys and then became the Chief Financial Officer of Infosys in 1994 and served the company till 2006. He switched from the office of CFO to contribute to the growth of other sectors of the company such as Human Resources, Education and Research. Moreover, it was his contributions that enabled the first listing of an India-registered company on NASDAQ and the first sponsored secondary offering of American Depositary Shares by an Indian company i. e. Infosys. Since December 2010, he served ICDS Ltd. as its Whole-time Chairman. Besides this, he has also been a part of the Kelkar Committee created by the Ministry of Finance and Government of India for restructuring direct taxes. At present, he is a member of the SEBI Accounting Standards Subcommittee and the Empowered Committee for the setting up of the Tax Information Network of the Indian Government. He also works as a Director of XBRL International, Infosys China and Tejas Networks India Ltd. and jointly works with the Union and State Governments in educational, information technology and business sectors. Mr. Pai is also a fund manager at the International Accounting Standards Committee Foundation, the organization which supervises the International Accounting Standards Board. Awards And Accolades T.V. Mohandas Pai was nominated for the CFO of the Year 2001 by IMA, India. He received the award for the Best CFO in India in 2002 from Finance Asia and also for the Best Chief Financial Officer in India in 2004, in the Best Managed Companies Poll directed by Asia Money. Contribution T.V. Mohandas Pai has a keen interest in the progress of education in India, especially primary education which is very important for a child. In 2000, he with other people established the Akshaya Patra Foundation in Bangalore to begin a mid-day meal program for school children. In present times, mid-day meals are being provided to school going children in almost every part of India. More than 12,00,000 primary education children in around 7,669 government schools in places such as Mysore, Mangalore, Hubli, Mathura, Jaipur, Guwahati, Bihar, Ahmedabad, Vadodara, Bangalore, Bhilai, Puri are given the mid-day meal. This program looks to fulfill the objective of providing food to around one million school going children by 2020. No doubt, T.V. Mohandas Pai made a great contribution to the welfare of children. Apart from this, he has also played a very important role in the growth of Infosys, as one of the leading software services company to have hailed from India. Timeline 1994: Joined Infosys. 1996: Became the Chief Financial Officer of Infosys. 2001: Nominated for the CFO of the Year by IMA, India. 2002: Received the award for Best CFO in India from Finance Asia. 2004: Best Chief Financial Officer Award in India in the Best Managed Companies Poll directed by Asia Money. 2011: Left Infosys.

Y.C Deveshwar
Born On: 4th February, 1947 Career: Entrepreneur Yogesh Chandar Deveshwar will always be remembered for the deep insight with which he led a multi-business corporation like ITC. Taking the reins at a time when the company was facing a hard time, with its senior officials under the scrutiny of investigating agencies, he helped ITC expand its business and make its presence felt in the hospitality sector. The company which was only into cigarette making was converted into a multi-diversified organization. He led the company into new forays of growth areas which included agricultural businesses, retail and distribution of branded FMCG (Fast Moving Consumer Goods). He was also instrumental in coming up with strategic ideas which placed ITC among the value creating organizations of India. In a long career extending for over thirty-six years, Y.C. Deveshwar handled general management, strategic management and business leadership. Indian government conferred the Padma Bhushan on Y.C Deveshwar for his outstanding service to the country. Early Life Y.C Deveshwar was born on 4th February, 1947. In 1968, he finished his Bachelor of Technology degree in Mechanical Engineering at the Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi. He also received an AMP Diploma from the Harvard Business School, Massachusetts and did a course on advanced training in Hoteliering and Services from Cornell University in United States. Career In 1968, Y. C. Deveshwar joined the Indian Tobacco Company (ITC) as a management pupil. In 1972, he was made the MBO advisor to the Corporate Headquarters in Kolkata. In 1974, he took over as the factory manager in ITC's Packaging and Printing Plant in Chennai. In 1984, he was made a Director and since 1996 is serving as the Chief Executive and the Chairman of ITC Foods Limited. Under Y. C. Deveshwar's leadership, the sustainability efforts of ITC took new shape, courtesy innovative business models. In 2004, ITC became the first Indian organisation to submit its sustainability report as per the guidelines of the Global Reporting initiative. Under Deveshwar, ITC won the 'World Business Award' given jointly by the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) and International Business Leader's Forum (IBLF). ITC's 'e-Choupaw' which is a digital infrastructure plan to empower the farmers in India is being taught in the Harvard Business School. It won the organisation, the 'Development Gateway Award 'in Beijing in 2005. Y. C. Deveshwar has been at the helm of ITC's affairs for about fifteen years and is the longest serving Chairman in the history of the organization. In 1991, he was chosen to head Air India as Chairman and Managing Director. He was successful in this assignment and was also a Member of the Board of Indian Airlines, International Airports Authority of India, Airports Authority of India and Air Mauritius Limited. Y.C Deveshwar has also worked at the helm of affairs of the Confederation of Indian Industry, as its President. He is a member of the Board of Governors in the Indian School of Business and the Board of Governors of the Indian Institute of Management too. Contributions To Business During Y.C Deveshwar's term at ITC, the business world witnessed the transformation of ITC from a 5,000 crore company to a 27,000 crore company. The company's profits grew from 260 crores to 4000 crores. The value of ITC grew from 5, 500 crores in 1996 to 1, 14, 000 crores in 2010. The market capitalization of the organization was around 147210 crores on April 2011. Apart from guiding ITC from a crisis period which hit the company during the nineties, Deveshwar came forward with plans to decrease the company's dependence on tobacco sales. The business was becoming tougher in the wake of restrictive guidelines and antismoking campaigns. He continued with the hotel and paper back business, expanded the FMCG business to non-cigarette areas and extended the Wills brand to other products. Deveshwar took the initiative to set up 'The Welcome Group of Hotel Administration' in Manipal. In 1986, he was conferred with the 'Best Hotelier of the Year' award for his outstanding contribution to the industry.

Awards and Accolades Honorary Fellowship of the All India Management Association Alumni Award of the Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi 'Marketing Man of the Year' Award, 1994 'Manager Entrepreneur of the Year' by Ernst and Young, 2001 'Business Person of the Year' Award, 2006 Inducted to the 'Hall of Pride' at the Indian Science Congress, 2006 Lakshya Business Visionary Award, 2006 Global Leadership Award by U.S - India Business School of the U.S Chamber of Commerce, 2010 SAM/SPG Sustainability Leadership Award, 2007 Padma Bhushan by the Government of India, 2011 Timeline 1947: Born in the month of February. 1968: Finished his Bachelor of Technology degree in Mechanical Engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology. 1972: Made the MBO advisor to the Corporate Headquarters in Kolkata. 1974: Took over as factory manager in ITC's Packaging and Printing Plant in Chennai. 1984: Appointed as the Director on the Board of ITC Limited. 1986: Conferred with 'The Best Hotelier of the Year' Award 1991: Chosen to head Air India as Chairman and Managing Director. 1996: Became Chairman of ITC Foods Limited.