Forbes India Leadership Awards 2023: Highlights

Forbes India Deputy Editor Ruchika Shah delivered the welcome address. She said, "Every year, FILA, as we call it, recognises whom I like to call India’s most stubborn leaders.…you need leaders who refuse to give up in the eye of a storm, are willing to evolve, and even listen to the softest voice in the room."

The audience reading the edition of Forbes India on FILA at the event.

The Forbes India Leadership Awards 2023 Lifetime Achievement was awarded to AM Naik, non-executive chairman, Larsen and Toubro (L&T). The award was presented by Rajiv J Shah (right), president, The Rockefeller Foundation, and was accepted by Naik's wife Gita Naik and L&T's MD & CEO SN Subrahmanyan (left).

Rahul Sharma (right), co-founder, Zetwerk received the Forbes India Leadership Awards 2023 Outstanding Startup award from Harsh Mariwala (left), founder and chairman, Marico.

AS Lakshminarayanan (right), managing director and CEO, Tata Communications accepts the Forbes India Leadership Awards 2023 for Turnaround Company from Harsh Mariwala (left), founder and chairman, Marico.

(From left) Rajeev Thakkar, CIO and director, PPFAS MF and Saugata Bhattacharya, chief Economist, Axis Bank, go head to head in a debate moderated by Neha Bothra, Assistant Editor, Forbes India on the topic – Is India insulated from the global storm brewing in markets and economy?

Neera Nundy (centre), co-founder and partner, Dasra , moderates the panel on Unlocking India’s Philanthropic Potential. The panellists include (from left) Luis Miranda, chairman & co-founder of the Indian School of Public Policy, Upasana Kamineni Konidela, vice chairperson, CSR, Apollo Hospitals, Zarina Screwvala, co-founder, Swades Foundation, and Amit Chandra, co-founder, ATE Chandra Foundation.

Divya J Shekhar (right), chief sub-editor, Forbes India, discusses the importance of telling good stories with Oscar-winning producer and storyteller extraordinaire Guneet Monga (left).

Avinash Kaul (right), CEO - Network 18 & Managing Director A+E Networks I TV18 and Divya J Shekhar (left), chief sub-editor, Forbes India, present the Forbes India Leadership Awards Icon of Excellence citation to Oscar-winning producer Guneet Monga (centre).

Punita Sinha (left), co-founder, Pacific Paradigm Advisors and Anuj Pandey (right), chief risk officer, U GRO Capital, present the Entrepreneur For the Year award to Abhay Soi (centre), chairman & managing director, Max Healthcare.

Rajendra Chamaria, vice chairman and MD, Star Cement, receives the FILA 2023 Regional Goliath award for taking a flurry of steps to build a cement empire in Northeast India

Punita Sinha (far left), co-founder, Pacific Paradigm Advisors and Anuj Pandey (far right), chief risk officer, U GRO Capital presented the FILA 2023 Grassroot Philanthropist award goes to Susmita Bagchi (left), and Radha and NS Parthasarathy (right).

(From left) Varsha Meghani, principal correspondent, Forbes India moderated a panel discussion on inclusion . The panellists included Avani Lekhara, Tokyo 2020 gold medalist, paralympic champion & Khel Ratna awardee, Sushant Divgikar aka Rani KoHENur, singer, actor, performer, and social activist, and Meena Ganesh, chairperson and co-founder, Portea Medical.

(From left) Rajkiran Madangopal and Mani Vajipeyajula, co-founders, Banyan Nation receive the Climate Warriors award.

Sudha Reddy (right), director-MEIL and chairperson, Sudha Reddy Foundation, presents the Emerging Innovator award to Pawan Kumar Chandana (centre) and Naga Bharath Daka (left), co-founders of Skyroot Aerospace.

Sudhakar Adapa (centre) of Commerzify presents the Bootstrapped Hero award to Gaurav (left) and Amit Khatri (right), co-founders of Noise.

(From left) Isha Ambani, director, Reliance Retail Ventures receives the GenNext Entrepreneur award, which was presented by Manisha Girotra, CEO, Moelis India, Oscar-winner Guneet Monga, and Prashant Jain, director, 3P Investment Managers

(from left) Nasrin Sultana, Associate Editor, Forbes India moderates a discussion on the impact of chasing valuation over the long-term growth on the Indian startup ecosystem with Vinod Murali, MD & co-founder, Alteria Capital, Anand Shah head, PMS and AIF investments, ICICI Prudential AMC, and Sudhakar Adapa of Commerzify.