Forbes India Leadership Awards 2025: An evening celebrating excellence in India Inc

Winners of Forbes India Leadership Awards 2025 gather for a picture with the jury members and speakers and other dignitaries on the stage on February 28, 2025, in Mumbai.

Suveen Sinha, Editor, Forbes India, set the stage for the evening. "These are volatile times and this is when leaders are required," he said.

Panel Discussion - 'India’s growth story in a volatile global environment'. The session was moderated by Neha Bothra, Associate Editor, Forbes India and it featured voices of KVS Manian, MD & CEO, Federal Bank, Rajesh Jejurikar, ED & CEO, Mahindra Auto & Farm sector, and Madan Sabnavis, Chief Economist, Bank of Baroda

(L-R)Amit Chandra, Chairman - India, Bain Capital and FILA jury member, V Balasubramanian, co-founder and COO, Bugworks; Anand Anandkumar, CEO and MD of Bugworks; Santanu Dutta, co-founder, Bugworks; and Rishi Das, co-founder, Indiqube.
 
Forbes India Leadership Awards’ Emerging Innovators category recognises entrepreneurs who have taken on hard problems in deep tech. This year, the award goes to Bugworks. The team at Bugworks is attempting to bring to market a new class of antibiotics – a first, in almost half a century!

(L-R) Amit Chandra, Chairman - India, Bain Capital and FILA jury member; Ritesh Arora and Nakul Aggarwal, co-founders of BrowserStack, and Rishi Das, co-founder, Indiqube.

Forbes India Leadership Award for Outstanding Startup honours a company that has carved a niche within a decade, showcasing strong funding, steady growth, profitability, and a winning business model. This year the winners are BrowserStack. A SaaS unicorn, BrowserStack has taken the space of cloud web and mobile testing by storm.

(L-R) Ashish Agarwal, MD & Country head, Jefferies India, Ajay Singh, Chairman and MD, SpiceJet, and FILA jury chair and founder of Marico Harsh Mariwala.

The FILA Icon of Excellence Award honours individuals who have not only achieved extraordinary success in their field but have also set new benchmarks of dedication, versatility, and influence. Ajay Singh of SpiceJet is someone who doesn't shy away from a challenge. He revived DTC, Doordarshan, and SpiceJet–twice. And he is ready to do it again.

(L-R) Ashish Agarwal, MD & Country head, Jefferies India, Katrina Kaif, actor and founder of Kay Beauty, and FILA jury chair and founder of Marico Harsh Mariwala.

Next FILA Icon of Excellence Award honoured Katrina Kaif who has made incredible contribution to cinema with films such as 'Jab Tak Hain Jaan' and 'Merry Christmas' and is inspiring others with her entrepreneurial journey of building and growing Kay Beauty.

Katrina Kaif, actor and founder of Kay Beauty, was in conversation with Forbes India's Naini Thaker to discuss what it takes to build a brand from ground up. "If you are going to start a business, you need to have something important to say," she said.

(L-R)Dream 11 founder Harsh Jain, Arpit Agarwal of Blume Ventures, Rahul Yadav and Mohit Yadav, co-founders of Minimalist.

The Forbes India Leadership Award for Promising Startup goes to Minimalist, a homegrown, science-backed skincare brand, that has revolutionised beauty with transparency, efficacy, and ingredient-driven formulations.

MTR Foods CEO Sunay Bhasin (L) and his team recieve the Forbes India Leadership Award for Regional Goliath from Arpit Agarwal of Blume Ventures and Dream11 founder Harsh Jain.

This award honours a family-led business that is giving pan-India players a run for their money in their region. These companies have for long challenged established pan-India players, and some of them are showing signs of national presence with regional dominance.

(L-R) Ajay Singh, MD and Chairman of SpiceJet, Rekha Koita, Director and co-founder, Koita Foundation; and Vivek Gambhir, Venture Partner, Lightspeed India.

Forbes India Leadership Award for Grassroots Philanthropists goes to Koita Foundation for leveraging technology to enhance outcomes in the healthcare space, and helping non-profits to scale up.

(L-R) Amrit Om Nayak, co-founder, Indra Water; Ajay Singh, Chairman and MD, SpiceJet; Krunal Patel, co-founder, Indra Water; and Vivek Gambhir, Venture Partner, Lightspeed India.

Forbes India Leadership Award for Climate Warrior goes to Indra Water for redefining waste water management with cutting-edge technology by helping industries and hotels treat and recycle their water and securing freshwater for the common man.

The Forbes India Leadership Award for Turnaround Star goes to IHCL. CEO Puneet Chhatwal and team collected the trophy from Harsh Mariwala, Founder, Marico, and KVS Manian, MD & CEO of Federal Bank.

By diversifying its portfolio to include a wider audience and launching new ventures, IHCL MD & CEO Puneet Chhatwal has scripted a turnaround story for the hospitality giant.

(L-R) Harsh Mariwala, founder, Marico; Jay Shah, Chairman, ICC; and KVS Maninan, MD & CEO, Federal Bank.

The next Icon of Excellence trophy was awarded to ICC chairman Jay Shah for playing a pivotal role in driving cricket’s growth and with his commitment to the sport, driving key initiatives like gender pay parity, the launch of the Women's Premier League, and the development of the National Cricket Academy’s Centre of Excellence. His leadership champions both expansion and inclusivity.

The next fireside chat of the night was with Dr Praveer Sinha, CEO & MD, Tata Power Compnay Limited. The conversation about his leadership journey, vision for the energy sector, and fundamentals of shaping the future of EV infrastructure in India was moderated by CNBC TV18's Nigel D'Souza. The conversation provided valuable perspectives on navigating challenges, driving innovation, and fostering sustainable growth.

(L-R) Bala Deshpande, former founding partner, Mega Delta Capital Advisors; Varun Jaipuria, Executive Vice-chairman, Varun Beverages; and  Sandeep Ghosh, Country Head, Visa.

Forbes India Leadership Award for GenNext Entrepreneur  celebrates a dynamic next generation leader who has taken the reins of the family business to chart a futuristic vision, with innovation, new strategies and growth avenues. This year it goes to Varun Jaipuria, Executive Vice Chairman, Varun Beverages. As the third generation entrepreneur, Varun is scaling the family business by entering new markets and segments.

(L-R) Bala Deshpande, former founding partner, Mega Delta Capital Advisors; Ashish Dhawan, Co-founder, Ashoka University; and Sandeep Ghosh, Country Head, Visa.

 The Forbes India Leadership Award for Institution Builder honours visionary leaders who have not only built enterprises but have also created ecosystems and institutions that strengthen key pillars of society. The winner is Ashish Dhawan, co-founder of Ashoka University.

Harsh Mariwala, founder and chairman of Marico honours next Icon of Excellence, banking stalwart Shyam Srinivasan is recognised as visionary in the banking industry. He has played a pivotal role in transforming Federal Bank into one of India’s most respected and innovative financial entities.

Harsh Mariwala, founder and chairman of Marico presents the Icon of Excellence for Tech Mahindra CEO Mohit Joshi. Birendra Sen, President – Business Process Services, Tech Mahindra, collected the award on his behalf.

(L-R) Dr Praveer Sinha, CEO & MD, Tata Power Company Limited, Supam Maheshwari,Co-founder & CEO, FirstCry; and KVS Manian, MD & CEO, Federal Bank.

Forbes India Leadership Award for Entrepreneur of the Year celebrates exemplary leadership, sustained performance, and a smart propensity for risk-taking. From online retail to omnichannel, Supam Maheshwari has continued to build deeper moats over the last 15 years, helping his company to emerge as India’s biggest omnichannel retailer of children’s products.

(L-R) Dr Praveer Sinha, CEO & MD, Tata Power Company Limited; Rajesh Jejurikar, Executive Director & CEO (Auto and Farm Sector), Mahindra & Mahindra; and KVS Manian, MD & CEO, Federal Bank.

Forbes India Leadership Award for CEO of the Year celebrates exceptional business acumen, entrepreneurial spirit, and visionary leadership. Jejurikar, the recipient of the award this year, has navigated industry challenges, sustained growth, and played a pivotal role in making electric vehicles a functional reality for the masses.

Krunal Patel, co-founder, Indra Water, shows the latest Forbes India Leadership Awards issue to his family.

Jury member Amit Chandra in a candid conversation with Federal Bank's Shyam Srinivasan and KVS Manian.

Katrina Kaif, Rajesh Jejurikar, Arpit Agarwal, Vivek Gambhir enjoying the evening.

Team Mahindra & Mahindra couldn't resist a group selfie.

Amit Chandra and Ashish Dhawan in a conversation before the evening began.

ICC Chairman Jay Shah, BCCI President Roger Binny, BCCI Vice President Rajiv Shukla observe the proceedings of the evening.

Ajay Singh of SpiceJet in an animated conversation with IHCL MD & CEO Puneet Chhatwal.

FILA 2025 jury members Vivek Gambhir and Arpit Agarwal in a discussion.

Audience at Forbes India Leadership Awards 2025.