NDTV Profit announces nominees for Business Leadership Awards 2026
Mumbai, July 17
NDTV Profit on Friday announced the nominees for the Business Leadership Awards 2026, recognising a diverse set of leaders, companies and institutions that have played a key role in shaping India's evolving business landscape, with the winners set to be announced in Mumbai on July 26.
Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will be the chief guest at the awards ceremony, where winners selected by a distinguished jury chaired by Bharti Enterprises Founder and Chairman Sunil Bharti Mittal will be honoured.
Rahul Kanwal, CEO and Editor-in-Chief of NDTV, said the awards celebrate leadership that builds institutions, creates long-term value and strengthens India's growth story.
"The NDTV Profit Business Leadership Awards have always celebrated leadership that matters - leadership that builds institutions, creates value, strengthens trust and contributes to India's larger growth story," Kanwal mentioned.
The jury also includes Noel Tata, Chairman of Tata Trusts; Cyril Shroff, Managing Partner at Cyril Amarchand Mangaldas; Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, Chairperson of Biocon Group; former SEBI Chairman U.K. Sinha; Everstone Group President and former Union Minister Jayant Sinha; investor Ramesh Damani; and State Bank of India Chairman C.S. Setty.
According to NDTV Profit, the awards have recognised excellence in business leadership since 2006 and this year's nominations reflect the breadth of India's corporate ecosystem, bringing together established industry leaders, emerging technology firms, public sector enterprises, innovators and entrepreneurs.
The award categories span artificial intelligence, financial services, green growth, philanthropy, public policy, initial public offerings (IPOs), self-reliance, entertainment and leadership across public and private sector organisations.
Tamanna Inamdar, Managing Editor of NDTV Profit, said this year's nominees reflect the country's growing strength in technology, governance, sustainability, entrepreneurship and innovation, underscoring India's rising global business influence.
"The nominee list this year reflects a country that is winning on the global stage, with leaders and companies that are not only responding to change, but actively defining the next era of growth," Inamdar stated.
— IANS
Reader Comments
Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw on the jury is fantastic - she's an inspiration for women in business. And Noel Tata too! But honestly, I wish there were more women nominees in the leadership categories. We still have a long way to go for gender parity in boardrooms. 💪
Solid jury panel - Sunil Mittal, U.K. Sinha, Ramesh Damani... these are people who've actually built things. But I'm skeptical about the 'self-reliance' category. Is Atmanirbhar Bharat just a buzzword or will we see real manufacturing growth? Let's hope the winners inspire genuine change.
Finance Minister as chief guest - chalo, at least someone from the government is engaging with industry. But I hope these awards aren't just a networking event for the elite. India's business landscape includes street vendors and small traders too. Still, good initiative overall. 👍
The 'green growth' category is very timely - with climate change affecting our farmers and cities, we need businesses to step up. But are these awards just PR or do they actually push companies to be more sustainable? Time will tell. Also, hello to the AI category! 🤖
I've been following these awards for years - they usually get it right. But I wish they'd include categories for startups from Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities. Real innovation happens in places like Indore, Coimbatore, and Nagpur, not just in Mumbai and Bengaluru. Just saying. 🤷
We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.