Hon’ble Vice President of India Sh. M. Hamid Ansari felicitated Lakshmipat Singhania- IIM Lucknow, National Leadership Awards

New Delhi, June 11, 2009: The JK Organization one of the leading business groups in India in association with the Indian Institute of Management, Lucknow, one of the top management institutes in India, successfully conferred this years most awaited business award ceremony the ‘Lakshmipat Singhania – IIM Lucknow, National Leadership Awards’- 2008 at Vigyan Bhawan, with lot of Sophistication and Style. The awards are the platform for most well known visionaries, innovators and leaders who have achieved global recognition through outstanding contribution and exemplary achievements in their field. The awards comprising of a trophy and citation was given to an outstanding Leader and Young Leader in three diverse categories Science & Technology, Business and Community Service. The Hon’ble Vice President of India, Shri. M. Hamid Ansari felicitated the awards to credit the iconic personalities of the year.

The awardees in the three different categories were:

Science & Technology:

* Leader Award – Mr. G Madhavan Nair, Chairman, ISRO
* Young Leader Award- Dr. B.K. Das, Scientist, DRDO

Business Category:

* Leader Award – Mr. Anand Mahindra, VC & MD, Mahindra & Mahindra
* Young Leader Award-Mr. Gautam Thapar, Chairman, Ballarpur Industries

Community Service:

* Leader Award – Dr. Tulasi Munda, Social Activist

* Young Leader Award – Sh. Ravi Rebbapragada, Social Activist

The eminent jury members of the awards are Shri. K.C. Pant, Shri. Arun Bharat Ram, Shri. V. Krishnamurthy, Ms. Shobhana Bhartia, Dr. K. Kasturirangan, Shri.S. S Kohli and Shri. H.K. Dua, which is supported by a panel of Advisory committee consisting of eminent personalities from the concerned field. The awardees have been chosen on the parameters like excellence of work, high personal values and ethics, innovation and establishing balance of forces operating in their respective field.

Shri. H.S. Singhania, Chairman, JK Organisation, states, “Lakshmipat Singhania-IIM, Lucknow National Leadership Awards are already established and have gained prominence as an apt benchmark of Leadership talent across various segments in our country.

Shri Lakshmipat Singhania was a visionary, a pioneer, an entrepreneur, an outstanding leader and a humanitarian. He considered education, to be essential for Indian Industry and business to grow and develop, not only domestically but also globally. He strongly believed that the role of a leader is to recognize, encourage and unleash Creativity and Energy. It is therefore appropriate that these awards carry his name.”

Dr. Devi Singh, Director, Indian Institute of Management – Lucknow, states, “IIML’s mission is to be a global, socially conscious and integrated school of management. We place high importance on human values and professional ethics and have set up specialized centers including a center for Leadership and Human values. Therefore we at IIML feel that in addition to educating and grooming future leaders, due recognition of those who have set benchmarks for the current and future generations is also one of our paramount duty. We truly feel the recipients of this will pass on their legacies to the next generation and make India proud.”

Some of the iconic personalities, who in the last three years have been bestowed with this houour, are Shri. Ratan Tata, Dr N. R. Narayana Murthy, Shri Kumar Mangalam Birla (Business), Dr R. A. Mashelkar, Prof. C. N. R. Rao, Dr. K. Kasturirangan (Science & Technology), Smt Ela R Bhat and Shri Rajendra Singh, Dr. S.S. Badrinath (Community Service & Social Upliftment), besides Young Leaders such as Smt. Mallika Srinivasan and Shri Kishore Biyani, (Business), Shri. Shirish B. Purohit, Dr. Swati A. Piramal, (Science & Technology) and Dr. Rajesh Kumar, Smt. Neelima Khetan (Community Service & Social Upliftment) are amongst the winners.

About Indian Institute of Management (IIM), Lucknow

The Indian Institute of Management, Lucknow is celebrating 2009 as their Silver Jubilee year. This prestigious management institute was conceived 24 years ago with a mandate to help improve the management of corporate and non-corporate sectors and public system; is one of the top rated management institutions in the country. In line with today’s requirements the Indian Institute of Management, Lucknow (IIML) is in the business of producing, grooming and nurturing leaders, renaissance architects and change maestros through its basket of world class academic, research, training and consulting initiatives.

About JK Organisation

The J.K. Organisation, founded over 100 years ago, is one of the most eminent industrial groups in India. The group has multi-business, multi-product and multi-location operations. The JK Organisation, with an annual turnover of about USD 2.5 billion (about Rs.12, 300 cr) has an exports span over 70 countries across 6 continents. With its operations spread in almost every state of India, the Group employs over 30,000 people. It is recognized as a dynamic force that is playing a key role in the resurgence of India as a business power worldwide. It has set-up and supported a number of Educational, Medical and Social Institutions causes.