19th Sept 2024 New Delhi, Delhi, India Integral Coach Factory (ICF), the manufacturer of the Vande Bharat train, was honoured with the ‘Changemaker of the Year’ award in The Hindu businessline Changemaker Awards 2024, held at ITC Maurya, New Delhi on 13th September, 2024. Ms Nirmala Sitharaman, Honourable Union Minister for Finance and Corporate Affairs, presented the award to ICF for redefining travel for Indians.
Ashok Jhunjunwala, teacher, innovator, entrepreneur and mentor, was crowned Iconic Changemaker of the year for his contribution to the start-up ecosystem of India. His work at IIT Madras Research Park has led to the development of several cutting-edge technologies.
Exceptional achievers were honoured under seven categories – Digital Transformation, Social Transformation, Financial Transformation, Young Changemaker, Iconic Changemaker, Changemaker of the Year and a special new award – the Chairperson’s Award.
Goa-based Molbio Diagnostics was adjudged the winner of the Digital Transformation award for its work in aiding early detection of infectious diseases and for making critical diagnostics services accessible to all. The Wildlife Trust of India, an organisation that rescues and rehabilitates bears, rhinos, elephants, vultures and whale sharks, among other animals, and stopped illegal trade in wildlife products, was the winner in the Social Transformation category. One more winner under this category was Design for Change, a movement which works with children to inculcate the ‘I-can’ attitude in them and help them emerge as changemakers.
Mann Deshi Mahila Sahakari Bank was recognised with the Financial Transformation Award for its work in transforming the financial landscape for rural women. S Gukesh, India’s youngest chess world championship challenger, was selected for the Young Changemaker award. The Chairperson’s award was given to Ashok Leyland for its Road to School programme. The winners were given a trophy, a citation and a gift hamper.
Congratulating the winners, Ms Nirmala Sitharaman, Honourable Union Minister for Finance and Corporate Affairs, said, “I deeply appreciate The Hindu businessline for their commitment to this initiative. It requires tremendous coordination and effort to identify and honour the true changemakers of India. India has always had dedicated individuals working quietly for change and it’s heartening to see a growing movement to acknowledge and celebrate their efforts. Media must highlight the transformational changes being ushered in by individuals and small groups across India.”
The drive in people to improve their own lives and their neighbourhood has become even stronger post-COVID, she added. She also pointed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s guiding words – reform, perform, transform, and inform – as a mantra that applies not just to the Government but to the people of India.
At the event, Dr Nirmala Lakshman, Chairperson of THG Publishing, said, “Impactful change begins with vision. Changemakers are those who strive to change the present paradigm.”
For the sixth edition of these awards, the businessline team established a rigorous process to identify these changemakers. The selection process began with nominations, which were then carefully shortlisted based on a set of criteria to determine the final nominees in each category. These nominees underwent independent validation, and a jury comprising eminent personalities selected individuals and organisations who have made extraordinary contributions to society, the economy and the planet through their innovative ideas and relentless determination.
The event saw the attendance of many CEOs, bureaucrats and business professionals who had assembled to celebrate the resilience and dedication of the changemakers. The event was heralded by a percussion performance by artist Sumesh Narayanan. Retired Naval Commander Abhilash Tomy shared his adventurous and perilous journey of circumnavigating the globe alone with the audience in the first half of the evening.
The 2024 awards function was presented by Sastra as presenting partner and powered by SBI. The event was also supported by Associate partners LIC, J&K Bank, NTPC, Union Bank of India, NMDC, Essar, Punjab & Sind Bank, Swelect Energy and Indian Bank. Casagrand was the Realty Partner while Fortinet was the Cyber Security Partner. NDTV 24/7 was the television partner. The knowledge partners were Ashoka and Deloitte, while the validation partner was NIITI Consulting. The online streaming partner was DailyHunt while Anand Prakash was the gift partner.