Global management consultancy firm EY has announced 14 finalists for the 22nd Entrepreneur of the Year-India (EOY) 2020 Awards. The list includes BYJU’s founder and CEO, Byju Raveendran, Vikram Chopra, co-founder and CEO, Cars24 Services, Nestle India chairman and managing director Suresh Narayanan, and Deepak Mehta, chairman and managing director, Deepak Nitrite.
The names have been selected from among over 190 nominations, by a nine-member jury, led by Uday Kotak, executive vice-chairman and managing director, Kotak Mahindra Bank, the EY release said. The winners will be felicitated at a celebratory virtual awards ceremony on March 25, and the winner will represent the country at the EY World Entrepreneur of the Year Award (WEOY) on June 10.
The other finalists are
Ameera Shah, managing director, Metropolis Healthcare Ltd.
Darshan Patel, chairman and managing director, Vini Cosmetics Pvt Ltd.
Dinesh Agarwal, chief executive officer and managing director, Indiamart InterMESH Ltd (Indiamart).
Harsh C. Mariwala, chairman, Marico Ltd.
Peyush Bansal, founder and chief executive officer, Lenskart Solutions Pvt Ltd.
Samrath Bedi and Mira Kulkarni, executive director / founder and managing director, Mountain Valley Springs India Pvt Ltd (Forest Essentials).
Srinivas Sadu, managing director and chief executive officer, Gland Pharma Ltd.
Sunil Vachani, executive chairman, Dixon Technologies (India) Ltd.
Sushil Kumar Agarwal, managing director and chief executive officer, Aavas Financiers Ltd (AFL).
Virendra Kumar Gupta and Umang Bedi, founder and chief executive officer president, VerSe Innovation Pvt Ltd (Dailyhunt).
The other members on the jury were Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, chairperson, Biocon, Neeraj Bharadwaj, managing director, Carlyle India Advisors, Jalaj Dani, co-promoter, Asian Paints, Amit Dixit, co-head of Asia Acquisitions, and Head of India, Blackstone Private Equity, Deep Kalra, founder and group executive chairman, MakeMyTrip, Rajnish Kumar, former chairman, State Bank of India, Rishad Premji, chairman, Wipro and Gopal Srinivasan, founder, chairman and managing director, TVS Capital Funds.
The jury considered a host of criterion including the nominee’s entrepreneurial spirit, ability to navigate through COVID-19, recent financial performance, strategic direction, product or service innovation, company leadership including personal integrity and risk-taking abilities, corporate governance, values, and involvement with the community.
Dr. Prathap Chandra Reddy, founder and executive chairman, Apollo Hospitals Enterprise Ltd will be felicitated with the Lifetime Achievement Award.
Rajiv Memani, chairman, EY India, said, "Our EY Entrepreneur of the Year 2020 Finalists have shaped new paradigms in their sectors. With innovation, boldness and execution excellence, they have created differentiated and compelling proposition for their customers. I congratulate each one of these exceptional entrepreneurs, who are focused on creating lasting value for their stakeholders."
