The large-scale awards ceremony recognised entrepreneurs who have built sustainable and revenue-generating businesses, reflecting the growing economic influence of regional entrepreneurs in India’s business landscape.

Awards were presented across multiple achievement categories, including Hall of Fame, Udyami Lakhpati, Udyami Dashlakhpati, Udyami Crorepati, Udyami Warrior, and Udyami Game Changer. Dr Omkaar Hari Maali and Mrs Aakankssha Omkaar Maali presented the Awards. 

A major highlight of the evening was the Crorepati Felicitation Ceremony, celebrating entrepreneurs who have successfully crossed significant revenue benchmarks, symbolising the emergence of a new generation of Marathi wealth creators.

Addressing the gathering, Dr. Omkaar Hari Maali emphasised the importance of entrepreneurship as a vehicle for economic empowerment and employment generation.

“Entrepreneurship is no longer limited to metropolitan cities. Today, entrepreneurs from towns and districts across Maharashtra are building global businesses and contributing meaningfully to the nation’s economy. I am so proud of all the entrepreneurs who have built businesses ranging from ₹1 lakh to ₹50 crore in turnover — many of them, starting with zero prior experience,” he said.

Adding industry perspective to the event, Mr. Hanmantrao Gaikwad, Chairman and Managing Director of BVG Group, attended as the Special Speaker and shared insights on enterprise growth and nation-building through entrepreneurship.

The event also marked several key announcements, including the launch of 24 chapters of the Federation of Marathi Entrepreneurs, aimed at building a structured statewide entrepreneurial ecosystem. The platform further unveiled Maharashtra Connect, an initiative designed to enable collaboration, mentorship, and market access for emerging business owners.

Dr Omkaar Hari Maali also launched his upcoming book Marathi te Millionaire, featuring 51 entrepreneurial success stories, in the presence of Mr. and Mrs. Hanmantrao Gaikwad, his parents, and senior leaders of Udyami Maharashtra, including co-founder Mrs. Aakankssha Omkaar Maali, CEO Mrs. Dolly Ritesh Dave, and CTO Mr. Shivam Thakur.

The event was also marked by another important announcement — the unveiling of a new movie banner that highlights the movement’s expanding focus on education, inspiration, and storytelling within the entrepreneurial ecosystem.

Building an Entrepreneurial Movement

​​Dr. Omkaar Hari Maali founded Udyami Maharashtra in 2020, a movement focused on empowering Marathi entrepreneurs in the import-export sector. Since then, the initiative has trained over 10,000 youth, enabling many to establish businesses across Maharashtra and international markets, including Dubai, Kazakhstan, and Ukraine.

Beyond training, the movement supports entrepreneurs in setting up export businesses with mentorship and operational guidance, while also conducting vocational programs for women and export training for manufacturing units across the state. Its initiatives have strengthened market access for farmers and small businesses, facilitated exports generating significant economic value, and led to the establishment of India’s first import-export cooperative society.

Guided by the inclusive principle of “To Feed All,” inspired by the vision of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, Dr. Maali continues to promote entrepreneurship as a pathway to economic self-reliance across Maharashtra.

The UDYAMI Awards have emerged as a prominent platform recognising business achievement within Maharashtra’s regional entrepreneurial ecosystem while encouraging first-generation entrepreneurs to scale sustainable enterprises.

In Dr. Omkaar Hari Maali’s words, “Our identity is not defined by words, but by the success of the entrepreneurs we have built!”

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In his new role as CEO of Zigly, Saurabh will be responsible for expanding the business and shaping the next phase of growth for the company. Saurabh will also drive corporate development initiatives at Cosmo First and will be overseeing strategy and growth-related undertakings, including mergers or acquisitions that the group may evaluate in the future. He will be working closely with the Group CEO of Cosmo First, Pankaj Poddar, and the Group CFO, Neeraj Jain.

Speaking on the appointment, Pankaj Poddar, Group CEO, Cosmo First, said, “We are pleased to welcome Saurabh as part of the leadership team at Cosmo First. A seasoned leader, Saurabh has a proven track record of successfully leading and handling complex business assignments during his career. We strongly believe that his leadership style will bring meaningful value to the organization in the long-term.”

Saurabh has over 16 years of rich experience across the packaging films industry, investment banking, and corporate strategy. In the past, he has been associated with Jindal Films as the Global CEO (Overseas Business) and other reputed organizations, including SB Packaging, Wodehouse Capital, Religare Capital Markets, and Jaypee Capital.

Commenting on the new role, Saurabh Jain, Head – Corporate Development, Cosmo First and CEO, Zigly, said, “It is a privilege to join Cosmo First, a company that has set global benchmarks across businesses. In this new role, I am eagerly looking forward to leveraging my diverse experience to contribute significantly to the organization’s long-term strategic goals and unlocking new growth opportunities.”

Saurabh holds a master’s in business administration from the Faculty of Management Studies (FMS), Delhi, and a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from Delhi College of Engineering.

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NEW DELHI: Google today announced a suite of new collaborations and funding commitments to bolster India’s AI ecosystem at its “Lab to Impact” dialogue, an event supported by the India AI Impact Summit 2026. Attended by Shri Dharmendra Pradhan, Union Minister of Education, the dialogue highlighted Google’s research-driven approach to supporting Digital Public Infrastructure and empowering the research, developer, and startup ecosystem to solve national challenges and meet large-scale social needs.

Minister of Education, Government of India, Shri Dharmendra Pradhan stated: “India is approaching artificial intelligence as a strategic national capability, not as a short-term technology trend. The four AI Centres of Excellence have been conceived as a coordinated national research mission, advancing foundational research, responsible AI, and applied solutions that serve public purpose, and contributing to our larger aspiration of Viksit Bharat 2047. Building a globally competitive AI ecosystem requires not only public investment, but also strong institutional leadership and long-term partnerships with industry. This effort is supported by Google and Google.org through their USD 8 million contribution to the AI Centres of Excellence and a USD 2 million founding contribution to the Indic Language Technologies Research Hub at IIT Bombay.”

Speaking at the event, Dr Manish Gupta, Senior Research Director, Google DeepMind, stated: “AI is humanity’s most profound and powerful force for progress, and at Google, we see its global evolution driven by three pivotal shifts – its ability to accelerate scientific discovery, its advances augmenting human capability, and India’s unique embrace of AI’s potential. From foundational research to ecosystem deployment to scaled impact, our full-stack approach is equipping the country to lead a global AI-powered future, with innovations from India’s labs benefiting billions across the world.”

Integrating AI into India’s Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) for healthcare

Google announced funding of $400,000 to support new collaborations that will leverage MedGemma to build India’s Health Foundation Models. These models aim to improve the efficiency of healthcare providers and improve patient outcomes across India. As a first step, Ajna Lens will work with experts from the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) to build models that will support India-specific use cases in Dermatology and OPD Triaging. The resulting models will contribute to India’s Digital Public Infrastructure, and their outcomes will be made accessible to the ecosystem.

Additionally, researchers, AI experts, and clinicians from IISc will explore using AI models for broader clinical applications. 

Google is also working with the National Health Authority (NHA) to deploy its advanced AI to convert millions of fragmented, unstructured medical records (such as doctors’ clinical and progress notes) into the international, machine-readable FHIR standard. This shift is expected to help patients understand their medical information better, reduce documentation burden on patients and hospitals, and inform better data-driven policy decisions for India’s public healthcare strategy.

Google is also working with NHA to bring over 400,000 NHA-registered health facilities, including hospitals, clinics, and diagnostic labs, on Google Maps and Search, allowing people to easily find and navigate to their nearest health centers with the most updated official information.

Strengthening India’s AI research ecosystem and the government’s vision of India’s AI leadership

Google has consistently supported India’s scientists and researchers in fostering the country’s innovation. Over the last five years, Google has supported nearly 1,000 years of PhD-level research work across more than 25 leading research institutions, including premier institutes. The global PhD Fellowship program has supported 166 Indian PhD students to date. This year’s recipients from India are leading inspiring foundational and applied research, spanning computer vision foundational models to models supporting mental disorders.

To further support India’s research ecosystem, Google.org, the philanthropic arm of Google, is announcing funding support totaling $8 million for four AI Centres of Excellence established by the Government of India, aligning with the vision to “Make AI in India and Make AI work for India. This funding will support research at the Centers of Excellence:

• TANUH at IISc Bangalore will focus on developing scalable AI solutions for the effective treatment of non-communicable diseases.
• Airawat Research Foundation, IIT Kanpur, will focus on pioneering research on AI to transform urban governance.
• AI Centre of Excellence for Education, IIT Madra,s will focus on developing solutions to enhance learning and teaching outcomes.
• ANNAM.AI at IIT Ropar will focus on developing data-driven solutions for agriculture and farmer welfare.

To continue advancing its commitment to Inclusive AI, Google is announcing a $2 million founding contribution to establish the new Indic Language Technologies Research Hub at IIT Bombay. This hub is set up in memory of Professor Pushpak Bhattacharyya, a pioneer in Indic language technologies and a Visiting Researcher at Google DeepMind. It will aim to ensure that global AI advancements serve India’s linguistic diversity.

Equipping developers with our open models to power indigenous AI

Indian startups have shown enthusiasm for the benchmark-leading Indic capabilities of Google’s foundational AI models. Startups Gnani.AI and CoRover.AI have been leveraging Gemma to build Voice AI models and e-governance–focused models serving Indic language solutions.

Google is providing $50,000 of funding to each of these startups to support their efforts to include more of the Indian diaspora in AI. Additionally, Google is giving a $50,000 grant to IIT-Bombay as it uses Gemma to process Indic language health governance and policy documents to establish a novel ‘India-Centric Trait Database’ containing information on diseases, phenotypes, and genetic conditions relevant to the Indian population.

To increase access to its foundational open models, Google has uploaded all 22 Gemma models onto AIKosh, the India AI Mission’s open data and model platform. This action is intended to help the Indian developer community develop indigenous models that elevate the Make-in-India ambition.

Empowering India’s changemakers to deploy AI for India’s pressing challenges

Google remains inspired by the commitment of Indian innovators and changemakers to solve for India and will continue supporting the ecosystem as it develops AI-powered solutions on the foundational layer of the nation’s AI ambition.

Utilizing Google’s Open Health Stack, a collection of open-source tools for next-generation digital health solutions, the Indian nonprofit Khushi Baby has successfully conducted over 35 million tuberculosis screenings in Rajasthan this year using a TB Active Case Finding (ACF) screening module. Integration with the Open Health Stack ensured the solution’s compliance with international standards, the Indian government’s digital health mission, and the national effort for tuberculosis elimination.

Third-party research has indicated that AI-powered digital tools could enhance the labor productivity of India’s over one million ASHA frontline workers, enabling them to deliver an additional 98 million visits to rural patients each year. Furthermore, research estimates that AI-assisted screening tools could save the Indian public roughly ₹390 billion ($4.7 billion) yearly, which is approximately 12% of India’s total out-of-pocket healthcare expenditure.

Google is providing $2.5 million in Google.org funding to support Wadhwani AI in piloting HealthVaani, an LLM-based conversational AI assistant. Launched in partnership with the Ministries of Health and Family Welfare and Women and Child Development, HealthVaani supports ASHA and Anganwadi workers. This multimodal and multilingual solution uses Gemini 2.5-Flash for translations, answer generation, and moderation, while the advanced Gemini Embedding Model handles response retrieval.

Google is also providing $2 million in Google.org funding to Wadhwani AI to help develop and deploy Garuda, a new Indian language model for agriculture. Garuda will power AgriVaani, a multilingual, AI-driven smartphone application that will offer India’s farmers and agri-workers precise, contextually relevant advice on crop and livestock management, pest detection, and climate-smart practices.

Ensuring AI’s long-term impact is powered sustainably

Google is committed to ensuring the scaled impact of AI is responsible and sustainable, demonstrated by a partnership with ReNew Energy to support a new 150 megawatt (MW) solar project in Rajasthan, India. Under a long-term agreement, Google will receive environmental attribute certificates (EACs) and allocate them to its value chain emissions. Concurrently, Google will engage with key suppliers to boost clean energy adoption. This initiative addresses the supply chain’s energy footprint and demonstrates a clear pathway for organizations to credibly tackle emissions across the AI value chain.

This partnership builds on Google’s prior collaborations with Adani Group and Clean Max, which added 186 MW of wind and solar power to India’s grid, and contributes to India’s 2030 goal of 500 GW of non-fossil fuel-based electricity.

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PUNE: Conrad Pune is delighted to announce that its General Manager, Abhishek Sahai, has been named among Hospitality’s 30 Best General Managers in India 2025 by Hozpitality, one of the most respected global platforms recognizing excellence in the hospitality industry.

This recognition celebrates Mr. Sahai’s exceptional leadership, foresight, and commitment to creating meaningful guest experiences. Over the years, his passion for innovation and detail has helped position Conrad Pune as a benchmark for luxury hospitality, one that beautifully blends warmth, sophistication, and personalized service.

Speaking on the recognition, Sahai expressed his gratitude and said, “It’s truly an honor to be recognized among India’s finest leaders in hospitality. This acknowledgment reflects the passion, hard work, and commitment of the incredible team at Conrad Pune, who strive every day to deliver experiences that go beyond expectations.”

Conrad Pune, part of Hilton’s global portfolio, remains one of India’s most iconic luxury hotels, renowned for its world-class service, refined design, and personalized hospitality. The hotel continues to set benchmarks in the sector, driven by a culture of excellence and innovation.–

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The recognition highlights Shri Chauhan’s decades of contribution towards building India’s capital markets and strengthening their position in the global securities landscape. His leadership has been instrumental in advancing India’s market infrastructure, deepening participation, and fostering innovation across the financial ecosystem.

In addition, NSE was recognised for Outstanding Contribution to Capital Markets Infrastructure, while NSE Clearing Limited received the award for Best CCP or Clearing House.

These recognitions collectively underscore the NSE Group’s ongoing commitment to operational excellence, transparency, and technology-driven growth in India’s financial markets.

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Sumit brings over 25 years of extensive experience in establishing and scaling businesses with strategic clarity, people-centric leadership, and operational rigour in high-growth and turnaround environments. He has held various leadership roles at premier financial institutions. At Citibank, he managed diverse portfolios across geographies and consistently delivered results in challenging markets, building a strong reputation for reviving underperforming business units by bringing strategic clarity, operational discipline, and people-focused leadership to complex, high-pressure situations. His focus on driving transformation through deep customer understanding and the ability to translate insights into impactful actions was instrumental in these turnarounds. At AU Small Finance Bank, he built the branch network from the ground up, played a pivotal role during its transformation from an NBFC to a scheduled small commercial bank, and contributed significantly to the success of its IPO. At IDFC FIRST Bank, Sumit scaled the branch banking operations and strengthened the retail franchise by driving customer acquisition, deepening engagement, and enhancing productivity. His efforts were marked by a sharp focus on customer-centric metrics and business performance indicators, reinforcing his ability to build efficient, high-impact distribution engines.

Since joining Axis Max Life in February 2024 as the CDO, Sumit has been instrumental in accelerating the company’s growth trajectory and advancing its strategic priorities. Under Sumit’s leadership, Axis Max Life has not only sustained its growth momentum but also achieved key milestones, climbing to the #4 position in FY25 and entering the top 3 among private life insurers in the second half of the year. This growth was powered by strong gains across proprietary channels, category leadership, and an accelerated partner expansion strategy. The company achieved the #1 rank in both E-commerce and Protection penetration among top private insurers, while successfully onboarding 44 new partners, including three strategic bancassurance alliances and significantly strengthening its counter share in open architecture partnerships.

Rajiv Anand, Chairman of Axis Max Life Insurance, commented, “We are delighted to announce Sumit’s elevation to the position of Managing Director & CEO, effective 1 October 2025. Sumit has a proven track record of scaling and transforming businesses, which will be invaluable as we continue to grow and innovate. At Axis Max Life, he has contributed significantly to our growth and success in FY25 with strategic foresight and leadership. His deep understanding of the industry, coupled with his innovative approach to scaling proprietary distribution, deepening partnerships, and driving product innovation, positions Axis Max Life for continued success. His appointment is a testimony to our strong leadership and commitment to nurturing internal talent.”

Sumit Madan, CDO and the CEO designate, stated, “I am honored and excited to lead Axis Max Life into its next phase of growth. Our achievements over the past year are a testament to our ambition to lead with purpose, scale with speed, and strengthen our distribution engine with a relentless focus on execution excellence. I am committed to building on the strong foundation laid by Prashant, with a sharp focus on driving profitable growth, accelerating innovation, and nurturing a people-first culture to create long-term value for our customers, partners, and shareholders in an ever-evolving industry.”

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LAS VEGAS: Tanishq and Mia by Tanishq, leading jewellery brands from the House of Tata, are proud to be honored with the Diamonds Do Good Purpose-Driven Business Leadership Award at the prestigious Diamonds Do Good Awards 2025, held in Las Vegas. The award was received by Ajoy Chawla, CEO, Jewellery Division, Titan Company Ltd, on behalf of Tanishq and Mia by Tanishq. The award acknowledges the brands’ exemplary leadership in embedding ethics, sustainability, and community upliftment at the core of the natural diamond business.

Organized by the Diamonds Do Good Foundation, the renowned awards celebrate global leaders driving meaningful change across the natural diamond industry through ethical sourcing, social upliftment, and education. This recognition puts the spotlight on Tanishq and Mia not just as jewellery brands, but as champions of responsible luxury in India and globally.

At the core of this recognition is the brand’s implementation of the Titan Supplier Engagement Protocol (TSEP), which ensures responsible sourcing through the 4P framework—Place, People, Process, and Planet—and is validated by third-party audits. The diamonds are fully traceable and in line with the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme (KPCS). Additionally, both brands promote gold exchange as a sustainable alternative to further mining. Tanishq and Mia have also established artisan parks, providing safe, pollution-free, and dignified workspaces to India’s skilled karigars, underscoring their dedication to craftsmanship and well-being. These efforts are part of Titan’s broader, ambitious ESG agenda, setting new benchmarks for the industry.

Tanishq and Mia by Tanishq were especially recognized for their enduring commitment to:

• Ethical sourcing and full traceability of natural diamonds
• Uplifting artisan communities, especially India’s karigars
• Championing sustainability across the value chain
• Redefining responsible luxury in India and globally

In his acceptance speech, Ajoy Chawla, CEO, Jewellery Division, Titan Company Ltd, said: “In a free enterprise, the community is not just another stakeholder in business but is, in fact, the very purpose of its existence.” — Shri Jamsetji Tata.

At the Tata Group, this guiding principle has shaped a legacy — one built on trust, empathy, and inclusive progress. Titan was born of that legacy, and Tanishq is its living expression — where every piece we design reflects the beliefs of those who wear it and honors the hands that shape it. On behalf of everyone at

Tanishq and Titan Company Limited, I thank you for this incredible recognition. I feel proud to stand amidst a global community that believes in celebrating the good that diamonds can do.

We pledge to play our part — both as a responsible member of this industry and as part of the Tata Group, which has always placed purpose and community before profit.

This honor is a reminder that there is still much to be done — because being good is a journey, a fulfilling one indeed; and because “being good is more important than being great.”

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Cyrus has held leadership positions across renowned hospitality brands, including Lemon Tree Hotels and Atmosphere Hospitality, and began his professional journey with the Taj in New Delhi. An alumnus of the Welcome Group Graduate School of Hotel Administration, his expertise in strategy & business development, client relationships, and deep understanding of complex market dynamics will play a vital role in driving Accor’s growth in the region.

Aniruddh Kumar, Vice-President of Development India & South Asia at Accor, commented on the appointment, “We are pleased to welcome Cyrus Madan to Accor. His extensive experience, deep knowledge of the industry will be instrumental for the expansion, partnerships, and asset growth in India and South Asia.”

Commenting on his appointment, Cyrus Madan said, “I am delighted to join Accor and be a part of its dynamic team. I look forward to contributing to the development initiatives and creating long-term value as the group continues to strengthen its presence across India and South Asia.”

Cyrus’s appointment reinforces Accor’s commitment to building a robust leadership team as the group continues to expand its presence and partnerships across the region.

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The Global Leadership Award recognizes outstanding contributions from global leaders in strengthening the U.S.-India partnership, with a focus on economic impact. Mr. Birla received this distinguished honor for his leadership as Chairman of Aditya Birla Group, which is the largest Indian investor in the United States. The company has invested over $15 billion in the U.S. to date, with operations across 15 states and creating over 5,400 jobs.  

Kumar Mangalam Birla, Chairman, Aditya Birla Group, said, “It is a great honor to receive the 2025 USISPF Global Leadership Award. This recognition is a testament to Aditya Birla Group’s deep commitment to the U.S. and belief in the potential to further deepen the U.S.-India partnership. We are proud to have started our journey in the U.S. over 18 years ago, and to place big bets here. We continue to choose America because we believe in the strength, stability, and promise of this nation, and our commitment goes beyond capital – we are investing in people, in communities, and in long-term impact to create mutual prosperity.”  

The USISPF Leadership Summit featured U.S. Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick, Second Lady Usha Vance, Ambassador of India to the United States Vinay Mohan Kwatra, and members of the U.S. Congress.  

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BOSTON: TiE Boston, one of the region’s most influential business organizations supporting entrepreneurship, today announced the appointment of veteran international educator and nonprofit leader Chris Sauer as its new Executive Director.

With more than three decades of global experience in education, program development, and international partnership-building, Mr. Sauer brings a dynamic leadership perspective to the non-profit organization.

In his new role, Mr. Sauer will oversee TiE Boston’s day-to-day operations, lead the implementation of strategic initiatives, manage programming and partnerships, and support the organization’s mission to foster entrepreneurship through mentorship, education, networking, and funding. He will work closely with the TiE Boston Board, sponsors, and members to drive innovation and community engagement.

“We are thrilled to welcome Chris to the TiE Boston community,” said Purnanand Sarma, President of TiE Boston. “Chris brings a global mindset, deep leadership experience, and a passion for building strong, impactful organizations. The Board and I are excited to work alongside him to take TiE Boston’s programs and outreach to the next level.”

Sauer’s diverse background includes teaching and administrative roles across junior secondary schools, high schools, and universities in locations such as Botswana, the Navajo Nation, and across the U.S. and Asia. He has designed and led international pathway programs and higher education partnerships in Malaysia, India, China, Vietnam, the Caribbean, Central America, and the Middle East, with a strong focus on student access and success.

“Chris’s appointment marks an important moment for TiE Boston as we look to deepen our impact and grow our community,” said Joseph Falcao, Treasurer of TiE Boston. “His leadership experience in education and his global perspective will be a tremendous asset to our members and the broader entrepreneurial ecosystem.”

“I’m honored and excited to join such a dynamic and forward-thinking organization,” said Mr. Sauer. “TiE Boston has an incredible legacy of supporting innovation and entrepreneurship, and I look forward to working with our dedicated team and members to build on that foundation.”

Since its founding in 1997, TiE Boston has served as a vital hub for founders, investors, and business leaders in Massachusetts. Its robust network of serial entrepreneurs and seasoned executives provides mentorship, capital access, and strategic support to emerging entrepreneurs through a suite of signature programs.

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