16th Manappuram MBA Award Celebrates 15 Years, Highlights Tamil Nadu’s Leading Business Figures
The 16th edition of the prestigious Manappuram Multibillionaire Business Achiever (MBA) Award ceremony, conceptualized by Dr. Ajit Ravi Pegasus, was held on 13th August 2024 at Le Meridien, Coimbatore, honoring exceptional business leaders for their significant financial accomplishments and contributions to social welfare. The event, led by Pegasus Chairman and MBA Award FICF Founder, Dr. Ajit Ravi was graced by Padma Shri Dr. D R Karthikeyan, President of the Foundation for Peace, Harmony and Good Governance (Age Care India) and Former Director of the Central Bureau of Investigation as the Chief Guest, with Dr. E Balagurusamy, Chairman of the EBG Foundation and Academic Adviser to the Governor of Jharkhand serving as the Guest of Honour and Dr Kuriachan K A, Former District Governor, Rotary International & International Corporate Trainer. The award winners are Shri Soundararajan Bangarusamy (Chairman, Suguna Foods and Suguna Holdings), Shri C K Kumaravel (Co-founder and CEO, Groom India Salons), Shri V C Praveen (Vice Chairman, Sree Gokulam Group of Companies), Dr. Arun N Palaniswami (Executive Director, KMCH group of hospitals), and Shri V R Muthu (Chairman & Co-founder, Idhayam Group).
Marking the MBA Award’s 15-year milestone the initiative has now expanded to other states to recognize 15 outstanding business leaders . As part of this expansion, five leaders from Tamil Nadu has been honored this time, with an additional ten recipients to be recognized in the coming months, as announced by Dr. Ajit Ravi, FICF founder and Chairman of Pegasus. He also mentioned that moving forward, only one recipient will be selected annually for the MBA Award. The MBA Award, which celebrates individuals with assets surpassing Rs 1000 crore, proudly inducted five new laureates from Tamil Nadu into its prestigious ranks. These distinguished winners are now members of the Federal International Chamber Forum (FICF), an exclusive network of industry leaders with significant assets. The FICF provides a platform for collaboration, innovation, and advocacy, focusing on impactful causes beyond financial achievements.
This year’s awardees join an illustrious group of previous MBA Award recipients, including luminaries such as Shri V P Nandakumar of Manappuram Finance Ltd, Shri Joy Alukkas of Joy Alukkas Group, Shri M A Yusuf Ali who heads the EMKE Group, Shri T S Kalyana Raman of Kalyan Jewellers, Shri P N C Menon of Sobha Developers, Shri Gokulam Gopalan of Gokulam Group, Dr. Ravi Pillai, Founder & MD, R P Group of Companies, Shri M P Ramachandran, Managing Director and Chairman of Jyothy Laboratories, Shri Kochouseph Chitilappilly, Founder, Chairman & CEO of V-Guard Industries Ltd, Shri Sabu M Jacob, MD, Kitex Garments Ltd, Shri Viju Jacob, Managing Director of Synthite Industries Ltd, Dr. A V Anoop, Managing Director, AVA group of companies, Dr. Varghese Kurian, Chairman, VKL Holdings and the Al Namal Group of Companies, Adv Dr P Krishnadas, Chairman & Managing Trustee, Nehru Group of Institutions and Dr. Hafeez Rahman, Chairman, Sunrise Hospitals.
Each member of this esteemed group embodies entrepreneurial spirit and social responsibility, leaving a lasting impact on both the business world and society. As the MBA Award enters its 16th year, the ceremony continues to celebrate business excellence and societal contribution, inspiring future generations of business leaders to follow in the footsteps of these visionaries.
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