A toast to brand India

It was an occasion to doff our hats to the best talent of India. The first edition of the All India Management Association (AIMA) Awards felicitated individuals who have set benchmarks in their fields, the makers of Brand India. Sanjeev Goenka, President, AIMA, said the idea was to recognise "giants in their respective fields".

Among those who were awarded was Aroon Purie, Editor-in-Chief, India Today Group, for his "outstanding contribution to media". R.P. Goenka, Chairman Emeritus, RPG Group, was conferred the "Lifetime Contribution Award". Rahul Bajaj, Chairman, Bajaj Auto; Nandan Nilekani, Chairman, Unique Identification Authority of India (UID); and Rajkumar Hirani, Director, 3 Idiots, were the other awardees.

As chief guest, Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel quipped: "All those felicitated have redefined the way the world looks at India."