Mumbai: On April 17, Mumbai was full of pride and energy as The Free Press Journal, along with CareEdge, held the third edition of India’s Best Annual Report Awards 2024. This important event celebrated the top companies in India that created the best annual reports—clear, honest, and excellent documents that help investors make smart decisions.
The evening’s crowning moment was the presentation of the Lifetime Achievement Award to Padma Shri Arundhati Bhattacharya, former Chairperson of the State Bank of India (SBI). Widely celebrated for spearheading SBI’s digital transformation, Bhattacharya's four-decade-long journey through India’s financial landscape has redefined leadership in banking. She continues to inspire professionals through her work in financial inclusion, innovation, and her unwavering commitment to empowering women in finance.
Padma Shri Arundhati Bhattacharya, former Chairperson of the State Bank of India (SBI) |
In her acceptance speech, Bhattacharya expressed heartfelt gratitude:
“As we come to the close of this evening, I’d like to express our appreciation to everyone who made this event a success. To all winners, speakers, panelists, jury members, presenters, and the audience—your presence truly elevated the evening. Thank you for being part of this celebration of excellence and leadership. We hope you leave with new insights and meaningful connections.”
Abhishek Karnani, President of The Free Press Journal, warmly welcomed the audience, reiterating FPJ’s enduring commitment to promoting transparency, accountability, and innovation within India Inc. Swati Agarwal, CEO & President of CareEdge Advisory Division, extended gratitude to the jury for their diligence in reviewing countless reports to identify the best in corporate reporting.
Mr. Abhishek Karnani, President, Free Press Journal. |
The evening opened with a soulful glass harp performance by Gaurav Kotian, setting a serene and sophisticated tone that beautifully blended art with enterprise.
Gaurav Kotian, Glass Harpist |
A highlight of the event was a compelling panel discussion on ‘The Role of Boards in Strengthening Corporate Governance’—a subject central to responsible business leadership.
Panel Discussion on The Role of Boards in Strengthening Corporate Governance. (L-R)Abizer Diwanji, Founder, NeoStrat LLP, Utpal Sheth, CEO, RaRe Enterprise, M Damodaran, Former SEBI Chairman - Jury Chair, Ananth Narayan, Whole Time Member, SEBI, Aseem Dhru, CEO & MD, SBFC Ltd. | Photo - FPJ
Nine outstanding companies were honoured for excellence across various industry categories:
Auto Ancillary – Bosch
(L-R) Luis Miranda, Founder, ISPP, Swati Agarwal, CEO- Advisory Division, CareEdge, M Damodaran, Former SEBI Chairman - Jury Chair, Guruprasad Mudlapur, President, Bosch, Padmini Khare, Independent Director, Bosch &Nilesh Gupta, Director, Vijay Sales | Photo-FPJ
Diamond & Jewellery – Titan
(L-R) Luis Miranda, Founder, ISPP, Swati Agarwal, CEO- Advisory Division, CareEdge, M Damodaran, Former SEBI Chairman - Jury Chair, Dinesh Shetty, CFO, Titan & Bindu Raghavan, Head - Corporate Secretarial, Titan & Nilesh Gupta, Director, Vijay Sales | Photo-FPJ
FMEG – Crompton
(L-R) Sheetal Murarka, Head of Institutional Business, Choice International Ltd, M Damodaran, Former SEBI Chairman - Jury Chair, Jagdeesh Capoor, Former Dy. Governor, RBI, Promeet Ghosh, CEO, Crompton Greaves Consumer Electricals Limited, Sanjeeb Chaudhari, Independent Director, IDFC First Bank, & Kaleeswaran Arunachalam, Group CFO, Crompton Greaves Consumer Electricals Limited | Photo-FPJ
Finance (Asset Management) – UTI
(L-R) Sheetal Murarka, Head of Institutional Business, Choice International Ltd, M Damodaran, Former SEBI Chairman - Jury Chair, Jagdeesh Capoor, Former Dy. Governor, RBI, Vinay Lakhotia, CFO, UTI AMC Ltd., Sanjeeb Chaudhuri, Independent Director, IDFC First Bank, & Mr. Sandeep Samsi, Executive Vice President, Head - Marketing, UTI AMC Ltd. | Photo-FPJ
Finance (Housing) – Aavas
Sachin Bhartiya, Partner, Light House LLP, Shailesh Haribhakti, Chairman of the Board, Shailesh Haribhakti and Associates, Feroze Balsara, Senior VP - Chief of Staff & Head of Marketing, AAVAS Financers Ltd., Ramesh Narayan, Founder, Canco Advertising & Mr. Sharad Pathak, Chief Compliance Officer, Aavas Financiers Ltd | Photo-FPJ
Hotels & Resorts – IHCL
Sachin Bhartiya, Partner, Light House LLP, Beejal Desai, Executive Vice President, IHCL Shailesh Haribhakti, Chairman of the Board, Shailesh Haribhakti and Associates, Neha Khanna, IHCL, Ankur Dalwani, CFO, IHCL, Ramesh Narayan, Founder, Canco Advertising | Photo-FPJ
Platform Retailing – Nykaa
Gopal Jain, Managing Partner, Gaja Capital, Shailesh Haribhakti, Chairman of the Board, Shailesh Haribhakti, Gopal Agiwal, Senior Vice President, Nykaa & Sujeet Jain, Chief Legal & Regulatory & Officer at Nykaa | Photo-FPJ
Textile – Welspun
Gopal Jain, Managing Partner, Gaja Capital, Shailesh Haribhakti, Chairman of the Board, Shailesh Haribhakti, Sanjay Gupta, Group CFO, Welspun Living and Khyati Shah, CMO, Welspun Living | Photo FPJ
Travel Services – Thomas Cook
Gopal Jain, Managing Partner, Gaja Capital, Shailesh Haribhakti, Chairman of the Board, Shailesh Haribhakti, Debasis Nandy, President and Group CFO at Thomas Cook India Limited & Abraham Alapatt, President- Group Head, Marketing, Thomas Cook India Limited | Photo-FPJ
Special Mention – Arundhati Bhattacharya
The event was not only a celebration of financial communication but also a powerful respect to leadership, integrity, and innovation—values that continue to set new standards for the future of corporate India.
