Magazine : 
Saluting the achievements of iconic Indian brands
The 2nd edition of The Economic Times Iconic Brands 2018, an endeavor to recognize successful brands of Indian origin, was held at a glittering soiree in Mumbai. The event brought together the most iconic brands that have gained traction not just in India but also globally for their track record of excellence, in the process of carving out a distinct identity that resonated with audiences.
In recognition of their achievements, Chief Guest Babul Supriyo, Minister of State for Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises, Government of India, felicitated the eminent nominees. The evening also saw reputed personalities like Kajol, Jackie Shroff, Subhash Ghai and KarnamMalleshwari being awarded for attaining iconicity in their respective professions.
The brands felicitated included Lakme, Reliance Industries (Textile Division), JK Tyre& Industries, HIL, Kent RO, Indian Oil Corporation, Sify technologies, Mahindra Powerol, MuthootPappachan Group, GIC Re, MEP Infrastructure Developers, Dr. Batra’s Healthcare and DHFL to name a few.
Lending gravitas to the event was a stellar speaker lineup, which included industry titans such as Paul Josy, Chairman, BBDO; Prahlad Kakkar, Genesis; Sadashiv Nayak, CEO, Big Bazaar; Bianca Ghose, Chief Storyteller, Wipro; Mansoor Ali, Chief Sales & Marketing Officer, Hamdard; KapilPillai, Head Marketing, Godrej Consumer Products; Elizabeth Venkataraman, Executive Vice President, Consumer Business, Kotak Mahindra Bank; Naveen Gaur, Chief Operating Officer, Lowe Lintas; and Elsie Nanji, Former Managing Partner, Red Lion.
Sharing a word of gratitude, Rishab Handa, Manager – Marketing, Ok Play said, “India is a land of opportunities. Electric vehicles are a disruption in India and with Ok Play, I feel we are headed in the right direction to make progress and evolve as a country. We were the first internationally to manufacture electric vehicles on a three-wheeler platform, and we foresee the Indian diaspora taking to our e-rickshaws with great gusto.”
Karnam Maleshwari, India’s first Olympian and receiver of Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna and Padma Shri Award said, “Our country is progressing, and I am working with the government to set up training centers for women wrestlers to make sure that there are more Maleshwari’s that are recognized all over the world.”
Legendary Director, Subhash Ghai share that he, “Felt humbled at The Economic 
Times Iconic Brands event”, adding “but I don’t feel iconic as I still think I still am a student of cinema and life itself. There is still a lot to learn and to inspire the next generation to be a NeW Man of the 21st century.”
The Chief Guest of the evening, Shri Babul Supriyo expressed his gratitude and said, “The ET Iconic Brands is a groundbreaking event through which we can place Indian brand achievements in the cynosure of the global view.” Talking about his involvement in India’s development, he added, “It is a great experience for me to be a part of the Central Government under the leadership of our respected Prime Minister trying to push the make in India initiative &Im glad that we are doing pretty well in terms of foreign direct investments of $5000 cr. that has been touched on April 18’. We are encouraging people to make things in India. If it can be done in China and other parts of the world, then why not in India. By doing so, we can provide employment to a population of 130 billion.”
Sharing a word of gratitude, RishabHanda, Manager – Marketing, Ok Play said, “We were the first ones internationally to manufacture electric vehicles on a three-wheeler platform. We serve a lot of e-commerce companies. India is a land of opportunities. Electric vehicles are a disruption in India and with Ok Play, I feel we are in the right direction to make progress and evolve as a country.”
Talking about their success story, Dr. Sonal Shah, first woman Trichologist of India, Co-founder Richfeel said, “Innovation is important for a brand to sustain and become an iconic brand. Next, trust is the biggest factor for us that helped us survive 32 years in the market. Listen, evaluate, audit and implement for any brand to progress.”
Kajol said, “We are a vast country and I’m elated to be chosen as an Iconic queen. To stay true to myself is a pressure which is self-inflicted in me and he opinions of what others have to say has never made a change in my choices and the kind of work I want my audience to see me doing.”
Also sharing a word of appreciation, Jackie Shroff, the Style icon of Bollywood said, “Getting an award from a high profile newspaper is a great honor. Respect people and take good care of yourself and that will always keep you one of the style icons. Keep your immunity strong and don’t get pulled down by gravity.”
The occasion was also marked by the launch of the 2nd Edition of The Economic Times Iconic Brands 2018 coffee table book, which features successful brand stories and outlines the DNA of these legendary brands, taking a deep dive into what has made these brands stand out and what they are doing as an ongoing process to live up to their iconic status.
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