iLEAD, the hub of educational excellence recently hosted their extravagant Annual Awards ceremony on 23rd November at the iLEAD Campus, Topsia. Our Annual Awards celebrations are a testament to our commitment to shaping change makers through education. This year, the theme of our Annual Awards was “Innovating for a Greener Future”. The captivating event was to honor the Principals, Teachers, Students and Organisations who have played pivotal roles in demonstrating exemplary dedication to encouraging sustainable practices and creating meaningful impact within their industries and communities.
Our commitment is to promote sustainability and innovation, the two pillars of our eight core values to nurture our society and the environment. Through this, we aim to inspire future change makers and equip them with originality and responsibility to take charge of contemporary challenges. The theme of these year’s Annual Awards is aligned with India’s national vision, as the honorable Prime Minister of India, Shri Narendra Modi has introduced several initiatives at the G20 Summit to promote sustainable and eco-conscious practices by the year 2030.
The event commenced with the traditional lighting of the lamp and our Chairman, Mr. Pradip Chopra and Executive Director, Ms. Pragya Chopra welcomed the dignitaries through felicitating them. The prestigious event was graced with the presence of our esteemed Chief Guest Dr. Rajesh Kumar (IPS), Principal Secretary (Additional Charge), Department of Environment, Member- Secretary of Pollution Control Board, Govt. of West Bengal, and former Commissioner of Police, Kolkata alongside a distinguished panel of Guest of Honours. The event was also attended by Special Guests Prof. Santi Pada Gon Choudhuri (Chairman, Energy Expert Committee, Govt. of India); Mr. Pradip Chopra (Chairman, PS Group); Mr. Srikanth Sridharan (Business Transformation Advisor, Stanford Institute for Innovation in Developing Economies, Stanford Seed); Ms. Pragya Chopra (Executive Director, iLEAD); Ms. Divya Yachamaneni (CEO, Naandi Community Water Services); Mr. Hemant Mediratta (CEO, HMC); Mr. Indrajeet Bhalotia (Director, Protouch Sports Sciences); Mr. Deepak Jalan (Director, Linc Pen); Mr. Arun Sancheti (Director, PS Group)
The event began with the welcome speech of Mr. Pradip Chopra (Chairman of iLEAD), he shared his invaluable insights on sustainability and the importance of up cycling and recycling along with his recent creation, The House of Sheherwali, a luxurious hotel made of up cycled products at Murshidabad, West Bengal.
The Chief Guest, Dr. Rajesh Kumar (IPS), Member- Secretary of Pollution Control Board, shared his thought on time management, discussed the importance of sustainable practices to nurture our earth. He added, “The best are those who arise, awake and do not stop till they meet the goal”.
Mr. Srikanth Sridharan (Business Transformation Advisor, Stanford Institute for Innovation in Developing Economies, Stanford Seed) appreciated iLEAD for being a sustainable institution and the way we promote sustainability. He inspired the entire audience with his notion and asked them to be very thoughtful, tolerance and curious to bring transformation with innovation in the world of business through sustainability and innovation.
Ms. Divya Yachamaneni (CEO, Naandi Community Water Services), shared her conception on sustainability- according to Ms. Yachamaneni, social sustainability is providing healthy water without any discrimination and bringing sustainability in the rural areas as well.
Respected Principals, Teachers, Corporate Organisations and students who have distinguished themselves in protecting environment through sustainable practices, were honored at the award ceremony.
The event also featured fascinating cultural performances by the iLEADers, and concluded with an enthralling fashion show, captivating drama, and musical performances by our talented students.