Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw Felicitates Sunil Bharti Mittal and Venu Srinivasan with the CII President’s Award for Lifetime Achievement at CII Annual Business Summit 2026
Shri Ashwini Vaishnaw, Minister of Railways; Electronics & Information Technology; and Information & Broadcasting, Government of India, conferred the CII President’s Award for Lifetime Achievement upon Mr Sunil Bharti Mittal, CII Past President and Founder & Chairman, Bharti Enterprises, and Mr Venu Srinivasan, CII Past President and Chairman Emeritus, TVS Motor Company, in recognition of their outstanding contributions to India’s economic growth, industrial transformation and nation building through visionary leadership and institution building during the Inaugural Session of the CII Annual Business Summit 2026.
Mr Sunil Bharti Mittal has been a pioneering force behind India’s telecom and digital revolution, while Mr Venu Srinivasan has played a transformative role in advancing manufacturing excellence, total quality management, and philanthropy-led social impact in the country.
Congratulating both leaders, Shri Ashwini Vaishnaw said that the recognition was well deserved and that it was his privilege to confer the honour upon them. He noted that their journeys have inspired generations of entrepreneurs by demonstrating that India can build globally admired enterprises rooted in innovation, quality, competitiveness and social responsibility.
Receiving the honour, Mr Sunil Bharti Mittal stated that industry has a collective responsibility to serve the nation through institutions such as CII. Referring to the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi’s vision for India’s development journey, he observed that while the country is progressing at an extraordinary pace, global economic pressures continue to remain a challenge. Emphasising the need for industry to play a deeper and more meaningful role in advancing India’s growth story, he called upon businesses to continue investing with confidence and address the demand for products and services by the large young population by giving them “More from India."
Receiving the CII President’s Award for Lifetime Achievement 2025–26, Mr Venu Srinivasan described the occasion of receiving the honour alongside Mr Sunil Bharti Mittal as especially significant. Reaffirming his belief of “Nation First, Company Next”, he stressed the importance of building a globally competitive India and stated that while aspirations for Viksit Bharat are easy to articulate, translating them into reality requires sustained commitment, competitiveness and execution excellence. Emphasising the need for efficient, timely and cost-effective manufacturing processes and services, he underscored the importance of reducing import dependence and strengthening India’s trade surplus through manufacturing-led growth. Highlighting the transformational role of technology, Mr Srinivasan noted that industries are increasingly becoming software and AI-driven, accelerating product development cycles and enhancing competitiveness.
11 May, 2026
New Delhi