Mumbai: All roads in Delhi led to the ITC Maurya as Beam Inc celebrated the spirit of achievement with the 11th Teacher’s Achievement Awards (TAA). The evening commemorated the start of the second decade of the one of the most prestigious, respected and admired Teacher’s Achievement Awards by welcoming into its fold the finest achievers from the fields of Business, Entertainment, Sports and Communication. The awards underwent a stringent evaluation process by a distinguished panel of jury members before the final winners were announced in the national capital today.

Recognizing the tireless efforts of taking India to the global stage, TAA honoured the inimitable Pandit Shiv Kumar Sharma with the Lifetime Achievement Award. Sharma has been at the forefront of taking Indian classical music to the international stage while being steadfast attached to the Indian roots. His contribution to Indian music is unmatchable and achievements as an individual, insurmountable. He is credited with making the Santoor a popular Classical Instrument. Sharma is the recipient of various national and international awards, including an honorary citizenship of the city of Baltimore, USA, in 1985, the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 1986, the Padma Shri in 1991, and the Padma Vibhushan in 2001. The award was presented by Shabana Azmi, Ustad Amjad Ali Khan and Matt Shattock, President and CEO, Beam Inc.

Congratulating winners of the 11th TAA, Matthew J Shattock, President and CEO, Beam Inc said, “The Teacher’s Achievement Awards have come a long way in the past decade. This is a very proud moment for all of us at Beam as we enter the second decade of achievements and excellence with the Teacher’s Achievement Awards. I would like to congratulate all the winners – present as well as past – who have excelled … thanks to their talent … steadfast determination … and winning spirit. It is an honor to be in the company of such a rich spectrum of accomplishment from so many walks of life.”

Anil Kapoor who has received international acclaim for his contribution to Indian cinema was recognised with the Teacher’s Global Indian Achiever Award. Dr L Subramaniam, Ramesh Sippy and Harish Moolchandani, CEO and Managing Director Beam India and ISC gave away the award to Kapoor.

The bubbly and vibrant Anushka Sharma who has been seen playing vivid roles in films like Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi, Patiala House, Badmaash Company, Band Baaja Baaraat received the People Teacher’s Achiever Award.

The evening opened with a stunning performance of Manasi Scott who performed the Teacher’s anthem to an alluring audience. This was followed with the traditional “Teacher’s Achievers’ Walk” designed and choreographed by the designer duo Rohit Gandhi-Rahul Khanna. The duo crafted a special collection for the past winners, jury members which included – Shabana Azmi, Pankaj Advani, Feroz Abbas Khan, Louis Bankz, Prahlad Kakkar, L Subramaniam, Nagesh Kukunoor, Manish Arora, Michael Ferreira, Prasoon Joshi, Anjali Bhagwat and Boman Irani.

Mr Harish Moolchandani, CEO and Managing Director Beam India & ISC said, “I would like to congratulate all the winners who have not only excelled in their own individual capacity but are in some way anchors for the future of this beautiful country by becoming an example of motivation to the youth of today. Teacher’s Achievement Awards are a symbol of excellence. And we are proud to be associated with individuals of the stature that we see today. Beam Inc welcomes each and every winner of the 11th Teacher’s Achievement Awards into its family.”

Boman Irani, who has been associated with the Teacher’s Achievement Award since 2003, co-hosted the evening with Vir Sanghavi. Irani was honoured with the Teacher’s Achiever of the Decade in 2010. The evening also saw mesmerizing acts by Eric Luna and Georgia Ambarian. After performing in Hong Kong, Germany, Poland, Canada, Mexico, South Africa and all over the United States, Eric and Georgia stunned the Indian audience with their extraordinary ballroom dancing skills. The grand finale saw a splendid performance with solo acts followed by a jugalbandi between Anoushka Shankar, Medieval Punditz, Karsh Kale and Angaraag ‘Papon’ Mahanta.

The evening saw past winners, jury members and key stakeholders of the Teacher’s Achievement Awards join the celebrations at the Nandiya Gardens at ITC Maurya. Those present included Ramesh Sippy, Jacqueline Fernandes, Kavita Subramaniam, Ustad Amjad Ali Khan, Vinod Mehta, Kashi Memani, BS Nagesh and Pablo Bartholomew among others. The event was managed by Wizcraft International.

As a precursor to the TAA, Beam Inc commissioned a special television series, “Achiever’s Club”, a 14-part series that showcased the glittery, glamorous and fabulous lives of self-made achievers of India. The Achievers’ Club is an exclusive series where India’s most celebrated achievers like KP Singh, Vidya Balan, Rajeev Chandrashekhar, Naveen Jindal, Manish Arora, Ustad Amjad Ali Khan and many more share their success mantras and millionaire lifestyle with the host Vir Sanghvi. The series currently AIRs on Star World on Saturday @ 8pm.

Instituted in 2001, the Teacher’s Achievement Awards recognise the true potential of human endeavour. Over the years, the awards have welcomed into its family, achievers who are the nation’s most respected names in the realms of business, sports, entertainment, literature, fashion, lifestyle and communication. Today, it stands as the most definitive platform of recognition for India’s finest, most trailblazing achievers. Now in its 11th edition, the awards greet the decade ahead by saluting the achievers who have made their ‘mark of achievement’.

The Teacher’s Achievement Awards, in partnership with KPMG and the Advisory Board oversee a stringent selection process and grade the nominees before the Jury takes over. The nominees are evaluated on the basis of specific criteria – proven track record, originality, innovation, peer recognition and significant milestones achieved in the chosen area of expertise. The final winners chosen by the Jury members are then felicitated at the grand finale.

Beam Inc is using the online and offline space very aggressively to promote the 11th Teacher’s Achievement Awards. Information is being shared using multiple communication channels, including the official website of the awards, www.teachersachievementawards.com. Regular updates, interesting information and latest developments on the awards will also be made available on Twitter. Users can follow the awards on the official TAA page on facebook – www.facebook.com/TeachersIndia and on twitter at http://twitter.com/TeachersIndia. Internet users can view event videos by subscribing to the official channel http://www.youtube.com/user/TeachersIndia/featured