Bangalore: Shakir Ali the founder CEO of E-merchant – one of India’s top digital marketing companies in India was awarded “Digital Marketing Man of the Year 2012” by D Venkatesh Murthy the new Mayor of Bangalore at the 69th Award Arch of Excellence Award function organised by All India Achievers Conference at Hotel at a star-studded ceremony attended by industry captains, film-stars and TV personalities last night.  Deputy Chief Minister of Karnataka. K.S. Eashwarappa was to be the Chief Guest but could not attend because of last minute preoccupations.

This takes the tally to two — prestigious national Awards in the field of digital marketing from two different organisations– all within a week. The message is loud and clear, Shakir Ali has arrived as a new force to reckon with in the digital marketing scene.

Earlier on 13th October 2012 Shakir Ali was presented the “Best Online Marketing Service Provider Award” by former Indian Cricket Captain and Head of BCCI Selection Committee Kris Srikkanth at a ceremony Organized by Big Research at Hotel Lalit Ashok, Bangalore. Interestingly K. Srikkanth was himself an awardee at the last — 68th All India Achievers Conference (AIAC) Awards for Individual achievement and nation building in Chennai. Tamil Nadu Governor K. Rosaiah inaugurated the conference and presented the Excellence Awards to prominent personalities.

Speaking to the media after the award, Shakir Ali said, “Digital marketing is evolving faster than any other market on earth and influencing the world will live in right now. Many companies are shifting from traditional marketing to Internet marketing because it effective form of marketing with proven results.”

“Any business that does not have a strong website, and doesn’t use some sort of social media interaction and online advertising, you will be left behind. This new digital marketing era”, he added.

Digital Marketing is the practice of promoting products and services using digital distribution channels to reach consumers in a timely, relevant, personal and cost-effective manner. The best part of digital or Internet marketing is that it is relatively cheap to implement as compared to traditional marketing but has provided a plethora of opportunity to individuals and relatively small businesses to to do business and compete globally.

He is a living example of a person of how digital marketing can transform our lives. He set up E-merchant, with hardly any money but built it up to made a big impact in the digital world. Today E-merchant is one of the top six digital marketing companies handling some 1500-2000 clients worldwide in USA, UK, South Asia, UAE and Australia. It manages about 100-150 websites every month and is rated to be among top 30 SEO companies by topseos.in an independent rating authority in India.

Son of a pharmacist (compounder) from Begusarai in Bihar otherwise came from a humble family background. As a child, he had to sleep hungry on many nights. Even while doing MBA he worked at a tea shop, because it offered the opportunity of a free breakfast. He could not afford to pay for the lunch and sold caps outside the masjid to pay for his education. As such he virtually had a zero bank balance when he started but then he had had the right ideas and knowledge of technology. And never looked back.

According to Abhishek Bachan, Executive Director of AIAC, “The AIAC award was instituted in 1989 by the All India Achievers Conference. It is conferred on a few and rare people who have really worked hard to achieve and excel in their field of activity.”