Mumbai – Three leaders whose innovation and leadership have shaped entire industries and communities and who have decades-long ties to the University of Southern California were honored at the inaugural USC India Awards, with one receiving the newly minted USC-Ratan Tata Award.
With the title sponsor, the Tata Group, the USC Viterbi School of Engineering presented the awards at the Taj Mahal Palace in Mumbai, where USC Interim President Beong-Soo Kim honored the following distinguished individuals for their groundbreaking contributions to business, education, engineering, technology and global leadership:
● N.R. Narayana Murthy, founder and former CEO of Infosys, receiving the USC-Ratan Tata Award
● Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, founder and chairperson of Biocon Group, receiving the USC Business Management Award
● Sandeep Tandon, founder and chairman of Syrma SGS Technology and founder and director of Infinx, receiving the USC Distinguished Alumni Award
“Created in recognition of the longstanding relationship between USC and India, these awards honor Narayana Murthy, Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw and Sandeep Tandon for their transformational leadership,” USC Interim President Beong-Soo Kim said. “Much like former USC Trustee Ratan Tata, these three global leaders have driven innovation, elevated communities and inspired other generations of leaders.”
Further demonstrating USC’s well-established bond with Tata, the distinguished committee hosting the awards includes Tata Group Chairman Natarajan Chandrasekaran, as well as Bollywood icon and Padma Shri awardee Madhuri Dixit with her husband, health tech innovator and founder-investor, Dr. Shriram Nene, who are USC Viterbi parents. The event was also attended by leading figures from the Indian film industry, including Hrithik Roshan, Farah Khan, Ritesh Sidhwani, and Kabir Khan.
“It is wonderful to see the University of Southern California honor Mr. Narayana Murthy with the USC Ratan Tata Award at their inaugural awards for India. The late Mr. Tata was an extraordinary leader whose vision, integrity, and humility set him apart. Mr. Murthy embodies these very values, carrying that same spirit forward with equal grace,” said Salil Parekh, CEO and MD, Infosys. “I would also like to congratulate Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw and Sandeep Tandon on this well-deserved recognition.”
Television host and actor Mini Mathur served as emcee for the evening. In addition to the Tata Group, the event sponsors included The Taj Mahal Palace, Mumbai, platinum sponsors Apeejay Surrendra and Pure Home + Living, and gold sponsor Infinx, among others.
