Gala awards night packed with VIP guests, influencers and celebrities marks the culmination of the impactful India Global Forum UAE 2022

The first-ever UAE-India Awards, presented by UK-headquartered India Global Forum (IGF), mark the culmination of the week-long IGF UAE 2022 – a power-packed series themed around Partners for Global Impact.

The UAE-India Awards at the stunning Taj Exotica Resort & Spa, The Palm, Dubai, on 15 December 2022 brought together a star-studded cast of VIP guests, celebrities and influential figures from the world of business, politics, and the arts for a premier black-tie evening celebrating the dynamic partnership between the UAE and India. It marks a celebration of the organisations and individuals working tirelessly to strengthen and energise the UAE-India partnership.

H.E. Mariam Almheiri – UAE Minister of Climate Change and Environment – lauded the India Global Forum for creating a high-powered platform to celebrate UAE-India ties. She said: “The UAE and India enjoy long-standing and cordial relations across multiple fronts and this Forum is making its mark in pushing our bilateral relations to a new level. “The UAE is committed to working with India in confronting international challenges across multiple sectors to achieve a balanced and sustainable global economic growth.”

Celebrated British comedian and impressionist Rory Bremner set the tone for the glittering ceremony as the host of the evening, which included a special performance by popular singer-songwriter Sonna Rele.

Professor Manoj Ladwa, IGF Founder & CEO, said: “The first-ever UAE-India Awards celebrate the special relationship between the two countries and the high achievers adding to the momentum behind our strengthening ties.

“As the theme of IGF UAE reflects, the UAE and India are ideally suited ‘Partners for Global Impact’ and the awards are here to spotlight those working towards making that partnership truly impactful.”

The UAE-India Awards 2022 Nominees & Categories are:

Investment of the Year
Adani, Emmar, Lulu
New Market Entrant of the Year
Allen Overseas, EaseMyTrip, Lenskart, Verse
Legal Practice of the Year
Ashish Mehta & Associates, Cyril Amarchand Mangaldas, Keystone Law, Trilegal
Banking Organisation of the Year
Axis Bank, Emirates NBD, HSBC
Business Promotion Organisation of the Year
Dubai Chambers, FICCI, IBPC
Technology Company of the Year
Infosys, TCS, Tech Mahindra
Investor in Climate Action Award
EVage, Hero, Ola
Social Impact Project of the Year
Aster, Faizal & Shabana Foundation

The winners have been chosen by an eminent UAE-India Awards 2022 Jury:

H.E. Ambassador Dr Ahmed Al Banna, Former Ambassador of the United Arab Emirates to India
Nikhil Kamath, Co-Founder and Chief Investment Officer, Zerodha & True Beacon
Zubin Jal Karkaria, Founder & CEO, VFS Global
Eman Abdulrazzaq, Group Chief Human Resource Officer, Emirates NBD
Sunil Kaushal, Regional CEO, Africa & Middle East, Standard Chartered Bank

The awards gala brings the second UAE edition of India Global Forum to a close at the end of a high-power week of keynote addresses, fireside chats, roundtables and studio conversations, with senior ministers, business leaders, lawmakers and influential thought leaders covering diverse subjects from climate change to geopolitics, fintech innovations to greentech challenges.

Some of the high-profile speakers over the course of the week included:

Hon. Dr S Jaishankar, Minister of External Affairs, Government of India
Hon. Bhupendra Yadav, Minister of Labour & Employment and Environment, Forest & Climate Change, Government of India
Hon. Sunjay Sudhir, Ambassador of India to UAE, Government of India
H.E. Omar Sultan Al Olama, Minister of State for AI, Digital Economy and Remote Work Applications, UAE
H.E. Reem Bint Ebrahim Al Hashimy, Minister of State for International Cooperation, Government of UAE
Dr Rajeev Chandrasekhar, Minister of State for Skill Development, Entrepreneurship, Electronics and IT, Government of India
Michael Bloomberg, Founder, Bloomberg