CNBC-TV18 held the jury session of the India Business Leader Awards (IBLA) 2026 in Mumbai on November 4. The session brought together leading personalities from business, technology, finance, entrepreneurship and sports to recognise business leaders who have made a lasting contribution to India.

According to CNBC-TV18 press release, the jury included Noel Tata, Chairman of Tata Trusts; Kumar Mangalam Birla, Chairman of Aditya Birla Group; Uday Kotak, Founder of Kotak Mahindra Bank; Roshni Nadar Malhotra, Chairperson of HCLTech; Vellayan Subbiah, Chairman of Cholamandalam Investment and Finance Company, CG Power and Tube Investments of India; Viswanathan Anand, Indian Chess Grandmaster and five-time World Chess Champion; P. D. Singh, CEO of Standard Chartered, India and South Asia; and Lalit Keshre, Co-Founder and CEO of Groww.

After the jury discussions, a special conversation was held on the topic ‘India’s Moat in an AI Age’. The discussion was led by Shereen Bhan, Managing Editor of CNBC-TV18. Uday Kotak, Vellayan Subbiah, Viswanathan Anand, P. D. Singh and Lalit Keshre shared their views on India’s future in Artificial Intelligence (AI).

The speakers discussed how India can improve its research, innovation and manufacturing capabilities. They also highlighted the need to develop affordable and home-grown AI technology, attract more investments and strengthen India’s position in the global AI sector. The discussion also focused on the future of jobs and businesses in the AI era.

The session was followed by another discussion led by Prashant Nair, Executive Editor of CNBC-TV18. It featured Ankit Agarwal, MD of Sterlite Technologies; Srikanth Velamakanni, CEO of Fractal; and Nitish Mittersain, Founder of Nazara.

The panel discussed India’s position in the global AI industry, including energy, chips, AI infrastructure, models and applications. The speakers also highlighted opportunities in manufacturing and data centre development.

They discussed how AI is helping Indian game developers reach global markets and why young professionals and IT workers need to develop new skills to adapt to an AI-driven economy. The discussion also included examples of AI being used in factories and explored which jobs may remain less affected by AI.

Speaking at the event, Bhan said that IBLA recognises leaders who create a lasting impact. She added that this year’s jury brought together some of India’s most respected leaders and highlighted the need for both quick action and strong commitment to building India’s position in the AI sector.

Kotak said India should use the available opportunity to move faster in research, innovation, technology, production and manufacturing.

Vellayan Subbiah said India’s AI ambitions should go beyond simply adopting the technology. He highlighted the importance of developing affordable, accessible and home-grown AI capabilities.

Singh said India could see investments worth $800–850 billion over the next five to six years. He added that changing global supply chains and growing investor interest offer India an important opportunity.

Keshre expressed confidence in India’s AI potential and said the country has a major opportunity in developing AI-based applications.

Viswanathan Anand said India does not need to lead in every area of AI. Instead, the country should identify important sectors where it can invest more and build strong capabilities.

Smriti Mehra, CEO-English and Business News, Network18, said the IBLA jury reflects the importance of the awards. She highlighted the need to recognise business leaders who focus on long-term growth and innovation.

The winners of the India Business Leader Awards 2026 will be honoured at the upcoming awards ceremony.