Business Today has announced the distinguished jury for the 14th edition of BT India’s Best CEOs Awards, its annual platform that recognises exceptional leadership across India Inc. The winners of the prestigious awards will be decided by a panel of seasoned business leaders and industry veterans at a jury meet scheduled for January 9.

According to a press release issued by Business Today, this year’s edition places a sharper focus on what truly defines enduring leadership in a challenging economic environment. At a time when markets are rewarding discipline as much as ambition, the awards will evaluate CEOs on their ability to deliver profitable growth, resilient execution and capital-efficient strategies. The underlying theme emphasises profitability not merely as a financial metric, but as a source of long-term power to invest, innovate, attract talent and create sustained shareholder value.

The jury for the 14th edition will be chaired by Harsh Mariwala, Chairman of Marico Ltd, widely respected for his visionary leadership and for building one of India’s most admired FMCG companies. Joining him on the panel are some of the country’s most influential business voices, including Kaku Nakhate, Chair, India, BofA Securities; Sanjeev Krishan, Chairperson, PwC in India; Vibha Padalkar, MD and CEO, HDFC Life Insurance; Abhijit Roy, MD and CEO, Berger Paints India; Amish Mehta, MD and CEO, CRISIL; Shanti Ekambaram, former Deputy MD, Kotak Mahindra Bank and Sanjiv Mehta, Executive Chairman, L Catterton.

PwC India will serve as the knowledge partner for the awards and will support the evaluation process alongside senior editors from Business Today. The jury will assess CEOs on a wide range of parameters, including financial performance, strategic direction, shareholder returns, success in mergers and acquisitions, global expansion initiatives and turnaround achievements.

The awards draw their universe of eligible companies from the BT 500 list of India’s largest firms ranked by profitability, reinforcing the platform’s core belief that sustainable value creation is anchored in strong and consistent earnings. In addition to recognising top-performing CEOs, the awards will also feature special honours such as Business Icon of the Year and Lifetime Achievement.

The winners of the 14th edition of BT India’s Best CEOs Awards will be announced at a grand ceremony in Mumbai on March 27.