Mumbai: The human resource (HR) function has played a very crucial role in building the fabric of any business, and HR will mark the difference between `success' and `failure', and `winner' and `loser'. This was stated by Volvo India managing director Ravi Uppal, the key note speaker at the Asia Pacific HR Conference held in Mumbai between February 18-20, and where Awards for Excellence in the field of HR were presented to leading corporates.Uppal said that HR is the focal point of any business and it is this issue which needs to be addressed every time considering that the perception of a business entity towards HR has now changed from what it was two decades ago. Then, businesses were more rigid and dogmatic and a single CEO was the be all and end all. He further stressed that HR and IT should not be treated in isolation and these have to be weaved into the fabric of a business.
The `Life Achievement Award' was presented to Crompton Greaves Ltd chairman and managing director KK Nohria, who on receivingthe coveted award said: ``I would not have received the award if my seniors, peersand subordinates did not help me succeed.'' Crompton Greaves's HR practices have beenregularly used as benchmarks by Indian corporates.
On his vision, Nohria said: ``I expect that in the next few years India would be more richer and prosperous than today.''
The `CEO of the Year Award' was presented to Aptech Ltd managing director Ganesh Natrajan. On receiving the award, Natrajan acknowledged that it was a dream come true for Aptech which as a start-up operation was only a small training organisation. ``We at Aptech had a dream of taking the market capitalisation to Rs 2,000 crore by the year 2000, which we have now achieved,'' said the beaming Natrajan.
The `Innovative HR Practice Award' was presented to five companies: Clariant (India) Ltd, Birla 3M Ltd, Marico Industries Ltd and Hindustan Lever Ltd, for adopting innovative practices in HR.
The `Award for Business Ethics' was bestowed upon the Aditya Birla group. The`Best Business School of the Year Award' was given to the Sym-biosis Centre for Management & HRD, while the `HRD Manager of the Year Award' went to the young HR Head of Morgan Stanley (India) Ltd.There was also an award for Line Managers with HR Orientation which was presented to TNT Express Head (marketing & sales) Ajay Kaul and LG Electronics Ltd vice-president (marketing) Rajeev Karwal.
Guest of Honours, The Piramal EnterpriseLtd group president (corporate development) Leonard D'Costa and Business ConsultingGroup chairman Raj Nair spoke on the evolving changes in the business atmosphere due tothe growing pace of development in IT and related activities and the myths surrounding HR--such as, HR deals only with the soft side of the business.
HR's Roll of Honour
Life Achievement Award: K K Nohria, CMD, Crompton Greaves Ltd.
CEO of the Year Award: Ganesh Natrajan, Managing Director, Aptech Ltd.
Innovative HR Practice Award: Birla 3M Ltd., Clariant (India) Ltd., HindustanLevers Ltd., Marico Industries Ltd.
Best Business School of the Year Award: Symbiosis Centre for Management and HRD
HRD Manager of the Year Award: Guilherme Dias, Morgan Stanley (India) Ltd.
Award for Business Ethics: Aditya Birla Group
Line Managers with HR Orientation Award: Ajay Kaul, Head Marketing and Sales, TNT Express Worldwide; Rajeev Karwal, VP Marketing, LG Electronics Ltd.Copyright © 1999 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.
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