London : Great Place to Study (GPTS) Research Institute, an international auditing firm commissioned by SkillTree Knowledge Consortium to certify and audit Indian colleges, together with the international business and communications consultancy Sterling Media, hosted the 3rd Indo-UK Thought Leadership awards at a glittering award ceremony at the Mayfair Hotel in London, to honour British and Indian change-makers in the field of education, business and international relations last month.

The event was hosted as part of the 3rd Great Place to Study India Edition initiative, a two-day delegation of India and UK academics, educationists, public figures and business leaders convened in London.

Attendees included esteemed political and public figures, VIPs, business stalwarts, social contributors and lynchpins of the education and business sector from the UK and India. The list of eminent awardees included Rajesh Agrawal, Deputy Mayor of London for Business, who was conferred with the Global Icon Award.

Receiving the award, Mr Agrawal said, “I landed in Heathrow with £200 in my pocket back in 2001. This is the greatness of the city, and education is one of the greatest exports, making it now only a 3 billion pound strong economy, but giving us a huge soft power. As for the city, this is why we have launched the ‘London is Open’ campaign to attract and welcome some of the world’s best talent.”

Similarly, Kate Robinson bagged Outstanding Contribution to Education Empowerment award while Jay Varkey, Group executive director of GEMS Education bagged the Future Herald Award. Dame Asha Khemka was given the Outstanding contribution to Indo-UK academic relations while Virendra Sharma, MP, was awarded for his outstanding contribution to the India-UK relation.

Other awardees included:

• Outstanding Contribution to Indo – UK Academic Relations – Dame Asha Khemka

• Outstanding Contribution: India-UK Relation – Virendra Sharma, MP

• Excellence in Business – Mihir Kapadia, CEO, Sun Global Investments

• Centre of Excellence Award – UK – Oxford Centre For Hindu Studies, Shaunaka Rishi Das

• Youth Icon Award – Sanam Arora, President, National Indian Students & Alumni Union

• Edupreneur of the Year – Jesus Lall, CEO Universal Education Group

• Education Evangelist of the year – Grace Pinto (Ryan International School)

• Outstanding Contribution in Indian Education & Industry – Sushma Paul Berlia, Chairperson & President: Apeejay Svran Group & Apeejay Education Society

• Centre of Excellence Award – India – Case Research Center, ICFAI Group, Sudhakar Rao

Natasha Mudhar, CEO & MD of Sterling Media, said: “We have all gathered in the front row to witness a seismic shift in India’s education sector. The country has the immense scope and potential we found necessary to rally its educational institutions forward and help them expand to international standards. This potential is one of the prime reasons we partnered with SkillTree. We are confident that we are able to create a sector-wide reform that will benefit not only the country but also its students.