5th KPMG-Infrastructure Today Awards 2013

"Infrastructure is the game-changer for India if we get our act right," says Kamal Nath, while addressing the top public and private sector organisations at the event. The annual award event organised by Infrastructure Today, India's premier magazine for nation builders, in association with KPMG, on February 25, 2013 at the Oberoi hotel in New Delhi recognised excellence in infrastructure sectors. This year, gracing the occasion as the Chief Guest was Kamal Nath, Union Minister for Urban Development and Parliamentary Affairs, Government of India. An enthusiastic advocate of the PPP model, Nath was pleased with the Central and state governments' increasing adoption of the public-private partnership (PPP) model for infrastructure projects, and he emphasised the need for more partnerships. In his address, he mentioned, "For India to become an economic superpower, we must get our infrastructure act right. So I'd like to compliment Infrastructure Today and KPMG for instituting these awards in the important area of PPP." He also presented trophies to PPP projects in the categories of Transport, Urban Infrastructure, Power, Enabling Central and State Agencies, and Financiers. A total of 12 private and public sector organisations were felicitated at the event. Need for momentum Nath was joined on stage by the awards organisers Pratap Vijay Padode, Editor-in-Chief, Infrastructure Today; Arvind Mahajan, Partner and Head of Global Infrastructure and Energy and Natural Resources for KPMG India and James Stewart, Chairman Global Infrastructure, KPMG. Padode in his opening address said, "The 5th KPMG-Infrastructure Today Awards has been a timely emphasis on the need for government to provide momentum to this sector, without which India cannot achieve its targeted GDP growth and having Minister Kamal Nath's affirmation just before the Budget, we are hopeful of seeing radical changes in project execution in the year ahead." Mahajan added that the award winners serve as role models in this challenging year for the sector and that the government needs to ensure that the unfinished India infrastructure story is facilitated to the next level of growth. The jury The jury that independently judged the awards this year comprised the following personalities: • Rajeeva Sinha, Wholetime Director, Mundra Ports & SEZ • Ramesh Chandak, Managing Director and CEO, KEC International Ltd • Sunil Kanoria, Vice Chairman, SREI Infrastructure Finance Ltd • Tilak Raj Sheth, Head-Infrastructure, Siemens