If it’s anything to do with two-wheels, you can’t keep Arun too far from it. With over a decade experience in auto journalism he currently leads the bike vertical at ACKO Drive. Be it a humble commuter or a litre-class monster, he enjoys riding and reviewing them equally. An avid traveller, his favourite mode of transport is unsurprisingly a motorcycle! His other interests includes MotoGP, die cast collection and exploring new cuisines.

Arun Mohan Nadar

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Venkat Sumantran, a distinguished Indian businessman, academic, and author, brings over three decades of expertise to the global auto and mobility industry. As Chairman of Celeris Technologies, he also serves on the boards of various organizations in automotive, electronics, and aviation. Notably, Sumantran played a pivotal role as one of the inventors of the Tata Nano. He is the former Chairman of IndiGo Airlines, and was also previously Vice-Chairman, Ashok Leyland. Prior to that, he served as Chief Executive, Tata Motors Passenger Cars, and Director, GM USA.

Dr. V Sumantran

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Gul Panag effortlessly embraces a diverse array of roles—from acting and modeling to marathons, road trips, and serving on car and motorcycle award juries. A passionate advocate for animals, she seamlessly blends brand endorsements with her foray into politics. Gul is a versatile personality, adept at navigating various facets of her dynamic life. 

Gul Panag

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An IT professional by qualification, Priyadarshan or PD as he’s fondly known, is a proper auto enthusiast. With over 15 years experience in the auto journalism sphere, he’s among the most respected and trusted journalists in the field. Apart from auto, he’s an aviation geek and a tech nerd, so you can be sure he has a lot of topics to chat about.

Priyadarshan Bawikar

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Rayomand Banajee, an accomplished figure in motorsports, has left an indelible mark on the racing landscape. With notable achievements, including championships in Formula Cars and Karting, he stands as a beacon of success. Renowned for representing and winning for India on the international stage in two distinct motorsport disciplines, Banajee is also actively shaping the future by mentoring the next generation of Indian racing talent.

Rayomand Banajee

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Siddharth, a stalwart in auto journalism, knows cars and bikes inside out. From senior primetime news anchor to chief editor - Auto, he's donned various roles. A pioneer at NDTV, Siddharth conceptualised all auto-related content, including the annual Car and Bike Awards and Auto Prime programming. As a driving force behind car&bike.com, he played a key role in making it the country's 2nd largest auto portal. Notably, Siddharth is the first Asian journalist appointed as Executive Director on the steering committee of the prestigious World Car Awards, later elevated to vice chairman in 2021. He is currently the Chairman at the World Car Awards. 

Siddharth Vinayak Patankar

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Among the most popular bike restorers in India, Yogi runs his shop out of Mumbai. A favourite among Yamaha RX owners for restoration, he is known for some of the best bike rebuilds. Apart from getting his hands dirty in his workshop, he is an established dirt racer and has won multiple championships.

Yogi Chabbria

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Ameya leverages nearly 14 years of versatile experience. As the go-to expert, he excels in different departments of a news organisation. Juggling multiple roles with efficiency and élan, Ameya's automotive insights and industry expertise contribute significantly to our team.

Ameya Naik

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Hani Musthafa, a prominent automotive journalist in South India, holds the distinction of being the sole juror from the region for the World Car Awards since 2019. Starting as a freelancer in 2003, he contributed to local dailies and online auto-forums. In 2010, Hani launched the Flywheel Auto Show, now South India's premier auto event. Beyond journalism, he's expanded into auto events, content creation, and multi-brand garages.

Hani Musthafa

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Jens Meiners, covering the auto industry since 1996, is a longstanding contributor to multiple International automobile platforms. As a juror on the World Car of the Year and International Engine of the Year, he holds a pivotal role. Additionally, Jens is the founder of the German Car of the Year. Splitting his time between New York and Nuremberg, he curates a growing collection of historic cars. 

Jens Meiners

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Steve is our second international jury member and is an award-winning freelance journalist, broadcaster and auto industry consultant. He’s the only person to have edited three of the UK's biggest automotive digital and print titles: Auto Express, Autocar and What Car? His experience in the automotive space is unmeasurable and his inputs therefore are vital to the rest of the jury members and the TOTMs too.

Steve Fowler

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Anita Sharma is a well-known public relations and marketing veteran with over 30 years. Throughout her career.  Anita has worked with a diverse range of clients, including Fortune 500 companies.

Anita Sharma

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Ashish is the Executive Director, and India Head of Creative, Mccann Worldgroup. He is one of the few brilliant creative minds who is very sound on strategy. A big fan of Tin Tin, Ashish is a keen observer of the 360 degrees strategy used by OEMs across the board.

Ashish Chakravarty

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Ashish has more than 20 years of experience in Brand building and Marketing. He is the Chief Marketing Officer at ACKO and has spearheaded projects which showcased the company’s presence at the IPL, Shark Tank and more. His truth bombs will certainly shake up the contenders.

Ashish Mishra

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Nikhil Chawla is a well-known technology and automotive expert. and brings over 15 years of expertise. He is also considered as one of the most influential voices in the industry for everything tech.

Nikhil Chawla

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He was the Group Chairman & CEO of FCB India and very recently moved onto the role of FCB Global partner. Over the last 35 years, he has worked on over 200 brands spanning all major categories in the India and Asia Pacific.

Rohit Ohri

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Siddharth Vinayak Patankar is the Editor-in-Chief of ACKO Drive and the brains behind introducing this category for the awards. He possesses knowledge about both the product and the vision behind its marketing campaigns.

Suparna Singh is a seasoned professional with over 20 years of experience in broadcast and digital media, showcasing a unique blend of editorial and management expertise. As a core member of the team behind NDTV Convergence, she played a pivotal role in establishing it as India’s premier online news platform. A passionate writer and advocate for teamwork, Suparna combines strategic vision with a commitment to quality content and innovation, making her a distinguished leader in the media landscape.

Suparna Singh

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Yogendra Pratap is the Editor-in-Chief, Auto Today. A man who doesn’t mince words and at the same time is the most trusted and respected voices in the industry.

Yogendra Pratap

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Rajesh Jejurikar

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Niraj Rajmohan

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Sharad Agarwal

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Santosh Iyer

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Mohal Lalbhai

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Veejay Nakra

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Ashish Gupta

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Petr Janeba

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Lance Bennett

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Vivek Srivatsa

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Hisashi Takeuchi

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Sandeep Raina

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Shardenduu Chaturvedi

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Virat Khullar

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Emrah Özer

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Reeti Nageshri

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Shailesh Hazela

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Bipul Chandra

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Ravi Avalur

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Yogesh Mathur

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3M      

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AkzoNobel 

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Grant Thornton

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Republic TV

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Rosmerta Technologies


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Sheraton Grand Chennai Resort & Spa

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Tribes Communication

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Uniqlo

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Gallery

Why ACKO Drive?

Credible Expertise

Unmatched Coverage

Industry Recognition

About ACKO Drive Awards 2026