Jury Members

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 1 lakh car.

Siddharth, a stalwart in auto journalism, knows 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 the 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.

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.

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.