Uday Shankar takes FICCI mantle from Apollo's Sangeetha Reddy

Bengaluru: Uday Shankar, President, The Walt Disney Company APAC & Chairman, Star & Disney India, has taken over as FICCI President for 2020-2021, from Dr Sangita Reddy, Joint Managing Director, Apollo Hospitals Group, at the apex chamber's 93nd annual convention held virtually. The convention was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Sanjiv Mehta, Chairman, and Managing Director, Hindustan Unilever Limited; President, Unilever South Asia and member, Unilever Leadership Executive, has been elevated as Senior Vice President of FICCI.

Subhrakant Panda, Managing Director, Indian Metals & Ferro Alloys Ltd has joined FICCI leadership as Vice President.

Uday Shankar is said to have an in-depth understanding of both the new-age businesses and the old economy, besides having an impeccable grasp on the geo-political developments and global business ecosystem.

A journalist turned global business leader, Shankar is all set to lead FICCI at a time when the Indian economy and businesses have just started recovering the blow dealt by the Covid-19 pandemic, with support from pro-active government policies. He has led many business ventures to success and unprecedented heights and his experience is expected to provide a new dimension to the FICCI's role and responsibilities as the oldest and largest industry chamber in the country.

In his message as the incoming President of FICCI, Shankar said, "It is a huge responsibility to lead industry body in these trying times. 2020 has been an extremely tough year for the Indian economy and industry. However, as outlined by Hon'ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi in his inaugural address on Saturday, India has shown the way to the world in dealing with coronavirus, and the economy is quickly getting back on the track. This has given me immense confidence to lead the chamber in providing solutions to the issues faced by not only our members, but industry on the whole".

"I congratulate my predecessor Dr Sangita Reddy for her tremendous work in tough times during the last one year and assure our members that bringing industry back to normal will be a relentless pursuit during my tenure as FICCI President. The government has utilised these trying times to usher in extensive reform measures and it is now the turn of the industry to quickly firm up the blueprint and the strategies to make full use of these measures in creating jobs and furthering growth. FICCI will fully support Prime Minister's clarion call of Aatmanirbhar Bharat, which is much beyond just being self-reliant — it is a roadmap for India emerging as a major player in the global market and value-chains," added Mr Shankar.

"FICCI will play a lead role in providing inputs to the government and implementing the steps to regain the growth momentum and reach to a 8-10% GDP growth trajectory quickly," he said.

Founded by GD Birla in 1927

The Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FICCI) is an association of business organisations in India. Established in 1927, by GD Birla and Purshottamdas Thakurdas on the advice of Mahatma Gandhi, it is the largest, oldest and the apex business organisation in the country. It is a non-government, not-for-profit organisation. It draws its membership from the corporate sector, both private and public. The chamber has an indirect membership of over 250,000 companies from various regional chambers of commerce.