9th WAF Awards held | Check out the WAF Stars | Stellar Media Coverage Yet again

• WAF awards reward & recognise the Best People behind Best Cos & Products
• Powered by the 7 Steps Selection Process only at WAF!
• Backed by months of research by IIT Delhi
• WAF Awards Coverage goes Viral in Media. Check out the links at the bottom of this post

World Auto Forum (WAF) Awards 2022 were held virtually recently. WAF Awards, over the years have become synonymous with platinum performances across the Automotive & Mobility segment. One of the most coveted awards, they follow a 7 – steps process, setting high benchmarks in the industry. WAF Stars, as the 154 WAF award winners are known in the industry, for the last 9 years, have all gained great recognition, and moved on to bigger, better roles and opportunities.

WAF Awards follow an innovative 7 – steps process:

1. Selection Parameters by WAF First Members – The Top Industry Leaders, to make them relevant
2. Research by IIT Delhi – Unbiased and Neutral
3. Highly Experienced and Distinguished Jury
4. No Sponsor Partner allowed on the Jury
5. Independent Observers at Jury Round – To ensure Selection Process Compliance
6. Reference Checks during and after Jury Rounds
7. Awarded only when all Jury Members are unanimous. No partial voting considered.

This year, four jury rounds were held and winners decided after deep discussions on the research data presented by the Team at Department of Management studies (DMS) IIT Delhi. Months of research went into collating relevant data, analysing it, doing reference checks and finally presenting it to the Jury for awards selection. External Observers to the awards ensured that the selection process was duly followed.

Anuj Guglani, CEO, World Auto Forum & Senior Partner, WAF Ventures explained, “We started these awards 9 years ago with the sole aim to recognize and reward the Best people behind Best Cos & Products. Initially focussing on OEM’s, WAF awards have grown, not just in stature but also in expanse. Today, we include the entire Auto & Mobility industry across all 7 Categories. Last 9 years, we are proud to have nurtured and evolved the 7 – Steps Selection Process at WAF which powers the reward and recognition of the Best Performing Teams & Leaders across the Industry.”

Meet the WAF Awards 2022 Jury that comes with years of rich industry experience:

1. Nikunj Sanghi | Former Chairman, ASDC | Past President, FADA | MD, JS FourWheel Motors
2. Dilip Chenoy | Former Secretary General, FICCI | Former DG, SIAM
3. Anupam Sanghi | Senior Corporate Lawyer | Competition Law Expert
4. Dr. Akhil Prasad | Country Counsel & CS Board | Boeing India
5. Puneet Kapur | Head, LeanExcell
6. S Ramaswamy | Managing Partner, Medha Advisors | Independent Director at Auto Cos
7. Avik Chattopadhyay | Co-founder, Expereal
8. Anuj Guglani | CEO, World Auto Forum | Senior Partner, WAF Ventures

Our Observers ensured that there was complete adherence to the selection criteria and the process remained transparent and unbiased.

Meet the WAF Awards 2022 Observers who come with valuable insights:

1. Atul Arora | Co-founder, Wiserfeed
2. Harsh Vashist | MD, Sparsh Group | MD, Satyam Group of Companies

Ashish Gupta, Brand Director, Volkswagen Passenger Cars India commented, “We are extremely delighted to be a part of the 9^th Edition of the World Auto Forum annual awards. It is one of the most respected platforms that recognizes innovation and initiatives undertaken by OEMs and its leaders in the automotive industry. I would like to congratulate all the well-deserved winners for their exceptional contribution towards the automotive sector and especially for the quality service initiatives towards customers in the year 2021 – 22.”

Gaurav Gupta, Chief Commercial Officer, MG Motor India said, “The industry has been working towards adapting to the challenges that the last two years have brought and is moving towards gradual recovery. Companies are collectively playing their part to emerge from the impact of the semiconductor shortage and supply-chain constraints. We at MG stand by our commitments and have been focusing on meeting the market expectations. I hereby congratulate all the winners of WAF awards and commend the reflection of industry’s determination and perseverance.”

Presenting the winners of the WAF Awards 2022, ideas & people that carve the future of Auto:

1. Leader of the Year 2021-22

• ManufacturingSector – Arvind Goel, MD & CEO, Tata AutoComp Systems
• Services Sector – Sandeep Gambhir, MD & CEO, Orix India

2. Best Innovation

• Adroit 2.0 – Adroit Auto – a Subsidiary of Shriram Automall
• Nissan Intelligent Ownership Subscription Plan – Nissan India Sales & Marketing Dept
• Digitisation and Personalisation in After Sales – Hyundai Motor India After Sales Dept

Tanuj Pugalia, MD, Gallops Motors remarked, “WAF awards have always been special and something to be excited about. We have been proudly associated with WAF since its inception. WAF awards bring in recognition to the significant yet unsung heroes of the automobile industry. Not only do they encourage, but they also enrich each one of us with the best practices and the latest innovations in this industry thus making us break new ground towards new ideas and sharpen our abilities. I wish all the participants the very best, and sincerely applaud their contribution to the industry.”

Sunil Mehra, General Manager for Abbott’s Rapid Diagnostics business in India expressed his thoughts, “At Abbott, we believe that talent must be recognized and encouraged. Congratulations to all the WAF award winners and wish you a great future ahead. We are happy to work with the World Auto Forum in an endeavour to create a healthy and agile workplace. Abbott is committed to creating products and technologies that help more people than ever achieve better health, around the world.”

Mohd Muzammil Riyaz, Promoter, One Moto India said, “Our association with WAF has been quite recent yet we feel that their transformative and innovative initiatives have been crucial to the sustainable auto industry. Time and again, WAF awards have ensured to reward innovative leadership in the Automobile sector. Onwards and upwards is the instinct of WAF.”

No great initiative can sail through without the support of people and companies who believe in the idea. At the World Auto Forum, we feel proud and privileged to have the very best of companies as partners on our journey to bring the entire Auto Industry together. We would like to extend a heartfelt thanks to each one of them.

Meet our partners:

OEM Gold Partners: MG Motor India | Volkswagen India

Gold Partners: Gallops Motors | One Moto India | Abbott

Partners: Focus Engineering | Motor Uncle

Media Partners: Patriot | WAF TV

Virtual Events Platform Partner | Exposim

The WAF awards are presented by World Auto Forum, an organization that connects the entire Automotive Ecosystem across 125+ countries through varied and regular audience engagement programs and activities. You can network with the Industry Top Leaders at WAF at waf.bz.

#WafAwards22 | #WAFStars | #WAFAwards2022