What is change and who are the real Changemakers? Who better than the Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu to give us the definition?

“C is for Clarity, H is for heart, A is for adaptability, N is for the never giving up approach, G is focusing on the good and E is for Excellence,” said Naidu, the chief guest, during his address after he felicitated winners of the BL Changemaker Awards at a glittering ceremony held in the Capital on Friday.

The evening began with a performance by accomplished violinist Padma Shankar, who opened the score with Raag Hamsadhwani as a tribute to the winners who have strived to change the world by their sheer passion for a cause. Along with percussionist Prithvi Raj, she followed up with an ode to all mothers including Mother India by rendering Maa from the Aamir Khan-starrer Taare Zameen Par and dedicated it to the Women’s Day which is falling on Sunday.

Shankar set the mood for the entry of the Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu with the patriotic song, “ Ae Watan, Mere Watan ”, featured in the film Raazi. The Vice President, known for his oratory, enthralled the audience with a mix of wit and wisdom. Recalling the contribution of iconic change makers such as Buddha and Gandhi, he said looking at the winners, he was assured the future of India is in good hands.

He emphasised that the government strives to be one of the key change makers in the lives of poor and underprivileged with its various schemes, including building ten crore toilets under the Swachh Bharat initiative. He also expressed concern about the impact climate change can have on ecosystems and livelihoods. Talking about the need for digital transformation, he quipped, “Everything should be online so you don’t have to stand in line. Online should be mainline.” He said the government’s motto is “Reform, Perform and Transform.” The Vice President also congratulated BusinessLine for its contribution in the field of business journalism and said it has emerged as a “credible voice” in the field.

The awards evening also saw a panel discussion on “The role of corporates as harbingers of social change.” Indrajit Belgundi, Director and General Manager, Clients Solutions Group, Dell Technologies and Tapan Arandhara, Regional Manager (Pension and Group Schemes), North Zone, Life Insurance Corporation of India spoke on the measures their organisations and employees are taking to further the cause of Corporate Social Responsibility.

In what was a surprise for the audience, India’s fastest women sprinter, Dutee Chand took to the stage to talk about her journey from a small village in Odisha. Spelling out the mantra of her success, Chand said that she trains for eight hours every day, including workouts at the track, swimming pool and the gym. “I run ten 100-meter tracks everyday for running a 100-meter track,” she said.

The evening ended with a conversation between Union Minister for Commerce & Industry, Piyush Goyal and the Hindu BusinessLine Editor Raghavan Srinivasan. Goyal stressed that the need of the hour was to encourage people who bring out transformative change in society. He specially congratulated Arunachalam Muruganantham, popularly known as the ‘Pad Man’, for his role in providing an affordable solution in the women’s hygiene space.

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