Mumbai-based Jain Irrigation Systems, which specialises in drip irrigation technology, has won the FT (Financial Times) ArcelorMittal Environment Award for 2011 for its contribution to the agriculture sector in India.
The company Managing Director, Mr Anil B. Jain, received the award from Mr Lakshmi Mital, Chairman and CEO, ArcelorMittal, and Mr Lionel Barber, Editor, Financial Times , at the FT ArcelorMittal Boldness in Business Awards at Saatchi Gallery here on Wednesday night.
“Jain was the first company to introduce drip irrigation technology to India in the 1980s. Since then, it has greatly increased agricultural yields and this year, the Government of India has increased subsidies for micro-irrigation to $221 million up 133 per cent from last year,” the citation said.
Receiving the award, Mr Anil Jain said” “This award belongs to farmers of India who take so much risk against the vagaries of nature.”
With over 8,000 employees including 1,000 abroad, the company has achieved a turnover of $1 billion this year.
According to him, the company at present has seven drip irrigation manufacturing plants and it is planning to add more such plants.
Drip irrigation systems, sprinkler irrigation systems, automation systems, valves, water filters, fertigation, equipment, green houses, plant tissue culture, nursery plants and systems, bio fertilisers are some of the manufacturing products of the company.
The company also has its operations in the US, Europe and Brazil.
India’s High Commissioner to the UK Mr Nalin Suri, leading NRI businessman Mr G.P. Hinduja, and the President of the Hinduja Group were among the dignitaries who attended the awards ceremony.
Mr Allen Mulally, President and CEO of Ford, was declared Person of the Year 2011 for turning around Ford Motors. The company earned a profit of $6.8 billion last year.