Announcement of IIMB DAA 2021 awards

We are delighted to announce the recipients of the IIMB Distinguished Alumni Award for 2021. The Distinguished Alumni Awards, instituted in 2007, is given to alumni in recognition of their achievements of exceptional merit and excellence in their chosen field of endeavors – be it industry, management, entrepreneurship, research, academia or social service.

This year, the institute has honored Ms. Revathy Ashok, Mr. Lakshmana J. Rao, and Mr. Sameer Nair with this accolade.

Revathy Ashok, PGP 1980, Co-Founder, Strategy Garage

She is currently the Co-Founder of Strategy Garage (and earlier Iris Consulting) a strategy and growth consulting firm for start-ups, mid and early-stage companies, helping them build value and scale. She is on the Board of Athena Infonomics, a Public Policy Research and Consulting firm that she has mentored since inception and the only such public policy start-up from India that has grown significantly to have a global footprint.

At age 35 she became the only woman CFO in the country in 1993 and an Executive Director on the Board of AMP India (now TE Connectivity).

Recently Inc 42, named her as one of the leading women angel investors in the country. In 2011, Revathy was nominated by CII as one of the top women achievers in Business in South India. In 2005, she was named as one of the 10 most powerful women in the Indian Industry by Dataquest.

She holds a BSc from Mount Carmel college, Bengaluru, and Post-Graduation from IIM Bangalore. She was a Gold Medallist for her batch PGP 1980.

“Revathy Ashok has had a very interesting career, beginning with IIMB as a research assistant to MD of Tishman Speyer. Her success in a variety of industries and contributions to social, philanthropic, and academic causes is remarkable”- Faculty DAA Selection Committee


J Lakshman Rao, PGP 1982, Chairman & Managing Director, Mold-Tek Technologies Ltd. and Mold Tek Packaging Ltd

Mr. Lakshman founded Mold-Tek Packaging Limited (MTPL), a leading Engineering Services provider in 1986. Located in Hyderabad, Mold-Tek specializes in Civil, Structural and Mechanical Engineering Services. Mold-Tek expanded rapidly by introducing (first time in India) plastic pails to replace tin containers for paints and lubricants. MTTL introduced (first time in India) plastic pails to replace tin containers for paints and lubricants. MTTL grew from 5 engineers to 500, when it de-merged as a separate entity, listed in BSE and NSE. MTTL is considered one of the top 3 Civil engineering service providers in India.

Mr. Laxman was conferred with Lifetime Achievement Award by CPMA & Elite Plus Business Service Group for contribution to Indian packaging sector for the past 3 decades. He was awarded with “Udyog Rattan Award” by Indian Economic Studies. He received a Trans World Gold Star award from Indian Institute of Economic Studies

 â€śLakshman Rao has made significant contributions as an entrepreneur, having ventured to start the business soon after his term at IIMB. He has successfully grown the business with significant innovations that makes Mold-Tek Packaging an industry leader. He has also been actively contributing to education, healthcare and academia”- Faculty DAA Selection Committee


Sameer Nair- PGP 1996, Co- Founder, Gram Oorja

After spending about a decade in the world of high finance, Sameer found the way to align his career with his heart. In 2008, he co-founded Gram Oorja with another IIMB alumnus. Gram Oorja is a renewable energy company focused on providing energy access solutions to rural India. In the last 12 years of its operations, Gram Oorja has impacted ~100,000 lives spread across 300 villages.

Sameer created an innovative “for profit” model that encouraged “patient capital with heart” to come in and build this sector. Like any other pioneering start-up, Sameer orchestrated strategy, finance, and government interactions to build out Gram Oorja for a long term and sustainable impact play. Gram Oorja operating model enabled it to not guzzle money like normal start-ups. It has been operational cash flow positive (last capital raise in 2013) while delivering a 15x growth over this period. Sameer’s accomplishments in building Gram Oorja are unparalleled, measured from every perspective – social impact, economic viability, community ownership and execution at scale.

He has received an Observer Research Foundation award for the Solar Entrepreneur of the year in 2013. He has been a regular participant/speaker at several renewable industry conferences.

“Sameer Nair, after a successful stint in the world of finance, set up Gram Urja which has made significant social and economic impact in 300 villages spread over 5 states. He actively contributes in different ways in the solar energy sector and is the recipient of several awards”- Faculty DAA Selection Committee”