Everyone felt like a winner after seeing their work

 Media Coverage  |  17-03-2025

Lokmat Maharashtrian of the Year awards spreading positivity, says jury panel

Nagpur

Lokmat News Network

Mumbai

The Lokmat Maharashtrian of the Year Awards 2025 is not just an award but a public initiative that spreads inspiration and positivity in the society, said esteemed jury members during their panel meeting here.

The jury meeting for Lokmat Maharashtrian of the Year Awards 2025 was held with great enthusiasm which was presided over by Union minister of commerce and industry Piyush Goyal. Chairman of editorial board of Lokmat Media Group and former member of Rajya Sabha Dr Vijay Darda welcomed the jury members at the

meeting.

Joint managing director and editorial director of Lokmat Media Group Rishi Darda explained the meticulous process behind selecting the nominees for each of the categories. He cited numerous examples where Lokmat was first to recognise outstanding individuals who later went on to receive prestigious awards at various other platforms. The jury members engaged in detailed discussions on each of the categories before finalising the winners.

The meeting lasted for four hours during which the jury members were also presented with the voting data collected from readers.

The number of recommendations across various categories made the jury’s task highly challenging. But after reviewing their incredible contributions, I genuinely feel that every nominee was a winner.

— Harsh Anand Jain, CEO & co-founder, Dream11 Group

 

Being a jury member for the Lokmat Maharashtrian of the Year Awards was an enriching experience. In some cases, the panel reached an immediate consensus, while in others, there were differences of opinion. However, the entire process was an incredible experience.

— Manisha Patankar Mhaiskar, additional chief

secretary, Maharashtra

 

These awards help the society recognise the outstanding work done by police officers. They play a crucial role in changing public perception and removing negative stereotypes about the police force. Moreover, such honours inspire newly-recruited officers to strive for excellence in their work.

— Milind Bharambe, Police Commissioner, Navi Mumbai

 

Being part of the jury for this award was a matter of pride for me. While evaluating nominees, I realised that so many individuals are doing exceptional and unique work across different sectors. The selection process involved in-depth discussions and deliberations, which ultimately led us to choose the most deserving winners.

—Neelkanth Mishra, chairman of Aadhaar

 

The Lokmat Maharashtrian of the Year Awards initiative, launched by the Lokmat Media Group a few years ago, is truly commendable. Lokmat presented us with detailed information about outstanding individuals from across Maharashtra. Selecting the winners was a rigorous process involving multiple parameters and verification. It was certainly not an easy task.

— Amit Desai, senior advocate, Bombay High Court

 

Lokmat’s initiative is truly praiseworthy. The jury carefully considered the achievements of individuals from various fields before selecting the winners. What makes this award even more special is that not just the jury but also the general public participated in the voting process. In a way, the real judges were the people themselves.

— Chetna Gala Sinha, founder, Mann Deshi Mahila Sahakari Bank

 

The jury panel included some of the most distinguished personalities. Through this process, I got to learn about so many talented individuals working at different levels. Their contributions for Maharashtra’s progress are invaluable. It was an honour to be part of this jury panel.

— Shreya Ghoshal, popular playback singer

 

Being part of such an esteemed jury panel was a privilege for me. This experience helped me understand the incredible work happening across various sectors in Maharashtra. Lokmat has done an outstanding job in bringing forth inspiring stories and spreading positivity and this is truly remarkable.

— Swwapnil Joshi, actor

 

I thoroughly enjoyed being part of the jury panel. The discussions were meaningful and insightful. While we reached a consensus on some aspects, on others, the majority decision prevailed. However, the discourse remained positive throughout the meeting. The recommended nominees were all exceptional individuals contributing to Maharashtra’s growth. Whether they won or were nominated, they are all changemakers. The Lokmat team has done extensive groundwork in selecting these nominees. Special congratulations to Dr Vijay Darda and Rishi Darda. Best wishes to all.

—Piyush Goyal, Union minister of commerce and industry

 

The idea behind the Lokmat Maharashtrian of the Year Awards was to celebrate and honour those persons who are making a positive impact, rather than focusing on negativity. This award has fostered a spirit of excellence across various fields including social work, education, medicine and administration. This, in itself, is a great achievement of the award. To us, every nominee is already a winner as their work continues to inspire us.

— Dr Vijay Darda, chairman of editorial board of Lokmat Media Group

 

The Lokmat Maharashtrian of the Year Awards is a highly esteemed and motivational award. Such recognitions not only encourage the winners but also inspire others in the society to strive for excellence. I congratulate the winners, and I also extend my best wishes to those who were nominated but didn’t win this time. This is a truly impactful initiative, and I commend Lokmat for organising it.

— Rahul Narwekar, speaker of Maharashtra Legislative Assembly

 

Union minister of commerce and industry Piyush Goyal putting forth his point during the Lokmat Maharashtrian of the Year Awards 2025 jury meeting alongside chairman of editorial board of Lokmat Media Group and former member of Rajya Sabha Dr Vijay Darda, joint managing director and editorial director of Lokmat Media Group Rishi Darda, chairman of Aadhaar Neelkanth Mishra,  director of Tata Hospital, Dr Shripad Banavali, additional chief secretary Manisha Patankar Mhaiskar, co-founder of Dream11 Group Harsh Anand Jain, speaker of the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly Rahul Narwekar, playback singer Shreya Ghoshal, actor Swwapnil Joshi, Police Commissioner of Navi Mumbai  Milind Bharambe, Group Editor of Lokmat Media Group Vijay Baviskar, Editor of Lokmat (Mumbai) Atul Kulkarni, founder of Mann Deshi Mahila Sahakari Bank Chetna Gala Sinha, and senior advocate at the Bombay High Court Amit Desai.

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