India's leading CFO'S to be honoured by CNBC Awards

Ras Al Khaimah Free Trade Zone is one of the fastest growing free trade zones, with more than 2,400 companies from 87 countries around the globe. This year alone it has registered more than 1100 new companies, an increase of 160 per cent compared with the same period last year.

The 2006 CFO Awards for India, taking place in Ras Al Khaimah on Saturday 25th November, will be televised across India by CNBC-TV18. It is expected to become an annual event of growing significance for India's finance community. The 15 category winners, including that of India's CFO of the Year, will be announced at a ceremony bringing together more than 60 of India's top senior Chief Financial Officers.

Hosted by H.H. Sheikh Faisal Bin Saqr Al Qassimi, Chairman of Ras Al Khaimah Free Trade Zone, the event will take place before an audience of VVIPs at the Hilton Ras Al Khaimah. Said Shaikh Faisal, "RAK FTZ is sponsoring and hosting the Awards as part of its drive to highlight the opportunities in Ras Al Khaimah to investors from across the Middle East and Asia."

Oussama El Omari, CEO for RAK FTZ, said, "We're delighted to be partnering CNBC-TV18 in this illustrious new awards event which unites the world of corporate and public sector finance in India, and are excited to have brought the awards ceremony to Ras Al Khaimah."
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"CNBC-TV18's national coverage of the event, and the additional exposure that will be generated, will greatly assist our efforts to increase awareness of the emirate, the free trade zone, and the facilities and benefits we offer to investors."

Ras Al Khaimah Free Trade Zone has enjoyed increasing success in India, and this has resulted in an expansion of its presence in Mumbai. Having moved into a spacious new facility this month, the RAK FTZ liaison office has added staff in Mumbai and in other Indian metros to handle the increased interest in Ras Al Khaimah Free Trade Zone.

The 2006 CFO Awards for India are designed to recognise and reward financial excellence and leadership, and will honour individuals who have emerged as 'Thought Leaders'. A pre-eminent Awards jury initially assessed more than 1,000 CFOs from a range of categories reflecting the diverse nature of finance.

The jury has now short listed a total of 50 CFOs in categories including:
• The CFO of the year
• Excellence in Finance (Large corporate)
• Excellence in Finance (Multinational)
• Excellence in Finance (Public sector unit)
• Excellence in Finance (Small to medium sized company)
• Deal of the Year (Mergers and acquisitions)

The CFO of the Year category seeks to determine how a CFO is stepping 'outside the box' to strategically partner the CEO, seen as the most important transformation in the role of the CFO. The Deal of the Year category encompasses best practices in designing and implementing mergers and acquisitions to achieve strategic goals.


The Awards jury, which has been armed with detailed dossiers on each of the nominees, consists of:
• Mr. T.V Mohandas Pai, Director-HR & ENR, Infosys Technology Ltd.
• Mr. Shailesh Haribhakti, MD, Haribhakti & Company
• Mr. Anil Singhvi, Managing Director, Gujarat Ambuja Cement
• Mr. Suman Sinha, CFO, AV Birla Group
• Mr. Dileep Choksi, Joint Managing Partner, Deloitte Haskins and Sell
• Mr. Subrata Mukherji, MD, ICICI Securities Ltd

In hosting the Awards, RAK FTZ expects to build significantly on the worldwide recognition it is receiving as an attractive destination for international companies keen to penetrate regional and international markets.

Ras Al Khaimah Free Trade Zone has taken part in many projects that contribute significantly to the development of the emirate of Ras Al Khaimah. One of these projects is RAK Airport Business Towers which will include Cargo Village, RANATA Building plus residential and commercial towers.

The emirate of Ras Al Khaimah has recently begun an ambitious phase of development including investment in infrastructure, tourism, shopping, and efforts to attract industrial and commercial enterprises.