Electronics For You, a premier publishing group for the electronics industry, presented the 8th edition of EFY Awards today at a ceremony held in Le Meridien Hotel, Bengaluru. These awards aim to recognise brands, organisations and individuals who are leaders in their respective segments within the Indian electronics industry. The awards were presented across 26 product categories to brands voted by the readers of EFY and Electronics Bazaar magazines. The awards also consist of three special categories, selected by a jury of six members. 

The director of triple-IT Bangalore, Professor Sadagopan, who taught for over 25 years at IITs, IIMs and Triple-IT Bangalore, graced the occasion as the Guest of Honour. Professor Sadagopan serves on the boards of Bharat Electronics, Neyveli Lignite Corporation and Indian Renewable Energy Agency as well as several universities/institutes.

Addressing the audience and the readers of EFY and Electronics Bazaar magazines, who have played an important role in choosing the winners, Ramesh Chopra, vice chairman of EFY Group, said, "To keep up with the changes in industry and the products churned out by it, the products for which the awards are announced are reviewed every year and changed as per requirement. However, this year we have made drastic changes in the product categories by substituting the consumer electronics and IT products with core electronics products, which are more relevant to the industry catered to by EFY." The new product categories that have been added to the Readers' Choice Awards are SMT pick and place, EMS firm, LEDs, LED drivers, programmable logic controllers (PLCs) and sensors and transducers.   

The winner of the new award--Best EMS Firm Award--Sanjiv Narayan, managing director, SGS Tekniks Manufacturing Pvt Ltd, said, "We are extremely delighted to receive this recognition. SGS has completed 20 years and since the inception, we had been struggling to generate awareness about the EMS concept in the Indian industry. What makes me more happy is that readers have selected us as the best EMS firm. I give all the credit to EFY readers as they have recognised the efforts and struggle of a home-grown company."

Another first time winner under SMT Pick and Place category, N Chandramohan, country head--SMT division, Juki India Pvt Ltd, said, "We are deeply honoured to receive this award, specially because it is the Reader's Choice Award. This has been possible due to our customers and the readers of EFY who have voted us for this award."

Some of the companies have been EFY readers' consistent favourites for years. It was a hat-trick for both Sparsh and Weller, who won the Reader's Choice Award for the categories CCTV Cameras and Soldering and Desoldering Stations, respectively. "This is the third time we have won this award which encourages us to compete with new technologies and innovations. The readers of EFY have boosted our confidence to perform even better each year," said Sanjeev Sehgal, managing director, Sparsh.

Ajay Sethi, managing director, Weller, said, "It has been our continuous effort to bring out new products and we are happy to see these efforts being recognised by EFY readers."

Omron received the Reader's Choice Award for two categories--Switches & Relays and Sensors, Actuators & Transducers. Vinod Raphael, country manager, Omron Electronic Components, said, "It gives us immense pride to accept the Reader's Choice Award from the leading electronics magazine, Electronics For You. As a company with a global presence, this award recognises our contribution in the Indian market and at the same time, increases our responsibility as a member of the electronics industry."

Under EFY Jury Awards, the Electronics Man of the Year has been won by Inderdeep Singh, president and MD, Continental Device India Ltd (CDIL); Electronics Organisation of the Year was presented to Dixon Technologies (India) Pvt Ltd; and the Lifetime Achievement Award has been bagged by Om Wadhwa, CMD, JV Electronics and former president, ELCINA.

"EFY Readers' Choice Awards are now a regular annual feature, which is looked forward to eagerly by the industry. It has, therefore, been decided to announce their dates now a year in advance so that those interested may mark the next date in their calendar. EFY Awards 2013 will be held on 15 March 2013, again in Bengaluru," informed Ramesh Chopra.

THE WINNERS

EFY Jury Awards
Electronics Man of the Year: Inderdeep Singh, president and MD, CDIL
Electronics Organisation of the Year: Dixon Technologies (India) Pvt Ltd
Lifetime Achievement Award: Om Wadhwa, CMD, JV Electronics and former president, ELCINA