At the conclusion of The Free Press Journal’s Angels of Mumbai Season 2024, which featured 38 change-makers, six esteemed jury members came together to select the top 10 most powerful and impactful of the lot. The jury meeting, conducted yesterday at The Taj Mahal Palace, was chaired by Justice SJ Kathawalla, retired judge, Bombay High Court, along with five other distinguished members. They focussed on selecting winners who have devoted their lives to uplifting those in need.
Deliberations during the meeting of the jury members focused on mission, alignment and impact; innovation and adaptability; future promise; transparency and accountability; and community engagement and collaboration. “The platform that has been given by The Free Press Journal to all the angels has helped all of them for outreach and recognition,” said Ziaa Lalkaka, CEO, HT Parekh Foundation, also a jury member.
Other members of the jury included Neera Nundy, partner at Dasra; Amitabh Jaipuria, CEO at Accelerate Indian Philanthropy; Anjali Raina, Executive Director at Harvard Business School India Research Center; and Darshana Shah, Head, Marketing and Customer Experience at Aditya Birla Capital. At the conclusion of the jury meeting, where 10 winners and five special mentions were selected, Raina said, “The jury process was extremely professional, systematic, and transparent.”
Speaking about the jury meet, Darshana Shah said that it was a different and humbling experience because the kind of work each NGO and individual has done is far-reaching. “It is amazing to see the kind of unsung heroes that this city has. They are extremely dedicated and committed to their work which has been making Mumbai a better place.”
For five consecutive years, The Free Press Journal has featured through this series of reports Mumbaikars who have undertaken public-spirited, purpose-driven work across sectors. In 2024, the Angels of Mumbai series featured 38 such initiatives by individuals and groups working in and around Mumbai. These reports were also published simultaneously as video stories on FPJ’s YouTube channel. People featured in 2024 have worked in various fields including environment, water security, animal welfare, gender, paediatric nutrition, among others.
