ITC chief is Business person of the year

Kolkata: ITC Limited Chairman Y C Deveshwar has been named 'Business person of the year 2006' by UK Trade and Investment, a British government organisation that supports overseas businesses.

Deveshwar was honoured by Prince Andrew, Duke of York, at the India Business Awards ceremony in Mumbai today, ITC said in a statement here.

The award acknowledges Deveshwar's significant role in promoting Indo-British business relations as he was a key figure behind the success of Tony Blair's EU-India summit in 2005 as the president of the Confederation of India Industry (CII).

Deveshwar has been the chairman of ITC since 1996 and has been instrumental in strengthening and consolidating its various businesses in tobacco, hotels, paperboards and packaging, agri-business and expanding the retail business.