Mumbai: Entertainment Network (India) Limited managing director and managing Ddirector & CEO Times Infotainment Media Limited Amba Preetham Parigi is the 2009 William F. Glaser ’53 Rensselaer Entrepreneur of the Year. The award will be conferred on Parigi by the Severino Centre for Technological Entrepreneurship in the Lally School of Management & Technology, Rensselaer’s business school, at a special ceremony in April 2009. The celebration will take place appropriately at Rensselaer’s state-of-the-art Experimental Media Performing Arts Center.

Parigi is credited with developing Radio Mirchi into a power brand and one of the fastest growing media platforms with a footprint of more than 200 million people across 32 cities, and broadcasting in 10 languages throughout India, all within just seven years of inception.

"He is a man of great humanity with profound commitment to giving back. As a citizen of the world, Parigi serves as a fitting example of the compassionate entrepreneur", stated David Gautschi, dean of the Lally School of Management & Technology.

Established in 1990, the William F. Glaser ’53 Rensselaer Entrepreneur of the Year Award salutes successful entrepreneurs who, in turn, are important role models for the students of Rensselaer. Those honored with the award bring the world of entrepreneurship into Rensselaer’s classrooms and laboratories, sharing their experience and wisdom with all students. The Entrepreneur of the Year Award is a cornerstone of the Severino Center for Technological Entrepreneurship’s extensive roster of programs.

"Parigi has been a valuable and active member of the advisory council of the Lally School of Management & Technology for nearly three years. His perspectives on transitioning economies around the world, especially on the Indian sub-continent, and his interpretation of the transformations of economies and societies that new media can induce are trenchant and actionable for us."

"The Entrepreneur of the Year award sets a standard for our students and sets the bar high as they consider their own goals. Parigi embodies the entrepreneurial spirit not only as demonstrated through the success of his enterprises but also through his exceptional leadership and management," added Lally School of Management & Technology associate director the Severino Center for Technological Entrepreneurship Jean Howard.