The Oscars of the Indian automobile awards, the Indian Car of the Year (ICOTY) was held at a glamorous event on 27 February, in New Delhi.
The ICOTY is the most credible and coveted award in the Indian automotive industry. The award has been gaining prominence with each passing year, especially due to the efforts of JK Tyres, who have been supporting this award and sponsoring the grand award ceremonies right from its inception. keeping a close eye on the voting process were the award validation partner — Grant Thornton Bharat.
The ceremony attended by a limited yet highly celebrated gathering of industry stalwarts, key officials and auto enthusiasts witnessed the felicitation of the winners of the sought-after award judged based on criteria such as performance, innovation and excellence in the Indian auto sector. Adding the element of entertainment to the event was the performance by the “Tetseo Sisters”, a band of four musician siblings from Kohima, Nagaland, that weave folklore in song.
This is the 16th edition of the ICOTY, as this prestigious award was born in the year 2005 when senior and eminent journalists from all the leading automobile magazines in India got together and decided to select a decisive winner through a fair and foolproof voting process. The value of the award can be owed to the fact that the contenders for the award are rigorously judged based on a large number of parameters such as price, fuel-efficiency, styling, comfort, safety, performance, practicality, technical innovation, value for money, and suitability for Indian driving conditions.
With a shift in global trend and policies of the Government of India encouraging the production and use of electric vehicles, this year the ICOTY jury introduced the ‘Green Car Award’ to appreciate manufacturers contributing to the future of mobility. And it was a proud moment for us all, as the homegrown Tata Nexon EV clinched the ‘Green Car Award 2021 by ICOTY’ in the inaugural edition.
As you will recall, in 2019 the ICOTY Jury had decided to also institute one more award under the ICOTY aegis. Given the increasing popularity and acceptance of the Premium Car category in the Indian market, the ICOTY jury introduced the Premium Car Award which honours the finest automobiles from around the world. This year, the Land Rover Defender was honoured with the ‘Premium Car Award 2021 by ICOTY’.
Finally, it was time for the much-awaited ICOTY 2021 to be announced. This year the top honours went to the very popular Hyundai i20, as the hatchback edged ahead of the competition owing to its strong combination of style, features, driving dynamics and a range of powertrains.
Commenting on the occasion, Dr Raghupati Singhania, Chairman and Managing Director, JK Tyre & Industries Limited said, “It’s a matter of pride for us to be associated with the Indian Car of the Year and Indian Motorcycle of the Year awards since its inception. While every year has been special, this one is truly exceptional, where we are not just celebrating the technological-excellence and innovation brought in by the manufacturers, but the zeal and resilience of the entire automotive industry, as it emerged stronger from the uncharted waters. Considering the growing relevance of sustainable mobility, this year we also introduced the ‘Green Car Award’ to recognize the efforts of manufacturers who are helping bring a change towards the future of mobility. With this, I would like to congratulate not just the winners, but all the contenders for offering some of the best technologically advanced products in line with the global innovations. It was remarkable to witness our eminent jury conducting the evaluation under a safe and secure environment.”
In 2020, the ICOTY award was bagged by the Hyundai Venue and BMW India took home the Premium Car Award 2020 for the 3 Series Sedan.
Along with our very own Aspi Bhathena (Editor, Bike India and Car India) and Sarmad Kadiri (Executive Editor, Bike India and Car India), the members of the Jury for the 2021 ICOTY award were: Yogendra Pratap (Chairman, ICOTY and Editor of Auto Today), Rahul Ghosh (Associate Editor, Auto Today), Dhruv Behl (Editor, autoX), Ishan Raghava (Associate Editor, autoX), Sirish Chandran (Editorial Director, evo India, Fast Bikes India & Motor Sport India), Aniruddha Rangnekar (Contributing editor at evo India), Pablo Chaterji (Executive Editor, Motoring World), Kartik Ware (Managing Editor, Motoring World), Bertrand D’souza (Editor, Overdrive), Bob Rupani (Overdrive), Muralidhar Swaminathan (Consulting Motoring Editor, The Hindu Business Line), Vikrant Singh (Editor, CarWale, BikeWale and CarTrade), Kushan Mitra (Managing Editor, The Pioneer), Girish Karkera (Editor, Times Auto) and Kranti Sambhav (Editor and Lead, Times Drive).
Congratulating the winners, Yogendra Pratap, Chairman, ICOTY 2021, said, “The key criterion for an ICOTY winner is its power to redefine the segment, and that’s exactly what Hyundai i20 brings to its category. No wonder we had a resounding decision from the jury by a margin of 13 points. I am also excited about the debut of the Green Car Award this year and the Tata Nexon EV ticks all the right boxes. With the kind of efforts that are being put towards bringing sustainable mobility solutions by manufacturers, we hope to make this an annual feature at the awards. Additionally, The Land Rover Defender won the Premium Car Award, which has changed the dynamics of the segment. I congratulate all the winners and contenders for their remarkable efforts.”
Also read: Hyundai Venue Bags Indian Car of the Year 2020 (ICOTY)
Story: Cherry Mathew Roy
