Kumar Mangalam Birla, chairman and managing director of the Aditya Birla group, has been named the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year 2005.

Birla received the award at a glittering banquet here tonight from Deputy Chairman of the Planning Commission Montek Singh Ahluwalia.

According to a media statement by Ernst & Young, Birla got the award for achieving a makeover of his group of far reaching dimensions.

"In the changing business environment, Birla has successfully charted a new course for his group, showing a five-fold growth in five years," it said.

Birla will now represent India at the Ernst & Young World Entrepreneur Award in Monte Carlo, Monaco, in June next year. He was picked for the award by a jury headed by Deepak Parekh, HDFC chairman.

SS Badrinath, who has built Sankara Netralaya, won the Lifetime Achievement Award for bringing world class eye care to India. The Start-Up Entrepreneur of the Year Award went to Rana Kapoor, founder and managing director and CEO of Yes Bank.

While BN Kalyani of Bharat Forge was the winner in the manufacturing category, Dilip Shanghvi of Sun Pharmaceuticals won the award in the health care and life sciences category.

Shobhana Bhartiya of HT Media won the award in the information, communications and entertainment category. Harish Mittal of Mercator Lines was named the winner in the services category. CP Jain, chairman and managing director of National Thermal Power Corporation, won the Manager Entrepreneur of the Year award.

Praful Patel, civil aviation minister, was the guest of honour. Paul J Ostling, chief operating officer of Ernst & Young Global and a large number of India Inc's leading lights participated in the event.

Rajiv Memani, CEO and country managing partner, Ernst & Young India, said each of the award winners had built businesses with immense passion, explored uncharted territories, created jobs and added vibrancy to the economy.