Yogi Deveshwar is new CII president

Yogi C Deveshwar, Chairman, ITC Ltd [ Get Quote ], has taken over the reins of the Confederation of Indian Industry as its President, today, succeeding Sunil Kant Munjal, who laid down office after an eventful tenure. R Seshasayee, has taken over as the vice president of CII.

Deveshwar is respected worldwide for his deep insight and maturity with which he steers a multi-business corporation like ITC. He is credited with several key strategic interventions, which have positioned ITC as a well managed, well governed, value creating, top league company in India [ Images ].

His tenure as president of the premier industry organisation, CII, comes at a time, when Indian industry is gaining global recognition, and with his knowledge and expertise, it is widely expected that he will steer Indian industry to newer heights.

An engineering graduate from IIT, Delhi, Deveshwar was handpicked by the government to head the national carrier, Air-India, as chairman and managing director. He had a successful stint in this assignment till 1994, during which he was also a member on the board of Indian Airlines, International Airports Authority of India, Airports Authority of India and Air Mauritius Ltd.

He serves on the executive committees of some of India's premier trade and industry bodies. He is a member of the board of governors of the Indian School of Business,

Hyderabad. The Government of India has also nominated him the chairman of the society and board of governors of the Indian Institute of Management, Calcutta.

He is also a member of the National Manufacturing Competitiveness Council.

Deveshwar is also the Chairman of ITC Hotels Limited and Surya Nepal Private Limited and is a Director on the Board of International Travel House [ Get Quote ] Limited.

He has been honoured with several recognitions within India, including the honorary fellowship of the All India Management Association, the Distinguished Alumnus Award of the Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi, the Meridien Hotelier of the Year Award and the Marketing Man of the Year from A&M, the country's leading marketing publication. Ernst & Young have also honoured Deveshwar with the Manager Entrepreneur of the Year Award in 2001.

R Seshasayee, has taken over as the vice president of CII. A Chartered Accountant by profession, he is the Managing Director of Ashok Leyland [ Get Quote ] since 1998.

On the national council of CII for over 15 years, Seshasayee has been chairman of several national committees of CII including on Eighth Plan, economic affairs, defence, surface transport and international trade and WTO.  He was a member of the Government of India delegation to Doha Ministerial Round of WTO in 2001.

He was also past chairman of the CII's southern region.

He was also the president of Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers, the apex body representing automobile industry in India.   He is now the chairman of International Trade Committee in SIAM.

Seshasayee has served on several professional committees such as the Accounting Standards Board and the research committees of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India.

He is a member of the governing council of the Institute for Financial Management & Research and the Academy for Management Excellence.

Recently, he has taken over as chairman of the board of governors of National Institute of Technology Tiruchirapalli.