27th Edition of the AsiaOne ASEAN Business & Social Forum 2026, Malaysia and Greatest Brands and Leaders 2026 Awards : Asia, Africa & Americas

AsiaOne Media Group successfully hosted the 27th Edition of AsiaOne ASEAN Summit on the 10th of June, 2026 at the JW Marriott Hotel in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. With the dominant theme of "Celebrating the Spirit of ASEAN," this Summit spotlighted the strengthening of bilateral trade, investment, and innovation between the ASEAN Nations, and the wider Asian region, while also fostering strategic partnerships across the Asia Pacific region.

The 27th AsiaOne ASEAN Business & Social Forum 2026 in Kuala Lumpur marked a clear shift from earlier global editions to a sharper ASEAN-focused strategy, aligning with one of the fastest-growing economic regions in the world. Unlike previous forums in Dubai, London, Singapore, and India, this edition was more market-entry driven, with Kuala Lumpur serving as a gateway to Southeast Asia. This made the platform far more relevant for organisations looking to expand regionally, building cross-border relationships, and tapping into emerging opportunities across ASEAN economies.

The event was supported by key global partners including Indira University, Apollo Hospitals and HOSAF Group Bangladesh. The contribution of some of the keynote speakers and distinguished participants, including diplomats from 27 countries were instrumental in making the Forum a resounding success.

This year's Forum was more than a high-profile gathering; it was a vibrant celebration of global leadership and a reaffirmation of the importance of cross-continental collaboration. The platform welcomed business and social leaders, top diplomats, and policymakers from across Asia, Africa, the Middle East, Europe, and the Americas, to engage in critical dialogue, share transformative ideas, and recognise outstanding leadership and social impact.
The Forum brought together business and social leaders and diplomats from the participating countries and beyond to foster cross-border collaboration, exchange transformative ideas, and recognise excellence in leadership and social impact across continents. It emphasised the importance of unified action among business, social, and political leaders, and encouraged deeper global collaboration - especially between established economies and emerging markets around the world.

A key highlight of the event was the focus on how nations are actively promoting trade, tourism, and investment as catalysts for shared growth. Business and social leaders from Malaysia, Singapore, India, UAE, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, US, Myanmar and other participating regions shared their forward-looking visions for advancing global enterprise and socio-economic development. They emphasized the urgent need to reshape the global business landscape through cross-border collaborations, joint ventures, and strategic economic partnerships.

By uniting industrialised nations with emerging economies, the Forum served as a vital platform for addressing critical issues in international trade, investment, and sustainable development. Discussions throughout the event reinforced the need for inclusive, strategic, and collaborative action to address global challenges and unlock new opportunities for shared prosperity. In its latest edition, the Forum once again proved to be an ideal platform to showcase some of the most exceptional leaders from across Asia, Africa, and the Americas. It brought to light the outstanding accomplishments of top-tier companies operating across the Asian and African regions. The event was a true celebration of leadership, innovation, and shared vision for sustainable development and inclusive growth.

The Summit was organised by AsiaOne Magazine and URS Media, a leading international media house addressing critical business, political, and social issues across Asia, Africa, the Middle East, and the Americas. The organisation supports key initiatives of the Indian Government, such as the Viksit Bharat @2047 vision, Skilling India, Digital India, and Incredible India, as well as the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals and the World Health Organization's global objectives.

The glittering event saw the presence of some of the world's most influential figures including diplomats from 27 countries along with esteemed business leaders, investors, and professionals from Asia, the Gulf, US, Africa, and beyond.
The evening was made even more memorable with the book launch.

Mr. Rajat Raj Shukal, Global Head & Principal Partner of AsiaOne Media Group, extended a warm welcome to the esteemed diplomats from different countries of the world, and prominent business and social leaders in attendance including Mr. Moazzam Hossain and Mr. Shakif Shamim from Bangladesh, Dr. Arshi Ayub from the UAE and Mr. Adam Castillo from Myanmar and Mr. Manish Tripathi, the Director for the Singapore India Chambers of Commerce, who also runs his own investment brand, and Mr. Shirish Nimgaonkar from the US. He also thanked the Forum's partners namely Indira University from India and the Apollo Hospitals Group, one of the largest hospital chains in India. He extended a warm welcome to esteemed Ambassadors and High Commissioners from around the globe with a total representation from 27 countries namely Thailand, Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar, Indonesia, the Philippines, Timor-Leste, Mexico, Czech Republic, Romania, Georgia, Hungary, Kenya, Uganda, South Africa, Nigeria, Bangladesh, Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kuwait, Egypt, Venezuela, Cuba, Maldives, Papua New Guinea and Fiji. He thanked all of them for their esteemed presence, which reinforced the truly international nature of the summit. He also emphasized upon the elite participation from some of the big brands from Sri Lanka as well such as Pelwatte Dairy, the Capital Trust Group, and Prime Group.

Most importantly, he reiterated the vision behind AsiaOne, "Unlike some of our contemporaries, we would not look at market capitalisation when we would list and feature brands and leaders. We would also want to list and feature brands and leaders based on the emotional quotient, the amazing phenomenal product that they've done, the strategy that they've created, how they've taken it go-to-market. Because we also feel with evolution, now it's not only contemporary or old traditional strategies that make a brand a brand. But to make a brand, it's important to have passion and vision. And all the awardees here, big round of applause for all of you for having that passion and vision, for creating your brand, taking it to this level, and I'm sure much more."

In his keynote speech, Mr. Moazzam Hossain, Chairman, Hosaf Group highlighted the importance of hard work and dedication in entrepreneurial success. He also emphasized the importance of perseverance in establishing a successful business. According to him, an entrepreneur should never give up as consistency is the key to success.

At the Forum, Mr. Ariyaseela Wickramanayake, Founder and Chairman, Pelwatte Dairy Industries Limited, gave lessons in leadership. He was of the view that the entrepreneurs should "take the bull by the horns." Thus, they should not shy away from the challenges thrown open by entrepreneurship but face them head on without fear.

Likewise, Prof. Ravi Naidu, Managing Director & CEO, crcCARE in his keynote speech, said that pollution is a serious problem affecting millions of people, and that new technologies, especially AI, can help detect manage, and clean up pollution more effectively, while governments, businesses, and investors should work together to create a cleaner and healthier future.

In his keynote speech, Mr. Shirish Nimgaonkar, Founder and CEO, eBlissAI, emphasised that while AI will create extraordinary wealth and transform the future of work, long-term prosperity can only be achieved when its benefits are shared broadly across society. He noted that hope lies not in guaranteed outcomes but in the conviction to build a future where AI-driven progress is trusted, inclusive, and beneficial for all.

The Forum also applauded the Book Launch of Mr. Adam Castillo's "Finding Our Voice: A Story of Leadership in Crisis and the American Spirit Abroad."

A thanks message from Dr. Kiran Mazumdar Shaw, Executive Chairperson, Biocon, accepting AsiaOne's Women Empowerment Principles Leadership award and her strong emphasis on women empowerment captured the Forum's attention and garnered a huge round of applause.

The following distinguished dignitaries graced the Forum:

AsiaOne Diplomatic Excellence Award 2026
1. H.E. Miss Lada Phumas, Ambassador of Thailand to Malaysia
2. H.E. Mr. Rashed M R Al-Saleh, Ambassador of the State of Kuwait to Malaysia
3. His Excellency Mr. Jimmy Ure Ovia, High Commissioner of Papua New Guinea to Malaysia
4. H.E. Mr. Muhammetnyyaz Mashalov, Ambassador of Turkmenistan in Malaysia
5. H.E. Mr. Lisualdo Menezes Coimbra Gaspar, Ambassador of Timor-Leste to Malaysia
6. H.E. Mr. Thepthavone Sengmany, Ambassador of Lao PDR to Malaysia
7. H.E. Mr. Juraj Kodelka, Ambassador of Czech Republic to Malaysia
8. H.E. Mr. Luis Javier Campuzano Piña, Ambassador of Mexico to Malaysia
9. H.E. Mr. Radamés Gómez Azuaje, Ambassador of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela to Malaysia
10. H.E. Mr. Irakli Asashvili, Ambassador of Georgia to Malaysia
11. H.E. Ms. Yadira Ledesma Hernandez, Ambassador of Cuba to Malaysia
12. H.E. Ekitela Moru, High Commissioner of Kenya to Malaysia
13. H.E. Dr. Betty Oyella Bigombe, High Commissioner of Uganda to Malaysia
14. H.E. Dr. Karomidin Gadoev, Ambassador of Uzbekistan to Malaysia
15. H.E. Dr. Sandor Sipos, Ambassador of Hungary to Malaysia
16. H.E Etueni Qiolele, High Commissioner of Fiji to Malaysia
17. His Excellency Raden Dato' Iman Hascarya, Ambassador of Indonesia to Malaysia
18. H.E. Dr. Mariyam Shabeena Ahmed, High Commissioner of the Republic of Maldives
19. H.E. Ms. Maria Angela Abrera Ponce, Ambassador of the Philippines to Malaysia
20. H.E. Ms. Nineta Barbulescu, Ambassador of Romania to Malaysia
21. H.E. Mr. Bulat Sugurbayev, Ambassador of Kazakhstan to Malaysia
22. H.E. Mr. Karim ElSadat, Ambassador of Egypt to Malaysia
23. His Excellency Mr. Manjurul Karim Khan Chowdhury, High Commissioner of Bangladesh to Malaysia
24. H.E. Ambassador Aung Kyaw Moe, Charge d' Affaires a.i., Myanmar Embassy in Malaysia
25. H.E. Mr. Karthik Tallam, Honorary Consul of the Kingdom of Cambodia in Bangalore, India
26. Ms. Alleta Maseko, Charge d'Affaires of South Africa to Malaysia
27. Mrs. Rahila Kaura Ayuba, Charge D' Affaires a.i. of Nigeria to Malaysia

Global Asian of the Year 2026
● Datuk Nitesh Malani - Chairman, Yayasan Usahawan Malaysia, Group CEO, Enviro Group
● Mr. Kalpesh Kinariwala, Founder - Pantheon Development
● Mr. Maneesh Tripathi, Director/Board Member - Singapore Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SICCI), Group CEO & Founder Director - Marble Rocks VCC Fund, Singapore
● Mr. Shirish Nimgaonkar, Founder and CEO, eBlissAI


Guest of Honour
● Mr. Tharchanaa Morthi M.S. Pandian, Secretary General, Malaysian Associated Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry (MAICCI), Malaysia
AsiaOne Women Empowerment Principles Leadership Award 2026
● Dr. Kiran Mazumdar Shaw, Executive Chairperson, Biocon Group
● Dr. Tarita Shankar, Chairperson & Chief Mentor, Indira University & Indira Group of Institutes
● Dr. Reshma Kaur, Vice Chairperson, Guru Nanak Group of Institutions - Bidar
● Ms. Satvinder Kaur, Co-Founder, WeAnsa Solutions Sdn. Bhd
● Ms. Amita Vyas, Co-Founder and Director, Apcegen Technologies Private Limited
● Dr. Chandra Prasad, Co-Founder and Director, Dr. Dathu Rao Memorial Charitable Trust (Pathway India)
● Ms. Kavina Brahmbhatt, Business Development Manager, Electro Polymers Industries
● Mrs. Ramya Ramachandren, Vice Chairperson, Saraswathi Group of Institutes
● Ms. Shweta Pathak, Founder, Aakarshan Gems & Jewellery
● Ms. Megha Chaudhary, Co-Chairperson, BLC Global Holdings

Business DIVA of the Year 2026
● Ms. Leena Jain, Founder, Fraganta Perfumes

World's Greatest CEO Award
● Mr. Paul W. Bradley, Chairman & CEO, Caprica International

Visionary Leader in Environmental Sustainability 2026 & World's Greatest Brands 2026 Award
● Prof. Ravi Naidu, Managing Director & CEO, crcCARE

World's Leading Sustainable Energy Brand and World's Greatest Sustainable Energy Transformation Leader 2026
● Mr. Roger Kumar, Founder and Managing Director, CASE Group

Most Influential Leader in Renewable Energy 2026
● Mr. Arul Balan, Founder, Chairman, & Managing Director, CALS Renewable Energy India
Most Influential Healthcare Leader 2026 - Middle East
● Dr. Sanjay Paithankar, Founder & Board Member, Right Health Group
AsiaOne International Style Icon Creator Award 2026 and International Hair Transformation Brand of the Year 2026
● Mr. Sunny Verma, Founder, Sunny Hairport
Visionary Leader of the Year 2026
● Mr. Darpan Jayraj Kale, Founder & Managing Director, DPIFS Solutions

Global Leader of the Year 2026
● Mr. Ash Shah, Founder, Chairman, and CEO, IMPEX Capital Group

World's Greatest Brands & Leaders - 2026 Asia, Americas, Africa
● Mr. Md Zahidul Islam, Chief Executive Officer, UK Management College & Chairman Unibridge Group
● Mr. Sakif Shamim, Managing Director, Labaid Cancer Hospital & Super Speciality Centre


Asia's Greatest Brands & Leaders 2026
● Mr. Ariyaseela Wickremanayake - Founder & Chairman, Pelwatte Dairy Industries Ltd
● Mr. Adam Castillo, Founder & Chairman of AGS Myanmar & author of the book- Finding Our Voice
● Dr. Madhu Sasidhar, President & CEO, Hospitals Division
● Dr. Suresh Venkatachari, Chairman of QuantumNexis & Founder of SecureKloud, Healthcare Triangle
● Mr. Tushan Wickramasinghe, Chairman & Chief Executive Officer, Capital TRUST Holdings Limited
● Mr. Premalal Brahmanage, Chairman, Prime Group

Asia's Greatest Brands 2026

● BLC Global Holdings

Asia's Greatest Leaders 2026
● Shri Satya Prakash Sangwan, Vice-President - Paralympics Committee of India (PCI)

UAE's Greatest Brands & Leaders 2026
● Mr. Sayed Habib, Director, Danube Home
World's Greatest Brands & Leaders
● Ajith Peiris, President & CEO, Cinec Campus

World's Greatest Brands 2026
● IMPEX Capital Group
AsiaOne Global Asian of the Year and Asia's Greatest Brands 2026
● Mr. Mohan Ramesh Anand, Founder & CEO, Canopus Global

India's Greatest Brands & Leaders 2026
● Ar. Tushar Mistry, Principal Architect, Tushar Mistry Design Studio
● Mr. Virendra Pankaj, CEO, Aseem Infrastructure Finance Ltd.
● Mr. Sudhanva Dhananjaya, CMD, ExcelSoft Technologies


India's Greatest Brands 2026
● Livguard
● Indira University & Indira Group of Institutes
● Ageas Federal Life Insurance
● Saraswathi Group of Institutions
India's Fastest Growing Sustainable Brands 2026
● CALS Renewable Energy India
UAE's Fastest Growing Brands 2026
● Right Health Group
India's Greatest Brands & Leaders in Real Estate 2026
● Mr. Vijay Jeswani, Founder and CEO, Vijay Jeswani Builders and Developers
Visionary Leader in Real Estate & Social Impact
● Mr. Narendra Kumar Kamaraju, Managing Director, Praneeth Group
Hall of Fame: Legends of School Education 2026
● Mr. Ryan Pinto, CEO, Ryan Group of Schools
Hall of Fame: Education Leadership Award 2026
● Ryan Group of Schools
India's Fastest Growing Brands & Leaders 2026
● Mr. Sanjay Kumar, Managing Director & CEO, Rassense

Greatest Brands & Leaders
● Mr. Danny Samuel, CEO, Roadstar Infra Investment Trust
● Dr. Vinod Anand, Managing Director, Akanksha Global Logistics
● Dr. Jasjit S. Suri, Chairman & CEO, AtheroPointTM, USA
● Mr. Ajay Jain, Director, MDI

Asia's Greatest Leaders 2026 & World's Greatest Brands 2026
● Mr. Debabrata Sarkar, President-Asia Pacific, Alga Energy

Black Swan Award for Woman Leader in AI & Social Impact
● Ms. Celestia Faith Chong- CEO (Chief Empowerment Officer) of Errandify Founder, HumanLed AI and Mrs Chinatown International All Nation, 2018

Global Leader in Smart Cities Development 2026
● Mr. Nanda Bhagi Sandilya, President of Nikola Tesla Smart Cities; CEO of CITCO GLOBAL HOLDINGS; President of Drill Baby Drill USA

India's Most Impactful Social Change Campaign- YaadRakho 2026 and Asia's Leading Nutrition Impact Organization 2026
● HarvestPlus Solutions

Asia's Promising Healthcare Brand & Leader 2026
● Col. Rajeev Mannali, CEO, SUT Pattom Super Specialty Hospital

India's Greatest Healthcare Brands & Leaders 2026
● Dr. S Santosh Kumar Dora, CEO, Kalinga Hospital

AsiaOne 40 Under 40 Leadership Award and India's Greatest Brands
● Mr. Karnav Brahmbhatt, COO, Electro Polymers Industries

AsiaOne Most Influential Young Leaders 2026

● Ms. Arshi Ayub Mohamed Zaveri, Senior Advisor, Private Office of HH Sheikh Mohamed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan, UAE Royal Family and CEO, Trust with Trade Group
● Ms. Gaurangi Desai Mehra, Director, Marketing & Communication, APAR Industries
● Mr. Vikrant Singh, CEO, Convrse Spaces
● Mr. Vishesh Khatri, CBO, Convrse Spaces
● Mr. Anshul Padyal, CTO, Convrse Spaces

Global Leader in The Worthy Dog Products 2026
· Mr. Chetan Bhuta, Chairman - Nanostuffs President - The Worthy Dogs

Global Leader in Life Sciences 2026
● Mr. Praveen Reddy, President & Investor- Maxwell Biosciences Group

Global Leader in Sports Media and Entertainment
● Dr. Mohammed Khan, Founder President & CEO - Khans Media City

Global Leader in Healthcare Technology
● Dr. Raj Bhayani, President - New York Institute of Otolaryngology and Aesthetic Surgery

Changemaker of the Year 2026 & World's Greatest Brands 2026
● Mr. Moazzam Hossain, Chairman - Hosaf Group

Changemaker of the Year 2026 & Viksit Bharat Commitment Award 2026
● Mr. Rakesh Malhotra, Founder, Livguard

Changemaker of the Year 2026
● Mr. Harish Kohli, President & Managing Director, Acer India

Viksit Bharat Commitment Award 2026
Mr. Jude Gomes, Managing Director & CEO, Ageas Federal Life Insurance

Bhartiya Mahantam Vikas Puraskar 2026
Dr. Adv. Mamta Binani, India's First Regd Insolvency Professional; President, MSME Development Forum West Bengal; Former National President, Institute of Company Secretaries of India

To learn more about the event, research and the greatest brands and leaders, visit www.theworldsgreatestbrands.com, www.theasiasgreatestbrands.com, www.theindiasgreatestbrands.com, www.asiaone.co.in , and www.asiaone.me or call us at +91-011-43281161-66 or write to us at global@asiaone.co.in, dubai@asiaone.co.in, and singapore@asiaone.co.in


AsiaOne Research & Publishing House: Office No 606, 6th Floor, URS Media Consulting DLF, South Court Parking, Saket District Centre, District Centre, Sector 6, Pushp Vihar, New Delhi, Delhi 110017

About AsiaOne
AsiaOne is an international media house and the only Business & News magazine, with presence in more than 15 countries of Asia, Middle East and Africa. AsiaOne Media has pioneered the research-based listing of Brands & Leaders and supplements its listings with National & International Business & Social Summits and Awards function. It has been offering Indian, Asian and African brands & leaders with higher visibility through its several prestigious mediums including Magazine, Coffee Table Book, Television Broadcast, various websites, Android and iOS Apps.

"AsiaOne Greatest Brands & Leaders - Asia, Middle East & Africa": The Most Broadcasted TV Series in the World - Reaching to 81 countries with a B2B viewership of over 46 million.


It is quite important that we share the vision of our research-based awards, which not only are the most credible in the industry, but also reflect our expanse. We have awarded over 6,500 Brands and Leaders from across Asia, Americas, Africa and GCC through our 20 business and social summits. The summits hosted in London, Singapore, Bangkok, Mumbai, New Delhi, Dubai, and Abu Dhabi were attended by over 11,000 delegates, including business owners, brand owners, government delegates, investors and CXOs. These grand award summits are being hailed the world over as Business Oscars.

We own the Intellectual Property Rights of "Greatest Brands & Leaders", "Global Leader of the Year", "BlackSwan Women Empowerment Awards", "Fastest Growing Brands & Leaders", "Greatest CXOs" and "Young Leader Awards" and the most prestigious "Bharatiya Mahantam Vikas Puraskar." The award winners are selected through a scientific Research Methodology by our Research and Editorial Teams, after which nominations of over 3500 companies in each property are made. Due process is followed by our eminent Jury Council, and after a thorough audit, final names are announced at our prestigious international Forums in complete transparency..

We are proud to share that our international Business Summits and Awards functions have already created a unique Platform of Excellence (PoE) in Asia. It is one-of-its-kind platform that is appreciated and applauded profusely by several industry experts and some of the biggest brands of India & Asia. In addition, we have several other prestigious products such as Magazine, Coffee Table Book, various websites, Android & iOS Apps, and Television Series.

This release was published on openPR.