Sushil Rao Chilkuri presented “Legend Award” at Hybiz tv Media Awards 2026

  


 

After having been a journalist for the last 38 years, it indeed was a moment of crowning glory when Information Technology, Electronics and Communication, Industry and Commerce, and Legislative Affairs Minister Duddilla Sridhar Babu bestowed on me the “Media Legend Award” at a function held at Cyber Gardens, Hitec City, Hyderabad, on May 2, 2026.

The media awards were instituted in 2021 by Hybiz TV to recognise media professionals for their work in different streams.

During the media awards for the year 2026, apart from the awards given away in various categories, five personalities were chosen by a committee to be honoured with the Legend Award. It indeed is an honour for me that I was chosen.

It was indeed a privilege receiving the Media Legend Award from Minister Sridhar Babu, Vivek Gupta, President, Indian Newspaper Society, former MP (Rajya Sabha) and Publisher of Sunmarg, Narendra Ram Nambula, Chairman and Managing Director of Lifespan Pvt Ltd, M Ravinder Reddy, Director (Marketing), Bharathi Cement, N Jaideep Reddy, President, Credai Hyderabad, and in particular Rajgopal Madisetty, Founder of Hybiz TV, which was launched in 2009. It established itself as a digital media platform delivering quality business content and is watched across the country and abroad for its content.

What made it even more special was being among four other distinguished persons who were also recognised for their professional lives spanning decades. These included Bhandaru Srinivas Rao, who began his career as a journalist in 1970. He also served as a correspondent for All India Radio in Moscow during the Gorbachev era. To share space with the celebrated Bhandaru Srinivas Rao was a privilege.

Well-known writer, poet, and media personality Dr Chunduri Mrunalini retired as Professor of Comparative Literature at Potti Sreeramulu Telugu University in 2024. She is very well known as a radio and television personality, critic, and thinker. She is a recipient of many awards and recognitions.

Bhupendra Chaubey, former Executive Editor, CNN-News18, former Editor-in-Chief, India Ahead, and also worked for NDTV. A hardcore political journalist, he is now Editor-in-Chief of The Squirrels. Chaubey is an internationally renowned journalist who is invited to deliver talks on various platforms for his ability to ignite healthy debate.

Another distinguished person chosen for this year's Legend Award is Srinath Iyer, who has worked for more than three decades in various media houses, including Eenadu, The Hindu, and Hindustan Times.

In the last six years since it instituted the awards, Hybiz.tv honoured some very well-known people in different fields with the Legend Award. So it gives me great pleasure to join the ranks of the legends who include: I Venkat (Director, Eenadu) – Media, KRP Reddy (Director, Sakshi) – Media, Anil Kumar (Director, The Times of India) – Media, Zahid Ali Khan (Editor-in-Chief, The Siasat Daily) – Media, Vinay Vir (Late) – Hindi Milap – Media, Rabindranath MP – Deccan Chronicle – Media, Vikram K (CEO, TV9) – Media, and Amer Ali Khan (Siasat Daily) – Media.


Other prominent persons from various field who were bestowed the Legend Award include Dr D Nageshwar Reddy (Chairman, AIG) – Healthcare, Dr AV Gurava Reddy (Founder, Sunshine) – Healthcare, M Ravinder Reddy (Director, Bharathi Cement) – Business, K Bhaskar Reddy (Director, Godrej Jersey) – Business, Chandrashekar Reddy (VP, Freedom Oil) – Business, Chakravarthi AVPS (Brand India Pharma) – Business, Manepally Rama Rao (Founder, Manepally Jewellers) – Business, Surat Singh Namdhari (Founder, Namdhari Group) – Business, BVR Mohan Reddy (CMD, Cyient Group) – Education, Manik N Daruvala (Founder, T.I.M.E.) – Education, Lakshmi Nivas Sarma (Chairman, Hindi Maha Vidyalaya) – Education, Ali Hemmati (Founder, Hotel Paradise) – Food, Lakhraj Ramnani (Founder, Karachi Bakery) – Food, and Babu Rao (Owner, Café Niloufer).


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