BANGALORE, INDIA: Dell announced the launch of its Small Business Excellence Awards 2009 in India and started inviting entries.

Into its sixth year in the United States and second globally the award, now extended to 13 countries, would give small businesses applying technology in innovative ways to better serve customers, a chance to win up to $50,000 in Dell solutions and a meeting with Dell Chairman and CEO, Michael Dell.

Announcing the launch of the awards in India, Ravi Bharadwaj, head, SMB SBU, Dell India, said, “India has a terrific entrepreneurial spirit that we at Dell understand. The successful big and small Indian entrepreneurs have made India the success story it is today. We saluted them with our ‘Take Your Own Path’ campaign; we now look to recognize them for innovation and technology best practices with the. Dell Small Business Excellence Awards. SMBs will play a key role in economic growth especially in these times; Dell remains committed to help them grow with a suite of specific products and simplified IT solutions geared for SMB needs.”

Dell and The National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB), US-based small-business advocacy association, founded the Dell Small Business Excellence Award in 2004. Global award partners include the International Council for Small Business (ICSB) and Endeavor, a global non-profit organization supporting emerging market entrepreneurs.

Open to small businesses in India with 100 employees or fewer, entrants must show how their company represents the spirit of innovation in applying IT in its business practices to improve the customer experience. No purchase or entry fee would be required. Ten national finalists would be announced in mid-June and the 13 national winners would be announced in September 2009.

Mallika Singh, director, Endeavor India, said: “Endeavor India is thrilled that this announcement coincides with the selection of Endeavor’s next class of entrepreneurs this weekend in Delhi. Endeavor India’s mission is to select and support innovative entrepreneurs that can transform industries and have mass-scale impact. The Dell Excellence Award is a continuation of that idea, to demonstrate that through innovative business practices, entrepreneurs with ambitious place can contribute significantly to their economies.

Dell launched its first SMB brand campaign in India in October 2008 called ‘Take your own path’. The campaign profiled a remarkable list of business achievers from different walks of life – Raman Roy, chief executive officer of Quatrro, and P Rajendran, co-founder and chief operating officer of NIIT. 

The 2009 Dell Small Business Excellence Award judging panel would consist of industry experts from Dell, leaders of small businesses as well as academics.

Within the India region:
The winner would receive $25,000 in Dell products and services and a day of best-practice sharing with Dell executives, including Michael Dell.

The rest of the nine finalists would receive a Dell business-class notebook.
 
Chosen from the 13 national winners, the global 2009 Small Business Excellence Award winner would receive:
Up to $50,000 in technology and services from Dell, global recognition, lifetime membership to the International Council for Small Business (ICSB) and engagement with Endeavor’s network of business leaders and high-impact entrepreneurs in emerging markets worldwide.