MUMBAI: It was time once again for the stalwarts of the Indian automobile industry to take centre stage at the much awaited NDTV Car and Bike Awards 2014. Presented by Mobil1, the ninth edition saw a gathering of the auto industry, car and bike aficionados and enthusiasts across the sector as the NDTV Car & Bike Awards felicitated the best among the best, showcased in NDTV’s highly acclaimed ‘The Car and Bike Show’. These Awards are the automobile industry’s most credible awards, presented annually by NDTV.

In a grand ceremony held at The Taj Palace Hotel, Delhi, hosted by Siddharth Vinayak Patankar and Sarah Jacob, Hyundai Grand i10 took the Car of the Year Award 2014, while KTM Duke 390 was awarded the Two Wheeler of the Year 2014. The ‘CNB Visioneer Award’ was given to Mr. Brijmohan Lall for his outstanding contribution to the Indian automobile industry.

The CNB Viewers’ Choice Awards for both Cars and Bikes provided NDTV viewers the exciting opportunity to vote for their favourite car and two wheeler nominees and stand a chance to take the year’s hottest wheels home. Ford EcoSport and TVS Jupiter were announced as the Viewers’ Choice car and Two Wheeler respectively.

Sachin Tendulkar was awarded (the Brand Ambassador of the Year for BMW while Mahindra Racing & Gaurav Gill was awarded the Mobil1 Motorsport Award. The evening was a celebration of the best design, unmatched technology, style and performances in the automobile industry and honoured the best vehicles and campaigns that dominated the market in 2013.

Speaking on the occasion, Siddharth Vinayak Patankar, Editor - Auto & Head Automobile Programming, NDTV said, “It’s with immense pride that we celebrate the deserving winners tonight. Our even more comprehensive jury scoring process ensures that we are truly honouring the years the most exciting and best cars, most capable and exhilarating two wheelers, and the most deserving people behind them.”

To ensure a full proof and fair selection process, each Jury member assesses and awards each nominee in complete isolation to other jurors. Each car and bike nominated is driven, evaluated and tested by the Jury along with a detailed research on each nominee's specifications; its market performance and its immediate competition also being provided to them. Tabulators at Ernst and Young monitored the entire process.