May 17, 2008, New Delhi: At a scintillating evening jointly organized by the Association of IT-BHU Alumni (AIBA), NCR and the European Business Group, India here at the Air Force Auditorium, Subroto Park, India's youngest virtuoso pianist, Abhay Goyle, enthralled the distinguished gathering of EU ambassadors, senior government officials, seasoned technocrats, renowned academicians and alumni members of the Institute of Technology, Banaras Hindu University. The evening, which saw the conferring of the AIBA Awards of Excellence 2008 to some of the most outstanding alumni of the Institute, was made sweeter by the mellifluous notes emanating from this child prodigy's piano. All of 12 years old, Abhay has been regaling audiences across the world, and has shared the dias with such luminaries as Dr. L. Subramaniam, Late Shri Naushad Ali, Ustand Amjad Ali Khan, Shri Anup Jalota and Shri Pankaj Udhas. This evening too, he took the audience on a melodious and memorable musical journey, as he played some classics from his Indian and Western repertoire of melodies. The assembled dignitaries and their families responded enthusiastically by giving the young and talented musician a standing ovation.

The event, however, was not just another cultural extravaganza. As Rajeev Gupta, Secretary, AIBA said on the sidelines of the event, "The Association of IT-BHU Alumni has always seen its role as going beyond just another alumni body that meets occasionally to wine and dine. In the spirit of the great founder of Banaras Hindu University, Mahamana Pandit Madan Mohan Malviya ji, we have always striven to give our platform a socially relevant and meaningful role in nation building. One way to do this is to encourage young talents like Abhay. Another way is to bring the best of India's minds together with international ones, so that they can exchange ideas and explore potential growth and developmental areas. This year, we invited the European Business Group to be a part of the event, since we believe that business and commerce opportunities between India and Europe are still a long way from being fully tapped." His excitement was shared by many among the IT-BHU alumni present on the occasion as well as by the EU ambassadors and their senior staff. Several small groups of such people could be seen talking excitedly about one project, program or the other. Several ambassadors told this correspondent that there should be more such events organized, wherein working professionals from the Indian community could meet with senior functionaries of the European governments in a bid to leverage their mutual strengths, away from the political spotlights. Said one EU member ambassador, "The real strength of a relationship between any two countries does not lie in the several treaties and agreements executed between their governments, but in the perception in the common man's eyes about the value of such a relationship to him and his country. In such events, the people to people contact, conducted in a serious yet social setting, reinforces the positive perceptions."
The star-studded evening witnessed the 2nd Annual Awards of Excellence, 2008 being bestowed upon three of IT-BHU's distinguished alumni. These were Mr S.S. Kohli (CMD IIFC and ex CMD Punjab National Bank), Mr P C Jain (CMD Spectral Services) and Mr Supriyo Das Gupta (CMD MN Dastur & Co). They were lauded for their eminent role in nation building and carrying forward the legacy of the Institute of Technology, Banaras Hindu University. One of the oldest institutions of higher learning in the engineering and technology domain, the Institute's pre-eminence was recently recognized by the Union Government, by according it the IIT status. The evening ended on a high note, with all attendees enjoying a lavish spread of cocktails and dinner.

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