Who among the following was recently honoured with the Indian of the Year award by a branding and business excellence organisation?

Introduction / Context:
Several private organisations and branding agencies in India confer titles such as Indian of the Year to recognise achievements in different fields. One such honour in the field of literature and inspiration was given by a branding and business excellence organisation to a popular contemporary Indian author. This question asks you to identify that author from the options given.

Given Data / Assumptions:
- The award is titled Indian of the Year. - It is associated with a branding or business excellence organisation rather than the government. - The options list individuals from different fields, including sports and literature. - Only one of them is widely reported as receiving this Indian of the Year title in a literary and inspirational context. - We assume media coverage and award citations as reference.

Concept / Approach:
Popular novelist and motivational writer Preeti or Preety Shenoy has been honoured as Indian of the Year by a branding and business excellence organisation for her impact as one of India's top selling women authors. Other names in the options are associated with different domains or recognitions. The approach is to link the Indian of the Year citation with her public profile and book based influence and to select her name accordingly.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Review the names and identify which of them are known as authors or thought leaders in the literary space. Step 2: Recognise that Preety Shenoy is a widely read Indian author, often featured in lists of top selling Indian women writers. Step 3: Recall that news coverage has highlighted her receiving an Indian of the Year honour from a reputed branding company for her inspirational writing and impact on readers. Step 4: Note that Sunita Rani is associated more with athletics, Dhiraj Singh and Abhishek Kumar are not widely linked with this specific award, and Mahesh Muralidhar is better known in the context of a different international recognition. Step 5: As only Preety Shenoy matches the description of an Indian of the Year recipient in this context, she is the correct answer.

Verification / Alternative check:
A cross check can be done by recalling one line notes in current affairs compilations which state that writer Preeti or Preety Shenoy was honoured with the Indian of the Year award by a branding organisation, citing her influence and popularity. None of the other options appear in similar notes or are connected with this particular title. This consistent association between her name and the award makes the answer clear.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Option A (Sunita Rani) is wrong because she is an athlete and is not reported as receiving this specific Indian of the Year honour. Option B (Dhiraj Singh) is wrong because he does not match the profile of a widely known Indian of the Year awardee in this branding context. Option D (Abhishek Kumar) is wrong as there is no strong link between this name and the familiar Indian of the Year award from a branding firm. Option E (Mahesh Muralidhar) is wrong because he is recognised in different domains, including human trafficking work and international awards, not this particular title.

Common Pitfalls:
Because the phrase Indian of the Year is used by different media houses and organisations, students sometimes confuse one award with another and may think of television or news channel based awards rather than this branding and literature oriented honour. Another pitfall is to pick a name that sounds more familiar from sports instead of recalling the literary context. To avoid such mistakes, it is helpful to associate this particular Indian of the Year title with a bestselling author rather than with politics or sport.

Final Answer:
The person honoured with the Indian of the Year award in this branding and literary context is Preety Shenoy.