T Ashok, CEO & Founder of STAG Software, was recognized for his contribution to the Software Testing Industry with a Thought Leadership Award at the recently concluded Test 2008 conference at Delhi. The event being held in India for the first time saw experts from around the world, including the renowned Rex Black, come together to share strategies, trends, and insights into world class testing.

According to the committee, T Ashok was awarded "for developing and maintaining a unique style of teaching the craft. Through his popular workshops, Ashok has influenced many budding and seasoned software professionals to make mark in the area of software testing. Ashok's philosophy of testing is around "human thinking and questioning" and apparently stayed away from "Process" oriented testing philosophy as taught by his contemporaries.. Ashok prefers to treat software testing as human thinking oriented approach".

Accepting the award, Ashok thanked the organizers for the award and said "It is indeed a pleasant surprise and I am happy to note that the scientific form of inquiry as a method of uncovering defects has been recognized by the community".