PMFAI organised a Function to felicitate following three Padma Award Winners of 2016 on 26th February 2016 at 6.00 pm at Hotel Sun N Sand Juhu, Mumbai.
- Dr. A.V. Ramarao, Chairman & Managing Director, Avra Laboratories P. Ltd. has honored with Padma Bhushan for his outstanding contributions in the field of Science and Engineering.
- Dr. K.H. Gharda, Chairman & Managing Director, Gharda Chemicals Ltd. has honored with Padma Shri for his outstanding contributions in the field of Trade & Industry.
- Prof. (Dr) G.D. Yadav, Vice Chancellor, Institute of Chemical Technology has honored with Padma Shri for his outstanding contributions in the field of Science & Engineering.
The above highest civilian Awards being conferred by the Government of India in recognition of their outstanding contributions to the welfare of the society.
In the function organized by PMFAI to felicitate Dr. A. V. Rama Rao, Dr. K. H. Gharda and Prof. (Dr) G.D. Yadav, Padma Vibhushan Dr. Raghnath A. Mashelkar, National Research Professor, CSIR-NCL and Former Director General of Council of Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR) was the Chief Guest.
In his Welcome Address PMFAI President Mr. Pradip Dave expressed his profound gratitude to Padma Vibhushan Dr. Raghunath Mashelkar for his kind acceptance to be the Chief Guest of the function in the midst of his very busy schedule. Mr. Dave thanked Dr. Mashelkar for his graceful presence on the occasion.
Mr. Pradip Dave briefed the audience about the three Award Winners as below:
Dr. A.V. Rama Rao is the only Fellow of Indian National Science Academy (FNA) who has trained 112 Ph.D students, published more than 250 papers in reputed international scientific journals, developed over process technologies for making life saving drugs more affordable and finally after retiring as Director of Indian Institute of Chemical Technology (IICT, Hyderabad) built a multi-million dollar pharmaceutical company (Avra Laboratories). Dr. Rama Rao’s association with Agrochemical Industry is very long starting from National Chemical Laboratory (NCL), Pune from 1980s and thereafter as Director of IICT, Hyderabad. During his tenure as Director of IICT Dr. Rama Rao has supported the Indian Agrochemical industry to develop and introduce many agrochemical molecules, which has helped Indian Agriculture and Indian Agrochemical industry to a great extent.
Dr. K.H. Gharda, Scientist, Entrepreneur, Philanthropist is the Founder Chairman & Managing Director, Gharda Chemicals Limited, a company engaged in Agrochemicals, high performance Polymers & High performance pigments. Dr. Gharda is also referred to as the “Father of Indian Agrochemical Industry” since he took on the global majors to create import substitutes for critical agrochemicals required by Indian Farmers. He was a key participant in India’s Green Revolution. At 86 years, Dr. Gharda continues as the Chairman, Managing Director & Chief Scientist of Gharda Chemicals Ltd. and has recently floated “Gharda Scientific Research Foundation”, a not-for-profit company dedicated to Scientific Research in basic technologies in multiple areas of Chemical & Metallurgical Engineering. His motto of “Knowledge converted to products to create wealth for the good of society, is not the motto of this organization. PMFAI and Gharda Chemicals has a long history of standing up and fighting for the causes of Indian Agrochemical Industry.
Professor Dr. G. D. Yadav is the Vice Chancellor and RT Mody Distinguished Professor, Jagdish Chandra Bose National Fellow, Institute of Chemical Technology ( ICT ). Professor Yadav has provided inspiring academic and professional leadership to the Institute of Chemical Technology (ICT), the Indian Institute of Chemical Engineers (IIChE) and Catalysis Society of India, and Maharashtra Academy of Sciences. Under inspiring leadership of Professor Dr. Yadav, the achievements of Institute of Chemical Technology (ICT) in chemical science and technology has been beyond imaginations. Prof. Yadav’s leadership has seen phenomenal growth of the Institute which is rated as the best in chemical engineering and technology ranked among the top five in the world with several awards. He has made innovative contributions to Green Chemistry and Engineering, Catalysis science and engineering, chemical reaction engineering, biotechnology, nanotechnology and energy engineering. The institute, still popularly known as UDCT, has very strong linkages with the industry and has produced some of the topmost academics and industrialists of the country.
Summing up his Welcome address Mr. Pradip Dave wished Dr. Rama Rao, Dr. Gharda and Professor Dr. Yadav a long, happy and healthy life ahead.
In the Function, Padma Vibhushan Dr. Raghunath Mashelkar felicitated Dr. A. V. Rama Rao, Dr. K.H. Gharda and Prof. (Dr) G.D. Yadav. In his address to audience Dr. Mashelkar shared his personal and memorable experiences with Dr. A.V. Rama Rao, Dr. K.H. Gharda and Prof. G.D. Yadav with whom Dr. Mashelkar has a long professional and personal relationship.
Dr. A.V. Rama Rao, Dr. K.H. Gharda and Prof.(Dr) G.D. Yadav also addressed the audience and shared their memorable experiences with the audience about their respective professional and personal lives and achievements and thanked PMFAI for organizing the function which also saw live interactions between the dignitaries.
The function was gave memorable experience to the audience.
