Former chairman of Suzuki Motor Corporation Osamu Suzuki was on Saturday posthumously awarded the Padma Vibhushan, India’s second highest civilian award, in the trade and industry category for his role in the growth of India’s automobile industry. Former Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Modi and former Chairman of the Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister, Bibek Debroy, were posthumously honoured with Padma Bhushan.
State Bank of India’s (SBI) first woman chairperson, Arundhati Bhattacharya, was awarded the Padma Shri — one of the country’s highest civilian honours, the Ministry of Home Affairs said in a statement.
Under Osamu Suzuki’s leadership, Maruti Suzuki became one of the first companies to help establish the automobile manufacturing ecosystem in the country. India is now the world’s fourth-largest automobile manufacturer. A leading advocate of electric mobility, Pawan Goenka, the former managing director of Mahindra & Mahindra, was also awarded the Padma Shri for driving innovation in the automotive industry.
The Padma awards are conferred in various disciplines and fields, including art, social work, public affairs, science and engineering, trade and industry, medicine, literature and education, sports, and civil service.
The Padma Vibhushan is awarded for exceptional and distinguished service; the Padma Bhushan for distinguished service of a high order; and the Padma Shri for distinguished service in any field.