The Shakti Ratna recognises women achievers making a meaningful difference to society – women across different spectra whose work empowers and uplifts others, and Sardesai bagged the honour as an accomplished author whose books give voice, strength, and visibility to women’s stories and marginalised children.

Sardesai’s books are socially themed and a researched documentation of changing norms.

• ‘Child of My Heart: A Comprehensive Guide to Adoption in India’ –  a first-of-its-kind – examines how adoption works in India against the broader backdrop of how the country views its vulnerable children.
• The Amazon bestseller ‘When Love is Lost: Cases from the Family Courts of a Changing India’ is a critically acclaimed look at the changing face of marriage in a deeply conservative society.
• ‘Punyakatha: The Story of a Million Years’, done for Heritage India, is a children’s book chronicling the history of Pune and the Deccan Plateau from the Stone Age to the present.
• Her recently released ‘Lost Among the Myths: Her Stories from the Ramayana’ is a feminist reclamation in which thirteen women characters from the epic tell their own stories in their own voices.

“I feel deeply honoured by this recognition, and it strengthens my resolve to continue exploring issues that impact us all. My next two books trace the history of Maharashtra for over 2000 years in a manner that is interesting and engaging to every reader, as well as a reclamation of women’s voices from the Mahabharata,” shares Sardesai.

A gold medallist in Journalism and English Literature from Pune University, Sardesai has written for The Indian Express, The Times of India, DNA, and Heritage India, among other leading publications.

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The award was presented by Ms. Priya Dutt, Chairperson of the Nargis Dutt Foundation and former Member of Parliament, at a ceremony held at the Cricket Club of India (CCI), Mumbai, on May 1, 2026. The event, organised in collaboration with Lions Clubs International, brought together a distinguished group of women achievers across diverse fields. Other awardees included Kainaz Messman Harchandrai, Founder of Theobroma, Dr. Ketna Mehta of Nina Foundation, actor Avantika Akerkar, and national racing champion Diana Pundole.

Renu Wadhwa has led K K Eye Institute since its inception in 2003, transforming it into one of Pune’s leading super-speciality eye hospitals. Today, the institute operates from a 38,000 sq. ft. facility in Koregaon Park, supported by a team of over 180 professionals, and performs approximately 15,000 surgeries annually.

Commenting on the recognition, Renu Wadhwa said: “Everything we have built rests on the foundation that Revered Dada Vaswani gave us; a vision of compassionate care and selfless service. This honour belongs to him.”  

Her leadership is anchored in the philosophy of #NoCompromise – no compromise on clinical excellence and no compromise on compassionate care, guided by a simple but powerful principle: “Always do what is best for the patient.” Under her direction, the institute has built a strong reputation for ethical, high-quality eye care driven by advanced technology, robust clinical systems, and a deep culture of patient trust.

Despite not coming from a medical background, Ms. Wadhwa has earned recognition from leading ophthalmic and social organisations, including the All India Ophthalmological Society (AIOS), Maharashtra Ophthalmological Society Conference (MOSCON), Association of Community Ophthalmologists of India (ACOIN), Rotary, and Lions Clubs, among others.

The Women of Wonder Awards recognise women who have made a meaningful impact through their work and contributions to society. This recognition acknowledges Ms. Wadhwa’s role in building a sustainable, values-driven healthcare institution that continues to set benchmarks in ethical and patient-first eye care.

The K K Eye Institute is part of the Sadhu Vaswani Mission and carries forward its legacy of dedicated service to society.

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Held at the iconic Gateway of India, the awards ceremony brought together leading policymakers, industry leaders, and prominent personalities from business and entertainment. The event was attended by the Chief Minister, Sri. Devendra Fadnavis, and Deputy Chief Minister, Sri. Eknath Shinde of Maharashtra,  Sri. Vijay Darda, Chairman of Lokmat, alongside ministers, bureaucrats, and distinguished figures from across sectors.

Presented by Lokmat Media Group, the awards celebrate individuals whose vision, leadership, and achievements have significantly shaped industries while contributing meaningfully to society. Mr. Ahammad’s recognition highlights his remarkable entrepreneurial journey and the role he has played in building Malabar Gold & Diamonds to become the 5^th largest global jewellery retailer and the largest jewellery retailer of Indian origin.

Expressing his gratitude on receiving the honour, Mr. M.P. Ahammad, Chairman, Malabar Group, said, “I am deeply honoured to receive the Business Bhushan award at the Lokmat Maharashtrian of the Year Awards. This recognition reflects the collective dedication of the entire Malabar family and the trust our customers have placed in us over the years. Our journey is founded on the principle of collective growth of all our stakeholders guided by responsibility, integrity, and a commitment to creating lasting value for society while continuing to pursue excellence in everything we do.”

Founded in 1993, Malabar Gold & Diamonds has been a pioneer in fostering responsible and transparent jewellery retail, contributing significantly to employment generation, strengthening the organised retail ecosystem, and enhancing customer experience through access to world‑class designs and services.

Today, the brand stands as a true flag bearer of India, showcasing the nation’s craft and soul to the world through its 425 showrooms across 14 countries. The brand has reimagined the jewellery industry by integrating the entire value chain, from design and manufacturing to retail and beyond.

Maharashtra remains a key market for Malabar Gold & Diamonds, now with 34 showrooms across major cities. This growth has boosted employment, strengthened the organised jewellery ecosystem, and improved access to quality designs. His substantial contribution to the state earned him this honour, and the Group is committed to further expansion, targeting 64 stores in Maharashtra by 2029.

Beyond business growth, Mr. Ahammad advanced a purpose‑driven model by embedding CSR/ESG commitments into the company since inception, consistently contributing 5% of profits to education, healthcare, housing support, and women’s empowerment programmes, benefiting the society across regions of operations.

His recognition with the Business Bhushan Award further reinforces his stature as one of India’s most respected business leaders whose entrepreneurial vision and values-driven leadership serve as an inspiration and a blueprint for collective progress for future global enterprises.

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This recognition acknowledges Mr. Singh’s sustained intellectual leadership in developing human-centred frameworks across technology and organisational systems. Over the years, he has created proprietary models such as MC³, a patented change management tool; 14Signals, a structured framework for evaluating customer perception, experience, and value association; and PROLICY-D, a design thinking-led, holistic product development framework that integrates human-centric principles into the development lifecycle. Building on this foundation of structured, human-centred thinking, his latest breakthrough, Emoscape, has emerged as a defining advancement in medical-grade Emotion AI.

Speaking on the occasion, L.C. Singh, Founder and Executive Chairman of Nihilent Ltd., said, “I am deeply honoured to receive the VASVIK Industrial Research Award. This recognition belongs to the entire team at Nihilent, who believed in the vision of Emoscape. Our goal has always been to move beyond data processing and leverage AI to better understand human emotions. I extend my heartfelt congratulations to each recipient for their dedication, perseverance, and invaluable contributions to the nation.  I sincerely thank VASVIK for underscoring the importance of responsible and ethically driven innovation in the ICT sector”.

Emoscape is a medical-grade Emotion AI platform that detects and calibrates emotional states through a precise one-minute scan, analysing subtle upper-body micro-movements using a standard web camera. By translating these micro-movement patterns into a structured emotional profile, Emoscape introduces an objective and measurable layer to understanding emotional dynamics across healthcare, sports, education, insurance, marketing, corporate ecosystems, and more.

At its core, Emoscape is grounded in the nine classical emotional archetypes articulated in the Natyashastra—the ancient Indian treatise on human behaviour and performance. Using three-dimensional motion capture techniques and advanced analytical algorithms, it maps fine-grained body dynamics onto this framework with clinical-grade precision, an approach that has been strengthened through recent peer-reviewed academic publications and continued research.

By bringing together classical behavioural insight with modern Emotion AI, Emoscape reflects Nihilent’s broader philosophy of elevating emotion from abstraction to accountability. It envisions a world where emotion is no longer dismissed as subjective, but recognised as a structured force shaping outcomes across industries, institutions, and societies.

Established in 1973, VASVIK is a non-profit organisation committed to promoting excellence in science and technology in India. Over the decades, it has honoured more than 450 Indian scientists whose research and innovation have directly contributed to national prosperity. The awardees are selected through a rigorous evaluation process led by expert committees and the Board of Advisors, ensuring recognition of individuals whose work significantly impacts industrial growth and societal development.

This recognition marks a defining moment for Nihilent and reinforces India’s growing leadership in responsible and human-centric emotion-AI innovation.

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This year’s honorees and their categories of recognition were: Inspector Shibu Madhu – Govt. and Public Service; Diya Mathews – Legal Service; Priscilla Samuel – Nursing; Jayan Varghese – Pravasi Malayalam Literature; Koshy O. Thomas – Community Service; Nandini Menon – Education; and Joharath Kutty – Engineering.  The keynote speaker was Dr. Suresh U. Kumar.  

Kerala Center Awardees, From l. to r.: Koshy O. Thomas, Joharath Kutty, Diya Mathew Esq., Dr. Nandini Menon, Dr. Priscilla Samuel, and Jayan Varghese.

The program commenced with introductory remarks and the welcoming of the MC, Daisy Stephen Pallipparambil, by G. Mathai, Trustee and Program Chairman.  Following the remarks by the MC, the American National Anthem was sung by Bailey Stephen and the Indian National Anthem by Amisha Jaimon. President Alex K. Esthappan welcomed everyone and provided a brief description of the activities and goals of the Kerala Center. New York Senator John Liu, Assemblymembers Michaelle Solages & Edward Braunstein, former Senator Kevin Thomas, and Ragini Srivastava, North Hempstead Town Clerk, were the dignitaries present to say felicitations and present awards. 

After the president’s welcome, Dr. Thomas Abraham, Chairman of the Trustee Board and Award Committee member, made his remarks and introduced the keynote speaker, Dr. Suresh Kumar. In his speech, Dr. Kumar talked about the concept of Indian Civilizational Intelligence that has the potential to propel India to be a number one or two economy in the world. 

The Board and Award Committee chairman, Dr. Madhu Bhaskaran, explained the process of selecting the awardees before the award presentation. In addition to the Kerala Center awards, Assembly members presented their own certificates and proclamations honoring the awardees. 

The award for excellence in community service went to Koshy O. Thomas. He was introduced by Samuel Joseph, youth forum secretary of the Kerala Center, and Assemblyman Braunstein presented the award in the presence of Sen. John Liu and Assemblywoman Michaelle Solages. Koshy currently serves as Special Assistant and Community Liaison to New York State Assemblyman Edward Braunstein and also serves as the Chairman of the India Day Parade Committee in Queens.  

New York State legislators with Awardee Koshy O. Thomas. From l. to r.: Assemblyman Edward Braunstein, Sen. John Liu, Koshy Thomas, and Assemblywoman Michaelle Solages 

The award for excellence in Nursing leadership went to Priscilla Samuel. Priscilla was introduced by Baily Stephen, and Varkey Abraham presented the award in the presence of Assemblywoman Solages. Dr. Priscilla Samuel is a nationally recognized leader in advanced practice nursing, currently serving as Vice President of Advanced Practice Nursing at the Mount Sinai Health System. With a career spanning clinical practice, academic leadership, and health system innovation, Dr. Samuel remains committed to advancing the role of nurse practitioners and shaping the future of healthcare delivery.

The award for notable contribution to Pravasi Malayalam Literature went to Jayan Varghese. He was introduced by Raju Thomas, General Secretary of Kerala Center, and Ragini Srivastava, North Hempstead Town Clerk presented the award. Jayan is the author of ten books published in various genres of literature, like poetry and drama.

The award for excellence in legal service went to Diya Mathews. Diya was introduced by Dr. Anna George, and Attorney Appen Menon, Kerala Center Trustee, presented the award. Diya is a trailblazing attorney, business leader, and community advocate whose career bridges law, entrepreneurship, and service. As Partner in Charge of Chugh LLP’s New York and New Jersey offices, she leads a thriving practice focused on business immigration law and corporate compliance. She is widely recognized for her expertise in the Child Status Protection Act (CSPA). As she is admitted to practice law in both New York and India, she brings a truly global perspective to her work. She is the incoming President of The Indus Entrepreneurs (TiE) – New Jersey Chapter. 

Kerala Center Awardees with Kerala Center officials and Past Awardees

The award for excellence in engineering went to Joharath Kutty. She was introduced by Nazeem Beena, and former Sen. Kevin Thomas presented the award. Joharath is a Senior Director of System Engineering at New York Power Authority (NYPA) with over 20 years of experience in the electric utility industry.   Her career spans Power Generation & High Voltage Transmission, Substation design, Grid Modernization, Power System Operation & Control, Transmission Operations Planning, and has been involved in every aspect of transmission expansion projects. In her current role, she provides overall leadership and technical direction as “Chief Engineer” for the Long Island transmission expansion project (Propel NY Energy). 

Dancers at the Kerala Center Awards Banquet

The award for excellence in education went to Dr. Nandini Ambat Menon. She was introduced by Jose Stephen, Kerala Center member and NYC school teacher, and Dilip Varghese, Kerala Center Founder Grand Patron, presented the award.   Nandini is the Founder and Chief Education Officer of Cedar Hill Preparatory School in Somerset, New Jersey. She also contributes to the broader education and entrepreneurial community through her service on the Board of the NJ Academy of Sciences, the Indian American Women Entrepreneur Association, and as Co-Chair of TiE NJ Next Gen and a committee member of TiE Global Next Gen.

The awardee for excellence in government and public service, Inspector Shibu Madhu, could not attend the ceremony due to a family emergency.  

The ceremony was attended by leaders of several community organizations, including Pioneer Club, Sarga Vedi, INANY, GOPIO, FOMAA, and FOKANA. As part of the Award Ceremony, a souvenir was released by the souvenir committee that consisted of Jose Cheripuram, Jose Kadapuram, and Dr. Teresa Antony, by giving a copy to Susamma Abraham, a Grand Patron of the Center.  

A Packed Audience at the Kerala Center Awards Banquet

The Kerala Center Executive and Board members Raju Thomas, Abraham Thomas, Mathew Vazhappally, and John Paul coordinated the event.  The MC of the program, Daisy Stephen Pallipparambil, impressed everybody with her outstanding performance. Indian classical dances performed by Chandrika Kurup’s Noopura School of Dance made the awards night a colorful one. Associate Secretary Mary Philip concluded the ceremony with a vote of thanks to honored guests, awardees, sponsors, photographers, audience, and everyone who worked so hard to make it a successful event. With dinner catered by Spice Gardens, the 2025 Award Night came to an end.

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The evening featured stellar performances by A.R. Rahman, along with Hariharan, Chinmayi, Sukhwinder Singh, Dhanush, and Neeti Mohan, delivering an electrifying musical experience. The entire show ran smoothly, drawing an enthusiastic audience and marking a memorable celebration of art, music, and legacy.

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The award will be conferred upon Gunshekar at a special ceremony to be held on Sunday, November 16th at 7:00 pm at Shreeram Lagoo Rang-Avkash, Hirabaugh Chowk, Tilak Road. The award will be presented by Dr. Abhilash Pillai, who will also deliver the keynote address on the topic “Reimagining the Ring: The Indian Circus Between Tradition, Theatre, and the Future.” This information was shared by Maharashtra Cultural Centre Secretary Rajesh Deshmukh.

Now in its 18th year, the Tanveer Natyadharmi Award is presented annually to young theatre artistes who have made outstanding contributions to the field. The award was instituted in 2004 by Dr. Shreeram Lagoo and Deepa Lagoo in memory of their son Tanveer.

About Dushyanth Gunshekar

With a background in forensic auditing, Dushyanth Gunshekar founded his own theatre company at the age of 23, driven by a passion for the art form that began in school under the guidance of theatre professionals from Koothu-P-Pattarai and Magic Lantern. Inspired by his teachers and mentors, he established Crea-Shakthi in 2012 to take theatre to more young people and create sustainable livelihoods for theatre artistes.

Over the past 13 years, Crea-Shakthi has evolved into a dynamic repertory company that performs original plays in both Tamil and English, often addressing social issues through the lens of the younger generation. The group has collaborated with noted theatre personalities, including Mahesh Dattani, Zarin Shihab, and Abishek Kumar.

Crea-Shakthi has promoted more than 800 artistes, supported their creative work, and staged over 90 plays and 1,700 performances across India and abroad, with a strong presence in Tamil Nadu.

To engage younger audiences and sustain its artistes, the group has developed and implemented a Theatre-in-Education curriculum across both private and public schools in Tamil Nadu. This program helps students develop essential life skills such as communication, collaboration, and critical thinking.

All Crea-Shakthi trainers are full-time theatre professionals who receive salaries with Provident Fund (PF) and medical benefits made possible by an innovative financial model created by the company’s founders. From working with one school in 2012, Crea-Shakthi now partners with over 140 schools and reaches more than 100,000 students in 2025.

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The recognition highlights Shri Chauhan’s decades of contribution towards building India’s capital markets and strengthening their position in the global securities landscape. His leadership has been instrumental in advancing India’s market infrastructure, deepening participation, and fostering innovation across the financial ecosystem.

In addition, NSE was recognised for Outstanding Contribution to Capital Markets Infrastructure, while NSE Clearing Limited received the award for Best CCP or Clearing House.

These recognitions collectively underscore the NSE Group’s ongoing commitment to operational excellence, transparency, and technology-driven growth in India’s financial markets.

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PUNE: The prestigious Bharatatma Ved Puraskar will be presented on November 17 at the Dadasaheb Darode Auditorium, Agarkar Road, near BMCC, Shivajinagar in Pune, on the occasion of the death anniversary of Late Shri Ashokji Singhal Ji. The ceremony will take place in the presence of Param Pujya Swami Shri Govinddev Giriji Maharaj, and the awards will be conferred by Param Pujya Acharyaji Shri Pradyumnaji Maharaj.

Established in memory of Late Shri Ashokji Singhal Ji, the Bharatatma Ved Puraskar recognizes contributions to Vedic education and scholarship.

Shri Singhal, a visionary leader and a founding member of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP), played a pivotal role in the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi movement and served as the International President of the VHP for over two decades. A devoted follower of India’s ancient wisdom, he was deeply committed to the revival and propagation of the Vedic knowledge tradition and the Gurukul education system. Throughout his life, Shri Singhal made invaluable contributions to preserving and promoting the study and practice of the Vedas.

Now in its ninth edition, the Bharatatma Ved Puraskar has been presented annually for the past eight years. The awards recognize exceptional contributions across three categories:

• Outstanding Vedic Student – ₹3 lakh cash prize
• Ideal Vedic Teacher – ₹5 lakh cash prize
• Excellent Vedic Institution – ₹7 lakh cash prize

Each recipient will also receive a certificate and a commemorative memento.

The ceremony will also include the presentation of the Veda Arpita Jeevan Samman, or Lifetime Vedic Dedication Award. This honour is given to scholars aged 65 or above who have devoted their lives to the study, teaching, and practice of Vedic knowledge. The award carries a cash prize of ₹5 lakh and a certificate of recognition.

The winners of the Bharatatma Ved Puraskar 2025 will be announced during the ceremony.

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Beyond music, the evening will also celebrate artistic excellence with the presentation of the first “R.K. Laxman Award for Excellence,” a tribute to the legendary cartoonist whose timeless creations continue to inspire generations. The award honors individuals whose work reflects R.K. Laxman’s values of perseverance, creativity, and purpose.

This year, the first “R.K. Laxman Award for Excellence” will be presented to Aamir Khan (Actor, Director, and Producer) for his outstanding contribution to Indian cinema and storytelling, at the hands of Boman Irani.

The concert and award ceremony are hosted by the R.K. Laxman family, uniting art, culture, and music in one unforgettable evening.


EVENT DETAILS

Date: Sunday, 23rd November, 2025
Gates Open: 3:00 PM
Concert Starts: 5:00 PM
Venue: MCA Stadium, Gahunje, Pune

Get Tickets on District by Zomato
Event Organized by R.K.IPR Management PVT LTD

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