The UK government updated its list of honorary awards to foreign nationals 2022 on April 12, 2023.
Wockhardt UK managing director Ravindra Limaye and Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan UK’s executive director Mattur Nandakumara have been chosen for honorary British awards given to foreign nationals.
Limaye gets the Order of the British Empire (OBE) honour for his contribution to health, particularly during the Covid-19 pandemic. Nandakumara has been selected for the Member of the British Empire award to recognise his contribution to the teaching, performance and accessibility of Indian classical arts. Limaye has been the chief executive of the UK arm of the Mumbai-based pharma and biotech company Wockhardt since 2019. He previously worked for another Indian pharma company Biocon, overseeing its global commercial operations. He led the company’s entry into global biosimilar markets and spearheaded its operations in the US.
Nandakumara, who secured his PhD degree from the University of London, has been promoting Indian classical arts in the UK for more than four decades. The scholar of Sanskrit language, literature and philosophy is also a known public speaker, having delivered talks at Westville University in Durban, S Africa and the University of Cambridge. Nandakumara is from India’s Sanskrit-speaking village of Mattur and heads the Bhavan, the largest Indian arts organisation outside India.
Ajay Piramal, India Co-Chair UK-India CEO Forum has been awarded for services to the UK-India trade relationship. Ajay Piramal started out in his family's textile business at age 22 in 1977 but went on to build a pharma empire through acquisitions. Piramal inked his biggest deal in 2010 when he sold his domestic formulations business to Abbott Labs for $3.8 billion. In November 2020, Piramal sold his glass manufacturer Piramal Glass to private equity firm Blackstone for $1 billion. In 2022, Piramal demerged the pharma and financial services businesses of his flagship Piramal Enterprises. Piramal Pharma was listed in October 2022. Piramal's wife Swati is vice-chairman while his daughter Nandini and son Anand have board seats.
Kishore Jayaraman, President of Rolls-Royce India and South Asia, has been awarded for services to International Trade and Investment. Kishore Jayaraman, President, of India and South Asia for Rolls-Royce, has received an honorary Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) from Her Majesty The Queen, British Deputy High Commission. Jayaraman is a board member of the UK-India Business Council, which supports UK businesses set up in India. He has also been instrumental in promoting bilateral ties by setting up a strategic ecosystem for boosting manufacturing in India enabled by UK’s technology.
Dr Vinod Joshi, a Retired dentist and founder of the Mouth Cancer Foundation in the UK, has been honoured for his services in fighting cancer.
Guruswamy Krishnamoorthy, Chief Executive Officer, Penlon, has been awarded for services to the Ventilator Challenge.
Daisy Narayanan, Lately Director of Urbanism, Sustrans has been honoured for her services to Inclusive Urban Planning.
Paresh Jethwa, Co-Founder of Community Response Kitchen has been awarded for services to the community in the London Borough of Hendon during Covid-19.
Other Asians who have also won awards include: Reshmi Kalam, awarded an honorary British Empire Medal in recognition of her services to the Maidstone community during Covid-19; Tarsem Kaur, a Community volunteer for services to the Community in Handsworth, Birmingham particularly during Covid-19.
