Tata, Ambani bag Gujarat Garima Awards

The government of Gujarat on Tuesday conferred the Gujarat Garima Awards 2004 upon leading industrialists Ratan Tata and Mukesh Ambani.

Tata and Ambani were among the five persons chosen for the awards, which were handed over by prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.

Speaking at the inaugural function of Vishwa Gujarati Parivaar Mohatsav late on Tuesday evening, Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi said the awards will become an annual feature, where the state government will recognise the contribution of individuals to the development and growth of Gujarat.

Besides Tata and Ambani, the other recipients of the award were economist Jagdish Bhagwati, surgeon Dinesh Patel and Anant Shah of Indicorp, a US-based non-government organisation that has been working for the cause of the under-privileged in Gujarat.

Tata, who originally hails from Navsari in south Gujarat, said he felt proud to be an Indian.

"The country is now passing through exciting times and under the leadership of the prime minister, all of us who worked hard to achieve this ought to feel proud," he said.

Tata said that India's greatness has now been recognised the world over and if peace is struck with our neighbour, Vajpayee will be credited for it.

Turning his attention to Gujarat, Tata said the Tatas' owe their start in India to Gujarat, as it is here that Parsis first landed.

"With India growing fast, chief minister Narendra Modi will be one of the jewels in India's crown," he said.

Ambani said Gujarat has contributed a lot to the company's growth. Beginning with the Naroda textiles unit, Reliance expanded into the petrochemicals unit at Hazira and finally set up the mega refinery at Hazira, which was commissioned in 2000.

Dedicating the award to the late Dhirubhai Ambani, Mukesh Ambani said he was indeed honoured to receive the award and considered Gujarat to be a 'holy' land.

Anant Shah, who runs the NGO Indicorp in the US and has been working for the past one year in Gujarat with slum dwellers and other downtrodden persons, said every young Indian living outside India has India in his heart always and it is the duty of all persons of Indian origin to help the country and state progress in whatever way possible.

Dinesh Patel, who has pioneered the knee replacement surgery, said that Gujarat has not only paved for social reforms, but has ushered in fast economic growth as well.

Patel, who was born in Nadiad and completed his doctor's degree from Ahmedabad's B J Medical College, has returned from Boston to set up medical facilities in Gujarat.

This is also for the first time that the state government has organised the Vishwa Gujarati Parivaar Mohatsav.

Two books called Vatan Na Vate (road to the motherland) and Beyond Boundaries were also released at the function.

While the first book is a comprehensive documentation of all non-resident Gujaraties spread across the globe, the second book traces Gujarat's trade and commerce activities, since the Indus Valley Civilisation.