Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Award (PBSA) is the highest honor bestowed on Indians residing abroad. The President of India bestows this honor as part of the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (PBD) Conventions, which were held in 2003 as declared by India’s President.
The Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Award (PBSA) is the highest honor conferred by the Government of India upon individuals of Indian origin or Indian diaspora for their exceptional contributions in various fields. Instituted in 2003, the award recognizes achievements in the following domains:
– Philanthropy and Charitable Work
– Community Service
– Science, Technology, and Education
– Commerce and Industry
– Healthcare
– Arts and Culture
– Public Service
– Bringing Honor to India and their Countries of Residence
The award is presented during the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (PBD) convention, held biennially since 2015 (previously annual). Awardees are selected by a committee constituted by the Government of India.Key Details:First Edition: 2003, marking the first PBD conference in New Delhi.Recipients Since Inception: Over 200 awardees from various countries.Award Components: A medallion, a citation, and a certificate.Some Notable Recipients:2003: Sir Anerood Jugnauth (Mauritius) – Former Prime Minister of Mauritius.2019: Dr. Rajendra Joshi (Switzerland) – Contributions in science and education.2021: Dr. Mohan Kaul (United Kingdom) – Leadership in business and public service.
Here is a year-by-year summary of the Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Award (PBSA) recipients and notable achievements since its inception in 2003. This list highlights just a few notable awardees.
2003 (First Edition)
– Sir Anerood Jugnauth (Mauritius): For public service and strengthening India-Mauritius ties.
– Basdeo Panday (Trinidad and Tobago): Former Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago.
– Lakshmi Mittal (UK): For contributions to global steel production.
– Dr. Krishna Guha (USA): Contributions to science and education.
2004
– Gopalkrishna Gandhi (South Africa): Contributions to Indian diaspora welfare.
– Dr. Lenny Saith** (Trinidad and Tobago): Contributions to public service.
2005
– Shyamala B. Cowsik (Canada): Contributions to community service and diplomacy.
– Sabeer Bhatia (USA): Co-founder of Hotmail, contributions to technology.
2006
– Dr. Ranjan Mathai** (USA): Contributions to healthcare.
– Sir Shridath Ramphal** (Caribbean): Public service and law.
2007
– Dr. Hafiz Shamsuddin** (Malaysia): Contributions to healthcare.
– Dr. Abraham Verghese** (USA): Renowned author and physician.
2008
– Sam Pitroda (USA): Technology innovation and contributions to India’s telecommunications.
– Lord Bhikhu Parekh** (UK): Contributions to academia and philosophy.
2009
– Lord Karan Bilimoria (UK): Founder of Cobra Beer, contributions to business and industry.
– Dr. Kalpana Chawla (Posthumous, USA): Astronaut and inspiration for the Indian diaspora.
2010
– Dr. Navin Nanda (USA): Eminent cardiologist, contributions to healthcare.
– Tan Sri Ravindran Menon (Malaysia): Infrastructure development and philanthropy.
2011
– Dr. Rajendra K. Pachauri (USA): Contributions to climate science and sustainable development.
– Anil Agarwal (UK): Founder of Vedanta Resources, contributions to business.
2012
– Dr. Krishna Udayasankar** (Singapore): Acclaimed author and professor.
– Dr. Subrahmanyam Jaishankar** (China): Public service and diplomacy.
2013
– Bharat Ratna Dr. A. P. J. Abdul Kalam (India): For global contributions to science and innovation.
2014
– Satya Nadella (USA): Contributions to technology and leadership at Microsoft.
– Dr. Mahesh Mehta (USA): Community service and philanthropy.
2015
– Dr. Kamlesh Lulla (USA): NASA scientist and contributions to space research.
– Ashok Kumar Mago (USA): Contributions to India-USA relations.
2017
– Dr. Raghunath Mashelkar (India): Global contributions to science and patents.
– Dr. Bhaskar Dasgupta (UK): Community service and healthcare.
2019
– Dr. Rajendra Joshi (Switzerland): Education and healthcare.
– Dr. Prathap C. Reddy (India): Founder of Apollo Hospitals, contributions to healthcare.
2021 (Virtual Due to COVID-19)
– Dr. Mohan Kaul (UK): Business and public service.
– Joginder Singh Saluja (Mexico): Community service and cultural promotion.
2023
– Prof. Jagadish Chennupati (Australia) – Contributions to Science and Technology/Education.
– Dr. Alexander Maliakel John (Brunei Darussalam) – For his work in Medicine.
– Dr. Vaikuntam Iyer Lakshmanan (Canada) – Recognized for Community Welfare.H.E.
– Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali (Guyana) – For Politics and Community Welfare.
– Mr. Piyush Gupta (Singapore) – Contributions to Business.
– Dr. Archana Sharma (Switzerland) – For achievements in Science and Technology.
– Mr. Chandrakant Babubhai Patel (United Kingdom) – Recognized for contributions in Media.
– Mr. Rajesh Subramaniam (USA) – Contributions to Business.