Originally published 29 January 2002

The President of India, Shri K.R. Narayanan, has presented University of Warwick Professor Kumar Bhattacharyya with one of India's highest honours, in the awards announced to mark India's 52nd Republic Day Celebrations.

Professor Bhattacharyya, Director of the Warwick Manufacturing Group, (part of the University of Warwick) has been awarded the Padma Bhusan honour - meaning the Decoration of the Lotus (or Jewel of the Lotus). The Padma Bhusan is only given for distinguished service of high order and is equivalent in prestige to a British Peerage.

Professor Bhattacharyya said:

"I am deeply honoured to receive this award. This is a wonderful way to mark the work of the Warwick Manufacturing Group and I have done to help develop manufacturing and technology based businesses in India and to forge strong business links between India and the UK. I have long been a strong and active advocate of good relations between India and Britain and I am delighted that the Indian Government has been so kind as to recognise my work".

The Professor is particularly close to the current Indian Government and has acted as a key adviser to them on many areas of public policy. In addition to advising the Government the Warwick Manufacturing Group also works closely with a number of large Indian manufacturing and technology based companies and research establishments in India particularly in the automotive sector.

As a British citizen of Indian origin the Professor has built the Warwick Manufacturing Group up to be the largest of its type in Europe. The Group has worked particularly closely with the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII Indian equivalent of UK's CBI). A memorandum of understanding was also signed between the CII and the Warwick Manufacturing group In the presence of the then Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, Margaret Beckett MP, in 1997. WMG programmes with CII include a special MSc Degree programme in Engineering Business Management, and the ACE Programme a three – year modular training programme for practising Indian managers. Warwick Manufacturing Group also works closely with a number of large Indian manufacturing and technology based companies.

For further details please contact:
Nick Matthews, Warwick Manufacturing Group
Tel: 024 76 572506
email: N.matthews@warwick.ac.uk