Veteran advertising leader Piyush Pandey has been posthumously awarded the Padma Bhushan, one of India’s highest civilian honours, as part of the Padma Awards announced on the eve of Republic Day. Widely regarded as one of the most influential figures in Indian advertising, Pandey was recognised for his lasting contribution to brand communication and the creative industry.
This year’s Padma Vibhushan the country’s second-highest civilian award was also conferred posthumously on five distinguished personalities, including actor Dharmendra and former Kerala Chief Minister V S Achuthanandan. Other recipients in this category include K T Thomas for Public Affairs, classical violinist N Rajam for Art, and P Narayanan for Literature and Education.
Alongside Pandey, the Padma Bhushan honours went to a diverse group of achievers, including former Uttarakhand Chief Minister and Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari, US-based physician Dr Nori Dattatreyudu, banker Uday Kotak, veteran BJP leader and former MP V K Malhotra, actor Mammootty, singer Alka Yagnik, and Kerala community leader and SNDP Yogam general secretary Vellappally Natesan.
The Padma Shri category also featured prominent names from the world of sports, academia and entertainment. Among the recipients were India women’s cricket team captain Harmanpreet Kaur, former men’s team skipper Rohit Sharma, former UGC chairman and JNU vice-chancellor Mamidala Jagadesh Kumar, veteran actor Satish Shah (posthumous), women’s hockey star Savita Punia and actor Prosenjit Chatterjee, among several others.
In total, 19 women were included among this year’s Padma awardees, while six recipients were foreigners, NRIs, PIOs or OCIs. Sixteen of the honours were awarded posthumously.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated the awardees, saying that their excellence, dedication and service across a wide range of disciplines “enrich the fabric of our society” and continue to inspire future generations.