Singapore President Tharman Shanmugaratnam awards the prestigious Honorary Citizen Award to Tarun Das, former director general of the Confederation of Indian Industry, during a ceremonial event in New Delhi on Wednesday.
Singapore’s President Tharman Shanmugaratnam has honored Tarun Das, former director general of the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), with the city’s highest distinction, the Honorary Citizen Award.
President Shanmugaratnam presented the award as part of his itinerary during an official visit to India, which will be marked by several high-level meetings.
The Honorary Citizen Award recognizes “outstanding contribution by non-Singaporeans to the country’s growth and development,” as stated by Singapore’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Tarun Das is only the second Indian recipient of this honor, following the late business magnate Ratan Tata. The award was established in 2003 to highlight the significant contributions of non-Singaporeans to the nation’s society and economy.
Highlighting Mr. Das’s influence, the Foreign Minister described him as “one of Singapore’s strongest advocates in India,” noting his leadership of an industrialist delegation to Singapore in 1993 as part of India’s “Look East” initiative.
The Ministry elaborated that the award is granted to individuals who have made notable impacts across various sectors, including business, science and technology, education, health, arts, and community services.
During his visit, President Shanmugaratnam is set to be officially welcomed at Rashtrapati Bhavan and will engage with Indian leaders, including President Droupadi Murmu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The delegation also includes key ministers like Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal, who will meet the President.
Following his engagements in New Delhi, President Shanmugaratnam will travel to Odisha for further discussions, particularly focusing on the enhanced profile of the state in Singapore’s plans for India. He is expected to tour the World Skills Centre and a vaccine manufacturing unit established by Bharat Biotech.
President Shanmugaratnam is accompanied by a prominent business delegation, indicating strong economic ties between Singapore and India.
Published – January 15, 2025 09:20 pm IST
