Renowned NRI Philanthropist Dr. Ronald Colaco Honored with distinguished fellowship in London

Vartha Bharati | 26-10-2023 | 16:48:00 IST

London: In a glittering ceremony held at the prestigious House of Lords, British Parliament, the Institute of Directors (IOD) bestowed the esteemed Distinguished Fellowship 2023 Award upon Dr. Ronald Colaco, an eminent NRI celebrated worldwide for his outstanding philanthropic endeavors. The event, part of IOD's Global Convention, was graced by a distinguished gathering of corporate luminaries and dignitaries from across the globe.

The ceremony was attended by notable personalities, including The Rt. Hon. The Lord Mayor of the City of London, UK, Hon. Paul Scully MP, Minister of London and Parliamentary Undersecretary of State (Minister of Tech and Digital Economy), Govt. Of UK, Lt. Gen. Surinder Nath, PVSM, AVSM (Retd.), President IOD, India. Lord Karan Bilimoria CBE, DL, VP of the Confederation of British Industry (CBI), UK, The Rt. Hon. Lord Swraj Paul of Marylebone, PC, Sadguru Sri Madusudhan Sai, Spiritual & Social Leader, India, Gopichand P Hinduja, Chairman, The Hinduja Group, UK, Shriti Vadera, Baroness Vadera, PC, Chair of Nomination and Governance Committee, UK, Mohit Ralhan, Global CEO & Managing Partner of TIW Capital, Singapore, Dr. Tayer Kamali, UAE Chairman of Board of Trustees, Abu Dhabi School of Management, and UAE Chairman of IOD, India, Navin B Chawla IAS, Former Chief Election Commissioner of India, Ashok Kapur, IAS (Rtd.), Director General of Institute of Directors, India, Srinivasan Sathyamoorthy, Former Auditor General of India and Advisor, TIW Capital, India, Desh Deepak Verma, IAS, Former Secretary General, Rajya Sabha, Parliament of India.

This grand occasion was attended by hundreds of eminent personalities, directors, and CEOs from over 20 countries. Dr. Colaco, previously honored by the World Book of Records, London, during the Indo-UK Summit in 2022, received the Certificate of Excellence for his exceptional contributions to Karnataka’s societal upliftment. His pioneering services, spanning over three decades, were recognized in more than 25 fields, leading to this remarkable achievement.

The Distinguished Fellowship 2023 Award was conferred upon Dr. Colaco by The Rt. Hon. The Lord Mayor of the City of London, Hon. Paul Scully MP, and Lt. Gen. Surinder Nath, PVSM, AVSM (Retd.), President IOD, India, on behalf of the Institute of Directors, India. The certificate was signed by Justice M N Venkatachaliah, the Former Chief Justice of India and Chairman of Institute of Directors.

In addition to this prestigious honor, Dr. Colaco was recently recognized as the “ASIAONE Global Indian of the Year 2022,” joining the ranks of luminaries such as Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, Nobel Laureate Amartya Sen, Pepsi CEO Indra Nooyi, and Reliance Foundation Chairperson Nita Ambani. Times Now media, in collaboration with ICICI Bank, also bestowed upon him the “Global NRI of the Year 2017 award in Philanthropy,” a testament to his unwavering commitment to social welfare.

Dr. Colaco's accolades, spanning countries such as the USA, Canada, Australia, London, Europe, and several Middle Eastern nations, have earned him more than 44 prestigious awards, solidifying his status as a global beacon of philanthropy and social change.

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Minister Patil chairs industry meetings to chart growth for key sectors in Karnataka

24-02-2026 ¦ 24-02-2026 IST

Karnataka Minister M B Patil

Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka Minister M B Patil on Tuesday chaired meetings with industry representatives from the aerospace and defence, machine tools, auto/EV, and green energy sectors to discuss sector growth and government support measures.

The meetings were attended by leading industrialists and their representatives, with some participating virtually.

Speaking on the occasion, the minister for Large and Medium Industries said Karnataka is at the forefront of the country’s aerospace and defence sectors.

He noted that Suzuki and Toyota plan to launch aerial taxi services in Japan by 2028, with Bengaluru-based Sasmos supplying electrical equipment for the project.

Industrialists suggested introducing similar “fly-taxi” services in Karnataka through an appropriate policy, which Patil said would be examined seriously.

The minister highlighted the need to establish testing centres and Common Facility Centres for the aerospace and defence industries and assured that these facilities would be provided.

Suggestions were also made to prepare a comprehensive roadmap for sector growth.

Karnataka has urged the Central Government to approve Defence Corridor projects in the Bengaluru North–Kolar–Chikkaballapur and Dharawada–Vijayapura–Belagavi regions.

Industrialists also suggested a corridor between Bengaluru and Mysuru, Patil said.

He said Karnataka aims to become a hub for defence electronics manufacturing, with plans to establish a 200-acre Defence Electronics Park and a 100-acre Avionics and Sensor Park.

These projects will be implemented once the Special Investment Region is operational, and land availability will not be an issue.

On the machine tools sector, Patil said the industry has recorded an annual turnover of Rs 36,500 crore and is witnessing steady growth.

Large-scale exhibitions have increased demand, and the state must strengthen its capabilities to develop control systems for heavy machinery. One testing unit is already operational in Bengaluru, with another planned for Tumakuru. Expansion of vocational training institutes in industrial areas is also underway.

In the Auto and EV sector, Vision Group members highlighted the need for a network of dry ports and more EV charging stations across the state.

Patil noted that the Tata Group is manufacturing EV buses in Dharawada for nationwide supply. Plans for mini excavator production and export facilitation were also discussed, along with the establishment of a testing facility for two-wheeler EVs.

For the Green Energy sector, the group emphasised the need for a suitable policy on battery-based energy storage and the establishment of data centres.

Patil assured that the government will seriously consider all suggestions and respond positively.