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.

Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.



New Delhi, May 6 (PTI): The Indian Air Force will carry out a two-day mega military exercise along the border with Pakistan from Wednesday that will involve all the frontline fighter jets including Rafale, Su-30 and Jaguar aircraft, sources in the defence establishment said on Tuesday.

The exercise is taking place amid heightened tensions between India and Pakistan over the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 people.

India's civil aviation authorities have already issued a Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) for the major air exercise that will largely take place along the southern and western section of the Indo-Pakistan border.

India's frontline fighter jets including the Rafale, Su-30 MKI, MiG-29, Mirage-2000, Tejas and AWACS (Airborne Warning and Control System) aircraft are set to feature in the exercise, the sources said.

In the course of the exercise, the IAF will simulate enemy targets on ground and in the air with deadly precision, they said.

The militaries of both India and Pakistan are on a high alert following rising tensions between the two nations.

Soon after the Pahalgam terror attack, India, citing "cross-border linkages" to the strike, promised severe punishment to those involved in it.

In a high-level meeting with the top defence brass on April 29, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the armed forces have "complete operational freedom" to decide on the mode, targets and timing of India's response to the terror attack.

Air Chief Marshal A P Singh met Prime Minister Modi on Sunday and the Chief of Air Staff briefed him about the IAF's operational readiness.

On Saturday, Navy Chief Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi apprised the prime minister on the overall situation in the critical sea lanes in the Arabian Sea.