Honourable Chief Minister of Gujarat, Mr. Vijay Rupani was the Chief Guest of the event
Ahmedabad, 20th July 2021: ABP Asmita organised ‘Asmita Sanman Puraskar’ – a prestigious award show that recognises and felicitates the talent, humility, and the remarkable journey of the people of Gujarat. The award show was telecast on ABP Asmita on 18th July, 2021.
The event was graced by the presence of Honorable Chief Minister for the State of Gujarat, Mr. Vijay Rupani who awarded the Gujarati achievers in the following categories: Education, Culture, Literature, Music, Cinema/Entertainment, Sports, Social Services, Business, and Maha Sanman. (https://www.facebook.com/320511514668442/posts/4472923132760572/).
The aim of this award show was to acknowledge the hard-work and enthusiasm of these iconic Gujaratis who have made a significant contribution to the society.
ABP Network aims to cater the multi-lingual masses through their regional channels. ABP Asmita is one of the most viewed Gujarati channel and its viewership pans across the entire region of Gujarat. The award ceremony of ‘Asmita Sanman Puraskar’, was exclusively curated for the Gujarati speaking viewers. The program was attended by various dignitaries to honor the excellence and mettlesome spirit of Gujaratis.
The recipients of the Asmita Sanman Puraskar are maestros in their own field. They are recognized on the basis of their talent, ability, character, and overall contribution to the state of Gujarat as well as the larger society. The Awardees of the Asmita Sanman Puraskar 2021 were as follows:
- Pankaj Patel, MD, Zydus Cadila (Maha Sanman) – Pankaj Patel is the Chairman and Managing Director of Cadila Healthcare, the fifth largest pharmaceutical company in India. He is also the chairman of Zydus Hospitals, a large chain of hospitals in Gujarat.
During the pandemic, Zydus became the the first brand from Gujarat whose vaccine went for trail.
- Rohit Patel, Teacher (Education) – Rohit Patel is a young government school teacher from the district of Banaskantha, Gujarat. He is known for making learning interesting for his students by fusing it with singing and dancing. He is very popular amongst his students and his unique teaching techniques have increased the number of students attending school.
- Atul Purohit, Folk Singer (Culture) – A living legend in the field of Gujarati folk music and Garba, Atul Purohit is a Classical Singer and the lead singer for the famous ‘United Way Garba’ of Vadodara.
- Padma Shri Kumarpal Desai, Author (Literature) – Kumarpal Balabhai Desai is an author, critic, editor, journalist, columnist, and translator from Gujarat. He is a recipient of the Padma Shri.
- Osman Mir, Singer (Music) – A well- known playback singer, Osman Mir has sung both Hindi and Gujarati songs including the iconic `Mor Bani Thanghat Kare’ from the movie Ram Leela. His expertise lies in genres like folk, Indian Classical, Bhajan, and Ghazals. He is also a tabla player.
- Padma Shri Manoj Joshi, Actor (Cinema/Entertainment) – Manoj Joshi has acted in over 70 films since 1998 and has also been a part of many Hindi, Marathi and Gujarati TV series and films. He is known for his character of ‘Chanakya’ in Chakravartin Ashoka Samrat. In 2018, Mr. Joshi was awarded with the Padma Shri.
- Sarita Gayakwad, Sprinter (Sports) – Sarita Gayakwad is an Indian sprinter who specialises in 400 metres and 400 metres hurdles. She was a part of the Indian women’s 4 × 400 metres relay team that won the gold medal at the 2018 Asian Games. The Gujarat Govt. has selected her as a brand ambassador of the state’s Poshan Abhiyan. She has also been appointed as a DySP in Gujarat Police.
- Nishita Rajput, Social Worker (Social Service) – Vadodara-based girl, Nishita Rajput is a young social worker who has been working for girls education from the past 11 years. Till now, she has achieved the target of collecting 3.80 cr rupees for depositing the school fees of 34,500 girls.
- R.S. Sodhi, MD, GCMMF, Amul (Business) – R.S.Sodhi has spent nearly four decades with the cooperative dairy behemoth Amul and has spearheaded their highly innovative and widely acclaimed marketing campaigns. He has been instrumental in launching new products during his tenure as Managing Director. He has also spearheaded digital marketing and social media marketing innovations in the Indian dairy industry and inspired the younger generations of India to follow a healthy lifestyle by increasing their consumption of milk and dairy products.
