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Dr Pawan Goenka awarded Padma Shri on Republic Day

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Dr Pawan Goenka Padma Shri

Dr Pawan Goenka, the former managing director of Mahindra & Mahindra, and currently, the chairman of INSPACe, has been awarded the prestigious Padma Shri in the ‘Trade and Industry’ category. INSPACe (Indian National Space Promotion & Authorization Centre) is a single-window autonomous government agency to promote, permit, and oversee private sector space-based activities. Dr Goenka has been honoured for his contribution towards strengthening India’s space sector, and his work in developing state-of-the-art automotive capabilities in the country.

Dr Pawan Goenka professional profile

Dr Goenka, a true-blue engineer, is an ardent proponent of the Make-in-India philosophy. He earned his B.Tech in Mechanical Engineering from I.I.T., Kanpur and Ph.D. from Cornell University, U.S.A. He is also a Graduate of Advanced Management Program from Harvard Business School. He worked at General Motors R&D Centre in Detroit, U.S.A. from 1979 to 1993. Thereafter, he joined Mahindra & Mahindra, as General Manager (R&D) and was appointed Managing Director in 2016. Dr Goenka retired in March 2021 after 27 years with Mahindra and over four decades in the automotive industry, only to take up a new assignment at the Government of India’s Department of Space.

In 2019, with India Auto Inc witnessing a slowdown, Dr Goenka, who was a regular speaker at the annual SIAM and ACMA conventions, detailed 10 mantras for the industry to ride out the slowdown, and emerge stronger in a future he foresaw as an age of technological and other disruptions.

Dr Goenka, who is the first Indian to be awarded the FISITA Model of Honour in 2016, is also known as the ‘prime architect’ of SAE India – the national body of automotive engineers in India. He is also the only person to be voted Autocar Professional's 'Man of the Year' twice (CY2006 and CY2011).

As congratulations came pouring in all over social media platforms, Dr Goenka took to X to post his thanks.

The Padma Awards – one of the highest civilian awards of India, are conferred in three categories: Padma Vibhushan, Padma Bhushan and Padma Shri. They are given in various disciplines and fields of activities – art, social work, public affairs, science and engineering, trade and industry, medicine, literature and education, sports, civil service. While ‘Padma Vibhushan’ is awarded for exceptional and distinguished service, ‘Padma Bhushan’ is for distinguished service of high order and ‘Padma Shri’ for distinguished service in any field. The awards are announced on the occasion of Republic Day every year.

Other automotive and motorsport luminaries to have received a Padma award include TVS' Venu Srinivasan and Anand Mahindra, and Narain Karthikeyan.  

Also see:

Dr Pawan Goenka on his 27 years at Mahindra, the Indian auto industry and more

Dr Goenka shocked by unexpected SUV sales surge during his career



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