New Delhi (India), January 26 – Industrialist and philanthropist Nalli Kuppuswami Chetti has described receiving the Padma Bhushan from President Droupadi Murmu as the “happiest moment of his life,” dedicating the prestigious honor to the weavers and their families who have played a pivotal role in his success.
In a conversation with ANI, the owner of Nalli Silks, who was previously awarded the Padma Shri in 2003, shared his immense joy at the recognition. “I was very happy when I saw it on the TV channel. It was one of the happiest moments of my life. I was the first person from the weaver community to be awarded in 2003. At that time, I also mentioned to the press that this honor was due to the efforts, quality, and capabilities of our weavers. That’s why I will dedicate this honor in the name of my weavers,” he said.
Kuppuswami Chetti attributed the success of his business to his principles of honesty, quality, and timely delivery. Reflecting on his personal journey, he revealed that while he originally wanted to study history and pursue law, his circumstances led him to join the family business. “I wanted to study history and do LLB. I even told my father that I would complete my studies and then join the shop. But after my father passed away, my path changed. I joined the business 69 years ago. By God’s grace, the principles of Truth, Quality, and Time Delivery have taken the business to great heights,” he explained.
The 84-year-old industrialist also shared a piece of advice for the younger generation, saying, “One thing I want to tell the youngsters is: Don’t do business or a job just for money. You must love what you do, and money will follow.”
For 2025, the President approved the conferment of 139 Padma Awards, including one duo case, on the eve of the 76th Republic Day. The awards include 7 Padma Vibhushan, 19 Padma Bhushan, and 113 Padma Shri Awards.
Notable Padma Vibhushan awardees include late folk singer Sharda Sinha, former Suzuki Motor CEO Osamu Suzuki, Kathak exponent Kumudini Rajnikant Lakhia, and legendary violinist Lakshminarayana Subramaniam. The posthumous Padma Vibhushan was also awarded to veteran Malayalam author MT Vasudevan Nair.
Among the Padma Bhushan awardees are Kannada actor Anant Nag, actor Jatin Goswami, Telugu actor Nandamuri Balakrishna, Tamil star S. Ajith Kumar, filmmaker Shekhar Kapur, and actress Shobana Chandrakumar. Veteran ghazal singer Pankaj Udhas is also being posthumously honored with the Padma Bhushan.