Ad veteran Piyush Pandey conferred Padma Bhushan posthumously

Veteran advertising professional Piyush Pandey has been conferred the Padma Bhushan posthumously as part of the Padma Awards announced on the eve of Republic Day. Pandey, regarded as one of the most influential figures in Indian advertising, was recognised for his contribution to the field of advertising and brand communication.

This year, the Padma Vibhushan has been awarded posthumously to five individuals, including actor Dharmendra and former Kerala Chief Minister V S Achuthanandan. The other recipients are K T Thomas (Public Affairs), classical violinist N Rajam (Art) and P Narayanan (Literature and Education).

Apart from Pandey, the Padma Bhushan awardees include former Uttarakhand Chief Minister and Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari, US-based physician Dr Nori Dattatreyudu, banker Uday Kotak, veteran BJP leader and former MP V K Malhotra, actor Mammootty, singer Alka Yagnik, and Kerala community leader and SNDP Yogam general secretary Vellappally Natesan.

The list of Padma Shri awardees features India women’s cricket team captain Harmanpreet Kaur, former men’s team captain Rohit Sharma, former UGC chairman and JNU vice-chancellor Mamidala Jagadesh Kumar, veteran actor Satish Shah (posthumous), women’s hockey player Savita Punia and actor Prosenjit Chatterjee, among others.

In all, 19 women feature among this year’s Padma awardees, while six recipients are foreigners, NRIs, PIOs or OCIs. Sixteen awards have been given posthumously.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated the awardees, saying their excellence, dedication and service across diverse fields “enrich the fabric of our society” and continue to inspire generations.