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<ul><li>In our latest interview series, we talk to brands to understand how they are coping with the new normal and their strategies towards navigating these difficult times.</li><li>Mansoor Ali, Chief Sales and Marketing Officer, <keyword id="5870384" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Hamdard-India">Hamdard India</keyword> tells us which sub-brands are delivering right now, its increasing focus on e-commerce </li></ul>Hamdard India, that is home to 500 employees and home-grown products like <keyword id="1705724" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Roohafza">RoohAfza</keyword>, Safi, <keyword id="539809" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="chyawanprash">Chyawanprash</keyword>, Sualin, to name a few, has been around for 113 years. It is using its old mantras and new-age marketing to sustain in today’s unusual environment. It is also one of the few companies that hasn’t resorted to salary cuts or lay offs yet. In fact, for Hamdard India, Ramzan is a peak period for its RoohAfza. Due to increasing focus on health, the immunity booster Chyawanprash has also seen an increase in demand. We caught up with Mansoor Ali, Chief Sales and Marketing Officer, Hamdard India to find out the brand’s marketing strategy and how it is distributing its products amid a nationwide lockdown. Excerpts: Q. Can you give us a perspective on how Hamdard is operating right now? Which sub-brands are you delivering and how? We have been able to get our manufacturing and supply chain aligned to the market demand. Since it is the beverage season, we are producing and supplying RoohAfza and other essential items to the market with considerable efficiency. Q. How many employees work with Hamdard India? What kind of measures have you taken to keep them safe? We have over 500 employees working at Hamdard Laboratories India. All the employees, including sales teams have been on WFH mode from the time the lockdown was announced. Advisories on safety for employees and their families have been sent out constantly. A COVID insurance policy has also been taken to support employees in the event that anything unfortunate happens. Q. How are you dealing with the economic slowdown, what does this quarter for you look like? Hamdard flourished even after demonetization and GST. However, when so many companies have resorted to laying off employees or salary right now, how do you see your brand taking the brunt? This quarter started off slow due to the impact of the COVID-19 lockdown. But slowly we have managed to assimilate resources and establish our product value chain from manufacturing to supply. Although it is not up-to expectations as per our quarter objectives, we have been able to sustain a sizable part of it. Hamdard, as the name suggests symbolises compassion for everyone. We have not resorted to any layoffs or salary cuts as of now. Q. Considering how people are becoming more health-conscious, have you seen an increase in demand for Chyawanprash? Yes, Chyawanprash as a category has grown across brands and markets. Q. What does your larger marketing strategy look like right now? Our marketing strategy, for the short term is in adaptive mode, wherein consumer behaviour during lockdown, and changed media consumption habits are important drivers in deciding campaigns and inputs to market. Media mixes have been tweaked, and digital/ social media marketing has taken a much larger chunk of our marketing spends. Influencer marketing and user generated content is driving engagement and brand salience in consumers. Q. TV viewership and digital engagement continue to increase, where are you betting your money? As explained in the previous question on our marketing strategies that is where we are spending. In addition to on TV campaigns, we have aligned our media mix to focus more on genres like news, movies etc which have taken the centre stage amidst this lockdown. Q. How have you seen consumer behavior change in the past month? Consumers have been induced into a new normal. The initial focus was on filling up on essentials, driven by the panic of not having enough at home. Once that was achieved, consumer emotion has shifted from structured, everyday routine to indulging in family oriented themes, back to natural concepts, and a unique sense of self awareness in terms of health and mental well-being. Consumers have focussed their energies on enhanced interactions on the digital space, with OTT platforms and online media taking prime share. Work as a concept has taken on new meaning, with WFH being as effective (if not more) in many sectors. This will have an overarching impact on people’s priorities in making choices on lifestyle and consumption. Q. How do you think retail will function once we resume normalcy? Will you continue betting more money on e-comm even then? Structured retail (modern trade) will take a hit for some more time. A lot of first time users have interacted with, and seen the benefits of e-commerce, and that will continue to grow. Covid-19 has in many terms been an inflection point for Indian consumers to adopt digital media, e-com and cashless transactions. Our focus on e-com will continue to grow. Q. As a brand who is a 'companion in pain' and specializes in health and wellness, do you plan on launching new health care products such as sanitizers, fruit wash or hand wash with a 'Hamdard' touch? We will continue to invest in categories that are close to our core.

Marketing in the times of COVID-19: Hamdard India

<ul><li>The brand is taking their widely loved and recognized RoohAfza into two new extensions – RoohAfza Fusion and <keyword id="9409688" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="roohafza-milkshake">RoohAfza Milkshake</keyword>.</li><li>It comes in 5 flavors – Luscious Litchi, Refreshing Lemon, Delicious Orange, Exciting Pineapple and Orange and Juicy Mango.</li></ul><keyword id="347370" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Hamdard-Laboratories">Hamdard Laboratories</keyword> India, that owns a legacy of more than 100 years, is expanding its product portfolio with the launch of ‘<keyword id="2379102" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Ready-to-drink">ready to drink</keyword>’ products. The brand is taking their widely loved and recognized RoohAfza into two new extensions – RoohAfza Fusion and RoohAfza Milkshake. Hamdard Laboratories, Foods Division has launched a unique fusion of RoohAfza with real fruit juices in a ready to drink, Tetrapak format for the Indian market. RoohAfza Fusion promises the burst of RoohAfza with the taste of fruit juices in 5 flavors – Luscious Litchi, Refreshing Lemon, Delicious Orange, Exciting Pineapple and Orange and Juicy Mango. The new RoohAfza Fusion packs promise the double impact of the goodness of RoohAfza and fresh fruit juices, promising health and refreshment with a sensational twist of flavors. Hamdard is also launching RoohAfza Milkshake that brings together the nutritional value of milk with the refreshing taste of RoohAfza. <keyword id="7608084" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="hammad-ahmed">Hammad Ahmed</keyword>, Chief Mutawalli, Hamdard Laboratories India commented, “RoohAfza has been a beloved drink of India for generations. Our teams have done a tremendous job in finding an expression of the flavour with tropical Indian fruits. It is a truly magical combination, made with Hamdard’s reputed quality standards, and crafted with passion. RoohAfza has been delighting customers for more than a 100 years and we hope our new offerings will continue to delight for many years to come. We have been receiving feedback that an overwhelming number of people drink RoohAfza with milk. So we took it as a challenge to present the best combination of healthy and quality milk with the unique flavours of RoohAfza, and we are proud of the final product. Those looking for the perfect milkshake need look no more. The Fusion range of RoohAfza with tropical fruits and the RoohAfza Milkshake have been prepared with Hamdard’s blending expertise to present the best ready-to-drink experience. We want our customers to enjoy their favourite drink in these new flavours that are convenient and delicious. ” Mansoor Ali, Chief Sales &amp; Marketing Officer, said, “RoohAfza has occupied a prime space in the homes and hearts of millions, and is aptly called “The Drink of India”. With the objective of expanding the RoohAfza offering, and building bridges with the younger, convenience seeking consumers, we have strategically forayed into the Ready-to-Drink segment. RoohAfza Fusion, as the name suggests is a delightful mix of RoohAfza and fresh fruit juices in 5 exciting flavours. RoohAfza Milkshake provides the unbeatable combination of RoohAfza, milk and vanilla, to provide for a lip smacking sensorial delight. These products come to you in the aseptic Tetrapak packaging, ensuring safety and refreshing taste in every sip. I invite every discerning consumer to try these uniquely flavoured ready-to-drink products from the RoohAfza family. RoohAfza and its family, as always continues to be the ‘refreshingly local’ Indian brand that everyone loves.”

Hamdard Laboratories India launches ‘ready to drink’ RoohAfza Fusion and RoohAfza Milkshake

<ul><li>The campaign ‘Sachai Andar. Achaia Bahar’ celebrates inner beauty. </li><li>It features personalities like <keyword id="4744383" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Anny-Divya">Anny Divya</keyword>, <keyword id="9902232" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="ashweeta-shetty">Ashweeta Shetty</keyword>, Mira Erda, Gladstone Peter, Chandeep Singh and Angad Dariyani.</li></ul>Embodying the spirit of ‘Beauty lies in the eye of beholder’ Hamdard Laboratories has launched its new campaign ‘Sachai Andar. Achchai Bahar’ for their brand, SAFI. Celebrating people inside out, the campaign features men and women from different walks of life who have made a mark despite all odds but emerged victorious. The campaign ‘Sachai Andar. Achaia Bahar’ attempts to redefine true beauty and adds new parameters against the set stereotypes by society. Personalities like Anny Divya , world’s youngest woman commander to fly Boeing 777; Ashweeta Shetty - Tedx speaker from being a beedi roller; Afshan Ashiq - Captain of J&amp;K women’s football team; Mira Erda - youngest formula 4 girl driver in India; Gladstone Peter, a one man band; Angad Dariyani- maker of India’s first 3D printer; Chandeep Singh - world record holder for fastest 100 mtrs para skating and Sanober Pardiwala - India’s first stunt woman, are featured in the campaign. <div type="Youtube" id="5brWQ0GaMXo" title="Hamdard Safi | Sachhai Andar Achhai Bahar" thumbUrl="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/5brWQ0GaMXo/mqdefault.jpg"></div> It will be an integrated marketing campaign and the company will leverage PSOM radio, and digital mediums to maximize reach and spread the message of appreciating beauty without any categorization or set standards. Hamdard Laboratories partners with Radio Mirchi to bring unique stories of men and women who are breaking stereotypes to make a mark for themselves. It is an engaging narrative that aims to convey that people are beautiful inside out. “Health and wellness deserves the highest priority today. The pandemic has made people conscious of their health and hygiene. It is my belief, that when people eat well, sleep well and keep their bodies cleansed of impurities the result is not just great. It is miraculous. A healthy body and mind comes with a perk of glowing skin. I bet on SAFI to give such results. Natural herbal remedies are always beneficial. Try for yourself .Stay healthy. Stay safe,” said <keyword id="159634" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Abdul-Majeed">Abdul Majeed</keyword>, Chairman, and Managing Trustee, Hamdard Laboratories (Medicine Division). On the launch of its latest product campaign, Suman Varma, Chief Marketing Officer, Hamdard Laboratories (Medicine Division) said, “Our new campaign celebrates the true spirit of people who are beautiful inside out. It’s about the power of self-belief, determination that adds another dimension of glow. Positioned as Sachchai Andar. Achchai Bahar, it reflects the product truth. Safi purifies the blood from inside to give us glowing skin outside.” According to Pranav Harihar Sharma, Creative Director, “Every genius seems crazy at first. But what they seem, they never are. This is the core thought of Safi campaign, connecting the product with the philosophy of Sachai Andar. Achai Bahar. The campaign showcases eight talented people of India who have broken stereotypes to reflect their self- belief and their act is what makes them beautiful and celebrated. The idea makes a point that you are not what you look. The glow on the face is the glow that comes from within.”

Hamdard Safi's latest campaign celebrate people from different walks of life who've made a mark despite all odds

<ul><li>Ronnie Screwvala-backed elearning platform upGrad today launched <keyword id="9410840" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="online-degree-programs">online degree programs</keyword> in partnership with the OP Jindal Global University and Jamia Hamdard University. </li><li>The platform will now offer three-year undergraduate courses — Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA), Bachelor of Computer Applications (BCA) and two-year programmes including Master of Business Administration (MBA) and Master of Computer Applications (MCA). </li><li>It will also offer a one-year LLM (Master of Laws) degree course. </li><li>The platform witnessed a 360% jump in users in the COVID lockdown period, compared to the last quarter. </li></ul>Ronnie Screwvala-backed e-learning platform upGrad today launched online degree programs in partnership with the OP Jindal Global University and Jamia Hamdard University — which are recognised as ‘Institutes of Eminence’ by the Indian government. The platform will now offer three-year undergraduate courses — Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA), Bachelor of Computer Applications (BCA) and two-year programmes including Master of Business Administration (MBA) and Master of Computer Applications (MCA). “Through this association, we aim to provide a superior <keyword id="23248" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Online-learning">online learning</keyword> experience to the learners, including a robust curriculum taught by world-class faculty and industry leaders. This program will aid students to excel in fields of Management and Technology and foster a new generation of forward-thinking leaders,” said Professor Seyed Ehtesham Hasnain, VC at the Jamia Hamdard University. It will also offer a one-year LLM (Master of Laws) degree course. “We are looking to partner with nearly 10 more universities for multiple online courses in the future,” Mayank Kumar, Co-founder of upGrad said. This is in line with announcements made during the budget session which said that ‘degree-level’ full-fledged online courses will be launched in India to provide quality education to the underprivileged. “It is a start. The COVID crisis has brought in some sort of urgency and awareness to the medium of online being a very effective and highly penetrable one,” said Ronnie Screwvala, Executive Chairman and Co-Founder of upGrad. The cost of enrolling in these online degree programs will vary according to the course. “The programmes that we are launching with Jamia Hamdard will cost nearly ₹50,000 annually. While the LLM and MBA programme with OP Jindal University will largely cater to working professionals, it will be priced between ₹2-2.5 lakh on an annual basis,” Kumar added. The platform witnessed a 360% jump in users in the COVID lockdown period, compared to the last quarter. upGrad agrees that the completion rate for such courses also witnessed growth. “Today, online is allowing us to reach tier 2, 3, 4 and tier 5 cities. This includes the large rural segment as well. The blended approach that online learning brings allows us to be able to provide access to the best universities across rural India,” Screwvala added. Government’s push for online degrees To kickstart the learning calendar for students, the Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, on May 17, announced that the top 100 educational institutions in India will be automatically allowed to start courses online from May 30, 2020. Under this, the courses will be taught via live interactions and aired on TV channels for students from 1st to 12th grade to access it. It will also introduce at least 12 educational channels to keep the learning continuity for students. As many as 200 textbooks have been added to e-pathshala and 61 crore students have accessed the courses on Diksha platform, as on March 24. Given the delay in the academic year, the government has also tied up with private DTH operators like Tata Sky to air educational content on TV. The students and teachers can also communicate with experts via skype.

upGrad rolls out online ‘blended’ degree programs in MBA, LLM and others with OP Jindal University and Jamia Hamdard

NEET 2020 Result Soon: These are the best medical colleges in India, according to NIRF

For the first time ever, juices and juice drinks from brands like Real, Slice and <keyword id="567902" type="COMPANY" weightage="100" keywordseo="Tropicana">Tropicana</keyword> have displaced <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/Shout-out-for-calorie-conscious-consumers-Fizzy-drinks-ice-creams-may-come-with-less-calories-soon/articleshow/50898580.cms">fizzy drinks</a>, like <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/Pepsi-and-Coca-Cola-are-in-shock-after-PM-Modis-comment-at-Startup-India-summit/articleshow/50622380.cms">Coke and Pepsi</a>, from the list of top five highest sold beverages across modern retail chains in India. The Nielsen data was collected for the first half of 2016. 
 
This echoes the global trend of consumers switching to healthier and functional beverages over aerated ones, which are for long considered to be <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/You-wont-believe-what-a-can-of-Coca-Cola-can-do-to-your-body/articleshow/48899448.cms">hazardous for health</a> in the long run. 
 
However, the data is only for modern trade, and general trade could still be selling more aerated drinks could as compared to juices and juice drinks, given that it has more a significantly bigger base from modern trade. 
 
Future Group’s president for food and FMCG Devendra Chawla, and Bigbasket.com co-founder Vipul Parekh, confirmed this trend. 
 
"Traditional drinks and tastes have come out of the shadows," Chawla told <a href="http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/industry/cons-products/food/real-slice-push-fizzy-drinks-coca-cola-and-pepsi-out-of-top-5-beverage-brands-in-modern-trade/articleshow/53424054.cms">ET</a>. "The past few decades saw high-decibel marketing and commitment of resources from global brands, but consumers are going back to favouring what they perceive are healthier and traditional flavours," he added. 
 
Parekh too confirmed the trend, saying, "Juices and juice-based drinks are growing about 2.5 times faster than aerated drinks - we are observing this trend over the past six months." 
 Talking of specific brands, it was Dabur's Real, Mondelez' Tang, PepsiCo's Slice and Tropicana, and Hamdard's rose drink <keyword id="1803419" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Rooh-Afza">Rooh Afza</keyword> that grabbed places in the list of five top-selling beverages across modern trade in the first half of 2016. 
 
Also read: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/Ramesh-Chauhan-the-father-of-Indian-soft-drink-industry-is-all-set-to-launch-new-range-of-fizzy-drinks/articleshow/50973316.cms">Ramesh Chauhan, the father of Indian soft drink industry is all set to launch new range of fizzy drinks!</a> 
 
Comparing the data to last four years – starting from January to June 2013 to January to June 2016, one can see that while in 2013 and 2014, Pepsi was the highest selling brand in modern trade, it was <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/Coke-to-launch-fizzy-drink-with-fruit-juice-to-help-Indian-farmers/articleshow/50947880.cms">Coke </a>that grabbed the spot last year. 
 
However, this time around, none of the two made it to the top five. However, a <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/May-have-to-shut-some-factories-if-GST-is-passed-Coca-Cola-India/articleshow/50141450.cms">Coca-Cola </a>spokesperson said that their internal numbers show a different result. 
 
"As per data available with us, which we procure from third parties, Thums Up and Maaza continue to be amongst the top 5 non-alcoholic ready-to-drink brands in modern trade," the person told ET. 
 
<a href="http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/dam/assets/130805132351-child-drinking-juice-story-top.jpg">Image source</a>

Fruit-based drinks displace Fizzy drinks from top 5 beverage brands in India

<keyword id="6356755" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="IIT-Madras">IIT Madras</keyword> has been picked as India's best engineering college by Smriti Irani's Ministry of Human Resource and Development. 
 
The announcement was made on Monday under National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) – a first-of-its-kind indigenous ranking framework for higher education institutions. 
 
IIT Madras topped the list followed by IIT Mumbai and IIT Kharagpur. 
 <keyword id="60501" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="IIM-Bangalore">IIM Bangalore</keyword> was declared the best management institute followed by IIM Ahmedabad and IIM Calcutta as the first and second runner up respectively. 
 
The top 3 in Pharmacy were announced in this order: MCOPS (Manipal), UIPS (Chandigarh) and Jamia Hamdard, New Delhi as the top 3 in this segment. 
 Then came the top 3 in Universities Category where IISc Bangalore topped the list followed by Institute of Chemical Technology and <keyword id="6356383" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="JNU">JNU</keyword> ranked third. 
 The report by Smriti Irani's department - <keyword id="3309858" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="India-Rankings-2016">India Rankings 2016</keyword> - seeks to "empower students and parents" while creating healthy competition among educational institutes, the ministry said. 
 
The rankings -which cover government and private institutions -have been released ahead of the next academic year which starts in the summer for college students. 
 
(Image Credits: <a href="http://www.collegedekho.com/">CollegeDekho.com</a>)

The Indian govt says IIT Madras and IIM Bangalore are India's best colleges

(Eds: Updates with additional details ) New Delhi, Jun 11 () IIT Madras, IISc Bengaluru and IIT Delhi bagged the top three positions among the educational institutions in the country in the HRD Ministry's National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) rankings announced on Thursday. The top 10 higher education institutes in the country included seven Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs). According to the fifth edition of the annual rankings, the top three universities are IISc Bengaluru, Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) and Banaras Hindu University (BHU). IIM Ahmedabad has been ranked as the top business school in the country, followed by IIM Bangalore and IIM Calcutta. Union Human Resource Development (HRD) Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal "Nishank" announced that Miranda College bagged the top rank among colleges, followed by Lady Sri Ram College for Women, Hindu College and St Stephen's College -- all under the Delhi University (DU). According to the rankings, the top three engineering colleges in the country are IIT Madras, IIT Delhi and IIT Bombay. In the pharmacy category, the top institute is Delhi's Jamia Hamdard, followed by the Panjab University, Chandigarh and the National Institute of Pharmaceutical Research, Mohali. In the medical colleges category, AIIMS, Delhi bagged the top spot, followed by PGI, Chandigarh and CMC, Vellore. The annual rankings are usually announced in April but had to be postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. "These rankings act as a guide to students for selection of universities based on a set criteria and helps universities to improve their performance on various ranking parameters and identify gaps in research and areas of improvement. This exercise has also created a habit of organising data by the institutions and most of all, these institutions attempt to become more competitive," Nishank said. The HRD minister attributed the performance of Indian institutions in international rankings to the weightage given by them to the parameter of perception and reputation. "I do not agree to their parameters, be it the Times Higher Education Ranking or QS rankings, some of our very credible institutions have produced alumni who are spread across the globe, we are doing excellent research, we should be judged on those parameters," he said. The ranking framework evaluates institutions on five broad generic groups of parameters -- teaching, learning and resources (TLR), research and professional practice (RP), graduation outcomes (GO), outreach and inclusivity (OI) and perception (PR). The ranks are given on the basis of the sum total of marks assigned for each of these five broad groups of parameters. The dental colleges in the country were ranked for the first time by the NIRF. Maulana Azad Institute of Dental Sciences, Manipal College of Dental Sciences and DY Patil Vidyapeeth were ranked the top three institutes in this category. The top three institutions for architecture studies are IIT Kharagpur, IIT Roorkee and National Institute of Technology, Calicut. The top three law schools are -- National Law School of India University, Bengaluru; National Law University, New Delhi and Nalsar University of Law, Hyderabad. A total of 3,771 universities and higher educational institutions across the country participated in the ranking process. The QS World University Rankings were announced on Wednesday, in which two IITs -- Delhi and Bombay -- and the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru maintained their positions in the top 200, despite losing some points. The QS rankings is the second consecutive international list where Indian universities have fared poorly compared to 2019. Last week, the Times Higher Education (THE) Asia University rankings also showed that Indian institutes have slipped in their standings. GJS RC

NIRF: IIT Madras best edu institution in country; 7 IITs in top 10, IISc and JNU best universities

Women dominated this year's <keyword id="6391019" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Padma-awards">Padma awards</keyword> for sports with tennis star Sania Mirza and ace shuttler <keyword id="30618" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Saina-Nehwal">Saina Nehwal</keyword> getting the nod for the Padma Bhushan, while archer <keyword id="86231" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Deepika-Kumari">Deepika Kumari</keyword> was chosen for the Padma Shri here today. 

	All three were in sublime touch last year and brought the country laurels in their respective sports. 
 Sania enjoyed the most sensational run, clinching nine titles -- including two Grand Slams last year with Swiss great Martina Hingis. The exceptional performance propelled her to the top of the <keyword id="935171" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="WTA-doubles-rankings">WTA doubles rankings</keyword>. 

	The 29-year-old is currently competing in the Australian Open in Melbourne, where she has reached the women's doubles quarterfinals with Hingis. 
 Saina has also been in spectacular touch, winning silver medals at the All England and World Badminton Championship last year besides clinching the India Open Super Series and <keyword id="2039194" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Syed-Modi-Grand-Prix-Gold">Syed Modi Grand Prix Gold</keyword>. 

	Deepika, on the other hand, won a silver at the Archery World Cup Final besides bronze medals at the World Cup Stage II and the Asian Team Championships. 
 

	Saina, who is in the country to compete in this week's Syed Modi Grand Prix Gold Tournament, said the honour has left her surprised. Interestingly, the 25-year-old had expressed her displeasure at being ignored for the award last year. 
 
 

	"It is a great honour and I want to thank the Ministry for giving me the award. I am very happy with the way the last year has gone, I have been performing well. I reached World No.1 last year and now I am World No.2. I am sure this award will give me more motivation to do well further this year," Saina said. 
 

	"It came as a complete surprise to me. I had no clue. I did not expect at all. There was no news of it at all. When I think that I am just 25 and I have received this award, it makes me feel great. But it is still a long way to go." 
 

	Saina was left disappointed after the Sports Ministry decided to reject her application for the award in January last year, citing norms. 
 

	The ministry had picked two-time Olympic-medallist wrestler Sushil Kumar for the honour last year. 
 

	Saina was bestowed the Khel Ratna and Padma Shri in 2010 and also received the Arjuna Award in 2009. 
 

	The 21-year-old Deepika, meanwhile, had also won the team silver along with Laxmirani Majhi and Rimil Buriuly in the World Championships. 
	 
	
		Superstar Rajinikanth, founder of the Reliance empire late Dhirubhai Ambani, Art of Living founder Sri Sri Ravi Shankar and media baron Ramoji Rao have been chosen for Padma Vibhushan, country's second highest civilian award, this year. 
	 
	
		Former Jammu and Kashmir Governor Jagmohan, former DRDO chief V K Aatre, cancer specialist and chairperson of Adyar Cancer Institute Dr V Shanta and eminent Bharatnatyam and Kuchipudi dancer Yamini Krishnamurthi and classical vocalist Girija Devi and Indian-American economist Avinash Dixit have also been named for Padma Vibhushan on the occasion of this year's Republic Day celebrations. 
	 
	
		Noted actor Anupam Kher, singer Udit Narayan, former CAG Vinod Rai, chairperson of media group Bennett, Coleman &amp; Co. Indu Jain, sports star Sania Mirza and Saina Nehwal, spiritual leaders late Swami Dayanand Saraswati, Swami Tejomayananda and former US Ambassador to India Robert Blackwill are among the 19 eminent people chosen for Padma Bhushan. 
	 
	
		Industrialist Pallonji Shapoorji Mistry, Maruti Suzuki chairman R C Bhargava and eminent architect Hafeez Contractor also figure in the list of Padma Bhushan awardees. 
	 
	
		Senior lawyer Ujjwal Nikam, who was the prosecution counsel in the Mumbai terror attack case, actors Ajay Devgn and Priyanka Chopra get Padma Shri.
	
		 
		Renowned sculptor Ram V Sutar, Manipuri theatre personality Heisnam Kanhailal, Hindi and Telugu writer Yarlagadda Lakshmi Prasad, Sanskrit scholar N S Ramanuja Tatacharya, Punjabi journalist Barjinder Singh Hamdard, gastroenterologist D Nageshwar Reddy and scientist A V Rama Rao have been chosen for Padma Bhushan. 
	 
	
		Actor the late Saeed Jaffrey, CEO of MasterCard Ajaypal Singh Banga, archer Deepika Kumari, Bharatanatyam dancer Prathibha Prahlad, Gujarati folk musician Bhikhudan Gadhvi, Goa's musician Tulsidas Borkar and scientist Onkar Nath Srivastava were among those who were named for Padma Shri awards.

You Searched For "Hamdard India" and got 9 results

Marketing in the times of COVID-19: Hamdard India

Karuna Sharma

Hamdard Laboratories India launches ‘ready to drink’ RoohAfza Fusion and RoohAfza Milkshake

BI India Partner

Hamdard Safi's latest campaign celebrate people from different walks of life who've made a mark despite all odds

BI India Partner

upGrad rolls out online ‘blended’ degree programs in MBA, LLM and others with OP Jindal University and Jamia Hamdard

Prerna Sindwani

NEET 2020 Result Soon: These are the best medical colleges in India, according to NIRF

BI India Bureau

Fruit-based drinks displace Fizzy drinks from top 5 beverage brands in India

BI India Bureau

The Indian govt says IIT Madras and IIM Bangalore are India's best colleges

Anushree Singh

NIRF: IIT Madras best edu institution in country; 7 IITs in top 10, IISc and JNU best universities

PTI

Padma Bhushan for Sania Mirza, Saina Nehwal

BI India Bureau

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