TV Asia founder and CEO felicitated by community for Padma Shri Award

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Founder and CEO of TV Asia H.R. Shah, was felicitated by the Federation of Indian Associations in New Jersey, along with several other important community organizations May 23, at Royal Albert’s Palace in Fords, N.J.

More than 400 people attended according to organizers.

“H.R. was always there for us, so we wanted to show our appreciation for him with this special event. He is a very deserving candidate,” said Ramesh Patel, chairman of FIA.

Several people spoke highly of Shah’s work as a philanthropist, community activist and someone who had worked tirelessly to improve U.S.-India relations.

India’s Consul General in New York, Ambassador Riva Ganguly Das, also attended the event and remained late till the event ended at around 11 pm, according to organizers. In her speech, she congratulated Shah and expressed her happiness for his recognition by the Government of India.

Among the speakers was Dr. Sudhir Parikh, also a Padma Shri recipient, and publisher of News India Times.

“He’s a great community leader and philanthropist who deserves all the accolades he’s received,” Dr. Parikh said at the event, praising Shah for his “unrelenting hard work and firm commitment” to critical issues pertaining to the Indian-American community.

“I can only give one piece of advice to H R: enjoy the ride. You have earned it. At the end of the day, you will realize that with this new honor, comes new responsibility. One has to make anew the vow to carry on the good work with greater zeal,” Parikh said. A successful entrepreneur, Shah has given a leg up to other Indians on the ladder success, speakers acknowledged. He has also helped to raise awareness about India’s arts and culture through his work with the Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan.

Guests also included Padma Shri recipient Dr. Dattatreyudu Nori and Rohit Patel, the Gujarat minister of state for industries and mines.

Ramesh Patel told News India Times much of the work for organizing the event was carried out by women members. Other organizations that stepped in to support the event included among others, Share and Care, American Association of Physicians of Indian Origin, AAPI, and the Asian American Hotel Owners Association, AAHOA.

“H.R. always believes in community outreach programs and is for noble causes,” Patel said. “So we celebrated him.”