Covaxin famed Krishna Murthy and Suchitra Ella of Bharat Biotech along with 74 other distinguished personalities were honored with Padma Bhushan Award on Monday. A civilian investiture ceremony was held at Rashtrapati Bhavan where president Mr.Ram Nath Kovind bestowed the awards.
Bharat Biotech and Serum Institute of India helped India becomes self-sufficient in the production of COVID-19 vaccines. Much talked about Covaxin has a distinguished achievement which is owned by Ella’s pharmaceutical company. Covaxin is considered India’s first indigenous vaccine to fight the pandemic. Covishield is an AstraZeneca Oxford vaccine. Vaccines were made available at the lowest possible price in the world.
Born into a Telugu-speaking agriculturist family from Tamil Nadu in 1969, Dr. Krishna Ella started his career by joining the pharmaceutical and life sciences company Bayer as part of its agricultural division. Later, he left for the United States to pursue higher studies and returned to set up a small lab in Hyderabad in 1996, naming it Bharat Biotech.
At present, he is the chairperson and managing director of Bharat Biotech International Limited. A research scientist in molecular biology, Dr. Krishna Ella strongly believes that innovative technology in vaccine development is essential to solve public healthcare problems caused by infectious diseases.
Bharat Biotech has grown to become a global leader in effective vaccines, under the guidance of DR.Ella. He has also ventured into veterinary vaccines, food processing, and developing biotechnology infrastructure in the country, as per Bharat Biotech’s official website.
He is crowned many feathers in his cap, including the ET Now Special Recognition for Healthcare Industry Award, JRD Tata – Best Entrepreneur of the Year Award, Marico Innovation Award, and University of Southern California – Asia-Pacific Leadership Award.
The first indigenous Covid-19 vaccine and many achievements are attached to DR.Ella. Ella’s company is also the first to manufacture a preservative-free vaccine (Revac-B mcf hepatitis B vaccine) and launch India’s first cell-cultured swine flu vaccine. The firm also manufactures the world’s cheapest hepatitis vaccines and is the first in the world to find a vaccine for the Zika virus.
As said –‘there is a woman behind every successful man’ is proved here. DR.Suchitra Ella is the support pillar of Dr.Krishna Murthy. His wife and the joint managing director of Bharat Biotech, Suchitra Ella are a strong pillar of support and guidance at the pharmaceutical firm. She oversees a wide range of operations in the company and has vast experience in customer operations, finance, marketing, and business development-related work.
Several awards have been conferred on Suchitra, including the South Indian Business Achievers Award 2016, Zee TV Best Women Entrepreneur Award, and, SAARC Women Entrepreneur Award among others. While the couple may be successful entrepreneurs, Dr. Krishna Ella’s true passion is still science and he believes that being a vaccine maker is more challenging.“I am still a scientist… Science is my passion,” Dr. Ella once said during an interview.
Received by a total of 17 personalities this year, the Padma Bhushan is conferred for distinguished service of a high order. It is the third-highest civilian award in the country.
The Padma awards were given to 128 personalities this year, of which 54 received their awards at the first civil investiture ceremony on March 21. The likes of late BJP leader Kalyan Singh and actor Victor Banerjee were also among the recipients of the Padma awards at the second ceremony.
Paralympic silver medalist Devendra Jhajharia receives his Padma Bhushan pic.twitter.com/DgXt6MYAlf
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Senior Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad receives his Padma Bhushan award, in the field of Public Affairs pic.twitter.com/Y5BGatts4q
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Daughters of CDS General Bipin Rawat, Kritika and Tarini receive his Padma Vibhushan award (posthumous) pic.twitter.com/rJv1xnPmys
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Indian Director Chandraprakash Dwivedi receives the Padma Shri award from President Ram Nath Kovind, for his work in Cinema. pic.twitter.com/Ab0ij71qzC
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Son of Radhey Shyam Khemka (Posthumous) receives his Padma Vibhushan, in the field of Literature and Education. pic.twitter.com/Ov4qVMTAca
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Sachidanand Swami receives the Padma Bhushan award from President Ram Nath Kovind, for his work in Literature and Education. pic.twitter.com/RVWn6tPwK0
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Hockey player Vandana Katariya receives the Padma Shri award, from President Ram Nath Kovind pic.twitter.com/iny3pnBgsM
— ANI (@ANI) March 21, 2022
