Nalli Kuppuswami Chetti calls Padma Bhushan honour 'happiest moment' of his life, dedicates It to weavers

New Delhi [India], January 26 (ANI): Industrialist and philanthropist Nalli Kuppuswami Chetti 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 been instrumental in his success.
In an interaction with ANI, the owner of Nalli Silks, who was previously honoured with the Padma Shri in 2003, said, "I was very happy yesterday 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 told the press that this honor was due to the efforts, quality, and capability of our weavers. That's why I will dedicate my honor in the name of my weavers."
The Nalli Silks owner believes that his principles of honesty, quality, and timely delivery are the reasons his business has reached this level. He also shared his journey, saying that he wanted to study history but circumstances led him to join the family business.
"I wanted to study history and wanted to do LLB. I also told my father that I would complete my studies and then join the shop. But after my father died my journey changed. I joined the service 69 years ago. By god's grace, the principles of Truth, Quality and Time Delivery have t taken the business to this level. " said Nalli.
The 84-year-old industrialist also shared a success mantra for the younger generation. He added, "One thing I want to say to the youngsters: Don't do business or a job only for the money. You must love what you do, and money will come to you automatically."
For 2025, the President has approved the conferment of 139 Padma Awards, including one duo case (where the award is counted as one), on the 76th Republic Day eve.
The list comprises 7 Padma Vibhushan, 19 Padma Bhushan, and 113 Padma Shri Awards. Late folk singer Sharda Sinha, former CEO of Suzuki Motor Osamu Suzuki, and others will be awarded the Padma Vibhushan.
The Padma Vibhushan will also be conferred on Kathak exponent Kumudini Rajnikant Lakhia and legendary violinist Lakshminarayana Subramaniam, according to the Ministry of Home Affairs release.
Veteran Malayalam author MT Vasudevan Nair, who passed away last December, has also been posthumously honored with the Padma Vibhushan.
The list of Padma Bhushan awardees includes 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. (ANI)