Amla Ashok Ruia honoured with ‘Excellence in Rural Development’ award

NEW DELHI: Amla Ashok Ruia, popularly known as the “Water Mother,” was honoured with “Excellence in Rural Development” award at the inaugural Ramoji Excellence Awards 2025 held at Ramoji Film City in Hyderabad.Her recognition stood out as a tribute to her transformative work in rural empowerment and sustainable community development, making her one of the evening’s most celebrated awardees.Vice-President C P Radhakrishnan presented the award to Amla Ashok Ruia in the presence of Telangana chief minister A Revanth Reddy, Andhra Pradesh chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu and governor of Telangana Jishnu Dev Varma, among others.Ruia, through her Aakar Charitable Trust, has restored livelihoods, water security and hope across rural India. She has transformed drought-prone villages through innovative water-harvesting initiatives.The Ramoji Excellence Awards, instituted in memory of Sri Ramoji Rao garu, has been launched to honour individuals who embody the values of service, discipline, and nation-building and whose contributions strengthen the nation’s moral and intellectual foundations. The inaugural ceremony acknowledged seven distinguished personalities across diverse fields.In his keynote address, Vice-President Radhakrishnan said, “Sri Ramoji Rao garu was a visionary who transformed ideas into institutions and dreams into enduring realities. He was not only a pioneer in media and communication but a true nation-builder. His commitment to truth, ethics, and excellence continues to inspire generations across the entire nation.”Alongside Ruia, eminent personalities such as Jaideep Hardikar (Excellence in Journalism), Shri Srikanth Bolla (Youth Icon Award), Pallabi Ghosh (Women Achiever Award), and Prof Madhavi Latha Gali (Excellence in Science & Technology) were also honoured.