Tennis legend Leander Paes was conferred the 32nd P.C. Chandra Puraskaar on Sunday at the Science City Auditorium, in Kolkata. The award, instituted by the P.C. Chandra Group in 1993, is presented annually on the birth anniversary of its founder, Purna Chandra Chandra.
The award carries a tax-free honorarium of Rs 20 lakhs and is awarded to individuals for exceptional achievements across diverse fields.
Past recipients include Grandmaster Viswanathan Anand, Nobel Laureate Kailash Satyarthi, singer Asha Bhosle, Dr. Devi Shetty, cricketer Kapil Dev, Ustad Amjad Ali Khan, boxer Mary Kom, and ISRO chief S. Somanath.
This year’s recipient, Leander Paes, has won 18 Grand Slam titles and an Olympic bronze medal. He has represented India internationally for over three decades.
Uday Kumar Chandra, Managing Director of P.C. Chandra Jewellers, said, “It is our privilege to honour Leander Paes for his unmatched contributions to sport. The P.C. Chandra Puraskaar is a tribute to those who inspire greatness, and this evening stands as a reflection of our founding values.”
The event was attended by Chief Guest Swami Suvirananda of Ramakrishna Mission, Arun Kumar Chandra, Managing Director of P.C. Chandra Group, Uday Kumar Chandra, Managing Director of P.C. Chandra Jewellers and Abhijit Laha, Director of Chandra's Green Projects Ltd.
The P.C. Chandra Group began as a jewellery business in East India and has since diversified into chemicals, plastics, rubber plantations, software development, construction, housing, exports, and hotels.
