UPL Chief Shroff, 4 others get Padma awards for trade and industry

New Delhi, Jan 25 : Five persons from the field of trade and industry have been conferred the prestigious Padma awards for their contributions.
UPL Chairman Rajnikant Devidas Shroff is among the ten recipients who would receive the coveted Padma Bhushan award, the third highest civillian honour, while four others will be given the Padma Shri, including one posthumously.
Born in Gujarat’s Kutch, Shroff pioneered red phosphorus manufacturing in 1969, giving an impetus to the indigenous chemical industry.
In 1980s, UPL started to launch a number of crop protection products and currently is among the leading total crop solutions providers globally.
Among the Padma Shri awardees, Rajni Bector is the founder of the food company Cremica. Born in Karachi, Bector witnessed a huge demand for her desserts leading her to launch ‘Cremica’ in Ludhiana. The company sells products under the brands ‘Mrs Bector’s Cremica’ and ‘English Oven’.
Jaswantiben Jamnadas Popat, another recipient of the Padma Shri, well known for being a founder of the iconic Lijjat Papads. She is the only survivor of a group of Gujarati housewives who founded the co-operative around 60 years ago.