Saudi Arabia’s Eram Group Chairman Dr Siddeek Ahmed has won this year's Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Award (PBSA), India’s most prestigious award for non-resident Indians. 

 

The award is a recognition of the contributions made by a member of the Indian community and their tangible involvement in acts of charity, philanthropy and social uplift. Eram Group is a business conglomerate with global operations in several sectors including oil and gas, power, construction, manufacturing, travel, healthcare, IT, media, logistics, automotive and training and education.

 

Conferred by the President of India as a part of the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (PBD) Conventions organised annually since 2003, it also acknowledges the winner’s support and contribution in multiple fields of endeavour including education, business, medicine and employment creation.

 

This win is a testament to Dr Ahmed’s unwavering commitment to addressing the critical challenges facing humanity, including access to clean sanitation, environmental issues, skilling the underprivileged and responsible and sustainable living through integrity, innovation and ideas.

 

Dr Ahmed, who hails from Kerala, has 25 years of experience under his belt and has built a business empire that uses its expertise and corporate infrastructure for the benefit of rural India in particular. 

 

Dr Ahmed said: “My contribution to society is something that I have learned from my parents. They have always been kind and generous to people’s sufferings and what I do today is what I have seen them do. It’s an irreplaceable part of my life.”

 

Eram Group came into prominence in recent years as it enthusiastically offered its services to the ‘Make in India’ platform. By collaborating with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Dr Ahmed extended his vision and outstanding technology in the sanitation sector through his company, Eram Scientific Solutions. 

 

The innovative ‘e-Toilet’ which is an automated public sanitation solution in line with Swachh Bharat Abhiyaan was duly showcased in the UN Innovation exhibition and recognised by the UN’s country representative for its game changing potential.

 

The Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi had bestowed on Dr Ahmed the Toilet Titan award at the Safaigiri Summit in 2015, a salute to the Eram work ethos and the dedication of its 8,000 plus employees from over 20 plus countries. -- Tradearabia News Service