Pune: Suryadatta Announces Lifetime Achievement, National Awards 2026; Uday Lalit, Ashok Saraf Among Honourees

Pune: Suryadatta Education Foundation's Suryadatta Group of Institutes has announced the recipients of the Suryadatta Lifetime Achievement Awards and Suryadatta National Awards to mark its 28th foundation day. The awards will be presented on Saturday (February 7, 2026) at 5.30 pm at Bantara Bhavan, on the Mumbai–Pune Highway, Baner, Mumbai.

The awards ceremony will be presided over by Acharya Dr Lokesh Muniji, founder of Ahimsa Vishva Bharati, and the honours will be conferred by former Chief Justice of India Uday Lalit, said Prof Dr Sanjay B Chordiya, Founder President, Suryadatta Group, while addressing a press conference. Snehal Navalakha, Associate Vice-President; Akshit Kushal, CEO; Siddhant Chordiya, CDO; and Swapnali Kogje, Manager (PR & Relations) of the Suryadatta Group of Institutes, were also present.

Prof Chordiya said former BJP national vice-president Shyam Jaju, Air Marshal (retd) Bhushan Gokhale, former Chief Election Commissioner T S Krishnamurthy, veteran actor Raza Murad, and MIT dean Prof Dr Sharadchandra Darade will attend the ceremony as guests of honour.

Padma Shri Param Pujya Acharya Dr Chandnaji Maharaj (Tai Maa) will be honoured with the ‘Suryadatta Global Peace Gandhian Philosophy Award 2026’.

The Suryadatta Lifetime Achievement Awards will be conferred on Uday Lalit, veteran actor Ashok Saraf, laughter yoga movement pioneer Vitthal Kate, former IAS officer Shekhar Gaikwad, actor Rakesh Bedi, real estate developer Vilaskumar Palresha, filmmaker Subhash Sehgal, educationist Ashokkumar Thakur, scientist Dr Anand Bhadalkar, jurist Adv Pramod Adkar, litterateur Prof Surekha Kataria, entrepreneur Prakash Gandhi, and global strategist Sanjay Puri.

The Suryadatta National Awards will be presented to Mahesh Suryavanshi (Shrimant Dagdusheth Halwai Ganpati Trust), yoga guru Dr Krishnadev Giri, actor and stand-up comedian Upasana Singh, Indian chess grandmaster Abhijit Kunte, Supreme Court advocate Adv Ashutosh Shrivastava, social activist Dr Surendra Kumari, yoga trainer Rakhi Gugale, space scientist Dr Kanak Saha, flautist Paras Nath, global youth ambassador Darasing Khurana, Dr Pramod Tripathi, and mountaineer Ashish Mane.

The Suryadatta National Young Achiever Award will be given to CA Mohit Dhand, singers Preeti Dave and Pinky Dave, and swimmer Hatvi Shah, while the Suryadatta Little Master National Award will be conferred on Master Rishi Shiv Prasanna and Master Raghav Malpani.