Maharashtra’s Contribution is Crucial in Achieving the Goal of a Developed India – Governor C.P. Radhakrishnan

CM Devendra Fadnavis Honored with the ‘Maharashtrian of the Year’ Award

Mumbai : Maharashtra’s contribution is the most significant in achieving the goal of a developed India, and for this, transforming the state into a $1 trillion economy is essential. The international airport in Navi Mumbai and the Vadhavan Port will be game changers, accelerating Maharashtra’s economic growth, said Governor C.P. Radhakrishnan today.

Governor Radhakrishnan conferred the Lokmat ‘Maharashtrian of the Year 2025’ Award on Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis in a grand ceremony at Raj Bhavan, Mumbai.

He highlighted that achieving classical language status for Tamil required a long struggle, whereas Marathi received this status much earlier. He expressed gratitude to the central government for this and urged people to recognize the rich literary and cultural heritage of Maharashtra.

The Governor also emphasized the need for newspapers to focus on economic development-related articles and reports, stating that economic prosperity leads to job creation and the welfare of the underprivileged.

In his acceptance speech, CM Fadnavis expressed gratitude, saying that receiving the award from Lokmat felt like an honor from his own family and that it would inspire him to continue working for the betterment of society. Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Speaker of the Legislative Assembly Rahul Narwekar also shared their thoughts on the occasion.

Other Awardees Honored by the Governor

• Minister for Industries & Marathi Language Uday Samant and Minister for Women & Child Development Aditi Tatkare were honored with the Lokmat ‘Maharashtrian of the Year’ Award for their outstanding contributions to social service.
• Sanjiv Bajaj, Chairman & Managing Director of Bajaj Finserv, Brahmavihari Swami of BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha, actor Kartik Aaryan, and Mumbai Special Commissioner Deven Bharti received special awards.
• Several distinguished individuals, including Shekhar Singh (Commissioner, Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation), Dikshit Gedam (Deputy Commissioner of Mumbai Police), Sandeep Pawar (Teacher from Beed), Shivajirao Dole (Agricultural Expert from Nashik), badminton player Chirag Shetty, pediatrician Dr. Jui Mandke, Dr. Sachin Khatri from Government Dental College, entrepreneur Asha Singh, and Yajurvendra Mahajan from Deepstambh Foundation, were also felicitated.
• Dhvani Sheth (Founder of Grasper Global Pvt. Ltd.) and Devanshi Kejriwal (Co-founder) were also honored by the Governor.

The event was attended by Vijay Darda (Chairman of Lokmat Group), former ministers Rajendra Darda and Jayant Patil, along with several dignitaries and award recipients from various fields.