The National Federation of Indian American Associations (NFIA) has been recognising outstanding and meritorious accomplishments by individuals of Indian origin since its inception in 1980. The 12th biennial convention held recently in Detroit recognised five Indian Americans at the awards banquet for their outstanding contributions in their chosen field or activity as follows:

Manjit S Bains, MD – Medicine and Medical Research

Dr Manjit Singh Bains, a graduate All-India Institute of Medical Sciences in New Delhi, has been on the staff of Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center since completing his fellowship in 1972. He has developed several techniques in operative treatment of cancer involving esophagus, chest wall, mediastinal tumors and major vessels.

Prof Brij M Moudgil – Engineering and Technology

Dr Brij M Moudgil is a Professor of Materials Science and Engineering, and director of the Engineering Research Center for Particle Science and Technology at the University of Florida, Gainesville, FL. He has published over 180 technical papers and has presented more than 360 papers at scientific meetings and seminars, both in the US and abroad, including 100 invited/plenary talks. He has been awarded 14 patents, and has edited 9 books.

Indra Shah – Community Service

Indra Shah was a partner in the Law firm of Weltman, Weinberg & Reiss and president of its title agency, Attorneys Title. Indra was the secretary of NFIA and a drafter of its first constitution. Significant awards and achievements include Trustee, Cleveland Bar Association and Cuyahoga Bar Association; Secretary, real estate section, Ohio State Bar Association; recipient of Freedom Award presented by Sen Voinivich on behalf of American Nationalities Movement; Asian Leadership Award given by Ohio Civil Rights Commission.

Raj and Padma Vattikutti - Entrepreneurship

Raj Vattikutti founded Complete Business Solution Inc, (CBSI) in 1985 and brought the company public in 1997. He served as president and chief executive officer (CEO) during this period. He partnered with Focus HOPE to develop an IT training curriculum for Detroit area students.

Padma Vattikutti - Philanthropy

As one of the most inspiring philanthropist in Michigan, the Vattikutti Foundation headed by Raj and Padma Vattikutti, set precedence in the medical industry with a commitment of $ 40 million towards cancer research. Two of Michigan’s leading organisations, Beaumont Hospital and Henry Ford Hospital, were designated as the recipients of this generous donation. Beaumont Hospital and Henry Ford Hospital are utilising these gifts to work in their breast cancer projects and urological research, respectively.