Monash alumni honoured in India

Three Monash University alumni have received Australian Alumni Excellence Awards in India.

The awards, presented in August, showcased Australia’s education excellence and recognised the achievements of alumni across a diverse range of fields.

The Honorary Award was presented to Mr NR Narayana Murthy (HonDEng 2011), Chairman of the Board and Chief Mentor at Infosys Limited. The award recognises Mr Murthy’s role in building the relationship between Australia and India. Mr Murthy is the Chair of the Research Advisory Council of The IITB-Monash Research Academy, a joint venture between Monash and the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay.

Monash presented Mr Murthy with an honorary degree in May 2011.

The Outstanding Young Alumni Award was presented to Mr Sahil Shroff (MAppInfoTech 2005). Mr Shroff works in the media and advertising industry in India and internationally. He has modelled for Calvin Klein and Hugo Boss and has been a brand ambassador for HCL Computers. Mr Shroff has also acted as an ambassador for Australian education institutions.

Singer, musician and actor Mr Raghav Sachar (BMus 2003) received the Alumni Award for Arts and Culture. Mr Sachar has released three albums under his own record label Raghav Sachar Music. He was involved in the 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi and has also been a part of several Bollywood films.

In presenting the awards, Australian Federal Minister for Tertiary Education Senator Chris Evans said there was a strong alumni network in India that fostered close ties with Australian universities.

“These awards recognise those alumni who have attained exemplary achievements in their field of specialisation as well as those who have contributed significantly to the betterment of Australian education,” Senator Evans said.