Amla Ashok Ruia received the top honour in rural development at the inaugural Ramoji Excellence Awards 2025 in Hyderabad.
She is known as “Water Mother”.
Ruia’s work through the Aakar Charitable Trust focuses on water-harvesting and improving livelihoods in drought-affected regions.
Ruia’s initiatives involve building check dams and supporting agricultural resilience across multiple drought-prone villages.
Other awardees included Jaideep Hardikar (journalism), Srikanth Bolla (Youth Icon), Pallabi Ghosh (women’s achievements), and Prof Madhavi Latha Gali (science and technology).
The Ramoji Excellence Awards were launched in 2025 to honour contributions in service, discipline, and nation-building.