London: Ratan Tata, Chairman of one of India’s largest business conglomerates, the Tata Group, has been awarded by the UK India Business Council for his significant contribution to Indo-British business partnership.

S Anwar Hasan, Managing Director of Tata Limited, received the award on behalf of Tata from British High Commissioner to India, Sir Richard Stagg, at a Gala Dinner organised to celebrate the first anniversary of the UK India Business Council on Monday night.

Sir Stagg lauded Ratan Tata’s contribution to the UK economy by employing 50,000 people since he acquired the Corus Group, an Anglo-Dutch steel and aluminium producer and the Jaguar and Land Rover from Ford Motor company.

The dinner attended by prominent entrepreneurs including Hinduja Group President, G P Hinduja and Kingfisher owner Vijay Mallya, was hosted by the Lord Mayor Alderman David Lewis, who said he would raise 3.5 million pounds to support the cause of blindness prevention in India.

Ratan Tata was awarded the Padma Vibhushan, the second highest civilian decoration in India in January this year.

Recipient of a honorary doctorate from the London School of Economics, Ratan Tata was listed among the 25 most powerful people in business named by Fortune magazine in November 2007.

In May this year Tata made it to the Time magazine’s 2008 list of the World’s 100 most influential people. On August 29, this year, Singapore Government conferred its honorary citizenship on Ratan Tata in recognition of his abiding business relationship with the island nation and his contribution to the growth of high-tech sectors in Singapore.