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Dr. Vijaypat Singhania is no stranger to glorious achievements. He has repeatedly inspired all of us with his courage and desire to set new benchmarks of excellence.
The world knows him not only for his achievements in the field of business, but also as an excellent aviator who has made setting aviation records his second nature. Records, which are inherently fraught with great danger and require highest degree of courage and daring.
Beyond business and aviation, he has always been committed to social welfare activities.
He is actively promoting cattle development, an issue close to his heart. He encouraged the development of and propagation of Embryo Transplantation Techniques for the upgradation and breeding of high milk-yielding cattle.
Dr. Vijaypat Singhania believes that education is the foundation of a strong and progressive India. This is propagated through institutions like Smt. Sulochanadevi Singhania School, Thane, the Kailashpat Singhania High School, Chindwara and the J. K. Sports Foundation.
He also served as a member of the Board of Governors of the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad, and has been a visiting Professor at the Jamnalal Bajaj Institute of Management Studies, Mumbai.
The busy schedule does not stop him to pursue his interest in sports like squash, swimming, snooker, billiards and golf; and his hobbies of photography and orchid culture.
An incredible world record was created when he flew solo in a Micro Light Aircraft from U.K. to India in August / September 1988. This feat is recorded in the Guinness Book of World Records.
He also holds the distinction of winning the first International Air Race in 1994, starting and ending in Montreal [Canada], after a 24 day odyssey, covering distance of 34,000 km across several countries. This victory also brought him another distinction, the FAI [Federation Aeronautique Internationale] Gold Medal, which is the most coveted award given in aviation sports. The FAI is the equivalent of an Olympic Gold Medal in the field of aviation.
The former President of India, His Excellency Mr. R. Venkataraman was pleased to confer him with the rank of Hon. Air Commodore of the Indian Air Force.
The 7th Air Squadron of the IAF, comprising of the Mirage 2000 aircraft based at Gwalior, also honoured him as the first and only civilian member of the Squadron ‘The Battle Axes’.
The Government of India conferred him with the ‘Tenzing Norgay National Adventure Award’ for the year 2001, in recognition of his lifetime achievements in the field of aviation adventure.
For his outstanding achievements in the field of aviation, Dr. Vijaypat Singhania was awarded the ‘Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Smarak Award’, on the occasion of the 150th Anniversary of Indian Railways and the centenary of aviation.
The London Institute of Technology and Research conferred him with the Honorary Degree of Doctor of Philosophy in October 2003.
Not satisfied with the medals and the accolades, Dr. Singhania was determined to break the world altitude record of 64,997 feet in a Hot Air Balloon, set by Per Lindstrand; a record that stood unbroken for 17 years.
Finally, on November 26, 2005, Dr. Singhania set the new world record by attaining a height of 69,852 feet, breaking the earlier record by almost 5,000 feet.
Truly, a man of many dimensions, who has achieved in sixty-seven years, far more than what many of us can only dream of or take several lifetimes to achieve. |
