Dr. Villoo Morawala - Patell, Founder, Chairman and Managing Director of Avesthagen Limited has been conferred with the 'Astitva Award' for Excellence in Science and Technology 2008 which was presented by the 'Zee-Archana Astitva Awards' in Mumbai.

The 'Astitva Award' recognizes and honors dynamic Indian women achievers across various fields that have made significant contributions to the growth of society at large. Dr Patell has been chosen for the prestigious award in recognition of her outstanding commitment to the development of biotechnology in India and her valuable contribution towards scientific research in the country. Past winners include prominent women like Anu Agha, Lalita Gupte, Dr. Almeida, Leela Samson and Pamela Philipose.

The jury for the award this year comprised of high achieving and influential women like Simone Tata, Phiroza Godrej, Rajashree Birla, Chanda Kochar, Sangeeta Jindal, Satya Saran, Supriya Sule and Simi Grewal.

Accepting the award, Dr Patell said, that it was inspiring to see the number of women who were successful and leading India in various fields. She was truly honored to be looked upon as an example for the Indian women. This award not only provides recognition but also acts as a source of motivation to scale further heights.

Dr Villoo Morawala-Patell is a scientist and businesswoman. With the desire to drive the development of research in Life Sciences she founded Avesthagen in April 1998 to promote a sustainable innovation platform for the Nation. Today, Avesthagen had emerged as India's leading knowledge based Life Sciences Company. The company focused on partnering to achieve a broad spectrum play leading to convergence of food, pharma and population genetics aimed at delivering complete healthcare solutions. The company's partners include Danone, Vilmorin & Cie and CIPLA.

Dr Patell has also been conferred with other distinguished awards such as the Officer of the National Order of Merit Award from the French President, Parsi Entrepreneur Par Excellence Award from the Bombay Parsi Panchayat in 2008, BioSpectrum Entrepreneur of the Year Award 2006, Outstanding Woman Entrepreneur for the year 2005-2006 from FICCI and The Ojaswani Udyamita Alankaran Award 2004. She is a key member of the Task Force and Vision Group for Biotechnology, instituted by the State Government of Karnataka and founding member of the Association of Biotechnology Led Enterprises (ABLE).

Dr Patell was awarded a Ph.D in 1993 in Plant molecular biology from University of Louis Pasteur, Strasbourg in France and did a Post-doctoral tenure from University of Ghent, Belgium. She has received several prestigious grants from Institutions such as The Rockefeller Foundation, Indo-French Centre for the Promotion of Advanced Research (IFCPAR), DFID etc.

It is noteworthy that Archana Trust Suburban (http://archanasuburban.org/aboutus.shtml) which was constituted in September 2000 is a Social & Charitable Trust, comprising of lady members mainly from the suburbs of Mumbai. It was conceptualized on the lines of Archana Trust (Main Wing), a 25 year old organization. Archana Trust Suburban (ATS) has in a short span of five years, formed and achieved a unique identity or 'Astitva ' of its own. With membership rising to 120 in these five years of its existence, the activities of this Trust has received an affirmation for being innovative and distinctive in nature. The Trustees of ATS are some of the finest ladies in the Indian society, who have encouraged and supported with enthusiasm and confidence, the tasks the Trust sets itself. ATS is committed to the dual purpose of a) motivating every woman to realize her true potential and b) social service.