Dubai-based Indian Ram Buxani, right, is the Chairman of the ITL Cosmos Group.
Dubai-based business tycoon Ram Buxani and former Sheriff of Mumbai Bakul Patel were conferred with the honorary Degree of Doctor of Letters (D Litt) by a university in Mumbai.
The degrees were presented to them by Maharashtra Governor C Vidyasagar Rao at a function here last evening at DY Patil University in Navi Mumbai.
Dr Buxani is the Chairman of ITL Cosmos Group in Dubai, which is a 60-year-old conglomerate. He is also among the pioneer promoters of IndusInd Bank Ltd in India and was its Director until recently, a release said.
74-year-old Buxani chaired the Board of the prestigious Indian High School in Dubai from 2000 to 2004. He is also the founder chairman of Overseas Indian Economic Forum which subsequently paved the way for many business councils.
He is also the author of the book titled 'Taking the High Road' which was the bestseller for several months in Dubai in 2003.
He also received PhD for his thesis 'Governance of Dubai: The influence of tribal tradition in decision making', especially in the critical periods of development of the city-state, in 2004, the release said.
Bakul Patel, former chairperson of Maharashtra State Financial Corporation, was on the Board of Governors of Tata Institute of Social Sciences from 1986 to 1997.
Ms Patel is on the Board of the executive committee of the Nehru Centre in Mumbai, since its inception in 1975. She is also a member of the governing council of Jaslok Hospital and Research Centre since 1992 and is on the Board of Trustees of Bombay Community Public Trust.