Salil Panigrahi, the Founder and Managing Director of Atmosphere Hotels & Resorts, has been conferred the Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Award (PBSA) by the Government of India. This annual award is the highest honour given to an elite selection of overseas Indians for their outstanding contributions in diverse fields in their respective countries of residence.
Panigrahi is among the 30 NRIs, Indian-origin people, and organisations conferred the Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Award by Indian President Ram Nath Kovind. The much-deserved recognition for Salil Panigrahi has been universally applauded by politicians and industry leaders, including the Former President of the Maldives, Mohamed Nasheed.
This award recognises Panigrahi’s significant contributions to the tourism sector in the Maldives, thus enhancing India’s prestige in his country of residence.
He moved to the Maldives 25 years ago and has been a name to reckon with in the Maldivian tourism industry. Panigrahi’s strength lies in the mastery of two very diverse skills – an instinctive understanding of numbers (thanks to his CA background) and a flair for visual design.