On January 26, 2019, Cisco’s chairman emeritus John Chambers was awarded one of the most prestigious civilian honors of the country – the Padma Bhushan – in recognition of his contributions and support to India-U.S. trade relations.
The Padma awards are awarded in various disciplines or fields of activities: social work, public affairs, science and engineering, trade and industry, medicine, literature and education, sports, civil service among others. They are conferred by the President of India at a ceremonial function held at Rashtrapati Bhavan – the official home of the President – usually around March or April every year.
Chambers has been a vocal supporter of the Indian startup ecosystem. He believes that startups will act as the new driver of growth and job creation for India. Additionally, Chambers, who is also chairman of the U.S. India Strategic Partnership Forum, said that the forum will collaborate with Ahmedabad-based technology incubator iCreate to help local startups connect with Fortune 500 companies and individual investors in the U.S.
Following the announcement of the award, Chambers tweeted: “It’s a tremendous honor to receive the Padma Bhushan award. I’ve always believed in India & it’s been incredible seeing the transition the country has made from slow follower to fast innovator. I’m lucky to be part of this incredible success story.”
Last updated: December 26th, 2025
