The meeting came amid the increasing strategic economic and industrial collaboration between Italy and India.

Tata Sons Chairman N Chandrasekaran has met Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni at Palazzo Chigi in Rome, with the acquisition of Italian commercial vehicle maker Iveco Group by Tata Motors featuring prominently in discussions amid growing strategic industrial and economic ties between the two countries.

Sources said Chandrasekaran presented the Tata Group’s strategy following the Indian conglomerate’s acquisition of a controlling stake in Iveco Group, one of Italy’s leading commercial vehicle manufacturers, at the meeting held on Wednesday.

The meeting came amid the increasing strategic economic and industrial collaboration between Italy and India.

On October 30, Tata Motors said it has acquired an 89.42 per cent stake in Iveco for nearly 3.43 billion euros following the initial settlement of its cash tender offer.

Addressing a global press conference at Iveco’s headquarters in Turin, Italy, on Tuesday, Chandrasekaran thanked the Italian government and Prime Minister Meloni for their encouragement and support throughout the acquisition process.

“Iveco Group, with very strong Italian roots and a strong presence across Europe and Latin America, brings huge industrial heritage, iconic brands, technology and world-class capabilities across trucks, buses and power trains.

“I would like to thank everyone who has been involved in this transaction, and I’m grateful to all of them. I would also like to start today by thanking the Italian government and the Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and Minister Adolfo Urso for their encouragement and support throughout this process,” the Tata Sons Chairman said.

He also recalled Tata Motors’ longstanding association with Turin, saying the company’s indigenous passenger car development journey had its roots in the Italian city, where the design of its first indigenous car took shape at design house Idea in the late 1990s.

“I would like to give you a story which explains our connect with Turin. When our ex-Chairman Mr Ratan Tata decided that Tata Motors will develop and manufacture its indigenous passenger car, he actually turned to Turin, and there was a famous design house in Turin by the name Idea.

“And Idea was where the first indigenous Indian car took shape. It is from the late nineties that many of us from Tata Motors have been coming to Turin. Therefore, we have a very strong connect with Turin. We owe it to Turin for our passenger car business because it was kind of born here,” the Tata Sons Chairman said.

Tata Motors and Iveco are looking at significant growth in volumes, revenues and margins over the next five years as the two companies join hands to create a global commercial vehicle powerhouse, Chandrasekaran had said at the press conference.

In a joint statement, the companies said, “Complementary portfolios and geographic strengths create a truly global enterprise, with presence in over 130 countries across key developed and high-growth markets in Europe, India, South America, Asia, the Middle East and Africa, and combined revenues of 21 billion euros (about ₹2,28,000 crore)”.

With the acquisition, the Italian commercial vehicle manufacturer has become Tata Motors’ indirect subsidiary.

The acquisition process is continuing, with the two companies now embarking on the next phase of integration and joint strategic planning.

source/content: hindustantimes.com (headline edited)

Meanwhile, the electoral fate of other Indian-American candidates, including Republican Mahesh Ganorkar, remained undecided as counting continued.

The US midterm elections witnessed a growing presence of Indian-American candidates in American politics, with several securing victories in key congressional and state-level contests.

Pia Dandiya, a first-generation Indian American, won the election to the U.S. House of Representatives from Florida’s 22nd congressional district, defeating Casey Askar, a Marine veteran.

Dandiya (39), a former high school principal, bagged 51.9 per cent of the votes to become the newest Indian-American U.S. congresswoman, as per the results declared on Tuesday.

Born to parents who migrated to the US from India, she is a first-generation American policy leader and technology innovator. She was born and raised in Palm Beach County, Florida.

She began her career as a teacher and later served as a high school principal in Harlem. She founded a high school aimed at helping students from low-income families achieve economic independence.

Every graduate of the school secured college admission. Significantly, 86 per cent came from low-income households. She also served as a White House Fellow and worked at Apple.

According to her campaign website, she became the founding principal at 28, making her one of the youngest high school principals in the country.

Her victory in Florida’s newly created 22nd district has now secured her a seat in the US House of Representatives. Dandiya had earlier sought to challenge Republican Brian Mast, chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, in Florida’s 21st district.

She later shifted to South Florida’s 22nd district, which was created during redistricting and had no incumbent in the fray.

In a statement, Chintan Patel, executive director of Indian American Impact SA, said, “Florida’s 22nd District was one of the most competitive districts for Democrats, and Pia just turned it blue. Indian American Impact has been proud to support her from the beginning, and we congratulate her on her victory.’’

Meanwhile, Democrat 40-year-old Suhas Subramayam has won from Virginia’s 10th Congressional District, as he defeated Republican challenger Dave Beckwith and independent candidate Ahsen Malik.

He got 63.16 per cent of the vote or 1,73,106 votes, while Beckwith received 34.66 per cent, or 94,990 votes.

Subramanyam had urged Indian-Americans to actively take part in the midterm elections, stating that their votes and voices mattered more than ever amid rising hate and discrimination in the US.

Born in Virginia in 1979 to Indian immigrant parents, Subramanyam is the first Indian-American to represent the state’s 10th Congressional District. His mother is from Bengaluru, while his father grew up in Chennai and Secunderabad.

Subramanyam, a lawyer by profession, holds degrees from Tulane University and Northwestern University’s Pritzker School of Law. He previously worked as a technology policy adviser in the White House under former President Barack Obama.

He entered electoral politics in 2019 after being elected to the Virginia House of Delegates. He subsequently served in the state Senate from 2023 to 2024 before entering the US House of Representatives in 2024, succeeding retiring Democratic representative Jennifer Wexton.

While Maryland Lieutenant Governor, 61-year-old Aruna Miller won another term alongside Democratic Governor Wes Moore. Thus, her re-election ensures continued Indian-American representation in one of the country’s highest state executive offices.

Born in Hyderabad, India, on November 6, 1964, she moved to the US at the age of 7 with her family. She studied civil engineering at the Missouri University of Science and Technology and graduated in 1989.

Her political career kicked off in 2010 when she served in the Maryland House of Delegates, representing District 15 from 2010 to 2018. Miller joined Moore on the Democratic ticket in 2022, which was a breakthrough in her political career.

Meanwhile, the electoral fate of other Indian-American candidates, including Republican Mahesh Ganorkar in North Carolina, Democrat Ro Khanna in California, Democrat Ami Bera, and Democrat Pooja Sethi in Texas, remained undecided as counting continues.

The public health physician and former COVID-19-era state health director Amy Acton defeated Trump-backed Republican Vivek Ramaswamy in Ohio. He is a biotechnology entrepreneur and former Republican presidential candidate endorsed by President Donald Trump.

Meanwhile, Indian-American Democrat Jyot Singh was holding an early lead over Republican Yassin Moghazy in Georgia’s state legislative election for House District 97.

Democrat Nithya Raman, who was born in Kerala, was in a close contest with her former boss Karen Bass for Los Angeles mayor. Fellow Democrat Amish Shah was contesting a competitive race in an attempt to enter Congress for the first time.

source/content: newindianexpress.com (headline edited)

It is conferred on members of police forces, security organisations, intelligence wings, branches and special branches of States and Union Territories, CAPFs, CPOs, the National Security Guard and Assam Rifles.

Four hundred and ninety personnel from various States, Union Territories, Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) and Central Police Organisations (CPOs) were awarded the Kendriya Grihmantri Dakshata Padak on Saturday (October 31, 2026), the birth anniversary of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, a Government statement said.

The list also includes 14 officers from the Central Bureau of Investigation.

The award was instituted through a Ministry of Home Affairs notification dated February 1, 2024.

It is conferred on members of police forces, security organisations, intelligence wings, branches and special branches of States and Union Territories, CAPFs, CPOs, the National Security Guard and Assam Rifles, it said

“The medal is given to recognise excellent work, promote high professional standards and boost the morale of the concerned official/officer,” the statement said.

It is awarded across five categories: excellence in operations, outstanding service in investigation, exceptional performance, indomitable and daring intelligence service, and meritorious work in forensic science.

“Initiated under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and guidance of Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation Amit Shah, ‘Kendriya Grihmantri Dakshata Padak’ will boost the morale of all police personnel,” it said.

The award is announced annually on the birth anniversary of Sardar Vallabhbhaip Patel.

source/content: thehindu.com (headline edited)

Dehradun technology educator, Prashant Chaudhary began teaching technology to students from his village right after graduating from IIT.

Dehradun technology educator Prashant Chaudhary has won the fifth Rohini Nayyar Prize for Outstanding Contribution to Rural Development. Constituted in memory of Ms. Nayyar, a scholar-administrator and an activist on rural development issues, the prize is given out annually by the Nayyar Foundation to noted contributors for social and economic purposes.

Former CEO of NITI Aayog Amitabh Kant presented the prize to Mr. Chaudhary on Saturday (October 31, 2026). The prize includes a cash award of ₹10 lakh, a citation, and a trophy. A jury with backgrounds in civil society, academia, and government selected this year’s winner. “Mr. Chaudhary is the founder of the CodeYogi Foundation, equipping India’s unreached youth with practical AI and technology skills. His platform runs entirely on family smartphones, in Indian languages, with no dependence on computers, labs, English, or trained teachers,” the Foundation said in a release.

The first person from his village near Meerut, U.P., to enter an IIT (IIT Delhi, 2010), Mr. Chaudhary began teaching technology to students from his village right after graduation. “In 2020, he committed to scaling this mission, bootstrapping CodeYogi. The model has now evolved into a 30-day applied AI fluency program where students use real AI tools for tasks that matter in their studies and family lives. In the last three years, it has scaled to more than 350,000 students across 9 states and 120 districts,” the release added.

source/content: thehindu.com (headline edited)

In conversation with The Telegraph Online, the wrestler from Haryana and her coach, Virender Dahiya, recount the sacrifices and belief behind her comeback.

Since 2022, Manisha Bhanwala has attended just one wedding. She carries her own food whenever possible and usually turns down restaurant meals. Sweets, which she loves, have been off the menu for years, her coach says. After winning a world title, she finally allowed herself some chocolate.

“Today I will have something sweet,” coach Virender Dahiya recalled her saying in a conversation with The Telegraph Online from Astana in Kazakhstan.

The small celebration followed a remarkable comeback. Trailing 0-6 against American Abigail Elizabeth Nette in the women’s 59 kg final, Manisha fought back to win 8-6 and become India’s first female wrestling world champion.

Speaking to The Telegraph Online, Manisha described a life in which even meeting people could feel like a distraction.

“From 2022 until now, I’ve attended just one wedding.I haven’t attended any other functions or eaten at them. I don’t even meet people because I feel I’ll get distracted.”

That discipline extends to eating out, although she makes exceptions when necessary.

“If there’s no other option, that’s different. But usually, I say no. I carry my own food whenever possible.”

Dahiya has watched those choices become part of her routine.

“Manisha has given up so much. She lives for wrestling. That is her only focus,” he said.

“She also loves sweets, but she has avoided them completely for nearly four years to keep her weight under control. She avoids sugar-based products because weight control is essential in wrestling.”

‘The real sacrifices were made by my family’

Manisha was quick to shift the conversation away from what she had given up.

“The real sacrifices were made by my family. Given our circumstances, they’ve lived for me all these years and taken such good care of me. They’ve sacrificed so much,” she said.

Their support survived years of questions about whether her efforts would amount to anything.

“People would say: ‘She’s been practising for 12 or 13 years. What is she going to do now?’ They don’t understand what it takes to become a champion.

“Some relatives would ask my mother: ‘Is she still going to compete?’ My mother would say: ‘As long as she wants to’.”

Her belief in work, Manisha said, came from home.

“Ever since I was a child, I was taught that if we’ve been born as human beings, we’re here to do something. That belief runs in my family. My father was like that too.

“I also believe strongly in karma. Whatever you do, you get the same in return.”

Her father, who passed away in 2022, remains a presence in her wrestling. Dahiya said she always carries her father’s photograph.

“She tells me: ‘I still feel that my father is around me 24 hours a day’,” he said.

“After the bout yesterday [Friday], she shared a photograph of her father. She says: ‘Whatever I am doing is for my father. I am here because of him’.”

At 0-6, a plan and the belief to keep going.

The final tested that belief. But Dahiya said their preparation gave them a reason to stay hopeful even when Nette built a six-point lead.

“The night before the final, we watched several videos of her American opponent. We noticed that she tired as the bout progressed. That was her weakness, while Manisha’s strength was that she became more aggressive as the bout went on.”

The coach admitted he was nervous. His instructions were meant to keep Manisha focused on the opportunities still available.

“I was a little nervous at 0-6, but Manisha also knew that her opponent would tire and that she could recover. I kept telling her: ‘Manisha, don’t worry. There is still time. She will tire, and you can score points.’

“That is exactly what happened. In the last three minutes, Manisha kept scoring, and we won 8-6.”

The victory followed the disappointment of returning from the Asian Games without a medal. But Dahiya said that the team had arrived at the World Championships convinced she could reach the podium.

“We were medal contenders at the Asian Games, and we were medal contenders here too. We came prepared and determined not to leave without a medal.”

For Manisha, the celebration could finally include something she had spent years refusing.

“Yes, she had something sweet after many months,” Dahiya said. “She added honey to warm milk and said: ‘Today I will have something sweet.’

“She had chocolate too,” he added.

source/content: telegraphindia.com (headline edited)

Besides enabling navigation, the atomic clock also provides precise timekeeping.

The Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) on Friday successfully launched NVS-03, India’s next-generation navigation satellite, in a major boost to the country’s indigenous navigation capabilities.

The Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV) carrying the satellite lifted off from the second launch pad at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC-SHAR). NVS-03 is a crucial addition to the Navigation with Indian Constellation (NavIC) system, India’s answer to GPS.

How NavIC’s new satellite will improve civilian navigation

The satellite carries an indigenous Rubidium atomic clock developed by the Space Applications Centre and will transmit signals in the L1, L5 and S bands. The inclusion of the L1 band makes the satellite compatible with modern civilian smartphone chipsets and wearable devices.

Besides enabling navigation, the atomic clock also provides precise timekeeping. Banks, stock exchanges and the armed forces rely on accurate time, and even small differences between time sources can affect their operations. India has also been working to establish an independent ground-based timekeeping system.

In June 2025, the government said it would stop relying on GPS, which is used by US government, for maintaining Indian Standard Time (IST) and switch to five atomic clocks installed in Guwahati, Bengaluru, Ahmedabad, Faridabad and Bhubaneswar. It said the clocks had been tested and that the system would become operational soon. Banks and businesses would be required to use the system once it was operational.

source/content: hindustantimes.com (headlines edited)

Light has become more than a means of observation; it is a way to intervene, test, and uncover cause-and-effect relationships, said Nishith Gupta, professor of Biological Sciences at BITS Pilani.

The 2026 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, awarded to Karl Deisseroth, Peter Hegemann, and Georg Nagel “for their discoveries concerning light-gated ion channels and optogenetics”, has brought renewed attention to using light to investigate fundamental biological processes. These include memory formation, feelings, and behaviours relevant for neurological and psychiatric disorders, as well as processes involved in infectious disease.

For Nishith Gupta, professor of Biological Sciences at BITS Pilani, Hyderabad, and founder of the Intracellular Parasite Education and Research Labs (iPEARL), the recognition has a personal significance in his own scientific journey.

Mr. Gupta’s decades-long collaboration with Hegemann at Humboldt University of Berlin, where Hegemanna is Hertie Senior Professor of Neuroscience, helped extend optogenetic approaches beyond neuroscience into his study of Toxoplasma gondii, an intracellular parasite that infects humans, mammals, and birds.

Optogenetics enables scientists to control selected cells or biological processes using light-sensitive proteins.

The 2026 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, awarded to Karl Deisseroth, Peter Hegemann, and Georg Nagel “for their discoveries concerning light-gated ion channels and optogenetics”, has brought renewed attention to using light to investigate fundamental biological processes. These include memory formation, feelings, and behaviours relevant for neurological and psychiatric disorders, as well as processes involved in infectious disease.

For Nishith Gupta, professor of Biological Sciences at BITS Pilani, Hyderabad, and founder of the Intracellular Parasite Education and Research Labs (iPEARL), the recognition has a personal significance in his own scientific journey.

Mr. Gupta’s decades-long collaboration with Hegemann at Humboldt University of Berlin, where Hegemanna is Hertie Senior Professor of Neuroscience, helped extend optogenetic approaches beyond neuroscience into his study of Toxoplasma gondii, an intracellular parasite that infects humans, mammals, and birds.

Professor of Biological Sciences at BITS Pilani-Hyderabad Campus, Nishith Gupta with Peter Hegemann, 2026 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine laureate.

Optogenetics enables scientists to control selected cells or biological processes using light-sensitive proteins.

The Nobel Committee for Physiology or Medicine stated: “It all began with Peter Hegemann’s curiosity. He wondered how Chlamydomonas, a single-celled alga, is able to swim towards a light source. In the early 2000s, he and Georg Nagel discovered channelrhodopsin, an algal protein with unique properties, found on the surface of the cell. When it is illuminated by blue light, a channel opens through the protein. Charged ions then flow into the cell, creating an electrical impulse. They found that regardless of which cell they put the protein in, those cells became light sensitive.” In 2005, Deisseroth showed that introducing channelrhodopsin into rat neurons allowed blue light to trigger nerve signals. In 2007, he showed light-based control in mice.

In contrast, Mr. Gupta, Mr. Hegemann and others used light-regulated enzyme adenylate cyclase, which converts adenosine triphosphate (ATP), the primary energy of a living cell, to produce cyclic Adenosine Monophosphate (cAMP). This molecule acts as messengers, helping transmit signals within cells.

Put simply, the researchers showed that light controls the enzyme, the enzyme produces cAMP, and cAMP helps regulate what happens inside the parasite (Toxoplasma gondii): how it enters cells, moves, and exits cells. This landmark study was published in the Journal of Biological Chemistry in 2013.

While Mr. Deisseroth, Mr. Hegemann, and Mr. Nagel’s optogenetics “solves one of humanity’s great mysteries, how our incredible brain works”, Mr. Gupta, Mr. Hegemann and others’ found light-regulated signalling to investigate parasite’s lifestyle, and infection.

Mr. Gupta says that working alongside Hegemann in Berlin, with their laboratories in neighbouring departments, was an important part of this scientific journey. Joint funding from the German Research Foundation (DFG) supported their collaboration.

After Mr. Gupta relocated to India, Mr. Hegemann continued to support his research through Mr. Gupta’s Wellcome Trust–DBT Senior Fellowship project at BITS Pilani. Researchers from his team continued to visit Hegemann’s group in Berlin.

For Mr. Gupta, the Nobel Prize awarded to Mr. Hegemann and his fellow laureates underscores the far-reaching consequences of fundamental research. A protein that evolved to help an alga sense light has become a tool for probing the brain, investigating infection and understanding how cells function. He says the broader lesson is that technologies developed to answer one biological question can open entirely new avenues of research.

“Light has become more than a means of observation; it is a way to intervene, test, and uncover cause-and-effect relationships,” Mr. Gupta says.

source/content: thehindu.com (headline edited)

The national winners included students from Assam, Delhi, Gujarat, Jharkhand, Jammu and Kashmir, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Tamil Nadu and Uttar Pradesh.

A spider-shaped bomb-diffusing robot developed by students in Assam, affordable bone-conduction smart glasses designed by a Uttar Pradesh team and an urban air-purification concept from Gujarat were among the 10 national-level winners of the Viksit Bharat Buildathon 2025, which entered the Guinness World Records as the “Largest Innovation Solution Competition” with 287,967 project submissions across both idea and prototype tracks.

The 10 winning teams received a combined cash prize of ₹17.50 lakh, while the nationwide initiative had an award pool of more than ₹1 crore across district, state and national levels.

The national awards comprised five winners in the prototype track, each receiving ₹2.5 lakh for their working models, and five in the idea track, each awarded ₹1 lakh to encourage further development of their concepts.

The idea track recognises students who present innovative concepts to address real-world problems, while the prototype track rewards teams that develop functional working models of their proposed solutions.

Union minister of state (MoS) for education Jayant Chaudhary felicitated the winning teams in New Delhi on Wednesday at an event in New Delhi and received the Guinness World Records certification for the initiative which Union education ministry hailed as “a historic milestone for school education and grassroots innovation in India”

Organised by the department of school education and literacy under the Union education ministry, in collaboration with NITI Aayog’s Atal Innovation Mission (AIM) and the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE), the programme launched in September 2025 aims to encourage school students to identify real-world problems and develop solutions independently.

The winning projects addressed challenges spanning public safety, renewable energy, urban pollution, environmental sustainability and livelihoods.

A three-tier assessment process at the district, state and national levels, conducted by multidisciplinary expert panels, selected 10 national awardees, 100 state awardees and 1,000 district awardees.

The national winners included students from Assam, Delhi, Gujarat, Jharkhand, Jammu and Kashmir, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Tamil Nadu and Uttar Pradesh.

The Assam team from PM SHRI Kendriya Vidyalaya, Tinsukia, won for “Vadiffuse”, a spider-shaped robot designed to diffuse bombs. Students from Modern Public School, Shalimar Bagh, Delhi, were recognised for their project on renewable energy, while a team from PM SHRI Kendriya Vidyalaya No. 1, Surat, Gujarat, developed the “Urban Breathing Pole”.

Students from Green Valley Educational Institute, Srinagar, won for “Guardian Bridge”. A team from De Nobili School, Dhanbad, Jharkhand, was recognised for a project exploring methane gas in the coal-mining region, titled “Dhanbad: The Burning Treasure and the Silent Methane Gas”.

Other winners included “EcoSync” from PM Shri Kendriya Vidyalaya, Adoor, Kerala; “WINDMINER”, an omnidirectional windmill, from Carmel Convent Senior Secondary School, Neemuch, Madhya Pradesh; and a tasar cocoon counting and quality-checking machine with segregation from DAV Public School, Unit-VIII, Odisha. An “Instant Thermo Flask” developed by students of Pathippaga Chemmal K Ganapathy Government Higher Secondary School, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, and “EchoLens”, affordable bone-conduction smart glasses developed by students of Step by Step School, Rohillapur, Gautam Budh Nagar, Uttar Pradesh, were among the top 10.

source/content: hindustantimes.com (headline edited)

Indian pilot and fellow crew members receive the First Class Order of Zayed II after they helped overpower a co-pilot who attacked the captain aboard a Dubai-Tel Aviv flight.

UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan has conferred the First Class Order of Zayed II on Indian Captain Smit Machchhar and fellow flydubai crew members for their courage in protecting passengers during an attempted mid-air attack aboard a Dubai-Tel Aviv flight.

The medals were presented by Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence, who commended the crew’s actions and sense of responsibility, Dubai Media Office said in a statement on Tuesday.

Machchhar and the other crew members received the honour at a presidential reception.

The incident occurred on September 30 aboard flydubai flight FZ1073, which was travelling from Dubai to Tel Aviv with more than 170 people on board. Machchhar was attacked by his co-pilot with a crash axe, typically kept in the cockpit for use in emergencies, and suffered serious injuries. The motive for the attack remains unclear.

The co-pilot, identified by Israeli officials as an Omani national, stabbed Machchhar and sent the aircraft plunging nearly 14,000 feet in less than 30 seconds.

Despite his injuries, Machchhar, who was covered in blood and lying on the floor, managed to draw on “the last moments of his energy” to click open the release on the cockpit door.

This allowed passengers and crew members to overpower the co-pilot. A second pair of flydubai pilots who were on board then took control and landed the aircraft in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia.

The Omani co-pilot was taken into custody. Machchhar was initially treated at a hospital in Tabuk before being transferred to Abu Dhabi for further treatment.

The crew successfully neutralised the cockpit attack, safeguarding passengers and ensuring the aircraft’s safe landing in Saudi Arabia.

The crew members thanked the UAE President and expressed pride in receiving the honour, which reflects his recognition of the values of service, dedication and commitment, the statement said.

The ceremony was attended by Sheikh Theyab bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Chairman of the Presidential Court for Development and Fallen Heroes’ Affairs; Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, President of the Dubai Civil Aviation Authority, Chairman of Dubai Airports, and Chairman and Chief Executive of Emirates Airline and Group; and several other officials.

The First Class Order of Zayed II is a high-level civil decoration of the United Arab Emirates conferred by the President to honour individuals, diplomats, officials and crew members for distinguished service, courage or contributions to strengthening bilateral and international relations.

source/content: telegraphindia.com (headline edited)