The 19th Century Belonged to Britain, the 20th to America, and the 21st Will Belong to India: Dr. Lakshyaraj Singh Mewar

Udaipur: When the royal family entered the hotel industry, headlines once questioned whether royals would now be washing used utensils. Despite such criticism, the decision remained unchanged, and the business was taken to great heights—so much so that today Udaipur is globally recognized in the hospitality sector. Major international newspapers now feature the city prominently whenever significant events take place here.

This was stated by Dr. Lakshyaraj Singh Mewar while addressing the gathering as the chief guest at the **FORTI Excellence Awards 2026**, organized by the Federation of Rajasthan Trade Industry at Pratap Gaurav Kendra.

He emphasized that running a business and changing decisions based on others’ opinions are entirely different things. Sharing his long-term vision and experience, Dr. Mewar said, *“The 19th century belonged to Britain, the 20th to America, and the 21st will belong to India,”* adding that this transformation will be driven by education and trade.

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### Awards Presented Across Industry Categories

During the ceremony, awards were presented by Dr. Lakshyaraj Singh Mewar along with noted industrialist Poonam Kulria, FORTI President Suresh Agrawal, and Awards Chairman Praveen Suthar.

Honorees were recognized across multiple sectors including manufacturing, trading, services, professional (doctors and architects), and media. Awardees came from cities such as Alwar, Jaipur, Udaipur, Nokha, Sirohi, Balotra, Kota, and Chittorgarh, reflecting a diverse representation of talent and entrepreneurship.

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### Focus on Rural Employment

Addressing the ceremony, Poonam Kulria—whose family provides employment to over 35,000 people nationwide—congratulated the awardees and stressed the importance of generating employment in native villages. He encouraged entrepreneurs to connect their roots with economic development, improving both living standards and local economies.

Kulria also shared that he is establishing an industry in his ancestral village Nokha, which is expected to create thousands of jobs in the region.

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### A Platform Celebrating Talent

FORTI President Suresh Agrawal remarked that the unity of industrialists from across the country was evident at the समारोह. He added that FORTI feels proud to honor such talents and aims to expand this initiative to other cities in the future.

FORTI Branches Chairman Praveen Suthar noted that the success of the event was made possible by the dignified presence of distinguished guests. He described this year’s ceremony as a modest beginning, with plans to organize an even larger event in the coming years.